Ten things are part of the Fitrah (Not Allowed to
keep more the fourty days)
Firstly: Allaah has prescribed for His Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his ummah the
Sunan al-Fitrah (practices that are in accordance with the
natural inclinations of man). These are mentioned in the hadeeth
of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), who said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Ten things are part of the fitrah:
Cutting the Moustache, Letting the Beard
grow, Using Siwaak (tooth-stick), Snuffing up water into the
nose, Cutting the Nails, Washing the finger-joints, Plucking the
Armpit Hairs, Shaving the Pubes and washing the private parts
after relieving oneself.” Zakariya
said: Mus’ab said: I have forgotten the tenth but I think it was
rinsing the mouth.
[Narrated by
Muslim, 261].
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) set a
time limit with regard to some of these sunnahs,
stating that they should not be left for more than forty days,
as narrated in the hadeeth of Anas (may Allaah be pleased
with him) who said: A time limit was set for us with regard to
cutting the moustache, clipping the nails, plucking the armpit
hairs and shaving the pubes – we were not
to leave these for more than forty days.
[Narrated by Muslim, 258].
Secondly: It is not permissible for a man to look
at the ‘awrah of another man or for a woman to look at the ‘awrah
of another woman.
It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said: The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“No man should look at the ‘awrah of
another man and no woman should look at the ‘awrah of another
woman. No man should be with another man under one cover and no
woman should be with another woman under one cover.”
[Narrated by Muslim, 338].
Al-Nawawi said: This indicates that it is haraam
for a man to look at the ‘awrah of another man and for a woman to
look at the ‘awrah of another woman. There is no dispute among
the scholars on this point. Similarly it is haraam, according to
scholarly consensus, for a man to look at the ‘awrah of a woman
and for a woman to look at the ‘awrah of a man. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned against a man
looking at the ‘awrah of another man and woman looking at the
‘awrah of another woman, and this is more applicable in the case
of a man looking at the ‘awrah of a woman and vice versa.
An exception is made in the case of a married couple, each of
whom may look at the ‘awrah of the other. In the case of mahrams,
it is permissible for them to look at one another from above the
navel and below the knee. All that we have said about looking
being forbidden applies when there is no need to do so, and what
we have said about it being permissible (among mahrams) applies
when there is no desire involved.
[See Fath al-Baari, 9/339]
Thirdly: It is permissible for a woman to remove
the armpit hair of another woman, because the armpit of a woman
is not ‘awrah to another woman, so long as there is no risk of
fitnah and so long as there is the certainty that she will not
describe the body of the woman she has seen to her husband or any
other man or to any other woman
[See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 3/258].
Fourthly: With regard to using wax instead of plucking, this
is permissible, The Standing Committee was asked: is it
permissible for a man to use wax to remove hair such as armpit
and pubic hair?
They replied: Yes, it is permissible to use that to remove
armpit and pubic hair.
[Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/171]