Tongue piercing for the husband: Obedience or just a trend?

In an era dominated by trends and fashion, some women are opting to pierce their tongues in pursuit of beauty, while others may justify it by claiming they are fulfilling their husband's request to be a ‘righteous’ wife.

On Tuesday, renowned preacher Ustazah Asma' Harun expressed her concerns about tongue piercing after an image of a woman who had undergone the procedure went viral, with the woman stating she had done so to comply with her husband's wishes.

Through a post on her Facebook page, Asma' made it clear that tongue piercing is forbidden in Islam, as it is considered immoral behavior.

“This act is not part of Malaysian customs; rather, it is a practice of non-believers. Furthermore, a hadith narrated by Imam Abu Dawud clearly states that whoever imitates a certain group of people is considered to be part of them,” she stated in her post.

"The 80th Muzakarah (Discussion) of the National Fatwa Committee for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia, held from Feb 1 to 3, 2008, discussed the ruling on women excessively adorning themselves, such as piercing body parts other than the earlobe, and concluded that it is prohibited in Islam," she said.

Although a wife is generally expected to obey her husband, Ustazah Asma' stressed that women are not required to comply with requests that contradict Islamic teachings, such as the act of tongue piercing.

“A husband’s position is highly regarded in the eyes of his wife, and she is obligated to obey him as long as his commands do not conflict with religious principles."

"However, she is not obliged to follow his request if it involves actions prohibited in Islam, such as tongue piercing,” she said.

On the matter of beautification, the preacher clarified that it is permissible, provided it is not excessive and does not involve exposing adornments to non-mahram individuals.