Al salamu alaikom

May I have a permanent tattoo to draw the faces of my father, mother, and brother?

Tattooing, in which the skin is pricked by a needle until blood exists, is prohibited according to the opinion of the majority of scholars such as Shafi'i jurists and others. This is because it causes unnecessary pain and harm. This is based on the words of the Prophet (pbuh), "Allah curses the woman who makes the tattoos and the one being tattooed." Allah Almighty says, "I will command them to tamper with Allah's creation [An-Nisa':119].

However, there is no objection to a woman adorning herself to her husband through getting tattooing that do not cause bodily harm as it has been stated by 'Aisha, the mother of the believers (may Allah be pleased with her) and many scholars. 'Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated the above mentioned hadith and this proves that prohibition here is not general since a wife is commanded in Islamic law to adorn herself for her husband to help him maintain his chastity provided this does not cause her harm.