[Q 465] Ruling on Piercing Baby’s Ears, Permissibility of Child Ear Piercing, Is It Allowed to Pierce a Baby’s Ears?

QUESTION:

Salaam, what is the ruling on getting a baby/child’s ears pierced when she doesn’t have a say yet and it will be painful, with a possible risk of infection?

ANSWER:

It is permissible to pierce the ears of a young girl, just as it is permissible to pierce her nose, even though it causes her some pain, because this is for a benefit (Maslahat – valid purpose) and for adornment (Zeenat – beauty). The pain is minor, and for the sake of such benefit, such an action is allowed.

Generally, infection does not occur. However, if there is a real risk of infection, then it should not be done. Likewise, if the child is very young to the extent that at that age nothing is normally worn in the ears, then one should also avoid unnecessary piercing.

البحرالرائق شرح کنزالدقائق میں ہے:
“وكذا يجوز ثقب أذن البنات الأطفال لأن فيه منفعة الزينة، وكان يفعل ذلك في زمنه عليه الصلاة والسلام إلى يومنا هذا من غير نكير”.
(Al-Bahr al-Ra’iq Sharh Kanz al-Daqa’iq, Vol. 08, p. 554, Dar al-Kitab al-Islami, Beirut)

الاختیار لتعلیل المختار میں ہے:
“ولابأس بثقب اذن البنات الاطفال لانہ ایلام لمنفعۃ الزینۃ وایصال الالم الی الحیوان لمصلحۃ تعودالیہ جائزکالختان۔”
(Al-Ikhtiyar li-Ta‘leel al-Mukhtar, Vol. 4, p. 167, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut)

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 4th October 2025