QUESTION

Assalamualaikum

I want to ask regarding law according to islam about breast enhancement surgery (plastic or fat transfer) for my case. A couple of years ago, I have a breast surgery that I have to remove a lump on my right breast (like breast cancer but its not) and it is due to medical condition and if it is not remove, it can be dangerous for me. After the surgery, my right breast is not the same size or symmetrical-like my left breast. Means that my right breast is smaller than my left breast. I just want to know, is it haram or permissible if I want to do breast enhancement surgery on my right breast up until so that my right breast can be the same size or symmetrical with my left breast or to its original size? I have been reading that some say its haram but some say due to certain condition it is permissible. I feel like my breast is kinda disfigured because it is not the same size. What I want to do, it is permissible, if I want to do breast enhancement surgery only on my right breast so it can be the same size as before my breast surgery? Thank you

ANSWERS

Wa alaikum salam Sister,

In the case which you mentioned in your question, it is permissible for you to do a breast enhancement surgery as it is not considered to change something that has been created by Allah (التغيير لخلق الله). This is because by doing so, you are merely concealing a shortcoming in your body due to the said surgery that caused an unbalanced size of the breasts.

The basis for this is a narration narrated by Imam Abu Daud, Tirmizi and Nasai as follows:

عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ طَرَفَةَ أَنَّ جَدَّهُ عَرْفَجَةَ بْنَ أَسْعَدَ قُطِعَ أَنْفُهُ يَوْمَ الْكُلَابِ فَاتَّخَذَ أَنْفًا مِنْ وَرِقٍ [ أي فضة] فَأَنْتَنَ عَلَيْهِ فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَاتَّخَذَ أَنْفًا مِنْ ذَهَبٍ ) . أبو داود (4232) والترمذي (1770) والنسائي (5161 “

On the authority of Abdur rahman Bin Tarafah, that the nose of his grandfather A’rfajah bin Asad was cut in the battle of Kilab. Then he took a nose substitute made of silver (to conceal it). after some time, it became stenched. The the prophet s.a.w commanded him to use a gold nose substitute instead.   In this narration, he implanted a nose made of gold due to the deformation that took place. Likewise, if a deformation occurs in other body parts including your case. Wallahu a’lam.