Before I converted to Islam, I got tatooed. I have recently read about a tatooed women being a cursed woman. Does this apply to me as well? If I become engaged, should I tell my husband about this before hand, in case he does not want to become engaged to a "cursed woman"?.
Praise be to Allah.The Muslim
must realize that Islam erases any sins that came before it, and indeed
Allaah changes them into good deeds, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“Except
those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous
deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah
is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Furqaan 25:70]
It was narrated that ‘Amr
ibn al-‘Aas said: When Allaah put Islam in my heart, I went to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “Give me your
right hand so that I may give you my oath of allegiance.” So he held out his
hand, but I held my hand back. He said, “What is the matter, O ‘Amr?” I
said, “I want to make a condition.” He said, “What is your condition?” I
said, “That I be forgiven.” He said, “Do you not know that Islam wipes out
whatever came before it, and that hijrah (migration for the sake of Allaah)
wipes out whatever came before it, and that Hajj wipes out whatever came
before it?”
(Narrated by
Muslim, 121).
This hadeeth
indicates that whoever becomes Muslim is forgiven for all the bad deeds that
he may have done before he became a Muslim.
Secondly:
It was
narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
that tattooing is haraam (forbidden).
It was
narrated that Abu Juhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who
does tattoos, the one who has a tattoo done, the one who consumes riba
(usury or interest) and the one who pays it, and he forbade the price of a
dog and the earnings of a prostitute, and he cursed the image-makers.”
(Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 5032).
Tattooing is
a major sin, but if a person repents from it, Allaah will accept his
repentance.
Thirdly:
Modern
medicine is able to remove tattoos; the remedy exists so you can easily get
rid of it, in sha Allah.
Fourthly:
The curse of
the woman who does tattoos is not permanent; rather when a person repents
from it, that curse is lifted. So it is a mistake for you to say that you
are a cursed woman. Rather we ask Allaah to make you good and righteous.
Fifthly:
Undoubtedly
the one who wants to marry you will understand this issue, especially that
it was before you became Muslim. Even if it was after you became Muslim, so
long as the Muslim has repented from it, he cannot be blamed or called to
account for it, rather his bad deeds are changed into good deeds.
And Allaah
knows best.