Egypt's Dar al-Ifta permits cosmetic eye surgeries under conditions

Cosmetic eye color changes have become a point of contention in Egypt, prompting a religious ruling from Dar al-Ifta, the country's official Islamic advisory body. The Egyptian Medical Syndicate has also stepped in, summoning a doctor accused of performing iris color alteration procedures.

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the procedures violated professional standards that the syndicate is committed to upholding.

The syndicate received complaints against an ophthalmologist for allegedly performing surgeries to change eye color, either through laser lightening or by implanting artificial colored irises. In response, the syndicate announced it had summoned the doctor to face its Ethics Committee, stating the procedures violated professional standards.

Amidst this professional debate, Dar al-Ifta addressed the Islamic legal perspective on implanting colored contact lenses for cosmetic purposes. In a fatwa published on its Facebook page, the advisory body declared such surgical procedures permissible, provided they meet strict conditions. The ruling specifies that the surgery must not be intended to deceive or mislead others. Furthermore, it must not pose any harm to the individual, either immediately or in the future.

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undergoing surgery to implant colored contact lenses is permissible and there is no objection to it, whether the purpose is therapeutic, such as vision correction, or cosmetic.

This fatwa clarifies the religious stance on a practice that has raised both medical and ethical questions, offering guidance to those considering such cosmetic enhancements.

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this permissibility is subject to several conditions. Dar al-Ifta stipulated that the procedure must not be intended to deceive or mislead, and that it must not cause harm to the person undergoing it, whether the harm is immediate or may appear in the future.