Otoplasty

24 May 2018 Ref-No#: 693

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

I have a question regarding otoplasty, which is surgery that pins protruding ears back.

I have had protruduing ears my whole life and they have caused me psychological distress. I have been mocked for them and have personally always disliked them.

Neither of my parents have protruding ears or any one in my family that I know of (grandparents, uncles, aunties) and I do not believe it was genetic. I believe my ears stem from the positions I was put to rest and sleep in when I was a newborn.

In my country, we have a sleeping cot in which when one is put to rest or sleep, the ears can be pushed out into a protruding position due to the shape of the cot and how the baby is positioned.

I have come to learn that within the first 6 months of a baby being born, cartilage in the ear is still being developed and if ears are in a certain position for a prolonged period of time, they can take this shape permanantly. After 6 months, the cartilage becomes hard and the shape of the ears can no longer be altered naturally. I believe that during the time I was put to rest, the prolonged period of my ears being in a protruding position has caused them to take this position permanantly.

Would it be permissible to perform otoplasty to get my ears pinned back? The surgery is very minor, and can even be done in a surgeons office instead of a hospital, and it doesn’t have a risk to ones life. The ears would only be pinned back to a point where they look normal.

JazakAllah Khair

Answer

Wa’alaykum as Salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

It is permissible for a person to undergo surgery to rectify any disorder on his body or defect on his body, as long as the surgery does not pose any risk to ones life.

A protruding ear is a defect; and hence, rectifying it with surgery will not fall under cosmetic surgery.

Thus, it is permissible for you to perform otoplasty to get your ears pinned back.

References

في الخانية: رجل له سلعة أو حجر فأراد أن يستخرجه ويخاف منه الموت قال أبو يوسف رحمه الله: إن كان فعله أحد فنجا فلا بأس بأن يفعل لأنه يكون معالجة ولا يكون تعريضا للهلاك. وفي الفتاوى: إذا أراد الرجل أن يقطع إصبعا زائدة أو شيئا آخر قال أبو نصر رحمه الله تعالى: إن كان الغالب على من قطع مثل ذلك الهلاك فإنه لا يفعل لأنه تعريض النفس للهلاك وإن كان الغالب هو النجاة فهو في سعة من ذلك ( فتاوى قاضيخان: 3/313 )

  إذا أراد الرجل أن يقطع إصبعا زائدة أو شيئا آخر قال نصير رحمه الله تعالى إن كان الغالب على من قطع مثل ذلك الهلاك فإنه لا يفعل وإن كان الغالب هو النجاة فهو في سعة من ذلك …من له سلعة زائدة يريد قطعها إن كان الغالب الهلاك فلا يفعل وإلا فلا بأس به كذا في خزانة المفتين ( الفتاوى الهندية: 5/440)

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