Tattoos and Religion

Tattooing is stated in a hadith not to be permissible. The person who has had it done must repent and must not have it done again. A tattoo is a layer of pigment on top of the skin, which prevents water from reaching the body.

The reason it is not permissible is that harming the body, which is a trust, is disliked, just like smoking cigarettes or piercing the body. Islam accepts creation as it is, and this is why tattooing is considered an interference with the body’s natural form.