Can I Keep on My Tikka (Headpiece Jewelry) on My Wedding Day to Pray?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

In my culture, brides usually wear a piece of headpiece jewelry on the forehead (called a tikka).
When praying on my wedding day, is it compulsory for me to remove the bridal tikka? Or can I keep it on since it is usually fixed/glued to the forehead?

Answer

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

As mentioned by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani (may Allah preserve him), wearing a Tikka is in itself problematic because of its strong link to Hinduism.

He says that given the religious connotations of such a practice, one is expected to avoid it.

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Whoever imitates a people is from them.” [Abu Dawud; Ahmad]

Tikka Not Glued and Unrelated to Hinduism

If the “tikka” in question simply refers to an unglued piece of jewelry that hangs from the head onto the forehead, then this is different from the circle that is stuck on the forehead as per Hindu traditions (as well as the kababs).

This means that it shouldn’t affect the prayer as you would either be able to take it off or tuck it under your hijab, leaving your forehead uncovered.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.