As salamu alaikum. A young man has abnormal and bushy eyebrows that are joined in the middle to form an unsightly unibrow. This has made him the subject of depressing jokes at school and also in public places. What is the definitive ruling on what is allowed in this case so that he can have a normal life?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.

If the eyebrows are a deformity to the face or may be harmful to the eyes, then it is lawful to remove part of it to eliminate the deformity or harm. This does not fall under plucking the eyebrows, which has been prohibited and which the one who does it has been cursed. The evidence that it is permissible is that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, allowed ʻArfajah ibn Saʻd whose nose was cut off in battle, to wear a nose made of gold.

However, if the purpose of removing the eyebrows is to beautify oneself, then it is impermissible because it falls under the category of plucking the eyebrows, which is forbidden for women, and those who do it have been cursed according to a Hadeeth reported in Al-Bukhari and Muslim. The prohibition is even more emphasized for men, because the Islamic Sharee'ah allows kinds of beautification for women that are not allowed for men.

Allaah Knows best.