The former National President of the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN), Prof. Ibrahim Oreagba, has said Islam permits medical interventions for health reasons.
He, however, said the religion discourages cosmetic body enhancement procedures performed purely for vanity.
In an interview with reporters in Ilorin on Tuesday, Oreagba said Islamic jurisprudence draws a clear line between treatment, reconstruction and unnecessary alteration of Allah’s creation.
Oreagba, who teaches in the Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, explained that Islam places a high premium on the preservation of health and dignity of the human body.
According to him, any medical procedure that restores function or corrects a defect is permissible and even encouraged.
The former president explained that procedures such as Botox, breast enlargement, liposuction and other forms of elective cosmetic enhancement fall under a different ruling when done without medical indication.
“If the intention is to alter the natural creation of Allah out of vanity, to deceive, or to conform to unrealistic beauty standards, then it is discouraged in Islam,” Oreagba warned.
He, however, noted that exceptions exist where a procedure is reconstructive, for example after an accident, burns or mastectomy due to breast cancer.
He added that scholars agree that it is permissible because it restores normalcy and alleviates psychological harm.
Oreagba added that Muslims are enjoined to be content with Allah’s decree and to avoid practices that might lead to harm, addiction or extravagance.
Similarly, on surrogacy, he said the majority of Islamic scholars consider it impermissible because it involves introducing a third party into the marital relationship.
He said the practice could lead to confusion of lineage, which Islam seeks to protect.
The expert explained that surrogacy blurs the lines of motherhood and paternity and could create complex legal and social problems for the child.
He said Islamic law encourages couples facing infertility to explore permissible alternatives such as medical treatment, adoption with clear guardianship rules, or patience and supplication.
Oreagba called on health institutions to provide ethical counselling for patients considering cosmetic or reproductive procedures to ensure decisions align with both medical best practice and religious values.
