Question:

I am a 24 year old female. I wanted to know if it is permissible to write product reviews on my blog (which I want create). Actually I want to write reviews about personal care products which I have used and earn through affiliate marketing.

Now, if I write about how the particular product worked on my skin or hair etc will it be sinful to talk about such things because it might give a description about myself. For example, if a skincare product worked well for reducing acne, will it be sinful to write about the details of how it reduced my acne?

Also wanted to know if the earning will be permissible in this case?

Answer:

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Your income from writing product reviews will be permissible if the following steps are followed:

1. The product being reviewed must be ḥalāl. It will be necessary to examine the ingredients, and if need be, consult a muftī about their permissibility.
2. In order to maintain modesty, a degree of anonymity should be practiced. While it is permissible to mention generally that a product has had certain effects on your skin or hair, it is not permissible to post pictures of the results. Similarly, having a blog name that protects your identity is more in line with Islām’s modesty guidelines.
3. Write an honest review. Your goal should be to convey your truthful opinion of the product to others, not just an infomercial hyping up the product in order to earn affiliate income.[1]

We commend you for your concern in protecting your modesty in an age where this is largely forgotten. Rasūlullāh ﷺ informed us that modesty is a branch of faith.[2] May Allāh increase you in this indispensable quality and bless you with abundant and wholesome rizq (provision).

And Allāh Taʿālā Knows Best

Muftī Mohammed Wahaajuddin
Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA

Checked and Approved by:

Muftī Faisal bin Abdul Hamīd al-Mahmūdī
Darul Iftaa Canada (www.fatwa.ca)

[1]

جامع الترمذي، باب مَا جَاءَ فِي التُّجَّارِ وَتَسْمِيَةِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِيَّاهُمْ، #1209
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: التَّاجِرُ الصَّدُوقُ الأَمِينُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ

#1607 صحيح مسلم، كتاب المساقاة باب النهي عن الحلف في البيع،
عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ إِيَّاكُمْ وَكَثْرَةَ الْحَلِفِ فِي الْبَيْعِ فَإِنَّهُ يُنَفِّقُ ثُمَّ يَمْحَقُ

قال النووي وَفِيهِ النَّهْيُ عَنْ كَثْرَةِ الْحَلِفِ فِي الْبَيْعِ فَإِنَّ الْحَلِفَ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَاجَةٍ مَكْرُوهٌ

[2]

صحيح مسلم، باب بَيَانِ عَدَدِ شُعَبِ الْإِيمَانِ وَأَفْضَلِهَا وَأَدْنَاهَا وَفَضِيلَةِ الْحَيَاءِ وَكَوْنِهِ مِنْ الْإِيمَانِ، #35a
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: الإِيمَانُ بِضْعٌ وَسَبْعُونَ شُعْبَةً وَالْحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ