The Cultural Significance of Wanja (Kohl) and Lip Coloring in Ancient Arabian Traditions: A Critical Examination of Muhammad’s Use of Cosmetics
By Dr. Maxwell Shimba | Max Shimba Ministries Org
Abstract
Cosmetic practices such as the application of wanja (kohl) and lip coloring have historically been associated with feminine beauty rituals and symbolic communication in various ancient cultures. This paper explores the historical roots of these practices in ancient Arabian society, their cultural meanings, and the implications of Prophet Muhammad’s personal use of cosmetics as recorded in Islamic traditions. The study critically examines the theological and anthropological consequences of these accounts for contemporary Islamic interpretations.
1. Introduction
Many people today associate cosmetics — such as wanja (kohl), lip coloring, and skin lightening products — primarily with women. However, before forming assumptions about this, it is essential to trace the history of such beauty practices and when they began. Historical evidence indicates that these traditions originated centuries ago, particularly in ancient Arabian societies, with Egyptian women notably leading in the use of cosmetics for both beauty and cultural symbolism.
This paper seeks to contextualize the use of wanja in ancient Arabian traditions and critically analyze its significance, especially in light of recorded hadiths that report Prophet Muhammad’s personal use of wanja. The question is raised: What meaning did such cosmetic application carry in the cultural context of Muhammad’s time, and what are the implications for contemporary Islamic thought?
2. Historical Background of Wanja and Lip Coloring
The application of wanja and lip coloring was not merely for aesthetic purposes in ancient societies but carried significant cultural symbolism. For example, among African ethnic groups such as the Nyamwezi, Digo, and Bondei, a girl nearing puberty would traditionally be secluded, anointed with ashes, and later adorned with wanja by elder women. This act signified her readiness for marriage and sexual maturity.
Similarly, in ancient Arabian society, the application of wanja and red lip coloring conveyed explicit messages. A woman adorned in this way publicly signaled her sexual desire or readiness for marriage. The symbolism was deeply entrenched in communal customs, and such cosmetic choices were recognized as non-verbal cues within the cultural fabric.
Prominent anthropologists and social scientists such as Deus Hans and Desmond Morris, in their nineteenth-century works, corroborated these interpretations. They noted that the reddening of a woman’s lips and the application of wanja mirrored the physiological changes of the labia during sexual arousal. Consequently, these cosmetic practices had clear sexual connotations within traditional communities.
3. Cosmetic Practices in the Time of Muhammad
Although in modern times women apply cosmetics for various reasons, often unrelated to cultural signaling, in the era of Prophet Muhammad, such practices carried distinct meanings. A woman wearing wanja or red lip color either signaled sexual availability or indicated her transition into marital eligibility following puberty.
This context makes it important to interrogate Muhammad’s own reported cosmetic practices. According to Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 309, it is recorded that:
“Muhammad carried a mirror and a container of kohl (wanja) with him. He used a comb made from horn to groom his hair, applied oils, looked at himself in the mirror, and would apply wanja to his eyes before sleeping. He also greatly loved perfumes.”
This hadith, detailing Muhammad’s grooming routine, is significant given the cultural meanings attributed to these acts at the time.
4. Theological and Anthropological Implications
Given the Arabian cultural norms associated with cosmetic use, a pressing question arises: What was the Prophet Muhammad’s intention behind such practices? Within a society where applying wanja and lip coloring symbolized sexual desire or readiness for marriage, what did it signify when a man — and notably a religious leader — adorned himself in this way?
This question demands careful theological reflection and honest anthropological inquiry. It presents a serious challenge for Islamic scholarship to reconcile prophetic practices with the prevailing cultural codes of the time, especially when those codes are laden with connotations that contradict Islamic modesty prescriptions in later jurisprudence.
To dismiss this inquiry is to surrender intellectual integrity and reveal the limits of critical reasoning. Theological reasoning must not shy away from difficult questions but should confront them transparently.
5. Conclusion
The history of cosmetics such as wanja and lip coloring reveals their deep cultural significance in ancient Arabian society. When understood in this context, Prophet Muhammad’s reported use of these items raises important questions about his conformity to or divergence from societal norms laden with sexual and marital symbolism.
This investigation calls for a nuanced, historically grounded, and theologically responsible engagement with early Islamic texts and cultural practices. Ignoring such matters or labeling them as irrelevant undermines intellectual honesty and religious integrity.
A tragedy for Islam lies not in asking difficult questions but in refusing to answer them.
Keywords: Muhammad and cosmetics, Arabian cultural traditions, wanja (kohl), Sunan Ibn Majah, Islamic anthropology, sexual symbolism, ancient beauty rituals, religious grooming practices.
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