First, it is very important to note that Muslims enjoy the highest standard of personal hygiene of all the people in the world. In Islam, cleanliness and purification are not only requirements for the performance of worship, or when embracing Islam, but are essential parts of a Muslim’s faith. Allah says in the Qur’an: “Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning and washing thoroughly their private parts, bodies, for their prayers etc.)” (Al Baqarah: 222).

The Standing Committee for Islamic Research and Ifta’ states: “It is permitted to use a razor to shave armpit hair, because the object is to remove the hair, whether by plucking, shaving or some other method. Plucking is better if one can manage it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The fitrah (natural disposition) consists of five things: circumcision, trimming the moustache, cutting the nails, plucking the armpit hairs and shaving the pubic hairs” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)”