Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
Kohl is a well known stone that is easy to disintegrate and it is used to darken the edges of the eyelids. To produce it [for cosmetic use], it is crushed until it becomes smooth and then it is applied to the eyelids. It comes in two colours, black and red.
Al-Bajūrī said,
The author listed the chapter of kohl right after the chapter of dye due to the similarity between the two since both are means of adornment.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalānī said,
Applying the kohl to the eyelid is a Sunnah according to all Shāfi’ī scholars, based on the hadīths that talk about it.
Abū Bakr ibn al-Arabī said,
There are two benefits of the application of kohl: (i) adornment, which religion did not put a restriction on; thus it is used as needed, (ii) medicine, because it improves the sight and helps eyelashes grow, and it has been religiously prescribed to be done every night so that this benefit can be attained.
49. ‘Abdullāh ibn Abbās narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Apply the ithmid (kohl) on the eye; it strengthens the eyesight, and facilitates the growth of the eyelashes.” He also asserted that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had a small container for keeping kohl, from which he applied it on each eyelid three times every night. [64]
Mirak Shah al-Hanafī said,
“Apply the ithmid”: It is intended to mean use it frequently.
“…Every night”: Meaning he did it every night before sleeping.
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
“Facilitates the growth of the eyelashes”: Not only do long eyelashes protect the eyes from dust, but they also increase the eyes in beauty.
“On each eyelid three times”: Applying it in an odd number is encouraged because he (peace be upon him) said in another hadīth, “When anyone of you applies kohl on their eyes, do it in an odd number.”[65] There are two methods that scholars have mentioned based on the different hadīths about this topic: (1) Apply kohl on the right eyelid three times, then apply it on the left eyelid three times. (2) Apply kohl on the right eyelid one time then apply it on the left eyelid one time, then apply it on the right eyelid and then on the left eyelid, and then apply it on the right eyelid. This way, the total number is odd and the right eyelid is preferred over the left eyelid with three things: (i) it was the first to start with, (ii) it was the last to end with, (iii) the kohl is applied on it more than the left eyelid.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī said,
“Three times every night”: He preferred three times because it is an odd number, and it is moderate, neither excessive nor little.
50. ‘Abdullāh ibn Abbās narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Apply the ithmid on the eyelids before sleeping. It clears the eyesight and increases the growth of the eyelashes.” [66]
Al-Bajūrī said,
“Apply the ithmid”: Those being addressed regarding this issue are those whose eyes are healthy, because if the eye has a problem then ithmid may aggravate it.
Ibn al-Qayyim said,
Applying the kohl on the eyes maintains their healthiness, improves and clears the eyesight, removes the bad elements and it is an adornment in the case of some types of kohl. It is even more beneficial when the ithmid is used before sleeping.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalānī said,
The order in this hadīth is understood to mean that it is recommended, as agreed upon by all scholars.
Mirak Shah al-Hanafī said,
“It clears the eyesight and increases the growth of the eyelashes”: Mentioning the worldly benefits of kohl does not negate the fact that it is an act of Sunnah since he (peace be upon him) practiced it and encouraged it. In fact, these worldly benefits are means towards learning the religious acts, such as how to perform purification, assessing the direction of the qiblah and other matters that require the use of the eyes. If a person wants to get the reward of following the Sunnah in this matter, they should establish the intention that it is intended for use as a medicine and not just for adornment. This is why Imām Mālik stated that it is disliked for men to apply kohl unless it is for treatment purposes only.
51. Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘The best from among all the kohl used by you is the ithmid. It gives strength to the eyesight and increases the growth of the eyelashes.’” [67]
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
“The best from among all the kohl used by you is the ithmid”: This indicates that there are many materials that can be used for kohl, the best of which is ithmid.
Mirak Shah al-Hanafī said,
“The best from among all the kohl used by you is the ithmid”: This indicates that ithmid is a special type of kohl. It is said that the meaning is that ithmid is the best kohl for protecting the eye when it is healthy as kohl is harmful in the case of ophthalmia (inflamed eyes).
52. ‘Abdullāh ibn Abbās reported: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘You should use ithmid because it strengthens the eyesight and facilitates the growth of the eyelashes.’” [68]
Mirak Shah al-Hanafī said,
The purpose of repeating this hadīth with different chains is to emphasise its content and to strengthen its classification.
Al-Bajūrī said,
The Prophet (peace be upon him) had a set that included: a mirror that was called “al-madalla”, a comb made of ivory, a kohl container, a clipper and a miswāk.
53. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar reported: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘Apply ithmid, for verily it strengthens the eyesight and facilitates the growth of the eyelashes.’” [69]