Is cosmetic surgery for facial uplift forbidden in Islam? A friend of mine had a severe accident in which his face was disfigured. I advised him to undergo plastic surgery. Did I do something wrong?

There is no explicit directive of the Sharī`ah which forbids plastic or cosmetic surgery done merely for the purpose of facial uplift.  Therefore, we have no right to forbid what Allah and His Prophet (sws) have not forbidden.

At best, it can be said that the taste which generally develops in a person when he follows Islam both in letter and in spirit is that he begins to dislike doing things which are artificial in nature. He begins to thank Allah for what he has been blessed with and does not complain on what he does not have.

Cosmetic surgery done to restore a person’s looks after an accident or some other mishap is of course a totally different case and should be considered more of a medical treatment than a beauty treatment. As such, I think you gave a sound piece of advice to your friend.