AN ANALYTICAL DISCOURSE ON TRIBAL MARK AND TATTOO Today, Muslims compulsively try to tailor their way to life to suit the western way of life. But what about the traditional practice? Will it be thrown away? Islam is the guidance for mankind and its message is universal and eternal. Tribal marks are scarifications which are specific identifications and beautification marks designed on the face or body of some people. The primary function of the tribal mark is for identification of a person’s tribe, family or patrilineal heritage. All ethnic groups has their own tribal marks indicating their different signs and different meaning. Yoruba tribal mark is holding different traditional beliefs in Yoruba’s people as it varies differently. There are marks on the cheeks, forehead, on the temple, under the chin and so on. There are vertical lines, horizontal, both horizontal and vertical, slanted lines on both checks. The hausa tribal mark features varying numbers of horizontal marks across both cheeks, depending on family, customs or specific northern regions. The Igbo tribal mark Ichi was a form of facial ritual scarification worn by mainly men of the Igbo people of Nigeria. Through time and around the world, the reasons for getting tattoos are numerously varied. They include religious purpose, for protection or as a source of power, as an indication of group membership, as a status symbol, as an artistic expression for permanent cosmetics, and as an adjunct to reconstructive surgery. In the modern world tattoo is a permanent kind of body art. View of Tribal mark in Islam Although it is a traditional thing but it doesn’t affect religion because it doesn’t hold anything that makes it haram. While some scholars view it as earthly things while others traditionally view it as a mode of recognition. But come to think of this, what about those traditional leaders that has full tribal mark like Alaafin of Oyo, Oba of Lagos, Musulummi of Yorubaland. Are this Muslim going to hell? Tribal mark has some earthly traditional old beliefs like it is drawn to grant spiritual power to children, protect a child from evil spirits, and stop death from taking the child at a very young age. All this superstitious beliefs are shirk in Islam because it causes loss of faith in Allah and increase in faith for those credulous beliefs. It is when thinked in this way that it is shirk but if it is done without any other thinking that degrades Allah, it is halal  Health effect: use of unsterilized instruments can cause infections in skin, tetanus, HIV and hepatitis B.  Psychological, Emotional and social effect: skin disorder, skin allergies, healing process might leave a scar and develop keloids.