Honoring
the Hair Is From The Sunnah
By
Ummu Maahir
Grooming
the Hair According to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah
(Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallem)
1.
Grooming the hair in Islaam is obedience to Allaah, the One free from all
imperfections and the Most High and His Messenger (Sallallaahu
‘Alaihi wa Sallem).
The
Prophet
(Sallallaahu
‘Alaihi wa Sallem)
taught
his companions
(Radiyallaahu
‘Anhum)
to
keep the hair clean and well-groomed. 'Ata ibn Yasar (Radiyallaahu
‘Anhu)
narrated:
"A
man came to the Prophet with unkempt hair and an untidy beard. The Prophet
pointed to him, as if ordering him to straighten his hair and beard. He did so
and returned. Thereupon the Prophet observed, 'Is that not better than one of
you coming with his hair unkempt, as if he were a devil?"'
(Related by
Malik)
Based
upon the above narration and others, we learn that “Dread Locks”, a popular
hairstyle among the shebaab (youth) in the West, is forbidden for two reasons.
It is a very unruly look and it is a symbol of the Rastafarian Religion.
2.
The Prophet (Sallallaahu
‘Alaihi wa Sallem)
equated
grooming the hair with honoring it. Abu Hurairah (Radiyallaahu ‘Anhu) reported the Prophet, (Sallallaahu
‘Alaihi wa Sallem), as saying,
"Whoever
has hair should honor it." (Related
by Abu Dawood.)
And:
Abu
Qatadah (Radiyallaahu
‘Anhu)
related that he had a great amount of hair. He asked the Prophet, "O
Messenger of Allaah, I have lots of hair. Should I comb it?" He answered,
"Yes ... and honor it." Abu Qatadah used to oil it twice a day
due to the Prophet's words, "... and honor it."
3. It is from the Sunnah
to comb the hair every other day.
While ordering his
companions to honor their hair, the Prophet (Sallallaahu
‘Alaihi wa Sallem) forbade
them to comb the hair daily. Narrated Abdullaah ibn Mughaffal:
“The Apostle of Allaah (Sallallaahu
‘Alaihi wa Sallem) forbade combing
the hair except every second day.”
(Abu Dawood: Book
33, Number 41)
4. Cutting the hair should
be inline with the Sunnah. The Blessed Prophet (Sallallaahu
‘Alaihi wa Sallem) forbade
resembling the Kuffaar.
The
Prophet said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them."
(Reported
by Abu Dawood, 4/314)
The
Slave of Allaah should avoid resembling the kuffaar in the way they look and
behave. As Shaykh al-Islam, Ahmed Ibn Taymiyyah (Rahimuhullaah) said: "Looking like them in
external appearance indicates that one loves them in one's heart, and vice
versa."
Therefore
Muslims should avoid following every trendy hairstyle or haircut presented by
the kuffaar. Wave caps, baseball caps, and headbands should be exchanged for the
Amaamah or Taaqiyyah.
5. It is disliked to pray in braids, plaits, and tied up hair.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas (Radiyallaahu ‘Anhumaa):
Ibn
Abbas saw Abdullah ibn al-Harith observing the prayer and (his hair) was plaited
behind his head. He (Abdullah ibn Abbas) stood up and unfolded them. While going
back (from the prayer) he met Ibn Abbas and said to him: why is it that you
touched my head? He (Ibn Abbas) replied: (The man who observes prayer with
plaited hair) is like one who prays with his hands tied behind.
(Sahih
Muslim, Book 4, Number 0996)
Ibn
al-Atheer (Rahimuhullaah)
stated, "The meaning of this hadeeth is that
were his hair loose, it would fall on the ground when in sajdah; hence, the man
would be rewarded for the prostration of the hair. However, if the hair is tied,
it is effectively as though it did not prostrate, for he compared him to someone
whose hands are shackled together, since they would then not lie on the ground
in sajdah."
And:
Narrated
Abu Raafi'
(Radiyallaahu
‘Anhu):
Sa'id
ibn Abu Sa'id al-Maqburi reported on the authority of his father that he saw Abu
Raafi' the freed slave of the Prophet (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallem),
passing by Hasan ibn Ali (Radiyallaahu
‘Anhumaa):
when he was standing offering his prayer. He had tied the back knot of his hair.
Abu Raafi' untied it. Hasan turned to him with anger, Abu Raafi' said to him:
“Concentrate on your prayer and do not be angry: I heard the Apostle of Allaah
(Sallallaahu
‘Alaihi wa Sallem) say:
This is the seat of the devil, referring to the back knot of the
hair”. (Abu
Dawood, Sahih)
6. According to the
blessed Sharee‘ah, hair should either be kept long and worn back i.e. until
the hair from the tip of the forehead reaches midway to the earlobes, which is
the minimum length, or up to the shoulders, which is the maximum length. This
hairstyle is referred to as a 'zulfaa'. Male
Muslims may keep their hair like this or they should cut the hair an even length
all over.
Ibn 'Umar narrated that the Prophet (Sallallaahu
‘Alaihi wa Sallem) said, "Shave it all or leave it all."
(Abu Dawood, Ahmad,
Muslim, an-Nasaa'ee)
7.
To shave part of the hair and leave part of it is greatly disliked.
Nafa'
related from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allaah prohibited qiza'.
Nafa' asked, "What is qiza'?" He said, "It is to shave off
part of the hair of a youth and to leave part."
(Al
Bukhari and Muslim)
And in
another version of the hadith narrated by Ubaidullah bin Hafs it
states:
…that 'Umar bin Nafi'
told him that Nafi', Maula 'Abdullah had heard 'Umar saying, "I heard
Allah's Apostle forbidding Al-Qaza'." 'Ubaidullah added: I said, "What
is Al-Qaza'?" 'Ubaidullah pointed (towards his head) to show us and added,
"Nafi' said, 'It is when a boy has his head shaved leaving a tuft of hair
here and a tuft of hair there." Ubaidullah pointed towards his forehead and
the sides of his head. 'Ubaidullah was asked, "Does this apply to both
girls and boys?" He said, "I don't know," but Nafi' said, -The
boy." 'Ubaidullah added, "I asked Nafi' again, and he said, 'As for
leaving hair on the temples and the back part of the boy's head, there is no
harm, but Al-Qaza' is to leave a tuft of hair on his forehead unshaved while
there is no hair on the rest of his head, and also to leave hair on either side
of his head.'"
The
Prophet forbade this hair cut because it is a practice of the disbelievers.
(Sahih al Bukhari 7:803)
Ibn
al-Qayyim (Rahimuhullaah)
said: With regard to shaving part of the head and leaving part, this is of
varying degrees. The worst is shaving the middle of the head and leaving
the sides, as the Christian monks do. After that comes shaving the sides and
leaving the middle, as many of the foolish and worthless people do. After
that comes shaving the front of the head and leaving the back.
These
three types all come under the heading of qaza’ which was forbidden by
the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu
‘Alaihi wa Sallem),
but some of them are worse than others.
The “Fade” also known as the
“Marine” cut comes under the heading of qaza’ –and is forbidden
for two reasons. Firstly, it is a kind of qaza’ and the fact that it is
an imitation of the kuffaar.
8.
It is disliked to dye the hair and beard black.
When Shaykh Muhammad
Ibn Saalih al‘Uthaymeen (Rahimuhullaah)
was asked about dying the hair black, he responded:
“If
the hair is dyed black, the Prophet (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi wa
Sallem)
forbade that when he commanded a man to
change his white hair, but to avoid black. He said: “Change this white hair
but avoid black.” (See Saheeh Muslim, 5476). A stern warning has also
been narrated to the one who does that, namely the hadeeth of the Prophet (Sallallaahu
‘Alaihi wa Sallem):
“There will be people at the end of time who will dye their hair black like
the crops of birds; they will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4212; al-Nasaa’i, 8/138; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 8153). This indicates that it is forbidden to
change the hair with black dye. With regard to changing it with different colors
of dye, the basic principle is that it is permissible, unless it is done in the
manner of kaafir women or immoral women, in which case it is forbidden for that
reason, because the Prophet (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallem)
said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood,
4031; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 5/109).” Majmoo’
Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 4/121.
Abu
Dawood reported from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah who said: “Abu Quhaafah was
brought on the day of the Conquest of Mekkah, and his head and beard were like thughaamah
(a plant whose leaves and flowers are intensely white) because they were so
white. The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallem)
said: ‘Change this white hair, but
avoid black.’” (Reported by
Muslim, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah).
The
etiquettes of hair grooming presented here pertain predominantly to male
Muslims. If any mistakes are found in this article, may Allaah Ta‘aala forgive
me.
May
Allaah Tabaarak wa Ta‘aala teach us that which is beneficial to us, and
benefit us by what we know. We seek refuge with Allaah, the One free from all
imperfections and the Most High, from knowledge that is of no benefit; a heart
that does not fear Him, and a soul that is never satisfied.
May
Allaah praise and send blessings and peace upon Muhammad, his Household and
Companions.
May
Allaah reward Dr. Saleh As-Saleh for his much needed advice regarding this
article.
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