Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamoalaikum wa rehmatullah!

Brother burhan although i have on a previous occasion asked you a similar question {the issue of cutting hair} to the one i`m about o ask you, i apologise but i`m still unsure of the answer! I remember you said that neither the quran or the sunnah prohibit a muslim women from cutting/trimming her hair as along as the haircut doesn`t imitate a pagans haircut? i also visit mufti ibrahim desai`s website and they have quoted this answer with shammi as their reference.>>>

It is not permissible for women to cut their hair. (Shaami vol.6 pg.407 H.M.Saeed)

Please clarify for me 1} when you say a haircut shouldn`t imitate a pagans haircut please specifiy the types of haircuts you/the hadith is referring to as in this day and age non-muslims have all sorts of haircuts which some muslim women seem to copy.

jazakallah kheir 

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Answer:

Women cut hair

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

There is nothing in the Quran or the Sunnah which prohibits the believing woman from cutting her hair as short as she wishes to, provided certain stipulated conditions are not violoated.

There is no harm if a believing women wishes to cut her hair short, or shape her hair in any way, provided:

1. They do not copy the hair-styles of men

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.820 Narrated by Ibn Abbas

The Messenger of Allah (saws) invoked the curse of Allah on men who imitate women, and those women who assume the similitude of men.

2. They do not copy the hair-style of any pagan people or culture

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4649 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He does not belong to us who imitates other people.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4020 Narrated byA bdullah ibn Umar

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘He who copies any people is one of them.’

3. They do not shape their hair by making a hump on the top of their heads.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6840 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: “There are two types, amongst the denizens of Hell, I have yet not seen them. One possessing whips like the tail of an ox and they flog people with them. (The second one) the women who would be naked, in spite of their being dressed, who are seduced (to wrong paths) and seduce others with their hair high like humps. These women would not get into Paradise, and they would not perceive the odour of Paradise, although its fragrance can be perceived from such and such distance (from great distance).”

Your Question: Please clarify for me 1} when you say a haircut shouldn`t imitate a pagans haircut please specifiy the types of haircuts you/the hadith is referring to as in this day and age non-muslims have all sorts of haircuts which some muslim women seem to copy.

Dear and Beloved Brother, other than folding or gathering or styling one’s hair over their heads like ‘humps’, there is no other style ‘specifically’ prohibited for the women in Islam.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.1 Narrated by Umar bin Al Khattab

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.”

If the intention of the believing woman styling her hair in a particular way is because she (or her husband) likes it or prefers it to another style, there is absolutely no harm. But if the believing woman styles her hair with the intention to copy the style of, or peculiar to pagan women, then that would constitute imitating another people. Thus it all depends on the intention of the believing women who wishes to style her hair in a particular way.

The styling of one’s hair is a very personal preference, and other than styling her hair over head like a ‘hump’, the believing woman is free to cut or style her hair any way she chooses, making sure that she does not intend to imitate a style peculiar to men or to pagans.

Your Statement: i also visit mufti ibrahim desai`s website and they have quoted this answer with shammi as their reference.>>>

It is not permissible for women to cut their hair. (Shaami vol.6 pg.407 H.M.Saeed)

In Islam, it is only, and we reiterate, only, Allah and His Messenger (saws) who reserve the right to declare what is ‘halaal’ (permissible) and what is ‘haraam’ (forbidden). And the simple principle in determining whether a thing is permissible or forbidden in Islam, one has to look in the forbidden list provided by Allah and His Messenger (saws); and if the thing is not specified or found as forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (saws), it will be considered absolutely permissible for the believers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 116:

116 But say not for any false thing that your tongues may put forth "This is lawful and this is forbidden" so as to ascribe false things to Allah. For those who ascribe false things to Allah will never prosper.

Thus if a brother and respected scholar has given an opinion that a particular thing is not permissible for the believers, one must ask the scholar to provide his evidence for his ruling from the Quran and the Sunnah. If the brother scholar provides evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah then the believer is duty bound to accept the ruling; but if the scholar is unable to provide the evidence, then one should know that the ruling is only an opinion of the brother and not a command from Allah and His Messenger (saws).

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan