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:

Dear Mr. Burhan,

The other day our Pesh Imam looked at me and asked whether i DYE THE HAIR? DARK BROWN COLOR of the hair in the age of 68 was obvious that I dye the hair. He said you are not allowed to dye the hair. I am dying the hair nly because my wife likes it and I find my business of consultancy demand a certain personality and upkeep. NO INTENTION OF ATTRACING A WOMEN OR ENTICING ANY. Please advise. Thanks.

Not for publication senders name;-

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Answer:

Color/Dye 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.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) himself, and some of his closest companions used to dye their hair with henna and/or ‘katam’.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.167 Narrated by Ubaid Ibn Juraij

And about the dyeing of hair with Hinna; no doubt I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) dyeing his hair with it and that is why I like to dye (my hair with it).

Al-Muwatta Hadith 51.8

Yahya related that Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Aswad ibn Abdal-Yaghuth used to sit with us and he had a white beard and hair. One day he came to us and he had dyed them red, and the people said to him, 'This is better.' He said, 'Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (saws) sent her slave girl Nukhayla to me yesterday. She informed me that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq used to dye his hair.'

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.257 Narrated by Anas (the servant of the Prophet)

When the Prophet arrived (at Medina), there was not a single companion of the Prophet who had grey and black hair except Abu Bakr, and he dyed his hair with Hinna and Katam (i.e. plants used for dying hair). Through another group of narrators, Anas bin Malik said,. "When the Prophet arrived at Medina, the eldest amongst his companions was Abu Bakr. He dyed his hair with Hinna and Katam till it became of dark red color."

Dyeing of the hair is permissible in Islam. And if Allah has blessed one with old age, it is preferable that he does not dye his hair jet-black, but rather dye it brown, dark red; or with henna or katam as was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and his noble companions.

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

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan