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:

Is it okay for men to shave their legs, arms, chest and back? Is it okay for them to use shaving creams made for men?

Please answer as soon as possible.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Can men shave unwanted 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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Al-Muwatta Hadith 49.3

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "There are five things from the ‘fitra’ (nature): cutting the nails, removing the hair from the armpit, shaving the pubic region, and trimming the moustache and circumcision (for men)."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) guided the believing men to trim their moustache, and the believing men and women to remove the unwanted hair from under their armpits and the pubic region on a regular basis. There is nothing in the Quran or the Sunnah which prohibits the believers from removing one’s excess hair from one’s arms, or legs, or chest, or back, etc., either through shaving, waxing, clipping, or through the use of shaving or waxing creams, etc., if one wishes to do so.

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