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 haraam for a girl/woman to change the colour of her hair(to any colour she likes).

(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:

Women change hair color

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.

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

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 absolutely permissible in Islam for the believing men and women. And if Allah has blessed one with old age, it is preferable that one does not dye their natural white hair jet-black, but rather dye it brown, dark red, or with henna or ‘katam’, etc. as was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and his noble companions.

The restrictions imposed on the hair-style of the believing women in Islam are:

1. They should not copy or imitate 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 or imitate the hair-style which is specific to a 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).”

4. They do not lengthen their hair artificially.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.133 Narrated by Aisha

An Ansari woman gave her daughter in marriage and the hair of the latter started falling out. The Ansari women came to the Prophet (saws) and mentioned that to him and said, "Her (my daughter's) husband suggested that I should let her wear false hair." The Prophet (saws) said, "No, (don't do that) for Allah sends His curses upon such ladies who lengthen their hair artificially."

To the best of our knowledge there is nothing in the Quran or the Sunnah which prohibits a believing woman from changing the color of her hair to any color of her liking, if she 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