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:

Assalam Aleykum Brother Burhan ,

First of all I thank you for enlighting many muslim brothers & sisters around the world with your knowledge in the light of quraan & hadees.Brother I had a few doubts in my mind regarding the cutting the nails of hands & removal of hair from the body. People say different things regarding this topic , but I do not believe , trust , or follow any thing without seeing it in the form of hadees or quran with reference no. I will be thankful to you if u can clear the following questions for me.

1). Is it permitted to remove the hair from the body.

2). If s then is there any time period to remove the hair (e.g., No of days).

3). Is it permitted to cut the nails of hands legs at any time of the day.

4). If s then can we throw them wherever we like or we should cut them collect them & throw them together at one place.

5). Upto what extent the nails should be grown

(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:

Removing unwanted hair nails

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.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Q-1: Is it permitted to remove the hair from the body.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.779 Narrated by Abu Huraira

I heard the Prophet (saws) saying. "Five practices are characteristics of the Fitra (nature): removing the pubic hair, clipping the nails, depilating the hair of the armpits; and circumcision and cutting the moustaches short (for the males)

Not only is it permitted but it is encouraged and a practice of ‘fitrah’ that the believers remove their unwanted hair from their pubic and armpit regions on a regular basis.

Except for the shaping or removing of the eye-brow hair for the believing females, there is no restriction in Shariah if one wishes to cut or shape any unwanted hair from any other part of their bodies.

Sahih Al-Bukhari 7.815 Narrated by Abdullah

Allah has cursed those women who practice tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those who remove their eye-brow hairs, and those who create a space between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, and such women as change the features created by Allah.

Your Question: If s then is there any time period to remove the hair (e.g., No of days).

Sahih Muslim Hadith 497 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

A time limit has been prescribed for us for clipping the moustache, cutting the nails, plucking hair under the armpits, shaving the pubic region: that it should not be neglected for more than forty nights.

Your Question: Is it permitted to cut the nails of hands legs at any time of the day.

Except for when one is in the actual state of ‘ehraam’ for pilgrimage, there is nothing in the Shariah which restricts, forbids, or prohibits the believers from clipping their nails at any time of the day or night.

Your Question: If s then can we throw them wherever we like or we should cut them collect them & throw them together at one place.

Cleanliness and good hygiene practice would dictate that one dispose off one’s nails sensibly so that they do not become a hazard for someone else.

Your Question: Upto what extent the nails should be grown.

The practice of the noble companions was that they would not allow their nails to grow for a period of more than forty days.

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