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:

I perform Umrah and got small hair cut from two three places of my hair from someone (like mostly people do this) and then come back to Jeddah and got my hair trimmed (not shaved). Can you please guide me about all this? Is it necessary to shave or trim hair within HARAM? And can we cut our hair from two three places?

(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:

Cut hair three placed after umrah

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 Prophet (saws) said, "May Allah bless those who shaved (after their pilgrimage of Hajj or Umrah)." The Companions asked him, "O Allah's Messenger (saws), what about those who clip their hair short?" Thereupon the Prophet (saws) again said, "May Allah bless those who shaved." They repeated their question the third time, and again the Prophet (saws) said, "May Allah bless those who shaved." When they asked him for the fourth time, "O Allah's Messenger (saws), what about those who clip their hair short?" He (saws) replied: "And (may Allah bless) those who clip their hair short.”

The absolute majority of the scholars and the jurists in Islam consider it a preferred act and rite of pilgrimage that one shave their heads; but if one cuts their hair short that too would suffice to fulfill the obligations of the pilgrimage.

Allah Subhanah Alone Knows how this practice of cutting a few clips of hair in two or three places after one has completed their rites of the Umrah pilgrimage started in the Muslim Ummah…..there is absolutely no evidence in the authentic and established Sunnah or any of the accepted books of ‘Fiqh’ regarding the permissibility of this act…..it is a requirement of pilgrimage to the Sacred House that one either shave their heads, and if not, they should at least have their hair trimmed or cut short.

If one in ignorance of the laws of Allah, without any intention to disobey Allah Subhanah, did not shave their hair after the Umrah pilgrimage nor cut it short, but had only a few clips of hair cut in three places…..as disliked as the act may be, the majority of the scholars and jurists in Islam are of the opinion that The Lord Most Merciful, if He so Wills, will accept the pilgrimage of the believer, and one does not need to give a ‘damm’ or sacrifice as atonement. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

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