Ruling of women cutting their hair -Shaykh al-Albaani
Question: What is the ruling of a woman cutting her hair?
Answer: If the woman cuts her hair in order to resemble/imitate disbelieving or sinful women then it is not permissible to have this intention. If she cuts her hair in order to beautify herself for her husband, then I do not see anything that prevents her from doing so. There comes in Sahih Muslim* that the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) would cut their hair until it reached just below their earlobes.
From this Fatwa we benefit:
1. The permissibility of cutting the hair
2. The permissibility of cutting the hair in order to please the spouse
3. The evidence for this permissibility is found in Sahih Muslim*
4. The obligation of not resembling disbelieving women**
5. The impermissibility of also imitating openly rebellious/sinful Muslim women
6. A limit to how much is taken from the hair, which in this case is up to the earlobe
7. A woman’s hairstyle should not resemble men’s hairstyle
*In Saheeh Muslim Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan said:
“The wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to cut their hair until it came just below their ears.”
[Baab al-Hayd, 320]
**This point can be understood from the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
“He who imitates any people (in their actions) is considered to be one of them.”
[Abu Dawud 16/1471]
Source: al-Fataawa al-Muhimmah: Chapter of Libaas wa Zeenah, p. 758.
Allah commanded Yahya bin Zakariya to implement five commands – Tafsir Ibn Kathir
Imam Ahmad narrated that Al-Harith Al-Ash`ari said that the Prophet of Allah said,
(Allah commanded Yahya bin Zakariya to implement five commands and to order the Children of Israel to implement them, but Yahya was slow in carrying out these commands. `Isa said to Yahya, `You were ordered to implement five commands and to order the Children of Israel to implement them. So either order, or I will do it.’ Yahya said, ‘My brother! I fear that if you do it before me, I will be punished or the earth will be shaken under my feet.’ Hence, Yahya bin Zakariya called the Children of Israel to Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), until they filled the Masjid. He sat on the balcony, thanked Allah and praised him and then said, `Allah ordered me to implement five commandments and that I should order you to adhere to them.
1. The first is that you worship Allah alone and not associate any with Him.
The example of this command is the example of a man who bought a servant from his money with paper or gold. The servant started to work for the master, but was paying the profits to another person. Who among you would like his servant to do that Allah created you and sustains you. Therefore, worship Him alone and do not associate anything with Him
2. I also command you to pray, for Allah directs His Face towards His servant’s face, as long as the servant does not turn away. So when you pray, do not turn your heads to and fro.
3. I also command you to fast.
The example of it is the example of a man in a group of men and he has some musk wrapped in a piece of cloth, and consequently, all of the group smells the scent of the wrapped musk. Verily, the odor of the mouth of a fasting person is better before Allah than the scent of musk.
4. I also command you to give charity.
The example of this is the example of a man who was captured by the enemy. They tied his hands to his neck and brought him forth to cut off his neck. He said to them, ‘Can I pay a ransom for myself’ He kept ransoming himself with small and large amounts until he liberated himself.
5. I also command you to always remember Allah.
The example of this deed is that of a man who the enemy is tirelessly pursuing. He takes refuge in a fortified fort. When the servant remembers Allah, he will be resorting to the best refuge from Satan.)
Al-Harith then narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,
(And I order you with five commandments that Allah has ordered me.
- Stick to the Jama`ah (community of the faithful),
- listen and obey (your leaders) and
- perform Hijrah (migration) and
- Jihad for the sake of Allah.
- Whoever abandons the Jama`ah, even the distance of a hand span, will have removed the tie of Islam from his neck, unless he returns. Whoever uses the slogans of Jahiliyah (the pre-Islamic period of ignorance) he will be among those kneeling in Jahannam (Hellfire).)
They said, “O Messenger of Allah! Even if he prays and fasts” He said, (Even if he prays, fasts and claims to be Muslim. So call the Muslims with their names that Allah has called them: `The Muslims, the believing servants of Allah.’)
This is a Hasan Hadith, and it contains the statement, “Allah has created and sustains you, so worship Him and do not associate anything with Him in worship.” This statement is relevant in the Ayat (2:21-22) we are discussing here and supports singling Allah in worship, without partners.
[Tafsir ibn Kathir, vol. 1]
Poetry on Prophet Muhammad by Imam Abu al-Abbas Abdullah b. Muhammad al-Naashi
I praised the Messenger of God, seeking by praising him a plenitude of the best of rewards for myself;
I praised a man beyond praise, unique in his qualities, far beyond others far or near,
A Prophet whose light shone high in places east, his gifts apparent to the people of places west.
The prophets brought him to us before his coming, news of him spreading on all sides.
The foretelling divines began calling his name, using it to fend off the impact of misleading ideas.
Idols were given voice declaring to God their innocence of those who told the untruths.
They spoke in clear words to the unbelievers, ‘A prophet has come to you from Lu’ayy b. Ghalib.
And evil spirits wanted to eavesdrop hut shooting stars scattered them from their seats.
He led us to where we would never have found our way, so lengthy was our blmdness to clear philosophies.
He brought evidences showing that they were signs from one Almighty in reward and punishment
One of which was the splitting of the moon in two, mountain tops then being covered as if by a turban by the moonbeams.
And another was the rising of water springs between his fingertips while no wells or pools were near.
And another was the rising of water springs between his fingertips while no wells or pools were near.
By it he quenched the thirst of a large crowd; and the water flowed into rivulets in all directions, down to the plain land.
And a well brimmed over at his arrow’s touch, one before too dry for a single drinker’s palate.
And the udder flowed to his palm’s rub, which before when squeezed for liquid had no teat to respond to a milkman’s touch.
And there was eloquent utterance from the hand of a fortune teller about plans of an enemy bent on attack.
And his being told of matters before their being, and of the after-effects to come when these did arise.
And from those signs there was revelation he brought, one that is expedient, to come with a multitude of wonders.
Thought could not conceive of it (Quran), and so the like of which no eloquent man could articulate, nor did it occur to the mind of any preacher.
It encompassed all knowledge, embraced all wisdom, eluding the aim of the scheming and deceitful.
He brought it to us, not through a trickster’s tales, a scribe’s pages, or an author’s description.
Revelation comes to him sometimes to answer a questioner, to respond to a solution seeker, or in the exhortation of someone who is conversing;
For the bringing of proofs, the imposition of laws, the telling of narration, or the interpretation of purpose;
For the quotation of proverbs, the proving of a case, the revealing of some disbeliever, or the suspension of a liar;
In the meeting of some assembly, in the thick of some battle, or as difficult, puzzling problems occur.
So, it came down in different ways, with straight-out meaning and flowing varieties.
Its verses confirm each other, as if their meanings were scrutinized by a watchful eye.
And the inability of man to achieve such as we have described is well known by the many who attempted (to imitate it).
[Al-Sira al-Nabawiyyah, vol. 1, pg. 78-79]
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