By the great mercy of Allah, in this post (Friday lecture series) titled “Clothing from the Perspective of Islam,” we have been discussing adornments. Last week, we looked at part of what Islam says regarding hair. As a continuation of that, we will now look at whether shaving the head (going bald) is permitted in Islam.
Shaving the head is permitted. Regarding shaving the head, many different beliefs exist among people. Some consider shaving the head to be a virtuous act and a sign of righteousness.
For example, if you look at madrasas that produce scholars, the students studying there are often made to shave their heads. Students who go there remain bald for many years. So there is a belief that shaving the head is a good act and something practiced by those who preserve the religion.
However, in Islam, shaving the head is simply permitted. It is neither forbidden nor especially virtuous. If you wish, you may shave your head. That is what Islam teaches.
During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, a boy had part of his head shaved and part left unshaved. When the Prophet ﷺ saw this, he said: “If you shave it, shave it completely. Otherwise leave it completely.”Do not shave part and leave part.
In the pre-Islamic period, people used to shave portions of the head for certain purposes. The Prophet ﷺ prohibited this and instructed that either the entire head should be shaved or left entirely. From this, we understand that completely shaving the head is permissible and there is no sin in it.
However, shaving the head should not be made into an identity symbol of a group, movement, tribe, or organization. It should remain a personal choice.
It should not become something like:
“If you belong to this Jamaat, you must shave your head,”
“If you belong to this mosque, you must shave your head,”
“If you belong to this ideology, you must shave your head.”
These turns shaving into a religious identity marker, and that is not allowed.
The Prophet ﷺ warned about such behavior. He said that in the future, a group will emerge from the eastern direction. They will recite the Qur’an, but the Qur’an will not go beyond their throats. They will recite it with their mouths, but not from their hearts. They will exit Islam quickly like an arrow passes through a target. The companions asked: “What will be their sign?” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Their sign is shaving their heads.”
They would shave their heads to show they were righteous and religious. They would use shaving as an identity marker. This shows that shaving the head itself is permissible but making it into a religious identity symbol is wrong. So shaving the head as a personal choice is allowed.
But making it a group identity or religious symbol is not allowed. For example, in madrasas, students are made to shave their heads so that people can identify them as madrasa students. This should not be done in a way that makes shaving a religious symbol.
Institutions may have identifiers, but shaving the head should not be made into a religious identity marker.
Another issue is shaving the head as an expression of grief. During the pre-Islamic period, when someone died, people shaved their heads to show mourning. Even today, in some religions, people shave their heads when a family member dies.
Women especially used to shave their heads when their husbands died. The Prophet ﷺ strongly prohibited shaving the head as an expression of grief.
Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (RA) became severely ill and fainted. His wife began wailing loudly. When he regained consciousness, he said: “I dissociate myself from those whom the Prophet ﷺ dissociated himself from.”
The Prophet ﷺ dissociated himself from those who wail loudly, shave their heads, and tear their clothes in grief. Wailing, shaving the head, and tearing clothes as an expression of grief is forbidden. This applies to both men and women. These actions show dissatisfaction with Allah’s decree, and that is prohibited. Therefore, shaving the head because of grief is not allowed.
However, shaving the head is required in some religious contexts, such as Hajj and Umrah.
After completing Hajj or Umrah, shaving the head is a sign of completing the ritual. If one does not wish to shave completely, one may shorten the hair. Both are permitted, but shaving is superior.
The Prophet ﷺ prayed three times for those who shaved their heads and only once for those who shortened their hair. This shows shaving is better in Hajj. The Qur’an also mentions both shaving and shortening hair as permitted. Allah showed the Prophet ﷺ a dream that Muslims would enter Makkah safely, with some having shaved heads and some shortened hair. This later became reality. The Prophet ﷺ himself shaved his head during Hajj and Umrah.
Now the question arises: can women shave their heads? There is a hadith in Abu Dawood that says: “Women are not required to shave their heads. They only need to shorten their hair.” This means shaving is not obligatory for women.
However, it does not necessarily mean it is forbidden. Some of the Prophet’s wives, such as Maymunah, shaved their heads after Hajj. If shaving were forbidden, they would not have done it. So, shaving the head is not prohibited for women, but shortening the hair is sufficient for Hajj.
Outside Hajj, if women shave their heads for reasons such as medical treatment, lice infestation, or hair health, it is permissible. For example, during Hajj, one companion named Ka’b ibn Ujrah had severe lice problems. The Prophet ﷺ allowed him to shave his head even while in ihram and instructed him to offer compensation.
The Qur’an also permits shaving the head due to illness or scalp problems, with compensation. This applies to both men and women.
Similarly, children may have their heads shaved for practical reasons. After the martyrdom of Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (RA), his children were neglected due to grief. The Prophet ﷺ ordered that their heads be shaved and that they be cared for properly.
This shows shaving children’s heads is permissible for practical reasons.
There are many more rulings related to shaving the head, including shaving newborns. We will study those rulings in future posts, Insha Allah.