We have been discussing the topic of clothing and adornment from the perspective of Islam. For the past few weeks, we have been looking at the rulings related to hair. Among those rulings, another ruling related to hair is shaving the head of newborn children.
When a child is born, the hair should be removed. It should not be left as it is. Islam has set a deadline of seven days for this. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Every child is held in pledge for its Aqeeqah.” When a child is born, Aqeeqah should be performed. If it is a male child, two goats should be slaughtered. If it is a female child, one goat should be slaughtered. This should be done on the seventh day after birth. On that seventh day, the child should also be given a name, and the head should be shaved.
This hadith is recorded in Musnad Ahmad and other books. So, regarding shaving the head of a newborn child, shaving on the seventh day is a Sunnah.
However, regarding shaving, we must consider the condition of the baby’s scalp. Some babies may not have a scalp suitable for shaving. In some children, the skin may be very soft or delicate. Doctors themselves may advise not to shave immediately.
If there is a medical reason, then it can be done later when it becomes safe. Normally, shaving does not cause problems, but if shaving immediately is not possible, then Islam does not impose commands beyond one’s ability.
Allah says: “Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity.” So, if shaving cannot be done on the seventh day, it is not a problem. If it is possible, then it should be done on the seventh day.
Similarly, naming the child on the seventh day does not mean the child must remain without a name for seven days. It means the name should be given by the seventh day. It is also permissible to name the child immediately after birth.
The Prophet ﷺ himself named children immediately after birth when they were brought to him. Even in the Qur’an, when Maryam (Alaihis Salam) was born, her mother, the wife of Imran, said:“I have named her Maryam.” Allah mentions this example. So naming can be done immediately, but it should not be delayed beyond seven days.
Another practice exists in many places after shaving the head. They weigh the hair and give charity equivalent to the weight of the hair in silver. This practice is based on a hadith found in Tirmidhi (Hadith 1519). In it, the Prophet ﷺ told Fatimah: “O Fatimah, shave the head of Hasan and give charity in silver equal to the weight of his hair.”
Based on this hadith, many scholars of different madhhabs recommend giving silver equal to the weight of the hair. However, this hadith is not authentic.
Even Imam Tirmidhi himself said that the chain of narration is broken. The narrator Muhammad ibn Ali reports it from Ali (RA), but he never met Ali (RA). He was born generations later. He was the great-grandson of Ali(RA). Therefore, there is a gap in the chain of narration. Because of this broken chain, this hadith is weak. Similarly, in Musnad Ahmad, there is another narrator who is weak. In Hakim’s book also, Imam Dhahabi declared it weak. Since all these narrations are weak, giving silver equal to the weight of the hair is not Sunnah. Only shaving the head on the seventh day is established. Giving silver charity equal to hair weight is not required.
Another belief exists among some women.
Some believe that having long hair is a sign of blessing and fortune. They think women with less hair are unfortunate. This belief comes from funeral practices, where they use the woman’s hair to cover the chest before wrapping in burial cloth. Those with long hair can do this, so they are considered fortunate.
This belief is false. Hair length is determined by Allah. It has nothing to do with righteousness or fortune. A person’s goodness is determined by their deeds, not hair length.
Hair length is simply part of physical structure, like hand size or height. So believing that long hair is fortune and short hair is misfortune is incorrect.
There are hadiths where the Prophet ﷺ discouraged combing hair daily. One hadith in Abu Dawood says the Prophet ﷺ prohibited combing hair every day. Another hadith says hair should be combed every other day, not daily. Some scholars understood this literally and said hair should only be combed every other day. However, there are other hadiths that explain differently.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah is beautiful and loves beauty.” (Muslim) Hair is part of beauty. If hair is left messy for days, it will not look beautiful. The Prophet ﷺ also said: “Whoever has hair should honor it.”
Honoring hair means maintaining and grooming it properly. If hair becomes messy, it should be combed, even multiple times a day if needed. The Prophet ﷺ once saw a man with messy hair and asked: “Could he not find something to groom his hair?”
This, shows maintaining hair properly is required. So the hadith discouraging daily combing should be understood as discouraging excessive vanity, not prohibiting grooming when needed. Maintaining neat and presentable hair is required.
Another issue concerns artificial hair extensions (wigs).
Women sometimes attach artificial hair to make their hair appear longer. This practice existed even during the time of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ cursed the one who attaches hair extensions and the one who does it. This hadith is recorded in Bukhari (multiple places).
Another hadith clarifies that attaching human hair from another person is prohibited. Women used to collect human hair and attach it. This is what the Prophet ﷺ prohibited.
However, artificial hair made from thread, nylon, or plastic is different. Since it is not human hair, it is not included in the prohibition. Therefore, using artificial wigs made from non-human materials is permissible.
But using human hair is prohibited.
Another issue is cutting women’s hair. In Western countries, women keep shorter hair, sometimes up to neck length. If a woman cuts her hair short for convenience, is it prohibited?
No. The Prophet ﷺ prohibited shaving the head completely, but allowed trimming.
Women can shorten their hair as needed. Hair is not exclusive to men or women. Both have hair. So shortening hair is permissible. Women may keep long hair or short hair depending on convenience.
Another issue is hair coloring. The Prophet ﷺ instructed Muslims to dye gray hair.
He said: “Be different from the Jews. Dye your gray hair.”
So dyeing gray hair is recommended. But dyeing black hair in different colors for style is a modern practice. There is no hadith prohibiting coloring hair for style.
So men and women may color their hair. However, hair dye contains chemicals. It may cause harm or allergies. So consult doctors and ensure safety before using such dyes.