Question:
Is it permissible to cut hair in a style where:
- the sides are shaved short
- the hair on top is left longer.
In modern times many young people follow such hair styles.
The questioner asks whether such a haircut is permissible according to Islam and the explanation on Hadith Abu Dawood number 4195.
Answer:
The hadith he refers to is narrated by Ibn Umar (RA).
It states that the Prophetﷺ ﷺ saw a young boy whose head was shaved partially: Some parts of the head were shaved and other parts were left unshaved.
When the Prophetﷺ ﷺ saw this, he prohibited it and said: “Either shave the whole head or leave the whole head.”
Do not shave only part and leave the rest. So based on this hadith, the questioner asks: Today many hairstyles shave the back or sides while leaving hair on top.
Does this fall under the prohibition mentioned in the hadith?
Explanation of the Hadith
When we examine the hadith carefully, it mentions that: Some parts of the head were shaved while other parts were left completely.
But there is another narration that explains what exactly was meant. This is reported again by Ibn Umar, and it appears in Sahih Bukhari (Hadith 5921).
In that narration the Prophetﷺ ﷺ prohibited something called Qazaʿ. When Ibn Umar narrated the hadith, his son asked him: “What does Qazaʿ mean?”
Then Ibn Umar explained by pointing to the head and said: Qazaʿ means shaving most of the head but leaving small patches of hair in certain places.
For example:
- leaving hair in three small sections
- shaving the rest of the head
So, the head would have three tufts of hair hanging while the rest is shaved. In Tamil culture we would call this “kudumi” (tuft of hair). That is what the Prophetﷺ ﷺ prohibited. So, the prohibition is not about slightly longer hair on top and shorter hair on the sides. The prohibition refers specifically to leaving isolated patches of hair while shaving the rest.
Natural Hair Length Differences
Even naturally, hair on the head does not grow to exactly the same length everywhere.
For example:
- Hair on the top grows longer.
- Hair near the sides and neck is usually shorter.
Even if someone lets their hair grow fully, the lengths will naturally differ. The hair near the forehead may grow long, while hair near the neck may remain shorter. So having different hair lengths is normal.
The Prophetﷺ ﷺ himself had hair that reached his shoulders. If hair reaches the shoulders, that means some parts of the hair are naturally longer and others shorter. Therefore, slight variations in hair length are completely natural.
Final Conclusion About Haircuts
Therefore, the prohibition in the hadith applies only to: Leaving small, isolated tufts of hair, while shaving the rest of the head. This is the style known as Qazaʿ. That is what the Prophetﷺ ﷺ prohibited.
But simply trimming hair so that one part is longer and another shorter is not prohibited.
So apart from the specific prohibited style, a person may style their hair in different ways.
