Was not kohl a custom in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?

The questioner : Was kohl not a custom with them?

The Shaykh : Yes, it was a custom.

The questioner : I mean, their practice is different from ours.

The Shaykh : It was a custom, and the Wise Lawgiver approved it. And whatever the Lawgiver approved, if a person does not want to adopt it as a custom...

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : For example, the custom of growing hair for men is a Prophetic custom. If a Muslim wants to [do so], chaos begins. Did you not have patience?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : ... The Messenger (peace be upon him) had a shalish (long hair). When it was cut short, it reached the earlobes, and when it was long, it reached the tops of the shoulders. A shalish, meaning the Messenger (peace be upon him) had a shalish. If a Muslim wants to grow his hair to here or to here, following the Messenger (peace be upon him), not the disbelievers or the French, we have no right to say he should not do this, because as long as the Messenger (peace be upon him) did this, the least that can be said is that it is permissible. And we say this fully regarding women, and it is something many women have been afflicted with. And deeds are by intentions. It came in "Sahih Muslim" meaning, again, a shalish. So if some women cut their hair, we do not rush to disapprove of it or approve of it, but we look at the intention. If the intention is to take a dispensation like that taken by the wives of the Messenger (peace be upon him), then the matter is permissible. But if the intention is to exploit this dispensation to appear before people that we are Salafis but we are progressive, meaning we are modernists, not reactionaries, and the woman displays this act, which is originally permissible, before the sinful and wicked women, saying we are not reactionaries, then this is a bad act at that time, because deeds are by intentions. We return to the youth. The fashion of the shalish, the toilet [hairstyle], and the beetles, as they call it, and so on, has come upon us. If a young man does this and grows his hair following the beetles, that name is enough for him. But if he did it, by Allah, following the Messenger (peace be upon him), there is no disapproval upon him. But it will quickly become apparent if he grew his hair following the Messenger (peace be upon him). Why? Because we will see him, for example, with long hair and a shaved beard. Why? You grew your hair? He says, following the Messenger. Well, the Messenger’s beard was noble and great, so why did you shave it off? This is the first title in refuting this person’s claim that he did it or grew his hair following the Messenger (peace be upon him). So here, we have nothing to do but state this fact and say: . We return to kohl. The woman who applies kohl as a dispensation and adornment with what came from the female Companions and was permitted for them, we have no way to object. But the woman who applies kohl and completes the kohl with powder or rouge, it is clear from its title, like that young man who grew his hair and shaved his beard. The woman who restricted herself to kohl and stayed away from rouge and powder, this is practical evidence from her that she is taking a dispensation to the extent that the Lawgiver permitted and does not add anything to it from what is not permissible in what the wicked or disbelieving women do.