Most people have started growing their hair long, to the point where one cannot distinguish a man from a woman, or a girl from a boy, and women have begun, in some cases, to cut their hair.
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The questioner : In these questions, it is stated that most people have started growing their hair long, to the point where one cannot distinguish a woman from a man, or a girl from a boy, and women have begun, in some cases, to cut their hair. When it is said that long hair is forbidden for men, they say that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not cut his hair until it was made into a braid. Is this correct? Is growing hair long forbidden? And is it forbidden for a woman to cut her hair? Please inform us, and may Allah guide you.
The Shaykh : This question includes two issues: the first regarding men growing their hair long, and the second regarding a woman cutting her hair.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the first, the original ruling is that there is nothing wrong with growing the hair on the head long. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had hair that sometimes reached his shoulders, so originally, there is nothing wrong with it. However, it is subject to customs and common practice. If the custom becomes established and the practice settles such that this is not done except by a specific group who are low in the customs and dignity of people,
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : then it is not befitting for those of dignity to adopt it, meaning to grow their hair long, because in the eyes of people, their customs, and their common practices, it is not done except by those of the aforementioned low status.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So the issue, then, regarding a man growing his hair long falls under the category of permissible things that are subject to people’s customs and practices. If the custom becomes established and it is done by all people, both noble and lowly, there is nothing wrong with it. But if it is not done except by those of low status, it is not befitting for those of honor and status to adopt it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not valid to object to this by saying that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who was the most noble and greatest of people in status, used to grow his hair long, because what we see in this issue is that growing hair long is not from the category of Sunnah and worship, but rather from the category of following custom and practice.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is regarding the first issue in the question. As for the second issue, which is a woman cutting her hair, that is not permissible if it is in a way that resembles the heads of men, or in a way that resembles the heads of disbelieving women, or prostitutes, or the like of those whom it is not permissible to imitate. But if it is otherwise, the scholars have three opinions on this. Some see it as forbidden for a woman to cut her hair absolutely, except in Hajj or 'Umrah. Some see it as disliked, which is the well-known opinion in the school of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And some see it as permissible, on the condition that it does not lead to imitating those previously mentioned.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : You have done well, my brothers. We have reached the end of this session of the program "Light on the Path," in which we reviewed several questions and inquiries that we received from the sister who referred to herself as the Sad Girl from al-Ruwais, and from 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Haqibi from al-Qaw'iyah, and from Murshid Fari' Yahya from the Arab Republic of Yemen, residing in al-Bat'ha, and finally from Faris Ahmad, a worker in Belgium, and from Yahya Muhammad 'Atiyyah from the Iraqi Republic, in the area of al-Qayyarah. We presented these questions and inquiries to His Eminence Shaykh Muhammad al-Salih al-'Uthaymeen, professor at the College of Sharia and Arabic Language in al-Qassim, and imam and preacher of the Great Mosque in 'Unayzah. Thank you to His Eminence the Shaykh, and thank you for your follow-up. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The Shaykh : This question includes two issues: the first regarding men growing their hair long, and the second regarding a woman cutting her hair.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the first, the original ruling is that there is nothing wrong with growing the hair on the head long. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had hair that sometimes reached his shoulders, so originally, there is nothing wrong with it. However, it is subject to customs and common practice. If the custom becomes established and the practice settles such that this is not done except by a specific group who are low in the customs and dignity of people,
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : then it is not befitting for those of dignity to adopt it, meaning to grow their hair long, because in the eyes of people, their customs, and their common practices, it is not done except by those of the aforementioned low status.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So the issue, then, regarding a man growing his hair long falls under the category of permissible things that are subject to people’s customs and practices. If the custom becomes established and it is done by all people, both noble and lowly, there is nothing wrong with it. But if it is not done except by those of low status, it is not befitting for those of honor and status to adopt it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not valid to object to this by saying that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who was the most noble and greatest of people in status, used to grow his hair long, because what we see in this issue is that growing hair long is not from the category of Sunnah and worship, but rather from the category of following custom and practice.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is regarding the first issue in the question. As for the second issue, which is a woman cutting her hair, that is not permissible if it is in a way that resembles the heads of men, or in a way that resembles the heads of disbelieving women, or prostitutes, or the like of those whom it is not permissible to imitate. But if it is otherwise, the scholars have three opinions on this. Some see it as forbidden for a woman to cut her hair absolutely, except in Hajj or 'Umrah. Some see it as disliked, which is the well-known opinion in the school of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And some see it as permissible, on the condition that it does not lead to imitating those previously mentioned.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : You have done well, my brothers. We have reached the end of this session of the program "Light on the Path," in which we reviewed several questions and inquiries that we received from the sister who referred to herself as the Sad Girl from al-Ruwais, and from 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Haqibi from al-Qaw'iyah, and from Murshid Fari' Yahya from the Arab Republic of Yemen, residing in al-Bat'ha, and finally from Faris Ahmad, a worker in Belgium, and from Yahya Muhammad 'Atiyyah from the Iraqi Republic, in the area of al-Qayyarah. We presented these questions and inquiries to His Eminence Shaykh Muhammad al-Salih al-'Uthaymeen, professor at the College of Sharia and Arabic Language in al-Qassim, and imam and preacher of the Great Mosque in 'Unayzah. Thank you to His Eminence the Shaykh, and thank you for your follow-up. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.