Should we not say: The narrator mentioned henna and katam, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to dye with each of them individually?
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The questioner : Fine; what do we say: The narrator mentioned henna and katam, and he meant that he used to dye with each of them individually?
The Shaykh : No, how? He is saying: The Messenger used to dye with henna and katam...?
The questioner : Sometimes with henna and sometimes with katam.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : That is, sometimes he used to dye with henna and sometimes he used to dye with katam.
The Shaykh : We are back to the same previous issue; if we say this, does it not conflict with his prohibition of black in some of his times? In some of his times?
The questioner : It is not different from black.
The Shaykh : What are you saying: Can we not interpret the hadith: He used to dye with black sometimes; meaning with katam sometimes; so we put black in place of katam now?
The questioner : Why?
The Shaykh : But it was!
The questioner : Does katam not lead to black?
The Shaykh : Fine; does henna lead to black?
The questioner : Nor does henna.
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah! It is as if we are searching like one who strikes with cold iron! If the mixture of both is not black, how can black result from them?
The questioner : Katam means that if it is alone, it leads to blueness.
The Shaykh : Good; if it is mixed with henna?
The questioner : And if it is mixed with henna, it leads to black.
The Shaykh : Which one influenced the other to make it lean toward black, katam or henna?
The questioner : I do not know.
The Shaykh : This is unreasonable talk!! Meaning, one of the two things, brother, one of the two things that is predominantly black; do you mix it with one that is not predominantly black? So this one that is not predominantly black takes the nature of what? From the one that is predominantly black; meaning, is katam or henna closer to black?
The questioner : Apparently, katam, of course.
The Shaykh : It is so, it is so, but if you have in your mind that this one is closer to black and yet it is not black, the problem is finished; so why do you tire yourself in reconciling between one who dyed with pure katam and the hadiths prohibiting black, as long as there is no contradiction?
The questioner : There is no contradiction.
The Shaykh : Then?
The questioner : The contradiction is in the mixture; meaning, mixing henna with katam, he says this, meaning, Ibn al-Athir says, shall I read to you, Shaykh?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : He says: Ibn al-Athir said in the interpretation of the hadith: "It is likely that what is intended is the use of katam alone without henna; for if henna is mixed with it along with katam, it comes out black, and the prohibition of black is authentic." He said: "Perhaps the hadith is with henna or katam as a choice, but the narrations in their differences are with henna and katam."
If it is mixed only, it leads to black, but if each one is alone, it does not lead to black.
The Shaykh : The previous research returns; what is the ratio of the mixture?
The questioner : The ratio of the mixture.
The Shaykh : Yes, and if katam itself is not black, there is no problem in the whole research, but there remains here an issue related to the science of chemistry; if we mix two things, neither of which is black, is it possible that a deep black results from them? This requires knowledge of this science, otherwise, what we know by experience is that it is not possible for a deep black to result from two mixtures in which there is no black, do you see? So if katam does not dye black by its nature, it is permissible to use it, and likewise henna is permissible to use alone, but if it is something we do not know, as Ibn al-Athir says that black results from mixing henna with katam that does not exist in the original, not in katam and not in what? Nor in henna; at that time we say: we look at the ratio of the black as we explained earlier.
The questioner : But we do not attribute it to being alone, meaning the hadith that came?
The Shaykh : No, there is no obstacle as long as katam does not dye black, there is no obstacle.
The questioner : Yes, yes. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : No, how? He is saying: The Messenger used to dye with henna and katam...?
The questioner : Sometimes with henna and sometimes with katam.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : That is, sometimes he used to dye with henna and sometimes he used to dye with katam.
The Shaykh : We are back to the same previous issue; if we say this, does it not conflict with his prohibition of black in some of his times? In some of his times?
The questioner : It is not different from black.
The Shaykh : What are you saying: Can we not interpret the hadith: He used to dye with black sometimes; meaning with katam sometimes; so we put black in place of katam now?
The questioner : Why?
The Shaykh : But it was!
The questioner : Does katam not lead to black?
The Shaykh : Fine; does henna lead to black?
The questioner : Nor does henna.
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah! It is as if we are searching like one who strikes with cold iron! If the mixture of both is not black, how can black result from them?
The questioner : Katam means that if it is alone, it leads to blueness.
The Shaykh : Good; if it is mixed with henna?
The questioner : And if it is mixed with henna, it leads to black.
The Shaykh : Which one influenced the other to make it lean toward black, katam or henna?
The questioner : I do not know.
The Shaykh : This is unreasonable talk!! Meaning, one of the two things, brother, one of the two things that is predominantly black; do you mix it with one that is not predominantly black? So this one that is not predominantly black takes the nature of what? From the one that is predominantly black; meaning, is katam or henna closer to black?
The questioner : Apparently, katam, of course.
The Shaykh : It is so, it is so, but if you have in your mind that this one is closer to black and yet it is not black, the problem is finished; so why do you tire yourself in reconciling between one who dyed with pure katam and the hadiths prohibiting black, as long as there is no contradiction?
The questioner : There is no contradiction.
The Shaykh : Then?
The questioner : The contradiction is in the mixture; meaning, mixing henna with katam, he says this, meaning, Ibn al-Athir says, shall I read to you, Shaykh?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : He says: Ibn al-Athir said in the interpretation of the hadith: "It is likely that what is intended is the use of katam alone without henna; for if henna is mixed with it along with katam, it comes out black, and the prohibition of black is authentic." He said: "Perhaps the hadith is with henna or katam as a choice, but the narrations in their differences are with henna and katam."
If it is mixed only, it leads to black, but if each one is alone, it does not lead to black.
The Shaykh : The previous research returns; what is the ratio of the mixture?
The questioner : The ratio of the mixture.
The Shaykh : Yes, and if katam itself is not black, there is no problem in the whole research, but there remains here an issue related to the science of chemistry; if we mix two things, neither of which is black, is it possible that a deep black results from them? This requires knowledge of this science, otherwise, what we know by experience is that it is not possible for a deep black to result from two mixtures in which there is no black, do you see? So if katam does not dye black by its nature, it is permissible to use it, and likewise henna is permissible to use alone, but if it is something we do not know, as Ibn al-Athir says that black results from mixing henna with katam that does not exist in the original, not in katam and not in what? Nor in henna; at that time we say: we look at the ratio of the black as we explained earlier.
The questioner : But we do not attribute it to being alone, meaning the hadith that came?
The Shaykh : No, there is no obstacle as long as katam does not dye black, there is no obstacle.
The questioner : Yes, yes. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.