Shaving or shortening the hair is better in 'Umrah, and if one of them is better, what is the evidence?

The questioner : The questioner says: Shaving or shortening the hair is better for exiting the state of ihram in 'Umrah, and if one of them is better, what is the evidence?

The Shaykh : Shaving is better than shortening the hair in 'Umrah due to the generality of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) supplication for those who shaved three times and for those who shortened once, except in one case where shortening in 'Umrah is better. That is for the one performing tamattu' when a person comes as a mutamatti' from 'Umrah to Hajj. In that case, shortening is better so that the hair is preserved for shaving in Hajj. For this reason, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived on the fourth day of Dhul-Hijjah and ordered his companions to exit the state of ihram, he ordered them to shorten their hair. He said: In this situation, shortening is better because it preserves the head for Hajj. Other than that, shaving is better. However, we must know what shortening is. Is shortening when a person takes one, two, or three hairs? No, shortening covers the entire head, meaning you shorten from your entire head just as you wipe your entire head in wudu'. As for women, she shortens from every lock the length of a finger, meaning the length of a finger.