Ruling on a woman changing the color of her hair
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Is it permissible for a woman to change her hair from black to red, for example, with dye?
The answer regarding a woman dyeing her black hair with a color other than black is based on an important principle, which is that the original ruling for things is permissibility and lawfulness. This is the original ruling. A person may wear what he wishes and adorn himself as he wishes, provided that there is no prohibition in the Shari'ah. For example, dyeing with black is prohibited by the Shari'ah due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Change this gray hair and avoid black) . Colors other than black may be commanded, such as changing gray hair with henna or katam, or they may be left unaddressed.The colors are three: There is a category that is commanded, such as henna for changing gray hair; a category that is prohibited, which is black for changing gray hair; and a category that is left unaddressed. What Allah has left unaddressed, where the original ruling is permissibility, is lawful.And on this basis, we say: This dye that women use is lawful, except if it is a dye used only by disbelieving women, in which case it is not permissible, because it falls under the category of imitating the disbelievers. Imitating the disbelievers is forbidden due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Whoever imitates a people is one of them) . Also, imitating them is a type of loyalty, and showing loyalty to disbelievers is forbidden. The reason imitating them is a type of loyalty is that when they see people imitating them, they are strengthened in their falsehood.And they said: People follow us, so they become enthusiastic about their falsehood and look down upon those who imitate them, because the one who imitates another implies by his imitation that he considers himself lower than the other, and therefore he followed him.And thus we say: The imitation of some Muslims of the disbelievers today is a type of loyalty and humiliation. It is also a type of disbelief due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Whoever imitates a people is one of them) . So if these colors that women have adopted are specific to the hair of disbelieving women, it becomes forbidden because of the imitation.
The answer regarding a woman dyeing her black hair with a color other than black is based on an important principle, which is that the original ruling for things is permissibility and lawfulness. This is the original ruling. A person may wear what he wishes and adorn himself as he wishes, provided that there is no prohibition in the Shari'ah. For example, dyeing with black is prohibited by the Shari'ah due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Change this gray hair and avoid black) . Colors other than black may be commanded, such as changing gray hair with henna or katam, or they may be left unaddressed.The colors are three: There is a category that is commanded, such as henna for changing gray hair; a category that is prohibited, which is black for changing gray hair; and a category that is left unaddressed. What Allah has left unaddressed, where the original ruling is permissibility, is lawful.And on this basis, we say: This dye that women use is lawful, except if it is a dye used only by disbelieving women, in which case it is not permissible, because it falls under the category of imitating the disbelievers. Imitating the disbelievers is forbidden due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Whoever imitates a people is one of them) . Also, imitating them is a type of loyalty, and showing loyalty to disbelievers is forbidden. The reason imitating them is a type of loyalty is that when they see people imitating them, they are strengthened in their falsehood.And they said: People follow us, so they become enthusiastic about their falsehood and look down upon those who imitate them, because the one who imitates another implies by his imitation that he considers himself lower than the other, and therefore he followed him.And thus we say: The imitation of some Muslims of the disbelievers today is a type of loyalty and humiliation. It is also a type of disbelief due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Whoever imitates a people is one of them) . So if these colors that women have adopted are specific to the hair of disbelieving women, it becomes forbidden because of the imitation.