Ruling on a woman shortening her hair
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One of the brothers conveyed to me by telephone that you do not permit a woman to shorten her hair below the shoulders, and I have heard from you, may Allah preserve you, in *Nur 'ala al-Dirb*, a fatwa in which you permitted it and cited two pieces of evidence: The first is what is reported in *Sahih Muslim* from the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that after the death of the Prophet, they shortened their hair until it was like a *wafrah*.
I returned to *Lisan al-Mizan* and other sources and found that the *wafrah* extends to the earlobes, and they distinguish between the *wafrah*, the *jummah*, and the *lummah*. What is the difference between these?
The difference is that every new occurrence has its own ruling. Many men nowadays have begun to shave their heads down to the level of the shoulder or slightly higher. Consequently, the woman has fallen into what is permissible for her, which is imitating men. Imitating men is prohibited. Moreover, some scholars forbid a woman from removing any hair from her head whatsoever, except during Hajj and 'Umrah. They answer regarding the action of the Mothers of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with them) by saying that they did so to demonstrate that they were no longer suitable for marriage after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because abundant, thick, and long hair is considered an attribute of beauty for a woman. However, in any case, this reasoning is subject to scrutiny. The most likely view is that it is permissible for her, provided her shortening is not in a manner that imitates the women of the disbelievers, or imitates the heads of men.
I returned to *Lisan al-Mizan* and other sources and found that the *wafrah* extends to the earlobes, and they distinguish between the *wafrah*, the *jummah*, and the *lummah*. What is the difference between these?
The difference is that every new occurrence has its own ruling. Many men nowadays have begun to shave their heads down to the level of the shoulder or slightly higher. Consequently, the woman has fallen into what is permissible for her, which is imitating men. Imitating men is prohibited. Moreover, some scholars forbid a woman from removing any hair from her head whatsoever, except during Hajj and 'Umrah. They answer regarding the action of the Mothers of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with them) by saying that they did so to demonstrate that they were no longer suitable for marriage after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because abundant, thick, and long hair is considered an attribute of beauty for a woman. However, in any case, this reasoning is subject to scrutiny. The most likely view is that it is permissible for her, provided her shortening is not in a manner that imitates the women of the disbelievers, or imitates the heads of men.