Is it permissible for a woman to cut her hair and use what is called a fringe, and likewise to have a fringe made on the forehead for young girls?
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The questioner : Is it permissible for a woman to cut her hair and use what is called a fringe, and likewise to have a fringe made on the forehead for young girls?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the workers, and may peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. It is known that a woman's hair is part of her beauty and what she enjoys with her husband, and this is a matter known to people. Then came modern civilization, in which people love everything new and they pick up whatever customs and traditions come to them. Some of them present them to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); if they find permission in them, they act upon them, and if they find prohibition, they leave them. Others pick up these customs and traditions as they are, without caring whether they agree with the Book and the Sunnah or contradict them. There is no doubt that it is not prescribed for a woman to cut her head except in Hajj or 'Umrah, where she shortens the ends of it. As for shortening it other than in Hajj and 'Umrah, the scholars differed on three opinions:
Some consider it forbidden, saying that it is mutilation. Some consider it disliked, and these two opinions are in the madhhab of Imam Ahmad. Some consider it permissible and say there is no harm in it.
This opinion is restricted to the case where the matter does not reach the level of imitating men, such that a woman cuts her head until it is like the heads of men. In this case, it is not permissible for her to do so, because that is imitating men, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the women who imitate men.
Based on this opinion, the fringe that is at the front of the head and on the forehead is permissible, but we do not think a woman should do that. We think it is better not to do it, because we do not like to pick up everything that comes to us from others.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : These are ordinary matters, and indeed, a person remaining with his own customs makes his personality stronger and keeps him further from slipping into customs that may be forbidden in our Shari'ah.
Then, it is a stronger indication of a person's adherence to the customs and traditions he has, and this leads to his strength in adhering to what he has of religion in belief, action, conduct, and methodology. For this reason, we see that those who slip behind these customs and follow them are not strong in adhering to their religion, and perhaps the current will carry them to matters concerning religion and worship. For this reason, I think that it is not befitting for a woman, even if we say it is permissible, to use this fringe, because we fear that we will be behind these imports coming to us.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, and as for the fringe for a young girl, we think it should not be done either, because if a child grows up with something and becomes accustomed to it, he will find it pleasant after he grows up. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to command our children to pray at seven years old and to beat them for it at ten years old, even though they are not yet obligated, in order for them to practice obedience and become accustomed to it, so that it becomes easy for them after they grow up and is beloved to them. Likewise, matters that are not praiseworthy should not be instilled in children, even if they are not obligated, because they will become accustomed to them when they grow up and find them pleasant. Yes?
The questioner : This message came from Khalifah Madi 'Abd al-Satar from Iraq, Salah al-Din Governorate, and it says:
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the workers, and may peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. It is known that a woman's hair is part of her beauty and what she enjoys with her husband, and this is a matter known to people. Then came modern civilization, in which people love everything new and they pick up whatever customs and traditions come to them. Some of them present them to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); if they find permission in them, they act upon them, and if they find prohibition, they leave them. Others pick up these customs and traditions as they are, without caring whether they agree with the Book and the Sunnah or contradict them. There is no doubt that it is not prescribed for a woman to cut her head except in Hajj or 'Umrah, where she shortens the ends of it. As for shortening it other than in Hajj and 'Umrah, the scholars differed on three opinions:
Some consider it forbidden, saying that it is mutilation. Some consider it disliked, and these two opinions are in the madhhab of Imam Ahmad. Some consider it permissible and say there is no harm in it.
This opinion is restricted to the case where the matter does not reach the level of imitating men, such that a woman cuts her head until it is like the heads of men. In this case, it is not permissible for her to do so, because that is imitating men, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the women who imitate men.
Based on this opinion, the fringe that is at the front of the head and on the forehead is permissible, but we do not think a woman should do that. We think it is better not to do it, because we do not like to pick up everything that comes to us from others.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : These are ordinary matters, and indeed, a person remaining with his own customs makes his personality stronger and keeps him further from slipping into customs that may be forbidden in our Shari'ah.
Then, it is a stronger indication of a person's adherence to the customs and traditions he has, and this leads to his strength in adhering to what he has of religion in belief, action, conduct, and methodology. For this reason, we see that those who slip behind these customs and follow them are not strong in adhering to their religion, and perhaps the current will carry them to matters concerning religion and worship. For this reason, I think that it is not befitting for a woman, even if we say it is permissible, to use this fringe, because we fear that we will be behind these imports coming to us.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, and as for the fringe for a young girl, we think it should not be done either, because if a child grows up with something and becomes accustomed to it, he will find it pleasant after he grows up. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to command our children to pray at seven years old and to beat them for it at ten years old, even though they are not yet obligated, in order for them to practice obedience and become accustomed to it, so that it becomes easy for them after they grow up and is beloved to them. Likewise, matters that are not praiseworthy should not be instilled in children, even if they are not obligated, because they will become accustomed to them when they grow up and find them pleasant. Yes?
The questioner : This message came from Khalifah Madi 'Abd al-Satar from Iraq, Salah al-Din Governorate, and it says: