Is it permissible for a woman in the waiting period after her husband's death to change her gray hair and dye it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The questioner : Shaykh, I have some questions for you?
The Shaykh : Please, go ahead.
The questioner : The first question is: A woman whose husband has passed away.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Regarding mourning, is it permissible for her to change her gray hair or not?
The Shaykh : Change what?
The questioner : The gray hair, dyeing the gray hair?
The Shaykh : The gray hair! Ah, do you mean that she uses henna?
The questioner : Henna and khamrah, or something that serves as a substitute for them, for example?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If it is her custom to dye her hair, not for the sake of adornment, then I do not see that this contradicts mourning. However, if she does it for adornment, then it is forbidden.
The questioner : Okay, Shaykh, it is her custom to change her gray hair, of course. I don't know, for example, is the intention... of course, it is the gray hair, right?
The Shaykh : I have answered you.
The questioner : I know, Shaykh, but I mean, I would like to be precise, to clarify the matter for you?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Changing the gray hair, of course, adorns the woman in all cases, whether it is her custom or not.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Changing it so that the gray hair does not show, that is certainly adornment, whether she intended it or not.
The Shaykh : That is not certain for everyone, a person may dye his hair in accordance with the Shari'ah.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And he may leave off dyeing.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : To preserve the gray hair because it is light, and it was reported from some of the Salaf, although this is an error, that he said, meaning: "I do not judge against my light."
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Perhaps you have heard something of this?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And you wanted this.
The questioner : She changes it in accordance with the Sunnah, of course.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : She changes it in accordance with the Sunnah.
The Shaykh : I know.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And this is an argument for what I said, and a response to you, meaning it is not befitting for us to assume that everyone who dyes, whether a man or a woman, does so for adornment, because some of the Salaf said: "I do not dye, and I do not judge against my light."
The questioner : But this is an error!
The Shaykh : Yes, I told you that.
The questioner : Yes, okay, Shaykh, if her intention is to follow the Sunnah in changing the gray hair, and at the same time it is adornment?
The Shaykh : What is it actually? May Allah guide us and you, it is actually adornment.
The questioner : I mean, I know, but mourning now, that is my question?
The Shaykh : Subhan Allah! When I tell you: I know it is adornment, what do you mean by saying that this is in the Hijaz?
The questioner : No, I mean.
The Shaykh : In all the lands of the world, dyeing is adornment.
The questioner: All right.
The Shaykh : But not everyone who dyes, I want to say, intends adornment, as evidenced by the fact that some of them do not dye at all and fall into contradicting the Sunnah, whether they know it or not.
The questioner : Shaykh, I understood, may Allah reward you with good, but I say: this woman dyes in accordance with the Sunnah and at the same time for beautification?
The Shaykh : And I tell you what? I told you: if she does it for beautification, it is not permissible.
The questioner : Yes, okay.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The questioner : Shaykh, I have some questions for you?
The Shaykh : Please, go ahead.
The questioner : The first question is: A woman whose husband has passed away.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Regarding mourning, is it permissible for her to change her gray hair or not?
The Shaykh : Change what?
The questioner : The gray hair, dyeing the gray hair?
The Shaykh : The gray hair! Ah, do you mean that she uses henna?
The questioner : Henna and khamrah, or something that serves as a substitute for them, for example?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If it is her custom to dye her hair, not for the sake of adornment, then I do not see that this contradicts mourning. However, if she does it for adornment, then it is forbidden.
The questioner : Okay, Shaykh, it is her custom to change her gray hair, of course. I don't know, for example, is the intention... of course, it is the gray hair, right?
The Shaykh : I have answered you.
The questioner : I know, Shaykh, but I mean, I would like to be precise, to clarify the matter for you?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Changing the gray hair, of course, adorns the woman in all cases, whether it is her custom or not.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Changing it so that the gray hair does not show, that is certainly adornment, whether she intended it or not.
The Shaykh : That is not certain for everyone,
And deeds are by intentions
وإنما الأعمال بالنياتThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And he may leave off dyeing.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : To preserve the gray hair because it is light, and it was reported from some of the Salaf, although this is an error, that he said, meaning: "I do not judge against my light."
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Perhaps you have heard something of this?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And you wanted this.
The questioner : She changes it in accordance with the Sunnah, of course.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : She changes it in accordance with the Sunnah.
The Shaykh : I know.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And this is an argument for what I said, and a response to you, meaning it is not befitting for us to assume that everyone who dyes, whether a man or a woman, does so for adornment, because some of the Salaf said: "I do not dye, and I do not judge against my light."
The questioner : But this is an error!
The Shaykh : Yes, I told you that.
The questioner : Yes, okay, Shaykh, if her intention is to follow the Sunnah in changing the gray hair, and at the same time it is adornment?
The Shaykh : What is it actually? May Allah guide us and you, it is actually adornment.
The questioner : I mean, I know, but mourning now, that is my question?
The Shaykh : Subhan Allah! When I tell you: I know it is adornment, what do you mean by saying that this is in the Hijaz?
The questioner : No, I mean.
The Shaykh : In all the lands of the world, dyeing is adornment.
The questioner: All right.
The Shaykh : But not everyone who dyes, I want to say, intends adornment, as evidenced by the fact that some of them do not dye at all and fall into contradicting the Sunnah, whether they know it or not.
The questioner : Shaykh, I understood, may Allah reward you with good, but I say: this woman dyes in accordance with the Sunnah and at the same time for beautification?
The Shaykh : And I tell you what? I told you: if she does it for beautification, it is not permissible.
The questioner : Yes, okay.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.