What is the ruling on combing the hair for men and women?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Is combing the hair for both men and women, or is the prohibition specific to men only?
Answer:
The general rule is that what occurs in commands and prohibitions applies to everyone. This is the rule: a command to men is a command to women, and a command to women is a command to men, except where evidence indicates specificity.
Combing the hair every other day is more comfortable; because combing it daily involves some hardship and some excess in comfort. However, it came in the hadith that a dispensation was granted to Abu Qatadah when he complained that he needed to do so. So it appears, and Allah knows best, that the prohibition here is for dislike, and if the need arises for combing due to an incidental circumstance, there is no harm in doing it daily. Combing is when one unknots the head, combs it, and takes care of it.
Q: And if a man wants his wife to comb her hair daily so that she beautifies herself for him with her hair?
The Shaykh: The Sunnah is every other day, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. This is the Sunnah.
Q: Are all the hadiths in this chapter authentic?
The Shaykh: As far as I know, they are all authentic. The hadith of Abdullah ibn Mughaffal contains the *i'nanah* of al-Hasan, and it appears that it came from other routes besides this route of al-Nasa'i. The hadith of Abu Qatadah is also fine. As for here, it is from the route of al-Hasan as a *mursal* and with *i'nanah*.
Q: When there is a need, does the dislike disappear?
The Shaykh: It appears so, and Allah knows best, if a need is found; due to the hadith of Abu Qatadah.
Q: Whoever has hair, let him honor it?
The Shaykh: In the Shari'ah manner. He honors it in the Shari'ah manner.
Q: Is the hadith authentic?
The Shaykh: I do not know his situation.
Q: And is combing the beard analogous to combing the head?
The Shaykh: It is not apparent. The beard is not touched.
Q: Who says that combing is specific to the head?
The Shaykh: This is the known meaning: combing is for the head.
Q: Meaning it does not include the beard?
The Shaykh: No, it is not called "combing."
Is combing the hair for both men and women, or is the prohibition specific to men only?
Answer:
The general rule is that what occurs in commands and prohibitions applies to everyone. This is the rule: a command to men is a command to women, and a command to women is a command to men, except where evidence indicates specificity.
Combing the hair every other day is more comfortable; because combing it daily involves some hardship and some excess in comfort. However, it came in the hadith that a dispensation was granted to Abu Qatadah when he complained that he needed to do so. So it appears, and Allah knows best, that the prohibition here is for dislike, and if the need arises for combing due to an incidental circumstance, there is no harm in doing it daily. Combing is when one unknots the head, combs it, and takes care of it.
Q: And if a man wants his wife to comb her hair daily so that she beautifies herself for him with her hair?
The Shaykh: The Sunnah is every other day, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. This is the Sunnah.
Q: Are all the hadiths in this chapter authentic?
The Shaykh: As far as I know, they are all authentic. The hadith of Abdullah ibn Mughaffal contains the *i'nanah* of al-Hasan, and it appears that it came from other routes besides this route of al-Nasa'i. The hadith of Abu Qatadah is also fine. As for here, it is from the route of al-Hasan as a *mursal* and with *i'nanah*.
Q: When there is a need, does the dislike disappear?
The Shaykh: It appears so, and Allah knows best, if a need is found; due to the hadith of Abu Qatadah.
Q: Whoever has hair, let him honor it?
The Shaykh: In the Shari'ah manner. He honors it in the Shari'ah manner.
Q: Is the hadith authentic?
The Shaykh: I do not know his situation.
Q: And is combing the beard analogous to combing the head?
The Shaykh: It is not apparent. The beard is not touched.
Q: Who says that combing is specific to the head?
The Shaykh: This is the known meaning: combing is for the head.
Q: Meaning it does not include the beard?
The Shaykh: No, it is not called "combing."
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.