#628:Is it permissible to plait Hair in the First Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah
QUESTION
“Assalamu alyakum sisters …I was asked a question concerning plaiting of hair in this 10 days of dhul hajj, if one is going to slaughter an animal. Is it allowed to plait hair for ladies?”
ANSWER
Wa Alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh
Know, may Allāh forgive us all, that with respect to this injunction, there are four things:
One, based on the Hadīth of Umm Salamah – radiyallāhu ‘anhā – in which the Rasūl -salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:
من كان له ذبح يذبحه فإذا أهل هلال ذي الحجة فلا يأخذ من شعره ولا من أظفاره شيئاً حتى يضحي
“Whomsoever intends to make the sacrifice, once the crescent of Dhū Hijjah has been sighted, let him not take anything from his hair or his nails until he makes the sacrifice.”
The Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah – radiyallāhu ‘anhā – discountenanced this position raising the observation that this was only for the People observing Hajj.
The Ulamā debated this Ruling. The Hanafiyyah held that since Umm Salamah alone narrated this Hadīth among the Sahābah, the position of ‘Ā’ishah – radiyallāhu ‘anhā – on this is what is correct. They therefore posit that it’s neither Harām nor Makrūh to take off anything from the hair or the nails.
The Mālikiyyah and Shāfi’iyyah held the position of Umm Salamah and worked with it but concluded that it was Makrūh, not Harām. And this is the most correct position.
The position made by Imām Ahmad himself is that based on this Hadīth, it is Harām for a person that will slaughter to take of his hair or his nails.
Two, they all agree that even if a person was to do any of those (.i.e. cut of his hair or nails) his Sacrifice (slaughter) is still accepted
Three, it therefore follows that once the need arises to take from the hair or the nails come, there is at all no problem if the one who intends to slaughter the Sacrifice does that. This is because it is a Precept agreed upon that whatever is Makrūh can be made done whenever there is need.
Four, the Fuqahā all agree that it is permissible to comb the hair during this period even if in the process some strands of hair come off. As long as the combing was mild and the coming off of the hair was not made intentionally. This is inferred in Tar’hu At-Tathrīb by Hāfidh Al-‘Irāqī – rahimahullāh.
Therefore, there is nothing wrong in plaiting the hair, just like combing of it even if you know that in it’s cause, some of hair may fall off. As long as you don’t Intentionally pull it off and you’re not hard on the hair to warrant it’s coming off.
And Allāh knows best
Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran
📚 IslamNode
