Is shaving the head prohibited?

My question is How many times did prophet Muhammad (Sallalahu alaihe wasalam) Shaved his head??? And Is this a sunnah? One of my Brelvi friend said to me that Shaving one’s head is a sign of some false firqa near Qiyamat ??? Plz guide in details with reference.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

1. At the outset, shaving the hair or trimming the hair is amongst the obligations of haj. When a person executes all the requisites of haj he is obliged to come out of ihram by shaving or trimming his hair. Consider the following hadith:

عن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما: أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «اللهم ارحم المحلقين» قالوا: والمقصرين يا رسول الله، قال: «اللهم ارحم المحلقين» قالوا: والمقصرين يا رسول الله، قال: «والمقصرين»، وقال الليث: حدثني نافع: «رحم الله المحلقين» مرة أو مرتين، قال، وقال عبيد الله: حدثني نافع، وقال في الرابعة: «والمقصرين» 

Rasulullah Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam said “oh Allah have mercy on those that shave their (hair of the) heads.” They asked “what about those that trim their hair oh Rasulullah?” He replied “oh Allah have mercy on those that shave their heads.” They asked (again) “what about those that trim their hair oh Rasulullah?” He then said “and those that cut their hair.” (Bukhari-1727 Darul Bashair)

1. At times Rasulullah Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam would advise on shaving the hair of the head. Thus, the Fuqaha and Muhaditheen consider shaving the hair of the head to be a sunnah.[1] Consider the following hadith:

حدثنا عقبة بن مكرم، وابن المثنى، قالا: حدثنا وهب بن جرير، حدثنا أبي، قال: سمعت محمد بن أبي يعقوب، يحدث عن الحسن بن سعد، عن عبد الله بن جعفر، أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أمهل آل جعفر ثلاثا أن يأتيهم، ثم أتاهم، فقال: «لا تبكوا على أخي بعد اليوم»، ثم قال: «ادعوا لي بني أخي»، فجيء بنا كأنا أفرخ، فقال: «ادعوا لي الحلاق»، فأمره فحلق رءوسنا  

Abdullah ibn Jafar Radiallahu Anhu narrates the Rasulullah Salallahu Alyhi Wasallam gave the family of Jafar Radiallahu Anhu to come to them. He said “do not cry over my brother after today” then He said “call the sons of my brother” and we were brought as if we were chicks (because of excessive hair). He then said “call the barber”. He gave him the order and he shaved our heads. (Abu Dawood-4192 Darul Bashair)

3. Your friend has misunderstood the text of the hadith, thus concluding that shaving the head in general is a sign of one being from the deviated khawarij firqah mentioned in the ahadith. Hereunder is the hadith:

حدثنا أبو النعمان، حدثنا مهدي بن ميمون، سمعت محمد بن سيرين، يحدث عن معبد بن سيرين، عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «يخرج ناس من قبل المشرق، ويقرءون القرآن لا يجاوز تراقيهم، يمرقون من الدين كما يمرق السهم من الرمية، ثم لا يعودون فيه حتى يعود السهم إلى فوقه»، قيل ما سيماهم؟ قال: ” سيماهم التحليق – أو قال: التسبيد – “ 

Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam said “people will come from the east and they will read the Quraan, but it will not go beyond their throats. They will deviate from Deen the way an arrow deviates away from the target. They will not return to Deen till the arrow returns to the bow.” It was asked what their sign is? He replied “their sign will be that their heads will be shaven.” (Bukhari-7562 Darul Bashair)

حدثنا نصر بن عاصم الأنطاكي، حدثنا الوليد، ومبشر يعني ابن إسماعيل الحلبي، عن أبي عمرو، قال: يعني الوليد حدثنا أبو عمرو، قال: حدثني قتادة، عن أبي سعيد الخدري، وأنس بن مالك، عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «سيكون في أمتي اختلاف وفرقة، قوم يحسنون القيل ويسيئون الفعل، يقرءون القرآن لا يجاوز تراقيهم، يمرقون من الدين مروق السهم من الرمية، لا يرجعون حتى يرتد على فوقه، هم شر الخلق والخليقة، طوبى لمن قتلهم وقتلوه، يدعون إلى كتاب الله وليسوا منه في شيء، من قاتلهم كان أولى بالله منهم» قالوا: يا رسول الله، ما سيماهم؟ قال: «التحليق»

 Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam said “there will be differences and divisions in my Umah. A group will speak well and behave badly. They will read the Quraan, but it will not go beyond their throats. They will deviate from Deen the way an arrow deviates away from the target. They will not return to Deen till the arrow returns to the bow. They will be the worst of all creation. Glad tidings to those who kill them and those they kill. They will call towards the kitabullah and nothing of it will be in them. Those that fight them are more worthy of Allah then them.” They said “oh prophet of Allah what will their sign be? He said “their heads will be shaven.” (Abu Dawood-4765 Darul Bashair)

In the above quoted ahadith Rasulullah Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam referred to the deviated sect of the khawarij and pointed out their deceptive ways of expressing piety and abstinence by shaving their heads, reciting the Quraan and narrating ahadith.

People tend to get attracted to people through acts of piety. Thus, that Rasulullah Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam pointed out that we should not be deceived by the apparent acts of piety of the khawarij as they have corrupt beliefs. The issue of focus is their corrupt beliefs and not shaving the head. If shaving the hair was the focus and prohibited, then the recitation of the Quraan and narrating ahadith done by the khawarij should also be prohibited.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Ismail Dawoodjee

Student Darul Iftaa
Zambia

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net

 [1] و اما الحلق و ذكر لطحاوى الحلق سنة و نسب ذالك الى العلماء الثلاثة كذا فى تاترخانية (الهندية ج5 ص357 رشيدية)

قال الكرمانى قيه اشكال و هو انه يلزم من وجود العلامة وجود ذى العلامة فيستلزم ان كل من كان محلوق الراس فهو من الخوارج و لامر بخلاف ذالك اتفاقا (فتح البارى ج13 ص609 دار الحديث)