How much hair should be cut during Umrah and is it necessary to completely shave the head?

Al-jawab billahi at-taufeeq (the answer with Allah’s guidance)

1) According to the Shari’ah, a person completing Umra or Hajj have two options of removing the hair; a) Halq (shave) and, b) Qasr (shorten)

Halq is when the entire head is shaved and more virtuous than Qasr. Rasulullah (Sallalahu-Alaihi-Wasallam) shaved his hair when he performed Hajj. (Mishkaat, pg 232 Thanvi)

Rasulullah made Du’a three times for those shaved their hair and made Du’a once for those who trimmed their hair (ibid).

According to the Hanafis the necessary amount of hair (for Halq and Qasr) that should be removed is 1/4th of the head. But the entire head is better and virtous.
(Sharh Nawawi ‘Ala Saheeh-il Muslim Vol. 1 Pg. 420- Darse Tirmidhi Vol. 3 Pg. 186)

The Benefit of shaving the head in Hajj:

The reason the head is shaved in the Hajj is that the head is uncovered for many days and dust may have gathered in the hair. So, shaving the head is the best way for many people to wash their head, or they may have their hair cut. Also, the command for shaving the head is found in the Quran and Sunnah. (The Wisdom behind the Commands Of Islam Pg. 194)

2) No, the shaving of the entire hair was not from Ali (RA). But the Sunnah of Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), he had shaved his entire hair in Umrah and Hajj.

The Sahabi who shaved Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) hair was Ma’mar Ibn Abdullah (RA), some say it was Kharrash Ibn Umayyah during Hajjatul Wada’ or Hudaiyibah. However, the first opinion is Saheeh. (‘Umdatul Qari Vol. 3 Pg. 38- Darse Tirmidhi Vol. 3 Pg. 182)

And Only Allah Ta’ala Knows Best.

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Moulana Qamruz Zaman
London, UK