Can women cut their hair? What is the Dua for a child who is frequently startled in sleep?

Can you please advise me on the following: 

Is a lady allowed to cut her hair (the length still remains below the elbow) and the fact that the woman is in hijaab? 
Please giveme a dua that I can read for my 18 month old daughter who frequently wakes up screaming and crying in the night.

Answer:

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

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

It is not permissible for a woman to cut her hair.[1]

The following Dua may be written and worn around the child’s neck[2];

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ وَعِقَابِهِ وَشَرِّ عِبَادِهِ، وَمِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mawlana Ali bin Cassim

Student Darul Iftaa

Los Angeles, CA (USA)

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net



[1][1]الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (6/ 407)

وَفِيهِ: قَطَعَتْ شَعْرَ رَأْسِهَا أَثِمَتْ وَلُعِنَتْ زَادَ فِي الْبَزَّازِيَّةِ وَإِنْ بِإِذْنِ الزَّوْجِ لِأَنَّهُ لَا طَاعَةَ لِمَخْلُوقٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الْخَالِقِ

فتاوى رحيمية 10/321

[2]سنن الترمذي ت شاكر (5/ 541)

” إِذَا فَزِعَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي النَّوْمِ فَلْيَقُلْ: أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ وَعِقَابِهِ وَشَرِّ عِبَادِهِ، وَمِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ فَإِنَّهَا لَنْ تَضُرَّهُ “. فَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، يُلَقِّنُهَا مَنْ بَلَغَ مِنْ وَلَدِهِ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ مِنْهُمْ كَتَبَهَا فِي صَكٍّ ثُمَّ عَلَّقَهَا فِي عُنُقِهِ.: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ

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This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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