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Shaving the head of a baby girl

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by DarulUloomTT.net

Q. I would like to know if there is a difference of opinion among the four madhabs with regards to the shaving of the head of a baby girl on the 7th day and if so then how does one give out the money as there is no hair to weigh? The person said that there is no evidence that Rasullah (S.A.W) shaved the head of a girl in Bukhari or Muslim and these are the books that he trusts the most. Also I would like to know what is the proper way of doing aqiqah with regards to hanafi fiqh as this is what I choose to follow. He chooses to follow the Salafi Manhaj “ALLAHU ALLAM” and may ALLAH (S.W.T) guide us all. Ameen.


A. We do not know of any difference of opinion among the scholars of the four Madhabs regarding the shaving of a baby girl’s head on the 7th day. In fact, it is clearly evident that the Prophet (SA) asked Fatima (RA) to have the hair of the infant shaved off and give silver, equal in weight to the hair as Sadaqah. On account of this, Fatima (RA) distributed Sadaqah in silver, equal in weight to the hair (shaved off) from Hasan, Husain, Zainab and Ummi Kulthum. (Muwatta of Imam Malik).

The above shows that the hair of Zainab and Umm Kulthum were also shaved off and they were baby girls who were the daughters of Fatima (RA). After quoting the above hadith in his commentary of Muwata of Imam Malik, the great scholar of hadith Al Allama Shaikh Muhammad Zakariyya bin Muhammad bin Yahya (AR), wrote, ‘This tradition makes it evident that the hair of girls (babies) will be shaved. (Awajazul Masalik vol.9 pg. 258)

Hafiz Badruddeen Al Aini, the expert scholar of Fiqh and hadith has also stated, ‘The general meaning of the hadith regarding shaving off of the hair includes both the male and the female’. (Awjazul Masalik vol.9 pg.258)

Normally, there is hair on the head of a baby, hence, whatever small amount it weighs should be given out as charity to the value of silver.

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Waseem Khan

This answer was collected from DarulUloomTT.net, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Waseem Khan from Darul Uloom Trinidad and Tobago.

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