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Haircuts for Women in Hanafi Mazhab: Understanding the Islamic Perspective

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Muftionline.co.za

Q: I have a question about hair cuts for women. I have seen a similar question on your site but decided to send mine anyway as I have some other questions related to this topic. I follow hanafi mazhab. I was told that in hanafi its makrooh tahrimi for women to cut their hair which means that if you do you will sin even if this sin is not haram, but still a sin. I wish to understand the following points in shaa Allah:

1. As far as i know if something isnt clearly forbidden in Islam then its automatically allowed. How is it with this question, because i was told that
Allah doesnt forbid it in Quran, our nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) didn’t forbid it clearly, imam abu hanifa didnt say clearly that its forbidden and only ulama made this verdict based on different sources. Now, how serious is that to obey ulamas, can one do contrary to what they verdicted? I mean if i cut my hair will i sin in this case?

2. I dont know what you will answer me above so here is next question in shaa Allah: if long hair make me really ugly and my husband likes when i have them till shoulders because then they have volume and make me look nice then when they are long and heavy it makes my face be skinny and long etc, can i in this case cut them till my shoulders or that would be the length for men? What if longer then that makes me unattractive to my husband, shouldnt i beautify myself for him? Honestly, long hair bring myself in depression, lets say my husband doesnt mind, i myself feel down even imagining having them long, i feel old, ugly and feel i have extra dead part of a body on me that is always only closed tight and can never be open anyway as its so long that you have to keep it closed always. Is it really beautiful when you open them and they are till your feet, i find it kind of scary? I dont want to go
against Allah’s decision, i just put my questions on paper to get proper answer in shaa Allah. If Allah answers me to have them long i am ready to obey in shaa Allah. I am asking all these questions to understand does He order women to have hair long…

3. If you tell me above i have to have hair long, then how long must they be?

A)Can i keep them till the middle of my back?

B) Can i have them till the line where shoulders finish?

C) should i have them as long as they grow?

4. Can i have one layer of hair long (depends what you answer me above is a limit) and the topper layer make till shoulders, just to cover neck to have
the volume and look nicer?

5. If i start loosing hair because of keeping them closed always can i cut them shorter?

6. Is it allowed to color hair?

7. Is it allowed to make light stripes with intention to look nice even if non muslim woman do it?

8. If i feel my husband looses interest in me or looks at other women do i still have to keep my hair long as all is in Allah’s hands and if He wills he
wont loose interest in me or i have to do all to look beautiful for my husband and therefore cut my hair?

9. Is it allowed have a forelock?

At the end i would like to add that these questions are to find out the truth in shaa Allah to please Allah. Because if the truth is that we must be beautiful for our husbands and can cut our hair then and we dont and we look unattractive then probably this wont please Allah, Allah knows best. My
intentions are to understand the truth in shaa Allah. I would like to remind all muslim women that we must please Allah, with His pleasure will come
pleasure of our husbands, if we disobey Allah, we will disobey the One in Whose hands are the hearts of our husbands, Allah must be first and He will
never let us down. I pray Allah opens for us the truth how He wants us to be in this question and in all our worship to Him and i pray He helps us to obey Him once the answer has been sent. May Allah bless you brothers and sisters in Islam for your work. Amin. Salam aleikum

Bismillaah

A:

1. If you are under the misconception that the Ulama say things of their own and not from the Qur’aan and hadeeth then why do you refer to them? They may not show you the reasoning and the proof for every situation, but that does not mean that there is no proof. Many a times there are proofs, but the proofs are beyond your understanding. Hence, a person is addressed according to his level of understanding.

2. Your husband is not god. You will listen to your husband because of Allah and not the other way around.

3. Practising muslim women keep their hair even below the middle till approximately the posterior.

4. No, all the hair should be the same length.

5. No.

6. If there is a need to do so, like the hair is whitening and provided it is not coloured in kuffaar fashion colours.

7. Avoid doing this.

8. As no. 2.

9. We do not exactly understand what you mean by forelock. Forelock generally refers to the hair at the front of the head.

And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

Answered by:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

This answer was collected from MuftiOnline.co.za, where the questions have been answered by Mufti Zakaria Makada (Hafizahullah), who is currently a senior lecturer in the science of Hadith and Fiqh at Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, South Africa.