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What is the ruling on the fade haircut?

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher

What is the ruling on the following haircuts (are the allowed):

The fade: wherein the hair is cut short on the top and shorter on the bottom and blended together.

The temp fade: same as the fade, only the shorter part is lower down on the head, and thus considerably less noticable such that it almost looks like the hair is the same all around but still achieves the nice blending look which many people find desirable.

I ask this because I often heard a hadith prohibiting getting the haircut two different lenghts but I don’t know if that was only intended for extreme examples like a mohawk, or having it long on one part and bald on the other without blending etc. which are much more extreme than the above mentioned hairstyles, as the above mentioned are very neat and presentable and the latter examples seem more like ones that would be used by pagans etc.

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

It is offensive to shave part of the hair of the head and to leave other parts of it unshaved. This is called qaza` in Arabic. “Shaving” refers to the complete removal of hair using a razor or something similar. Merely shortening the hair at certain locations and not shortening it at other locations does not fall under the definition of qaza` and is neither offensive nor unlawful in and of itself.

Although cutting one’s hair in such a manner isn’t forbidden in and of itself, it may become unlawful for external reasons that return to one’s intention. For example, if one’s is styling one’s hair in a certain manner is to imitate someone who is not fit to be imitated–such as film and music stars that are known for their immoral conduct–the haircut would become impermissible because of this external factor. If, however, one is styling one’s hair in a particular manner merely because one likes the way it looks, then there is nothing wrong with it.

And Allah Most High knows best.

Hamza.

References:

Tuhfat al-Muhtaj: Bab al-Udhiya
al-Fatawa al-Fiqhiyya al-Kubra: Bab al-Ridda

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