Are Women Allowed To Cut Their Hair?

Allah Ta'ala created the human being, individually perfect - with no stigma of sin and in the best shape.

In Surah At-Tin Allah Ta'ala declares:

"Indeed we have created human beings of the best stature." (Surah At-Tin : Verse 4)

Every part of the human body has been placed respectively to serve its purpose. Some parts, organs and limbs play an important and vital role whilst others have a minor supporting role. At the outset, looking at the external human appearance - its beauty is manifest immediately and, it's at this juncture that we are most grateful to Allah.

Consequently, we are not owners of ourselves i.e. we have been entrusted by Allah with our physical body and internal self. Therefore, as this is a Trust (Amanah), it does not belong to us; and as a result, we have to obey and respect its obligations. If the Maker requires us to fulfil a certain requirement, e.g. to cover a portion of the body from the navel to the knee in the case of men then that law is to be obeyed.

Similarly, a woman is required to keep and wear her hair without cutting it short. This latter issue will be highlighted in the following discourse. Allah Ta'ala has concentrated the physical beauty of the human being in the upper part of the body, i.e. the face. The face is probably the most important feature in the whole external anatomy of the human being. In fact, every effect and reaction becomes evident on the face instantly. Hence, the face is the central part of the whole body exposed entirely and at all times.

It is obvious that, what surrounds the face displays an important value and forms a protective gear. Moreover, it displays the beauty and identity of a person. Therefore, the long hair of the woman professes her beauty, the one most powerful image of a female. During Hajj & Umrah, in order to exit the condition of Ihraam, a man can either make Halq (shave) or Qasr (trim) of the hair on the head. For a woman, she has to clip the size of the small finger (approximately 2 cm only.)

From among the restriction imposed on her during Hajj is (as the text appears in the Fiqh book, Al-Quduri):

"She will not shave but trim."

"Because Rasulullah SAW forbade women from shaving but commanded them to trim (the hair)."

The fact that women are only allowed to trim - a short length (2cm) and not more - explains the issue under discussion.

Once the wife of Rasulullah SAW - Umm Salmah RA asked him:

"O Prophet of Allah, I am a woman who keeps her hair closely plaited; should I undo it when I wash after sexual defilement?"

"No", he (SAW) replied.

"It is enough for you to throw three handfuls over it (your head)."

In another hadith, Rasulullah SAW replied to a question saying:

"As regards to man, he should undo the hair of his head and wash it until the water reach the roots of the hair. But there is no harm if the woman does not undo it (her hair) and pours three handful of water over her head."

These traditions clearly indicate that women are allowed, in exceptional cases, to throw water over their heads - which is not the real matter of discussion here - but that:

a) the wife of Rasulullah SAW, Umm Salmah RA herself had long hair - and note: The Noble Qur'an refers to the wives of Rasulullah SAW as the Mothers of the Believers.

b) no directive was given to cut, trim, clip, or shave the hair in order to solve the problem.

c) in many such questions a similar answer was given.

In one of the most popular books of Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) - The Hidayah, the text reads:

"It is not necessary for a woman to release her plaits when taking a bath, if the water reaches the root of her hair."

Sheikh Hafiz says in Fathul Qadeer:

"It is not permissible for men to imitate women in clothing and beautification that are especially associated with women only (and vice versa)."

Hadith: "Ibn Abbas RA reported that Rasulullah (SAW) cursed the hermaphrodite from the men and the like from the women."

Rasulullah SAW said :

"Glory (to Allah) who beautified men by the beard and (similarly) women by their lock of hair."

By nature, Allah has distinguished men from women respectively in their beauty, e.g. externally the masculine beauty of a man is in the beard and the feminine beauty of a woman is in her long hair.

It is reported from Saiyidina Ali RA that Rasulullah SAW prohibited a woman from shaving her hair. Hence, for men to shave the beard is like the women shaving their head.

In their external features Allah Ta'ala created both sexes differently. For this and other reasons men are strictly prohibited to imitate women and vice versa. Rasulullah SAW cursed men who imitate women and cursed women who imitate men.

In conclusion, we must remember that our perpetual enemy, Syaitaan, will cause us to deviate from the truth and constantly instruct us to follow dubious ways.

Allah Ta'ala says:

"And surely I (Syaitaan) will most definitely deviate them, aspire them and order them; hence they will change Allah's creation.'(4:119)