How much hair should be trimmed by a woman in Ihram?
The question, as received
Assalamualykum, Just wanted to confirm with you if a hanafi girl had extremely thin ends taking an انملة of her plait wouldn’t suffice right if the end of her plait is not equal to a minimum of 1/4 of the hairs for تقصير? So extremely thin ends at the bottom of the hair will cutting that suffice to come out of ihram? [Question published as received]
The answer
A woman in the state of Iḥrām, is required to trim a minimum of one inch or the length of her fingertip from at least a quarter of her hair ends in order to exit the state of Iḥrām. The trimmed hair must equate to the aforementioned amount.
Condition: The trimmed ends must amount to a fingertip's length from at least a quarter of the hair.
Fiqh basis
The minimum amount of hair that is to be trimmed to exit the state of Iḥrām, is that which amounts to a fingertip, from at least one quarter of the head as stated by ‘Ala’ al-Dīn al-Ḥaṣkafī (d.1088 AH) amongst others. However, it is recommended to trim a fingertip amount of hair ends from the entire head. This has been recorded and transmitted to be the practice of the wives of the Prophet ʿAlayhi Aṣ- Ṣalātu Wa-Salām as mentioned by ‘Allāmāh Kāsānī (d.587 AH) in Bada’i’ al- Ṣana’i’.
‘Allāmāh Kāsānī further explains that the reason for a woman to shorten her hair instead of shaving, is due to the fact the shaving of the head is considered mutilation for women. Therefore, it is recommended for women to trim their hair in the manner prescribed by Sharī’ah in order to exit the state of Iḥrām.
The rationale
Trimming and shaving the hair on the head as a practice is a physical manifestation of removing something from oneself. Perhaps this practice syncs with the removal of the prohibitions that come with Iḥrām.
If we consider how a newborn’s hair is cut and removed, it is partly to remove potential dirt and give the newborn a fresh and renewed look. If we consider this angle, a person exiting Iḥrām removes their hair to refresh themselves and reintroduce themselves to the world in a fresh state. They are reintroduced to the world, or better put, ‘reborn’ in a fresh state. This state is hopefully one of forgiveness and being free of all blemishes.
Interestingly, there are Riwāyāt in the other schools of Fiqh which encourage a revert to also remove their hair. If we consider this angle, then potentially there is something about removing hair and forging a new identity. Hair was and is something admired by people. The way one keeps their hair and presents it is something people take pride in and gives identity, distinctiveness, and a ‘brand’ to oneself. By removing this, one ‘effaces’ themselves and a change of appearance. It symbolises a potential change in identity. For a person in Iḥrām, perhaps it reflects a change in identity, of a person who has surrendered himself to Almighty Allah and has been purified as a result.
And Allah knows best.
Maulana Ammar Y Badat
Reviewed and approved by Mufti Faraz Adam
References
وَلَا حَلْقَ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ لِمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ – عَنْ النَّبِيِّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – أَنَّهُ قَالَ «لَيْسَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ حَلْقٌ، وَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِنَّ تَقْصِيرٌ» ، وَرَوَتْ عَائِشَةُ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا – أَنَّ «النَّبِيَّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – نَهَى الْمَرْأَةَ أَنْ تَحْلِقَ رَأْسَهَا» ، وَلِأَنَّ الْحَلْقَ فِي النِّسَاءِ مُثْلَةٌ، وَلِهَذَا لَمْ تَفْعَلْهُ وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْ نِسَاءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – وَلَكِنَّهَا تُقَصِّرُ فَتَأْخُذُ مِنْ أَطْرَافِ شَعْرِهَا قَدْرَ أُنْمُلَةٍ لِمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ عُمَرَ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ – أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ: كَمْ تُقَصِّرُ الْمَرْأَةُ؟ ، فَقَالَ: مِثْلُ هَذِهِ، وَأَشَارَ إلَى أُنْمُلَتِهِ (بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع)
(قَوْلُهُ بِأَنْ يَأْخُذَ إلَخْ) قَالَ فِي الْبَحْرِ: وَالْمُرَادُ بِالتَّقْصِيرِ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ الرَّجُلُ وَالْمَرْأَةُ مِنْ رُءُوسِ شَعْرِ رُبُعِ الرَّأْسِ مِقْدَارَ الْأُنْمُلَةِ كَذَا ذَكَرَهُ الزَّيْلَعِيُّ، وَمُرَادُهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَعْرَةٍ مِقْدَارَ الْأُنْمُلَةِ كَمَا صَرَّحَ بِهِ فِي الْمُحِيطِ. وَفِي الْبَدَائِعِ قَالُوا: يَجِبُ أَنْ يَزِيدَ فِي التَّقْصِيرِ عَلَى قَدْرِ الْأُنْمُلَةِ حَتَّى يَسْتَوْفِيَ قَدْرَ الْأُنْمُلَةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَعْرَةٍ بِرَأْسِهِ لِأَنَّ أَطْرَافَ الشَّعْرِ غَيْرُ مُتَسَاوِيَةٍ عَادَةً. قَالَ الْحَلَبِيُّ فِي مَنَاسِكِهِ وَهُوَ حَسَنٌ اهـ وَفِي الشُّرُنْبُلَالِيَّةِ: يَظْهَرُ لِي أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِكُلِّ شَعْرَةٍ أَيْ مِنْ شَعْرِ الرُّبُعِ عَلَى وَجْهِ اللُّزُومِ وَمِنْ الْكُلِّ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الْأَوْلَوِيَّةِ فَلَا مُخَالَفَةَ فِي الْأَجْزَاءِ لِأَنَّ الرُّبُعَ كَالْكُلِّ كَمَا فِي الْحَلْقِ اهـ فَقَوْلُ الشَّارِحِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَعْرَةٍ أَيْ مِنْ الرُّبُعِ لَا مِنْ الْكُلِّ وَإِلَّا نَاقَضَ مَا بَعْدَهُ، وَقَوْلُهُ: وُجُوبًا قَيْدٌ لِقَدْرِ الْأُنْمُلَةِ (حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار)
م: (وفي التقصير أن يأخذ من رؤوس شعره مقدار الأنملة) ش: وهذا التقدير مروي عن ابن عمر – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا -، وعليه إجماع الأمة والمرأة فيه كالرجل. وفي ” الولوالجي ” تقصر ربع رأسها مقدار الأنملة – وكذا الرجل تأخذ من كل قرن بقدر الأنمل (البناية شرح الهداية)
(بأن يأخذ من كل شعرة قدر الانملة وجوبا، وتقصير الكل مندوب، والربع واجب (الدر المختار شرح تنوير الأبصار
حَلْقُ شَعْرِ الكافِرِ إذا أسْلَمَ:
١٣ – ذَهَبَ جُمْهُورُ الفُقَهاءِ إلى أنَّ الكافِرَ إذا أسْلَمَ يُسَنُّ حَلْقُ رَأْسِهِ، لِما رُوِيَ عَنْ عُثَيْمِ بْنِ كُلَيْبٍ عَنْ أبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ أنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قال لَهُ: ألْقِ عَنْكَ شَعْرَ الكُفْرِ
قال الرَّمْلِيُّ: وظاهِرُ إطْلاَقِهِمْ أيِ الشّافِعِيَّةِ عَدَمُ الفَرْقِ هُنا فِي اسْتِحْبابِ الحَلْقِ بَيْنَ الذَّكَرِ وغَيْرِهِ وهُوَ مُحْتَمَلٌ. ويُحْتَمَل أنَّ مَحَل نَدْبِهِ الذَّكَرُ، وأنَّ السُّنَّةَ لِلْمَرْأةِ والخُنْثى التَّقْصِيرُ كَما فِي التَّحَلُّل فِي الحَجِّ
وقَيَّدَ المالِكِيَّةُ الأْمْرَ بِحَلْقِ شَعْرِ مَن أسْلَمَ بِما إذا كانَ شَعْرُهُ عَلى غَيْرِ زِيِّ العَرَبِ (أيِ المُسْلِمِينَ) كالقَزَعَةِ وشَبَهِها، لِما رُوِيَ فِي سُنَنِ أبِي داوُدَ عَنْ عُثَيْمِ بْنِ كُلَيْبٍ عَنْ أبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ أنَّهُ جاءَ إلى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقال: قَدْ أسْلَمْتُ، فَقال لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: ألْقِ عَنْكَ شَعْرَ الكُفْرِ يَقُول: احْلِقْ قال: وأخْبَرَنِي آخَرُ أنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قال لآِخَرَ مَعَهُ: ألْقِ عَنْكَ شَعْرَ الكُفْرِ واخْتَتِنْ
وقَوْلُهُ ﷺ شَعْرَ الكُفْرِ أيِ الشَّعْرَ الَّذِي مِن زِيِّ الكُفْرِ.
وقَدْ كانَتِ العَرَبُ تَدْخُل فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أفْواجًا، ولَمْ يَرَوْا فِي ذَلِكَ أنَّهُمْ كانُوا يَحْلِقُونَ.
واسْتَحَبَّ مالِكٌ أنْ يَحْلِقَ عَلى عُمُومِ الأْحْوال
واشْتَرَطَ الحَنابِلَةُ فِي حَلْقِ الرَّأْسِ أنْ يَكُونَ رَجُلًا، وأطْلَقُوا فِي حَلْقِ العانَةِ والإْبْطَيْنِ (الموسوعة الفقهية الكويتية)
Based on the Hanafi school and on the question as it was asked. Another mufti may reach a different conclusion. Read the disclaimer.