Adab al-Mufrad

Benefits and Issues:
➊ Umm Haram was the maternal aunt of Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu. She is the same female Companion who asked the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to supplicate for her participation in the first army to attack Constantinople, and she was then martyred in that very expedition. She was the foster aunt of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam because the maternal relatives of the Messenger of Allah’s sallallahu alayhi wa sallam grandfather were from Madinah Tayyibah.

➋ From this, it is understood that a woman may remove lice, etc., from the head of her mahram (unmarriageable kin) man. This is exactly the same situation as is common among us, that if a child sits with his maternal or paternal aunt, she begins to examine his head. It is not necessary that there are actually lice. Similarly, it does not necessarily follow from this that there were lice in your (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) head, and even if it is accepted that there were lice in the head of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, then considering his circumstances, this is also possible. Generally, his hair would reach below his ears. The modern style of cutting hair was not his habit; among the Arabs, the issue of water scarcity was a constant one. Therefore, it was not possible to continuously wash the hair with soap or shampoo. Moreover, he was generally engaged in military expeditions. In such circumstances, if ever lice did appear, this possibility exists. And Allah knows best!

➌ Some scholars have said that she was not the aunt of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam; however, it was a special characteristic of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that a non-mahram saw the lice in his head.