Sunnah Guidelines on Keeping Hair in Light of the Prophetic Practice ﷺ

Derived from: Monthly Ahl al-Sunnah

❖ Hair – A Blessing from Allah​

The hair on one’s head is among the great blessings granted by Allah ﷻ, embodying both awe and beauty. Adopting the hairstyle of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ not only earns Allah’s pleasure but also serves as an expression of religious identity and a means of upholding and spreading Islam.

❖ Current Attitude of Muslims​

Today, many Muslims seem influenced by the lifestyle and culture of disbelievers. As they abandoned their practical Islamic traits, they became weak and lost their religious identity and Islamic symbols. This has blurred the visible distinction between Muslims and those who rebel against Allah.

Due to this negligence and mispractice, those inclined toward natural disposition find little appeal in the Muslim appearance. Imitating the disbelievers, some Muslims have distanced themselves from the Sunnah of keeping hair, even though disbelievers themselves often detest and fear long hair.

❖ Keeping Hair: A Recommended (Mustahabb) Practice​

Although keeping hair is not an act of worship (`ibādah), it is nonetheless mustahabb (recommended) to follow the practice of the Prophet ﷺ. However, adopting disorganized or disproportionate hairstyles in imitation of disbelievers is impermissible. It is regrettable that even those with religious tendencies sometimes compel pious youth to cut their hair, despite the fact that encouraging mustahabb actions is more appropriate than enforcing them.

❖ Hair Care and the Islamic Way of Life​

Some people argue that maintaining long hair is difficult and time-consuming for students. However, this is a misconception. Islam is a simple and natural religion. In reality, managing short hair can be more difficult and costly, often consuming more time and effort.

❖ Islamic Upbringing of Children​

Muslim families must instill Islamic manners and etiquettes from early childhood so that their children grow up embodying the Islamic lifestyle and symbols of faith. In doing so, they can present the best model of Islamic civilization to the world.

❖ Condition of Religious Schools (Madāris)​

Regrettably, this Sunnah has not only been neglected in our society but has been forcibly abandoned in many religious seminaries. Where the revival of Sunnah should have been promoted, mockery has taken its place. Students are prohibited from keeping long hair, and those who do may face punishment. Cutting children’s hair at a young age interferes with their natural disposition. Rather than suppressing students’ interests, madāris should lovingly familiarize them with the Sunnah.

❖ Responsibility of Madāris​

Administrators of madāris must realize that grooming hair is part of the psychological development of a certain age group. Whether permitted or not, children will pursue their interests. Therefore, instead of suppressing this nature, they should be guided in the right direction. Students should be encouraged to keep their hair according to the Sunnah, enabling them to be living examples of Prophetic practice among the people. Keeping hair neither weakens faith nor contradicts Islamic teachings.

❖ Misconception about Hair Uniformity​

There is a prevalent misunderstanding that hair must be uniform—whether short or long. Some even consider this an Islamic requirement. However, there is no instruction from the Prophet ﷺ on this matter. He is authentically reported to have had three styles of hair, explained below. If uniformity were a religious requirement, it would have been explicitly stated by the Prophet ﷺ, his Companions, or early scholars.

❖ Types of the Prophet’s ﷺ Hair​

① Jummah (جُمَّہ): Hair hanging down to the shoulders
② Limmah (لِمَّہ): Hair extending below the earlobes
③ Wafrah (وَفْرَہ): Hair reaching the earlobes

Lexical Explanation:
According to Ḥāfiẓ Nawawī رحمه الله (d. 676 AH):

“Linguists state that jummah refers to hair longer than wafrah, reaching the shoulders. Wafrah ends at the earlobes, and limmah reaches near the shoulders.”
(Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2/285)

❖ Prophetic Hair Descriptions from Authentic Narrations​

• Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه:
  “The Prophet ﷺ’s hair touched his shoulders.”
  (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2338/95)
  
  
• Al-Barā’ ibn ʿĀzib رضي الله عنه:
  “His jummah hair reached his shoulders.”
  (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 5901)
  
  
• Narration in Sunan al-Nasāʾī:
  “I saw the limmah hair of the Prophet ﷺ, reaching near his shoulders.”
  (Sunan al-Nasāʾī: 5063)
  
  
• Anas رضي الله عنه:
  “The Prophet ﷺ’s hair extended below the ears.”
  (Musnad Aḥmad: 3/142; Authentic chain)
  
  
• Al-Barā’ ibn ʿĀzib رضي الله عنه:
  “His hair reached the earlobes.”
  (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2337/91)
  
  
• ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها:
  
  “The Prophet ﷺ’s hair was longer than wafrah but shorter than jummah.”
  (Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 4187; Hasan chain)
  

❖ Important Cautions​

① Excessive Hair Length (e.g., waist-length hair):
This is discouraged in Islam.

• Wāʾil ibn Ḥujr رضي الله عنه said:
  “The Prophet ﷺ saw my very long hair and remarked: ‘Ḍubāb, Ḍubāb’ (i.e., annoyance). I trimmed my hair, and the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘This is better.’”
  (Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 4190; Authentic)
  
  
• Abū al-Dardā’ رضي الله عنه narrated from Sahl ibn Ḥanẓaliyyah رضي الله عنه:
  “The Prophet ﷺ praised Khuraym al-Asadī except for his excessively long hair and lowered trousers. Upon hearing this, Khuraym trimmed his hair to the earlobes and raised his trousers to mid-calf.”
  (Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 4089; Hasan chain)
  

Imām al-Ḥākim graded this narration as “ṣaḥīḥ al-isnād,” and Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī also considered it authentic.

② Vision of Prophet ʿĪsā عليه السلام:
The Prophet ﷺ described seeing ʿĪsā عليه السلام in a dream:

“His hair hung between his shoulders.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3440)

③ The Four Braids Report (Narration from Umm Hānīʾ رضي الله عنها):
“When the Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah, his hair was in four braids.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 4191)
Note: This narration is weak due to issues in the chain, including narrators who are “mudallis” or “unknown.”

❖ Companions’ Hair Style​

• Kaʿb ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه had hair up to the earlobes.
  (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 4191)
• ʿAbdullāh ibn Busr al-Māzinī رضي الله عنه had similar hair.
  (Maʿrifat al-Ṣaḥābah by Abū Nuʿaym: 3/1595; Hasan chain)
• Other Companions like Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn ʿUmar, Jābir ibn ʿAbdullāh, ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr, and Sahl ibn Saʿd رضي الله عنهم had hair extending to the shoulders.
  (Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 8/446, 8/450; Authentic chains)

❖ Practice of Tābiʿīn and Tabaʿ Tābiʿīn​

• Qāsim ibn Muḥammad, ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafiyyah, and Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib رحمهم الله kept shoulder-length hair.
  (Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 8/447, 8/450; Authentic)
• Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān رحمه الله also had shoulder-length hair.
  (al-ʿIlal by Imām Aḥmad: 1227; Authentic)

❖ Conclusion​

Hair is a great blessing from Allah ﷻ. Maintaining and caring for it according to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ is a praiseworthy act. The Prophet ﷺ is authentically reported to have kept three styles: jummah, limmah, and wafrah, which were adopted by the early righteous generations. Keeping hair in this Sunnah fashion does not diminish one’s faith nor contradict Islamic principles.

However, overly long hair (beyond the shoulders) is discouraged, as are hairstyles inspired by disbelievers. Muslims must return to the Islamic lifestyle, honoring religious symbols and practices. Parents and educational institutions must ensure that children are nurtured according to Islamic values, so they grow up embodying and showcasing Islamic civilization.

By following these Prophetic guidelines, Muslims can seek Allah’s pleasure and maintain their natural beauty in accordance with the Sunnah, thereby promoting true Islamic culture.