❀ Ruling on Dyeing White Hair and Avoiding Black – In Light of Hadith ❀
Taken from: “Ahkam wa Masail – In Light of Qur’an and Hadith”, Volume 01, Page 524
The Hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ states:
“The Jews and Christians do not dye their white hair — so oppose them. Dye your white hair, but avoid black.”
(Authentic narration)
The questioner seeks further clarification on this Hadith, especially regarding when and for whom this directive applies.
Previously, it was stated that when all the hair turns white, and not a single black hair remains, then this instruction is more applicable.
However, the questioner remains unsatisfied with this explanation, citing the lack of an explicit, clear-cut proof that the command to dye is restricted only to the case of complete whiteness.
Further, a Hadith mentions that:
“The white hairs of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ could be counted,”
indicating that his white hairs were few, and yet there is no conclusive proof that he dyed them.
This suggests that when white hair is minimal, not dyeing them is acceptable — though again, no explicit evidence exists stating that complete whiteness necessitates dyeing.
Additionally, the questioner points out that even in our time, there are practicing individuals who, despite having entirely white hair, do not dye their hair and do not consider it obligatory.
Alḥamdulillāh, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Libās, the following incident is recorded:
When Abū Quḥāfah (رضي الله عنه) — the father of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (رضي الله عنه) — was brought before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his head and beard were entirely white, resembling the whiteness of thaghamah (a white-flowered plant).
Upon seeing this, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Change the color of this (white hair), but avoid black."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim – Kitāb al-Libās)
From this Hadith, the following rulings become clear:
①
Dyeing white hair is permissible and considered a Sunnah, as it falls under the command of the Prophet ﷺ.
② ✘ Using black dye is prohibited, and Muslims are clearly instructed to avoid it.
③
Dyeing is not obligatory, regardless of whether some or all of the hair has turned white.
④
The strongest emphasis on dyeing appears in cases of complete whiteness, as illustrated by the example of Abū Quḥāfah.
⑤
The fact that the Prophet ﷺ had very few white hairs and did not dye them shows that non-dyeing is permissible, especially when white hair is minimal.
Thus, dyeing white hair is a recommended Sunnah (mustaḥabb) — particularly when the hair is completely white — but it is not a compulsory act.
Those who do not dye their hair, even when it turns fully white, are not blameworthy, so long as they avoid the black dye, which has been explicitly forbidden.
هَذَا مَا عِنْدِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I have, and Allah knows best what is correct.
Taken from: “Ahkam wa Masail – In Light of Qur’an and Hadith”, Volume 01, Page 524
❖ Clarification of the Question and Background of the Hadith
The Hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ states:
“The Jews and Christians do not dye their white hair — so oppose them. Dye your white hair, but avoid black.”
(Authentic narration)
The questioner seeks further clarification on this Hadith, especially regarding when and for whom this directive applies.
Previously, it was stated that when all the hair turns white, and not a single black hair remains, then this instruction is more applicable.
However, the questioner remains unsatisfied with this explanation, citing the lack of an explicit, clear-cut proof that the command to dye is restricted only to the case of complete whiteness.
Further, a Hadith mentions that:
“The white hairs of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ could be counted,”
indicating that his white hairs were few, and yet there is no conclusive proof that he dyed them.
This suggests that when white hair is minimal, not dyeing them is acceptable — though again, no explicit evidence exists stating that complete whiteness necessitates dyeing.
Additionally, the questioner points out that even in our time, there are practicing individuals who, despite having entirely white hair, do not dye their hair and do not consider it obligatory.
❖ Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Libās, the following incident is recorded:
When Abū Quḥāfah (رضي الله عنه) — the father of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (رضي الله عنه) — was brought before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his head and beard were entirely white, resembling the whiteness of thaghamah (a white-flowered plant).
Upon seeing this, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Change the color of this (white hair), but avoid black."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim – Kitāb al-Libās)
❖ Summary and Ruling
From this Hadith, the following rulings become clear:
①
Dyeing white hair is permissible and considered a Sunnah, as it falls under the command of the Prophet ﷺ.② ✘ Using black dye is prohibited, and Muslims are clearly instructed to avoid it.
③
Dyeing is not obligatory, regardless of whether some or all of the hair has turned white.④
The strongest emphasis on dyeing appears in cases of complete whiteness, as illustrated by the example of Abū Quḥāfah.⑤
The fact that the Prophet ﷺ had very few white hairs and did not dye them shows that non-dyeing is permissible, especially when white hair is minimal.Thus, dyeing white hair is a recommended Sunnah (mustaḥabb) — particularly when the hair is completely white — but it is not a compulsory act.
Those who do not dye their hair, even when it turns fully white, are not blameworthy, so long as they avoid the black dye, which has been explicitly forbidden.
هَذَا مَا عِنْدِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I have, and Allah knows best what is correct.
