Plucking White Hair from the Beard is Not Permissible
Written by: ʿImrān Ayyūb Lāhorī
❶ ʿAmr ibn Shuʿayb, from his father, from his grandfather, narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا تنتفوا الشيب فإنه ما من مسلم يشيب شيبة فى الإسلام إلا كانت له نورا يوم القيامة ، وفي رواية: كتب الله له بها حسنة ، وحط عنه بها خطيئة
“Do not pluck out white hair, for indeed no Muslim grows old in Islam but that his old age will be a light for him on the Day of Judgment. In another narration: Allah writes for him a good deed because of it, erases a sin, and raises him in rank.”
Another narration states:
أَن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن نتف الشيب ، وقال: إنه نور المسلم
“The Prophet ﷺ forbade plucking white hair and said: It is the light of a Muslim.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ li-ghayrihi: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb: 2091; Kitāb al-Libās wa al-Zīnah: Bāb al-Targhīb fī Ibqāʾ al-Shayb wa Karāhah Natfihi; Abū Dāwūd: 4202; Tirmidhī: 2821; Ibn Mājah: 3721; Nasā’ī: 8/136]
❷ ʿUbādah ibn ʿUbayd (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
من شاب شيبة فى الإسلام كانت له نورا يوم القيامة ، فقال له رجل عند ذلك: فإن رجالا ينتفون الشيب ، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من شاء فلينتف نوره
“Whoever grows old in Islam, his old age will be light for him on the Day of Judgment. A man then said, ‘But some people pluck white hair.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: Whoever wishes, let him pluck away his light.”
[Ḥasan: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb: 2092; Kitāb al-Libās wa al-Zīnah: Bāb al-Targhīb fī Ibqāʾ al-Shayb wa Karāhah Natfihi; Bazzār in Kashf al-Astār: 2973; Ṭabarānī in al-Kabīr and al-Awsaṭ]
❸ ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
من شاب شيبة فى سبيل الله كانت له نورا يوم القيامة
“Whoever grows old in the path of Allah, his old age will be light for him on the Day of Judgment.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ: al-Ṣaḥīḥah: 1244; Ibn Ḥibbān in his Ṣaḥīḥ: 2972]
❹ Abū Hurayrah (RA) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
لا تنتفوا الشيب فإنه نور يوم القيامة ، من شاب شيبة فى الإسلام كتب الله له بها حسنه ، وحط عنه بها خطيئة ورفع له بها درجة
“Do not pluck out white hair, for it will be light on the Day of Judgment. Whoever grows old in Islam, Allah will record for him a good deed due to it, erase a sin, and elevate his rank.”
[Ḥasan Ṣaḥīḥ: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb: 2096; Kitāb al-Libās wa al-Zīnah: Bāb al-Targhīb fī Ibqāʾ al-Shayb wa Karāhah Natfihi; Ibn Ḥibbān in his Ṣaḥīḥ: 2974]
❺ Anas ibn Mālik (RA) narrated:
كان يكره أن ينتف الرجل الشعرة البيضاء من رأسه ولحيته
“He disliked that a man should pluck a white hair from his head or beard.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2341; Kitāb al-Faḍāʾil: Bāb al-Shaybah]
These narrations clearly show that plucking white hair — especially from the beard and head — is prohibited and disliked, as such hair is considered a light, blessing, and honor for a Muslim on the Day of Judgment.
