❀ Ruling on Shaving the Head and Explanation of the Hadith Regarding Resemblance to the Khawārij ❀
Taken from: “Ahkam wa Masail – In Light of Qur’an and Hadith”, Volume 01, Page 524
Is shaving the head prohibited?
Some say it resembles the Khawārij, citing the Hadith:
قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اﷲِ ﷺ: سِیْمَاہُمْ (أي الخوارج) اَلتَّحْلِیْقُ
(Bukhārī)
“Their sign (i.e., of the Khawārij) is shaving the head.”
Please explain this Hadith in light of the Sharī‘ah.
Alḥamdulillāh, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
There is no prohibition in the Sharī‘ah against shaving the head. In fact, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ explicitly said:
اِحْلِقُوْہُ كُلَّهُ أَوِ اتْرُكُوْہُ كُلَّهُ
(Abū Dāwūd, Book of Grooming, Chapter on a Boy with a Braid)
“Either shave all of it or leave all of it.”
In Surah al-Fatḥ (48:27), Allah ﷻ says:
{لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ إِنْ شَآءَ اﷲُ آمِنِیْنَ مُحَلِّقِیْنَ رُءُوْسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِیْنَ لَا تَخَافُوْنَ}
“Indeed, you shall enter al-Masjid al-Haram, if Allah wills, in safety—shaving your heads and trimming [your hair], without fear.”
At the time of exiting Ihram, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ shaved his head. He also made the following du‘ā:
اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمِ الْمُحَلِّقِينَ
(Bukhārī – Book of Hajj, Chapter on Shaving and Trimming at the Time of Release)
“O Allah! Have mercy on those who shave their heads.”
When the Companions asked: “And those who trim their hair?”
He repeated: “And those who shave.”
And only later included: “And those who trim.”
This indicates that shaving is more virtuous than trimming at the time of leaving Ihram.
Outside the state of Ihram, the Sunnah and preferred practice is to keep hair in accordance with the length mentioned in narrations:
✔ Wafrah – hair reaching the earlobes
✔ Jummah – hair reaching the shoulders
✔ Limmah – hair between the earlobes and shoulders
These were the conditions of the Prophet’s ﷺ hair as described in authentic Hadiths. Therefore, the best practice is:
– To shave the head at the time of exiting Ihram
– To maintain hair naturally as per Sunnah at all other times
The Hadith:
سِیْمَاهُمْ التَّحْلِیقُ (“Their sign is shaving the head”)
is referring specifically to the Khawārij, not to general shaving.
The meaning is: Shaving the head was a sign among the Khawārij,
not that everyone who shaves their head is necessarily a Khārijī.
Just as certain groups adopt particular outward features, it doesn't make those features inherently sinful—unless adopted with the intent of resembling the deviant group.
✔ Shaving the head is permissible in Islam
✔ It is preferred (afḍal) during rituals like exiting from Ihram
✔ Outside of Ihram, maintaining natural Sunnah hair length is encouraged
✔ The Hadith about the Khawārij is descriptive, not prohibitive
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
❖ Question
Is shaving the head prohibited?
Some say it resembles the Khawārij, citing the Hadith:
قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اﷲِ ﷺ: سِیْمَاہُمْ (أي الخوارج) اَلتَّحْلِیْقُ
(Bukhārī)
“Their sign (i.e., of the Khawārij) is shaving the head.”
Please explain this Hadith in light of the Sharī‘ah.
❖ Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Shaving the Head Is Permissible in Sharī‘ah
There is no prohibition in the Sharī‘ah against shaving the head. In fact, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ explicitly said:
اِحْلِقُوْہُ كُلَّهُ أَوِ اتْرُكُوْہُ كُلَّهُ
(Abū Dāwūd, Book of Grooming, Chapter on a Boy with a Braid)
“Either shave all of it or leave all of it.”
Qur’anic Evidence
In Surah al-Fatḥ (48:27), Allah ﷻ says:
{لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ إِنْ شَآءَ اﷲُ آمِنِیْنَ مُحَلِّقِیْنَ رُءُوْسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِیْنَ لَا تَخَافُوْنَ}
“Indeed, you shall enter al-Masjid al-Haram, if Allah wills, in safety—shaving your heads and trimming [your hair], without fear.”
✿ Practice of the Prophet ﷺ
At the time of exiting Ihram, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ shaved his head. He also made the following du‘ā:
اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمِ الْمُحَلِّقِينَ
(Bukhārī – Book of Hajj, Chapter on Shaving and Trimming at the Time of Release)
“O Allah! Have mercy on those who shave their heads.”
When the Companions asked: “And those who trim their hair?”
He repeated: “And those who shave.”
And only later included: “And those who trim.”
This indicates that shaving is more virtuous than trimming at the time of leaving Ihram.
❖ Sunnah Practice for Hair (Outside of Ihram)
Outside the state of Ihram, the Sunnah and preferred practice is to keep hair in accordance with the length mentioned in narrations:
✔ Wafrah – hair reaching the earlobes
✔ Jummah – hair reaching the shoulders
✔ Limmah – hair between the earlobes and shoulders
These were the conditions of the Prophet’s ﷺ hair as described in authentic Hadiths. Therefore, the best practice is:
– To shave the head at the time of exiting Ihram
– To maintain hair naturally as per Sunnah at all other times
❖ Clarifying the Hadith:
The Hadith:
سِیْمَاهُمْ التَّحْلِیقُ (“Their sign is shaving the head”)
is referring specifically to the Khawārij, not to general shaving.
The meaning is: Shaving the head was a sign among the Khawārij,not that everyone who shaves their head is necessarily a Khārijī.
Just as certain groups adopt particular outward features, it doesn't make those features inherently sinful—unless adopted with the intent of resembling the deviant group.
Summary:
✔ Shaving the head is permissible in Islam
✔ It is preferred (afḍal) during rituals like exiting from Ihram
✔ Outside of Ihram, maintaining natural Sunnah hair length is encouraged
✔ The Hadith about the Khawārij is descriptive, not prohibitive
هَذَا مَا عِنْدِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I have, and Allah knows best what is correct.
