Dyeing Hair Black

Q: My hair turned whlte prematurely. Can a male dye his hair black? Can black henna be used?

A: It is not permissible to use black dye of any kind, whether henna or other. (Raddul Muhtaar V27 P89). However, red henna is allowed. Other colours that are in fashion among the west such as purple, red, brown, etc are not allowed because these are trends of the west which we Muslims are not allowed to adopt.

Don’t be grieved if your hair is grey at a young age. This is a hallmark of respect and dignity that Allah grants His servants. It comes in the Hadeeth that for every grey hair a person has in this world, so much Noor there will be for him or her in the grave and on the Day of Judgement.

Mufti Siraj Desai

Cornrows Hairstyle

Q: Is it permissable for a male to have cornrows?

A. Cornrows is a style which originates from non Muslims, thus it should be avoided. The Hadeeth forbids us from emulating the styles and fashions of other nations.

Allah Ta'aala knows best.

Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Man Waxing Chest

Q: Can a men who is muslim wax his chest hair? Is it haram?

A: It is permissible to remove the hair from the chest; there is no sin in this. However, it is advisable not to do so. It was not the Sunnah of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) to shave the chest. (Raddul Muhtaar V27 P34, Al Hindiyyah V5 P358) And Allah Ta'aala knows best.

Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Men Shaving Hair on the Legs

Q: Is trimming or shaving of hair on the legs allowed for Muslim men?

A: It is permissible to remove the hair from the chest, etc. there is no sin in this. However, it is advisable not to do so. It was not the sunnah of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) to shave the chest.

And Allah knows best. (Al-Fatawwal Hindiyyah)

Prepared by: Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Men Wearing Stainless Steel Rings

Q: Are men allowed to wear stainless steel rings?

A: Men are allowed to wear rings made of silver only. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi wasallam) wore a ring that he used as a seal on correspondence, etc. The Khulafaae Raashideen (Radhiyallaahu Anhum) also wore rings for a similar purpose. This need does not apply today. We do not use rings for this purpose (i.e. applying seals or emblems to correspondence, etc) anymore. Although permissible, some jurists are of the opinion that if a ring is not worn for this purpose, then it should not be worn at all. Stainless steel rings will not be permissible to wear.

Moulana Yusuf Laher

Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Male Tying a Ponytail

Q: Can a male tie his hair in a ponytail if it's shoulder length and it keeps going over his face?

A: This is not permissible because it resembles the hair of a female, and the hadith prohibits a male from imitating a female as mentioned in Saheehul-Bukhari. If the hair is long, apply oil and comb it regularly to keep it in place, or comb all the hair back, which resembles the sunnah.

Answered by: Moulana Nazeem Moosagie; Checked and Approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Trimming Beard for Wife

Q: Is it permissable to trim the beard if wish to keep it tidy or your wife desires?

A: The minimum length of the beard is one fist-length on all sides. According to all jurists, it is not permissible to trim it shorter than a fist-length. Whatever is over a fist-length can be trimmed. (Raddul Muhtaar V7 P473)

Even if the wife desires one to trim the beard to less than a fist-length, it will not be permissible. Your first obligation is to Allah Ta'aala and His Rasool (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam), and thereafter to the creation, on condition that it is not contrary to any teaching of Islam.

A Hadeeth narrated by Sayyidina Imraan (Radhiyallaahu Anhu) says that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said: There is no obedience to the creation if (in it) there is disobedience to Allah. (Al Mu'jamul Kabeer V18 P177)

Prepared by: Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai

Men Shaving Chest Hair

Q: Is trimming or shaving of chest hair allowed for Muslim men?

A: It is permissible to remove the hair from the chest; there is no sin in this. However, it is advisable not to do so. It was not the sunnah of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) to shave the chest. (Al-Fatawwal Hindiyyah)

And Allah knows best.

Prepared by Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and Ratified by:
Mufti Siraj Desai, Darul-Uloom Abubakr, Malabar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Long Hair for Men

Q: Is keeping long hair for man prohibited in Islam?

A: Long hair for a man is allowed if it is kept according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi wasallam). According to the books of hadith, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had three lengths of hair. One length was till the middle of the ear, the second till the ears, and the third till just above the shoulders. Rasool (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) never tied his hair into a pony tail nor did he plait his hair. Hence, the long hair must not resemble the styles of the non-Muslim West for the Quran-e-Kareem and Hadith-e-Shareef have condemned the imitation of disbelievers. Furthermore, hair should not be so long that it resembles the hair of a woman, which normally falls down to the waist or middle of the back. Resemblance of a woman by man is prohibited in a hadith of Bukhari Shareef.

And Allah knows best

Prepared by Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and Ratified by:
Mufti Siraj Desai, Darul-Uloom Abubakr, Malabar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Man Waxing Chest and Back

Q: Can a man wax his chest and back?

A: Although it is permissible to remove the hair from the chest and back, it is not advisable. (Raddul Muhtaar, Vol 27 Pg 34; Al Fataawa al Hindiyyah, Vol 5 Pg 358)

Removal of Pubic Hair

Q: I am 14 years old. Is it necessary for me to shave my pubic region (front private part) hairs?

A: Once hair grews in the pubic area (around the front and back private parts) then it becomes necessary to shave. It is not permissible to leave the hair for 40 days without shaving. So yes. regardless of your age, when hair appears, it must be shaven. Also note that you need to shave hair around the anus as well (that is, the back private part).
Ref: Raddul-Muhtaar, Alhazr wal Ibaahah

Long or Short Kurta

Q: Is it a sunnat to wear the long (Arab style) kurta or the shorter kurta with a slit?

A: A kurta that comes down till the shins is sunnat. That was the length of the kurta of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). However, no specific style of kurta has been defined as sunnat by the Ulema. So whether it has a slit on the sides or not, it will fit the sunnah description provided the length is as mentioned above, i.e. till the shins. The long Arabian kurtas that fall till the ankles cannot be termed sunnah. And if the kurta flows below the ankles, then it is haraam, for the hadith prohibits dragging any garment below the ankles.

Hair Removal Cream and Pubic Hair

Q: Is it permissible to use hair removal creams for removal of pubic hair?

A: Using a cream for this purpose will obviate the use of a razor, which is the proper sunnah for males. Hence using of creams for males will be discouraged since it leads to neglect of the sunnah, unless one uses the razor along with the cream.

Removal of Pubic Hair

Q: Please advise me on a personal matter regarding boys who are about to reach their puberty years. What is the sunnah way of removing the pubic hair, for the first time and thereafter?

A: Pubic hair, whether for the first time or later, should be removed at least every 40 days, but preferably every Friday when one takes ghusl for Juma. It should not be left on the body for longer than forty days, for this is sinful. All hair from below the navel till underneath the anus should be removed. The sunnat in this regard is to use a razor. Hair around the anus should also be removed.

Men Wearing Rings

Q: Are men allowed to wear rings? If so, from which metal must the rings be made of?

A: The rings that Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and the Sahaba wore were used as a seal for letters. Today we have the rubber stamp which is placed on letters and documents to prove authenticity. In those days they used their rings. The inscription on the ring of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was “Muhammadur Rasoolullah”. The rings they wore for this purpose was from silver, and Allah’s Messenger prohibited all other metals in rings, such as gold, brass, copper, etc. In our times we do not use the rings for this purpose. The only reason why men wear rings today is for ornamentation and fancy display. So whether the rings are of silver, platinum, titanium, men of today will not be allowed to wear any type of rings.