*Important Question*
Is It Haraam to Trim Hair / Clip Nails in 10 of Dhulhijjah? What if in Tough Intolerant Workplace in Non-Muslim Nation?
Question:
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Just wanted to check with you: how strict is prohibition on removing hair & clipping nails if intending to offer Qurban?
That is, is it simply discouraged, or is it something to be strictly avoided?
Grateful for your advice.
Views of Great Scholars
View One:
It is Haraam to Trim Hair/Clip Nails in 10 of DhulHijjah.
– Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal, some Shafiees, other Scholars & 1of3 views of Imam Malik
View Two:
It is Makruh to Trim/Clip.
– Imam Shafiee, other Scholars & 1of3 views of Imam Malik.
View Three:
It is Recommended to Not Trim/Clip
– Imam Abu Hanifah, other Scholars & 1of3 Views of Imam Malik
Basis of View 1 is Clear Specific Authentic Hadith Prohibiting Trim/Clip:
مَّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ (ﷺ) تَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ (ﷺ) “مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ ذِبْحٌ يَذْبَحُهُ فَإِذَا أُهِلَّ هِلاَلُ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ فَلاَ يَأْخُذَنَّ مِنْ شَعْرِهِ وَلاَ مِنْ أَظْفَارِهِ شَيْئًا حَتَّى يُضَحِّيَ” .
حَدَّثَنِي الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ اللَّيْثِيُّ، قَالَ كُنَّا فِي الْحَمَّامِ قُبَيْلَ الأَضْحَى فَاطَّلَى فِيهِ نَاسٌ فَقَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْحَمَّامِ إِنَّ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيَّبِ يَكْرَهُ هَذَا أَوْ يَنْهَى عَنْهُ فَلَقِيتُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيَّبِ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي هَذَا حَدِيثٌ قَدْ نُسِيَ وَتُرِكَ حَدَّثَتْنِي أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمَعْنَى حَدِيثِ مُعَاذٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو
Umm Salama, the wife of Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ), reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying:
He who has a sacrificial animal with him whom (he intends) to offer as sacrifice, and he enters the month of Dhu’I-Hijjah, he should not cut his hair nor nails trimmed until he has sacrificed the animal.Amr b. Muslim al-Laithi reported:
While we were in a bathroom just before Eid ul-Adha some people tried to remove the hair with the help of hair-removing lotion. Thereupon some of the people in the bath therein said that Sa’id b. Musayyab did not approve of it, or he prohibited it. Then I met Sa’id b. Musayyib and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he said: O my nephew, this is the hadith which has been forgotten, and abandoned! Umm Salama, the wife of Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ), narrated to me Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) having said (as narrated above)https://sunnah.com/muslim:1977g
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1977h
Basis of Views 2&3 is Related Hadith:
عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَائِشَةَ وَهْىَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْحِجَابِ تُصَفِّقُ وَتَقُولُ كُنْتُ أَفْتِلُ قَلاَئِدَ هَدْىِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدَىَّ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُ بِهَا وَمَا يُمْسِكُ عَنْ شَىْءٍ مِمَّا يُمْسِكُ عَنْهُ الْمُحْرِمُ حَتَّى يُنْحَرَ هَدْيُهُ.
Masruq:
I heard ‘A’isha clapping her hands behind the curtain and saying: I used to weave garlands for sacrificial animals of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) with my own hands, and then he (the Prophet) sent them (to Mecca), and he did not avoid doing anything which a Muhrim avoids until his animal was sacrificed.
Scholars Agreed That:
– No expiation for trim/clip.
– If Haraam/Makruh, seek forgiveness from Allah
My Advice for Australia Etc In Tough Situations
- ALL 3 views have very strong basis from Quran & authentic Hadith
- View One is stronger & safest as the Hadith is clear, specific & authentic, saying do not trim. View 2 is next strongest. Allah knows best.
- BUT if you are in intolerant anti-Muslim workplace in Muslim minority country with hard to bear hurt/difficulty imminent, then for comparable difficulty in stronger case of Hajj/Umrah, Allah allowed to shave hair as in verse: https://quran.com/2/196
Thus it is allowed in First 10 of DhulHijjah without sinning to trim & clip atleast in similar hurt/hardship, like in above verse
Allah knows best