The Sunnah of Growing Hair in Islam: Practices and Significance

Are you searching for a description of the sunnah of growing hair in Islam? If your answer is "Of course," congratulations! You are currently reading the best short post on this topic. Why? Because that is what I will discuss in this article. As Muslims, it is important for us to understand this, which is why I wrote this short post. So, you must read it in its entirety!

Specifically, there are three essential aspects of the sunnah of growing hair in Islam that I will discuss in this post. The three key points I will cover are as follows:

Is It a Sin to Have Bald Hair?

The first essential point regarding the sunnah of growing hair in Islam that I will discuss now is, "Is it a sin to have bald hair?" I want you to understand this before delving into more explanations, as it is one of the fundamental questions in this discussion that must be well comprehended.

Bald hair refers to a condition where all or part of the hair on the head falls out. There are various reasons that cause hair loss, but I will not discuss those in this post since they are not related to the main topic of our conversation.

Read Also: Is It Sunnah to Shower with Your Spouse in Islam?

Before I provide an answer to the question (Is it a sin to have bald hair?), I will discuss several common reasons why someone might sin. There are two points we should understand first:

There's no specific ruling in Islamic jurisprudence regarding baldness: is it sinful or not? (That is what I understand).

I want you to know the specific answer to the question we are discussing now because there's no clear ruling in Islamic jurisprudence about it.

If we read some Islamic legal literature, we will find a description that we commit a sin when we do things that are prohibited in Islam. For instance, adultery is something that is strictly forbidden in Islam. If we commit zina (adultery), we will be sinful. Adultery is not a common act committed by people; it is not like eating, drinking, or sleeping, which are normal activities.

In the previous paragraphs, I mentioned that baldness is a condition when the hair on the head falls out partially or completely. It is similar to being sick, poor, or wealthy—conditions that can happen to anyone.

Regarding the question we are discussing now (Is it a sin to have bald hair?), if we consider the several paragraphs above, we can conclude that having bald hair is not a sin. Therefore, we are not sinful whether our hair is bald or not.

That is a brief explanation of "Is it a sin to have bald hair?" As Muslims, we must understand this.

Is It Sunnah to Have Hair?

The second essential point regarding the sunnah of growing hair in Islam that I will discuss now is, "Is it sunnah to have hair?" I want you to understand this question clearly, as it is one of the essential inquiries that must be well comprehended if you want to grasp the main subject of this conversation.

In general, sunnah refers to matters associated with the Prophet Muhammad. We can find this definition of sunnah in the explanation below:

كُلُّ مَا نُقِلَ عَنْ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ - صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مِنْ أَقْوَالٍ وَأَفْعَالٍ وَتَقْرِيْرٍ، وَصِفَاتٍ خَلْقِيَّةٍ وَخُلُقِيَّةٍ، سَوَاءً أَكَانَ ذَلِكَ قَبْلَ الْبِعْثَةِ أَمْ بَعْدَهَا

Everything that is reported from the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, including sayings, actions, approvals, attributes, and characteristics, whether before he was sent out as a Prophet and Messenger or afterward.

You can find a description of the sunnah in the hadith below:

مَنْ سَنَّ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً فَلَهُ أَجْرُهَا وَأَجْرُ مَنْ عَمَلَ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْءٌ وَمَنْ سَنَّ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ سُنَّةً سَيِّئَةً كَانَ عَلَيْهِ وِزْرُهَا وَوِزْرُ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أَوْزَارِهِمْ شَيْءٌ

Whoever establishes a good practice in Islam will earn its reward and the reward of those who follow it, without decreasing their reward in the slightest. Conversely, whoever establishes a bad practice will incur its sin and the sin of those who follow him, without decreasing their sins in the slightest.

As a typical human, Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had hair, and he had long hair. We can find this description in the hadith below:

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِى شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيْدُ بْنُ هَارُوْنَ أنْبَأَنَا جَزِيْرُ بْنُ حَازِمٍ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ كَانَ شَعْرُ رَسُوْلِ اللّهِ صَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ شَعْرًا رَجِلاً بَيْنَ أُذُنَيْهِ وَمَنْكِبَيْهِ. رَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَاجَهْ

Ibn Majah narrated from Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah, from Yazid bin Harun, from Jazir bin Hazim, from Qatadah, from Anas, who said, "The hair of the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) was straight and curly, falling between his ears and shoulders." This hadith was narrated by Ibn Majah.

Now, if you ask me, "Is it sunnah to have hair?" the answer is, "Having hair is sunnah because Prophet Muhammad had hair, but it is not a form of worship in Islam."

That's a brief description of "Is it sunnah to have hair?" As Muslims, we must understand this.

Sunnah of Growing Hair in Islam

The third essential point regarding the sunnah of growing hair in Islam that I will discuss now is a detailed description. I truly hope that you all read the explanation below very carefully.

In the previous paragraphs, I mentioned that having hair is a sunnah because the Prophet Muhammad had hair, but it is not a form of worship in Islam. So, if you ask me about the sunnah of growing hair in Islam, the answer is, "Growing hair is sunnah because the Prophet Muhammad had hair, but it's not a form of worship in Islam."

That is a brief description of the sunnah of growing hair in Islam and some essential aspects of it. Do you understand? If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

I believe that is sufficient for this short post. I hope it is beneficial. Ameen.

See you once again in the next short post!