Is it permissible for women to cut or trim their hair?

Q: Is it permissible for a Muslim girl to have a haircut when she wears hijab and niqaab? What are the rulings about this? I have heard a Hadith that Hazrat Aaisha (Radiyallahu Anha) used to cut her hair till it reaches her ear lobes. Is it authentic?

A: It is not permissible in Shari'ah for a woman to cut or trim her hair. Hazrat Aisha (Radiyallahu Anha) herself explains the reason for her hair not being very long. She says I had fallen ill and I suffered from hair loss until my hair became very short. The details of this Hadith appears in Bukhari Shareef.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

وفيه قطعت شعر رأسها أثمت ولعنت  زاد في البزازية وإن بإذن الزوج لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق ولذا يحرم على الرجل قطع لحيته والمعنى المؤثر التشبه بالرجال اه (الدر المختار 6/407)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)