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1,001 Sayings and Deeds of the Prophet

Wigs, Tattoos, Beards and Mustaches

What can you say about a religion that forbids a woman from removing facial hair because she is disfiguring God’s creation, but encourages her to shave her pubic hair so as to give her pubic area that prepubescent look, thereby making herself more attractive to her husband?

Narrated Abdullah:

Allah has cursed those women who practice tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those who remove their face hairs, and those who create a space between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, and such women as change the features created by Allah.

Why then should I not curse those whom the Prophet has cursed? And that is in Allah's Book. i.e. His Saying: 'And what the Apostle gives you take it and what he forbids you abstain (from it).' (59:7)

Bukhari 72.815

Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah:

While we were returning from a Ghazwa (Holy Battle) with the Prophet, I started driving my camel fast, as it was a lazy camel.

A rider came behind me and pricked my camel with a spear he had with him, and then my camel started running as fast as the best camel you may see. Behold! The rider was the Prophet himself.

He said, "What makes you in such a hurry?"

I replied, "I am newly married."

He said, "Did you marry a virgin or a matron?"

I replied, "A matron."

He said, "Why didn't you marry a young girl so that you may play with her and she with you?"

When we were about to enter (Medina), the Prophet said, "Wait so that you may enter (Medina) at night so that the lady of unkempt hair may comb her hair and the one whose husband has been absent may shave her pubic region."

Bukhari 62.16

Muhammad’s decision to part his hair the way the pagans did may have something to do with his falling out with the Jews of Medina after they refused to accept him as a legitimate prophet of God , that honour having being reserved for the Chosen People.

Narrated Abdullah bin Abbas:

The Prophet used to keep his hair falling loose while the pagans used to part their hair, and the People of the Scriptures used to keep their hair falling loose, and the Prophet liked to follow the People of the Scriptures in matters about which he had not been instructed differently, but later on the Prophet started parting his hair.

Bukhari 58.280

Why Muslims feel welcome to dye their hair.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "Jews and Christians do not dye their hair so you should do the opposite of what they do.

Bukhari 72.786

Islam is very much a synthesis of Jewish beliefs and pagan rituals with a few exceptions, one having to do with beards and moustaches.

Narrated Nafi:

Ibn Umar said, The Prophet said, "Do the opposite of what the pagans do. Keep the beards (as it is) and cut the moustaches short."

Bukhari 72.780

Muhammad’s newfound disagreement with the Jews may also have been the reason why he banned wigs and hair extensions for women.

Narrated Sa'id bin Al-Musaiyab:

Mu'awiya came to Medina for the last time and delivered a sermon. He took out a tuft of hair and said, "I thought that none used to do this (i.e. use false hair) except Jews. The Prophet labelled such practice, (i.e. the use of false hair), as cheating.”

Bukhari 72.821

Muhammad cursed a woman who would improve her appearance after a sickness caused her hair to fall out.

Narrated Asma (the daughter of Abu Bakr):

A woman came to Allah's Apostle and said, "I married my daughter to someone, but she became sick and all her hair fell out, and (because of that) her husband does not like her. May I let her use false hair?"

On that the Prophet cursed such a lady as artificially lengthening (her or someone else's) hair or got her hair lengthened artificially.

Bukhari 72.818

In another account of this poor woman’s plea that her daughter be allowed to wear a wig to save her marriage, it is Allah who will curse her if she does.

Narrated Aisha:

An Ansari woman gave her daughter in marriage and the hair of the latter started falling out. The Ansari women came to the Prophet and mentioned that to him and said, "Her (my daughter's) husband suggested that I should let her wear false hair."

The Prophet said, "No, (don't do that) for Allah sends His curses upon such ladies who lengthen their hair artificially."

Bukhari 62.133

Allah will also curse the one who assists in lengthening someone else's hair. Don’t do it; it’s not worth it!

Narrated Aisha:

An Ansari girl was married and she became sick and all her hair fell out intending to provide her with false hair. They asked the Prophet who said, "Allah has cursed the lady who artificially lengthens (her or someone else's) hair and also the one who gets her hair lengthened."

Bukhari 72.817

Muhammad, on more than one occasion, banned both wigs and tattoos in the same breath.

Narrated Ibn Umar:

Allah's Apostle said, "Allah has cursed such a lady as lengthens (her or someone else's) hair artificially or gets it lengthened, and also a lady who tattoos (herself or someone else) or gets herself tattooed."

Bukhari 72.820

Men, like women, are expected to shave their pubic hair. It’s all part of the five physical manifestations of Fitra, i.e., what it is to be a Muslim.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

I heard the Prophet saying. "Five practices are characteristics of the Fitra: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, cutting the moustaches short, clipping the nails, and depilating the hair of the armpits."

Bukhari 72.779