Why Islam Forbids Plucking Gray Hair
The Islamic Ruling on Dyeing Gray Hair and the Principle of Differentiation from Other Religions
Summary
This lecture discusses the Islamic ruling on gray and white hair, specifically prohibiting plucking them while encouraging dyeing with colors other than black. Sh. Ali Mashhour explains that white hair grown in Islam serves as a light on the Day of Judgment, similar to the stripes of honor on a warrior. The lecture cites hadith from Abu Dawud and other sources, detailing permissible dyes like henna and katam that were used in the Prophet's time. Sh. Ali Mashhour emphasizes a broader Islamic principle of differentiating Muslims from other religious groups in practices and appearance, providing examples such as fasting practices, hairstyles, and prayer conduct to illustrate this concept.
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
Very good. Continuing in the book of of purification. The next sub chapter we are to speak about is titled do not shape. So, we're going to be speaking about the prohibition of plucking white or gray hair. And furthermore, the encouragement of the prophet sallall.aii am to instead of plucking the gray hair rather to use dye or use to change the color.
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His father who narrated from his grandfather that the messenger of Allah wasallam said do not do not pluck your gray hairs. There is no Muslim that will grow a gray or white hair in Islam except that that white hair will act as a source of light on the day of judgment. Why? Well, because this is very similar to the stripes that a veteran has. And a person is Muslim and they endure and they hold on to Islam and they remain steadfast on the path of Allah until they start to grow old because traditionally gray hair, white hair is is a you know is a hallmark of of age, right? then this is a testament to this person's to this person's steadfastness on Islam. And so it becomes a source of light for them on the day of judgment. So if we're not to pluck these gray hairs, then what are we to do? The author says, for.
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So in the time of the prophet sallall.aii wasallam they had different ways of dying or changing the hair color. They had what is called that which is is well known. We call it in English ha and al ketam. Al ketam is actually a type of plant that when mixed with a type of tree known as elesma. They used to mix these two together and it would form a dye. And this dye is a little bit deeper and darker than a hat. And it is likewise very it will leave a kind of stain on the skin similar to alah right. It will wash off after enough time but it was used in his time saiam on hair and it was used also on hands and you know women would use it as well for beautifification. The author then says and anything of the sort. So is it a condition that a person use specifically or that a person use specifically ketam? No, not necessarily. However, the only thing that is prohibited is black. Black dye. Dying the hair black is not just disliked. It is it is haram in the correct opinion.
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In the fourth Abu D narrates that the messenger of Allah wasallam said and encouraged and advised that the best thing that you would change your white hairs with or dye your white hairs with is which we described. for.
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A shape. Well,.
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He says and the the question then arises is that how do we harmonize between the narration that we heard just a few minutes ago and this narration. If white hair will that a person grows or develops in Islam will act as a source of light on the day of judgment. Then why would the prophet sallall.aii alaihi wasallam advised that it be changed that it be dyed that it be colored and the answer to this is in a narration in Bkari Muslim on the authority of in which the prophet sallallahu alaii wasallam says that the Jews and the Christians do not dye their hair and dye their white hair or their gray hair. So so you know meaning so you know contradict them right contradict them. Now what does this mean? The Jews and the Christians. This these are huge communities. Does this mean that not a single Jew everywhere anywhere in any time or a single Christian anywhere or any time will you know use dye in in his or her hair? No, that's not what's intended. What's intended is they do not do it out of religiosity. They do not religiously dye their white hairs. So the prophet sallallah.aii wasallam tells us to differentiate ourselves from the Jews and the Christians in our religious practices. And this is very important. This is a general this is a general principle in Islam and that is that the legislation of Islam goes out of its way to differentiate the Muslim in generally and specific acts of worship from the Jews or the Christians or any other religious group for that matter. It is a part of Islam and its practice that a person deliberately differentiate himself from all other groups. Now why is that? This is such a principle that Islam he wrote an entire book explaining this principle and he named the book. He said part of the straight path of Allah is differentiating oneself from the people of hell. To the point that the prophet sallall.aii alaihi wasallam chose to modify the days that we fast to modify the way that we fast to modify the way that we speak to modify the way that we walk to modify the clothes that we wear. For instance, the fasting of the day of Ashua Ashua, right? the the 10th day of Muhaw. This is a practice that is done by Jews for instance in Judaism. So this is a good thing. This is correct. Not everything they do is wrong, right? There's some correct things that they do. And so we don't just do things that are correct. If it is correct, we don't throw it out. But Islam modifies it. So how is it modified? We fast ash but we fast another day with it. So we fast two days. Why? To differentiate ourselves from the Jews. Not only that but the fasting itself is modified because the prophet sallall.aii alaihi wasallam tells us that the Jews fast on into on in past sunset. They p they fast past sunset until the stars you know become obvious and numerous in the sky, right? Not just the bright ones are visible. So the night sky and the stars are very visible. So what are we to do when we fast? As soon as the disc of the sun is no longer visible behind the horizon, we break our fast, right? and so forth. And we could we could take many examples of this even to the point that when the prophet sallall.aii wasallam came to Medina he used to keep his hair to the right or comb it to the side. But it wasn't short this where you'd comb it to the side. He would split it at the side here. comb it over and then there would be braids and it would remain in braids and he wouldn't have his head exposed after that. He'd always have something on his head. So the only thing you would see is the braids, three and sometimes he would have four braids and that was the way that you know men kept their hair. Men men men always had long hair. was viewed as being you know a a symbol of masculinity and strength etc. And so when he came to Medina and he saw that the Jews of Medina also kept their hair that, what did he start doing? Part it right down the middle. He would part it right down the middle and then braid it. Why? Well, his head is covered all the time in public. No one would know the difference, right? He knows the difference inside. He does not want to be observed by Allah even superficially appearing like those of disbelief, those of other religions, right? And sometimes this principle is confused. People think well, you know, it's only haram to imitate non-Muslims if you intend to imitate them. But if you do something without the intention of imitating them, then you know it's okay. What do you guys think about that? Do do you need an intention for something this? So one time the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam was making salah. He was leading the companions in salah and an issue arose where he needed to pray the remainder of the prayer sitting down. He needed to lead the sitting down. So he sat and the companions We're praying behind him. So what's the image now? What's the picture? We have the imam, our prophet sallall.aii wasallam sitting leading salah and we have his followers in salah are all what? Standing behind him. And so he gestured to them to sit down. He has the he needs to sit. He's the one who is unable to stand. They can stand, but they sit. And so after the salah, he turned to them and said,.
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He said, "You all almost did what the Romans and Persians do for their leaders, meaning be standing while their leaders are sitting." If the imam prays prayed together. Now did the companions who had spent the better half of 5 years closer to 10 years and even indirectly and by proxy 20 years fighting against the Romans and the Persians their sworn enemies. Did they intend to imitate the Romans and the Persians? No, they didn't have that intention. They had the intention of what? I'm able to stand, so I pray standing. He's unable to stand. So, he prays sitting. However, the prophet sallallah.aii wasallam still jin as being what? As being imitation of the Romans and Persians. Do we understand the the the ruling here to back up an action that is categorically wrong? If the c if the action the intention is the ruling will be and so for.
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The Muslim. Abu Kava. Who is Abu Kava? Abu Bakr Sudik's father. Abu Kohava. All right. He accepted Islam on the day of the conquest of Mecca. he was a very old man when the conquest of Mecca took place. And Abu Bakr went and found his father and brought him to the prophet sallall.aii wasallam. And in some narrations it was that he was blind by this age. And he said this is my father. He wants to accept. I accept to make you and he's referred to as Abu Bakr and sometimes they call him and he had when he was brought to the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam his hair was so white it was described as a billowing cloud of whiteness and so the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said after he He had accepted Islam. He said, "Change this white hair for him and stay steer clear of using black. Change this white hair and steer clear of using what?" Black for the dye. And finally,.
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This pocket here underneath the bird. You know, birds chipmunks and squirrels and stuff, they to keep their food stored up in their cheeks. Probably the cutest thing you could ever see in your life. But, , chickens, lots of types of birds, they don't have cheeks, they have beaks, right? So, they keep the extra food that they can't digest now in this pocket here. This sack that is right behind their jaw, right? Or their beak and it it blows up when they fill it up, right? So this is referred to in plural as so the prophet sallall.aii Wasam tells us in that there will be a people that will dye their hair at the end of time with black and they will appear like the sacks of a bird. and he specifically mentions that Ham Ham is pigeons. So they will dye their hair. They will dye their beards and specifically they will shave off all of the sides of the beard and leave the goatee, what we call the goatee, and then they will dye it black. this description he tells us he says those individuals will not smell the scent of paradise now will they not smell the scent of paradise because they dyed their hair black is that what's to be understood from the narration what is to be understood right so he's speaking of a type of people. This is their hallmark. This is their signature. So, differentiate yourselves from them. These are the people of hell. Not necessarily because they dyed their hair black. That's not what warranted them hellfire, but this is their hallmark. This is their signature. This is their iconic look. So, differentiate yourselves from them. Notice how he didn't say, "Don't use black." This is not kindergarten. He didn't have to spell it out. A Muslim naturally understands. Those are the people Allah hates. I do not want to even appear them. This is a known principle that the prophet sallall.aii wasallam had taught the companions. We will end with this inshallah.
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Muhammad. We also have our brother back. He's been gone. I don't know. Have you guys noticed that he's been gone? He told me before he left, he's going to India. actually was having u some very.