Dyeing the hair (ikhtidab)

Khidab (dyeing the hair). In the lexicon it is the use of dye, what changes the colour of a thing, such as henna or katam; the technical sense does not depart from the lexical. ¹ Related terms: sibgh (dyeing), which in the Qur'an also names oil as a relish (al-Mu'minun 20); tatrif, dyeing the tips of the fingers with henna; and naqsh, decorating in lines. ^{1 2} The ruling varies with the colour and with the person, man or woman. ² Whether dyeing is better than leaving it. Al-Shawkani quotes Qadi Iyad that the early generations differed: some held leaving the grey is better, keeping the white, citing a hadith against changing the grey; others held dyeing better, on the words «change the grey and do not imitate the Jews», and «the Jews and Christians do not dye, so differ from them». The reason for dyeing is to differ from the People of the Book, which strengthens its recommendation; the Prophet ﷺ was keen to differ from them. ² A number of Companions and Successors dyed; most of them with yellow, such as Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayra (may God be pleased with him); some with henna and katam, some with saffron, and some with black, including Uthman ibn Affan (may God be pleased with him), al-Hasan, al-Husayn and Uqba ibn Amir. ² Al-Shawkani quotes al-Tabari that the hadiths on changing the grey, and on forbidding it, are all sound and not contradictory: the command to change is for one whose grey is like that of Abu Quhafa, and the prohibition for one with only a few grey hairs; the differences of the early generations follow their differing states; and the command and prohibition are not obligatory by consensus. ^{2 3} Did the Prophet dye? Hadiths in al-Bukhari point to his dyeing and others deny it. Among the first: Uthman ibn Abdullah ibn Mawhab says Umm Salama brought out some of the Prophet's hair and it was dyed; Ibn Umar dyed his beard yellow, saying he saw the Prophet dye with it. Among the second: Anas said the Prophet never dyed, since only a few grey hairs reached him; Abu Juhayfa said his lower lip hair was white. ³ Al-Shawkani says that even if his dyeing were not established, the sunna of dyeing would stand, since it is enjoined in sound hadiths. Al-Tabari reconciles: whoever affirms that he dyed reports what he saw, at some times; whoever denies it is taking the general and usual state. ³ By what dyeing is done: henna, henna with katam, waras and saffron, black and others. ³ First, dyeing with other than black. Henna and katam are recommended, on «change the grey, and the best you change it with is henna and katam»; this shows that dye is not confined to these two, since Anas reports that Abu Bakr dyed with henna and katam and Umar with pure henna. ^{3 4} Dyeing with waras and saffron shares the recommendation; a group of Companions dyed with them, and Abu Malik al-Ashja'i reports of his father: «our dye with the Messenger of God was waras and saffron». Al-Hakam ibn Amr al-Ghifari says he and his brother entered upon Umar, he dyed with henna and his brother with yellow; Umar said: «this is the dye of Islam, and this is the dye of faith». ⁴ Dyeing with black. The jurists differ. The Hanbalis, Malikis and Hanafis (other than Abu Yusuf) hold it disliked outside war; in war it is permitted by agreement, indeed encouraged, on the command concerning Abu Quhafa, who came on the day of the conquest with white hair: «take him to one of his wives so she may change it, and avoid black». ⁴ Ibn Hajar says some scholars allowed black dye for holy warriors, others allowed it generally, and others for men only, not women. ⁴ The evidence of those who permit it: «the best you dye with is this black; it makes your women desire you more, and makes you more fearful in the hearts of your enemies»; Umar commanded it, saying it is calm for the wife and dread for the enemy; a group of Companions dyed with it without objection, among them Uthman, Abdullah ibn Ja'far, al-Hasan and al-Husayn; Ibn Shihab said: «we dyed with black when our faces were young, and when the face and teeth grew old we left it». ^{4 5} The Hanafis, other than the majority of their school, allowed it generally, even outside war, which is the view of Abu Yusuf. ⁵ The Shafi'is forbid black dye except to holy warriors, on the hadith «there will be a people at the end of time who dye with black and will not smell the scent of paradise», which is weak in its chain, and on the command about Abu Quhafa, «avoid black»; for them the command is prohibition, equal for men and women. ⁵ Dyeing for women. The jurists agree that changing the grey with henna or the like is recommended for a woman as for a man. Married women and slaves are particularly recommended to dye their hands and feet with henna or the like at all times except in ihram, since dye is adornment, which a wife owes her husband and a slave owes her master; it must be all-over dyeing, not stripes or patterns. With her husband's or master's leave she may redden her cheek and dye her fingertips with henna with black. ⁵ A hadith in which a wife of the Prophet, who prayed toward both qiblas, reports that he said: «dye, for you leave dye until your hand is like a man's hand», is cited to show the recommendation for married women to dye their hands. ⁵ The unmarried and unowned woman: the Hanafis, Malikis and Shafi'is hold it disliked for her to dye her hands and feet, since there is no need and there is fear of temptation, and forbidden to redden her cheeks or dye her fingertips with henna and black. The Hanbalis allow a widow to dye, on the hadith of Jabir: «O women, dye, for a woman dyes for her husband, and a widow who dyes presents herself for provision», that is, to be asked in marriage. ⁶ Ablution and bathing of one who dyes: a substance on the limbs of ablution or bathing that stops water reaching the skin is a barrier; but the dyed person's ablution and bath are valid, since once the substance is washed off the dye is only colour, which does not stop water reaching the skin. ⁶ Dyeing for treatment is agreed to be lawful, on the report of Salma, the Prophet's freedwoman: when someone complained of his head he said «go and cup», and of his foot «go and dye it with henna». ^{6 7} Dyeing with what is impure: the Hanafis, Malikis, Shafi'is and Hanbalis hold that what is dyed with an impure substance is cleansed by washing it three times; if the dye is the impure thing itself, it is cleansed only when its substance, taste and smell are gone and the water runs clear; the mere colour is excused. ⁷ Tattooing: tattooing is pricking the skin with a needle until blood comes and then rubbing kohl or indigo so it turns green or blue; it is forbidden absolutely, on the hadith of the two Sahihs: «God curses the one who joins and is joined, the tattooer and the tattooed». The four schools hold that tattooing is like dyeing with impure matter, cleansed by washing three times, since its trace is hard to remove. ⁷ Dyeing white with black: it is disliked to dye black hair white with sulphur or the like, to show age and to be honoured among peers, which are corrupt aims; it is understood that a sound purpose makes it lawful. ⁷ Dyeing of a menstruating woman: most jurists hold it lawful, on the report of Aisha: «we were with the Prophet dyeing, and he did not forbid us»; and the wives of Ibn Umar dyed while in menses; Ibn Rushd says there is no problem with it, since the dye on the hands does not stop the bath from removing the state. ^{7 8} Dyeing of a widow in mourning: all agree that she may not dye during her waiting period, on the hadith of Umm Salama when Abu Salama died: «do not comb with perfume or henna, for it is dye; comb with lotus leaves». ⁸ Dyeing the head of a newborn: Malik, al-Shafi'i, Ahmad, al-Zuhri and Ibn al-Mundhir agree it is disliked to smear the head of a boy with the blood of the 'aqiqa, on the hadith «with the boy is an 'aqiqa, so spill blood for him and remove the harm from him»; and they agree that his head may be dyed with saffron or perfume, on the report of Aisha: «put scent in place of the blood». ⁸ Dyeing of men and hermaphrodites: a man is recommended to dye his head and beard to change the grey with henna or the like; he may dye the rest of his body except the hands and feet, which he may dye only for need, since this is imitation of women, which is forbidden in the view of most Shafi'is and some Hanbalis; the uncertain hermaphrodite is treated as a man. ^{8 9} Dyeing in ihram: the Hanbalis allow henna on any part of the body except the head; the Shafi'is allow a man henna on the whole body except hands and feet, and dislike it for a woman unless she is in mourning, when it is forbidden; the Hanafis and Malikis forbid henna on any part for one in ihram, since it is perfume, and the Prophet told Umm Salama: «do not use perfume while in ihram, nor henna, for it is perfume». ⁹