Plucking hair or feathers (nataf)

النَّتْف

Natf, in the lexicon, is to pluck hair, wool or feathers. It differs from shaving with a blade (halq), from shaving the pubic area (istihdad), and from removing hair with thread (hafh), though each removes hair. A pilgrim in the state of ihram may not pluck hair from any part of the body before he leaves it, and must pay a ransom (fidya) if he does; the ban is drawn by analogy from the verse on shaving the head. Plucking the feathers of game in the sacred enclosure makes one liable for their value, and the rules cover the owing of the game, its death and the liability for the plucker's own act. Scholars differ on plucking a woman's facial hair, with some counting it as the forbidden removal of hair (namas), and others disagreeing. Plucking the hair of the armpit is among the practices of natural disposition (fitra), from the hadith of Abu Hurayra (may God be pleased with him). ^{1 2 3 4 5}