ASK A MUSLIMS SCHOLAR SEPTEMBER 2020

Is it permitted for a woman to cut her hair for beauty?

A woman can do so provided she avoids a hairstyle peculiar to men. The Prophet, peace be on him,
has cursed men who copy women and women who copy men. This applies to hairstyle and
appearance. So long as she avoids this, she is permitted to cut her hair. There is no prohibition in
the sources. We should remember that originally the rule is permission; prohibition is only an
exception.
However, we must add a word of caution. A Muslim woman is required to cover her head and not
expose it except to her husband or her mahram (a person whom she cannot marry).

 In most western countries, washrooms don't have the facility to 'wash' after relieving yourself. Is
the toilet napkin good enough to clean ourselves and make us ‘najas' free to perform prayers? Or
do we have to wash in order to be clean for the prayers?

Islam teaches us to use water for purification after relieving oneself whenever and wherever
possible. However, in cases where water is not available, or water becomes scarce, or unusable
because of sickness or other valid reasons, we are allowed to have recourse to pebbles, leaves,
paper or any clean substance, other than bones or animal excrement, for wiping oneself clean of
the najasah (filth) as much as possible. While cleaning ourselves in this way, we must ensure that
the entire surface is wiped clean without leaving any discernible trace of najasah.
Scholars of Islam have unanimously decided that, for purposes of purification after relieving
oneself, clean toilet paper is as good as pebbles or leaves when water is not readily available or
cannot be used. Once we have cleaned ourselves with toilet paper, we should have no reservation
or doubt in our minds about praying after duly making wudhu or tayammum (ablution with
sand/mud). To harbour doubt about this is to give in to the whisperings of Satan who’s goal is keep
us away from our salah. It is important for us to remember that the use of pebbles or clean toilet
paper in this manner is a dispensation or allowance (ruksah) that Allah has provided for us, and, as
the Prophet, peace be upon him, has taught us, “Allah loves His servants to make use of His
dispensations”. We must also remember Allah’s words in the Qur’an: “He has not placed any
hardship for you in your religion.” (Q. 22: 78) The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said: “This
religion of ours is easy and simple to practice; if you make it hard upon yourself, you will be
defeated by it.”
In short, clean toilet paper is quite sufficient to rid oneself of najasah for the purposes of salah and
recitation, once accompanied by wudhu or tayammum.Islam teaches us to use water for
purification after relieving oneself whenever and wherever possible. However, in cases where
water is not available, or water becomes scarce, or unusable because of sickness or other valid

reasons, we are allowed to have recourse to pebbles, leaves, paper or any clean substance, other
than bones or animal excrement, for wiping oneself clean of the najasah (filth) as much as possible.
While cleaning ourselves in this way, we must ensure that the entire surface is wiped clean
without leaving any discernible trace of najasah.
Scholars of Islam have unanimously decided that, for purposes of purification after relieving
oneself, clean toilet paper is as good as pebbles or leaves when water is not readily available or
cannot be used. Once we have cleaned ourselves with toilet paper, we should have no reservation
or doubt in our minds about praying after duly making wudhu or tayammum (ablution with
sand/mud). To harbour doubt about this is to give in to the whisperings of Satan who’s goal is keep
us away from our salah. It is important for us to remember that the use of pebbles or clean toilet
paper in this manner is a dispensation or allowance (ruksah) that Allah has provided for us, and, as
the Prophet, peace be upon him, has taught us, “Allah loves His servants to make use of His
dispensations”. We must also remember Allah’s words in the Qur’an: “He has not placed any
hardship for you in your religion.” (Q. 22: 78) The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said: “This
religion of ours is easy and simple to practice; if you make it hard upon yourself, you will be
defeated by it.”
In short, clean toilet paper is quite sufficient to rid oneself of najasah for the purposes of salah and
recitation, once accompanied by wudhu or tayammum.

I often hear hadiths which seem to be very strange. How do I deal with them?

One should remember that everything that is recorded is not per se the words of the Prophet,
peace be on him. Our scholars have recorded everything – they did not burn the evidence. But at
the same time they were very careful to scrutinize hadiths. They established the criteria for
scrutinizing the evidence in order to sift the authentic ones from those which were false or
spurious. Hundreds of scholars gave their lives to this noble task.
Thanks to their efforts, all hadiths have been sorted out and labeled according to their degrees of
authenticity and non-authenticity.
Therefore if you hear a speaker quoting a certain hadith that sounds strange, ask for sources.
Chances are that it could be one of the many hadiths labeled as weak or outright fabrication, and
therefore, should never be used by speakers or writers.
One of the most disheartening things about some speakers today is that they are not careful in
using hadiths. For general information we give below three of the most common categories of
hadith.
Sahih: A hadith that is of unquestionable authenticity.
Da'eef: A hadith that has weakness in its chain or text.

Mawdu': A hadith that is undoubtedly an outright fabrication.
All hadiths of the famous collection of al-Bukhari, known as Sahih al-Bukhari are considered
authentic. If, however, a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari does not sound rational to you, please check
with a scholar of Islam who should be able to explain and interpret it for you.