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…