People often ask is dying your hair for a woman or a man haram?

Some people like to give opinions on every topic without actually knowing what the Quran and hadith state about that topic.

For instance, some will say I will not dye my grey hair and think they are being wise and pious by saying I want to be natural or dyeing hair is for those who are vain.

Wisdom comes from the book of Allah and the sunnah of His messenger peace be upon him. Its doesn’t come from the person’s mind. Half of knowledge is to say I do not know rather than speculating and saying clever me wants to answer this question.

Making mistakes in medicine can be fatal for the people health. Making mistakes in Islam is fatal for peoples emaan.

From hadith we know it is sunnah to dye grey hair whether you are female or male. The male may also dye his grey beard. However it is haram for a male or a female to dye their hair black.

It is halal and Sunnah to Dye Hair

Jabir ibn `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Abu Quhafah was brought on the day of the conquest of Makkah, and his head and beard were white like “thaghamah” (a plant whose flowers and fruit are white). The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: “Change this with something, but avoid black.” (Narrated by Muslim, 3962)

It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said: the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Jews and the Christians do not dye their hair, so be different from them.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 3275; Muslim, 2103).

It was reported that Abu Umaamah (may Allah be pleased him) said: “O Ansaar, dye your hair red and yellow, and be different from the A’aajim (Persians).”

(Narrated by Ahmad, 21780. The isnaad of this hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar in al-Fath, 10/354).

Which Colour is it haram to dye a persons grey hair?

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There will be people at the end of time who will dye their hair black like the crops of pigeons; they will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise.” Narrated by Abu Dawud (4212) and al-Nasai (8/138); classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami’ (8153).

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: “The best things with which to change grey hair are henna and ‘katam’ (a plant similar to henna which is used as a dye).” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, 1675; he said: This is an authentic Hadith).

With regard to katam, Ibn Hajar said:

Katam is a plant from Yemen which produces a reddish-black dye. Henna produces a red dye, so when they are used together as a dye, they produce a colour that is between black and red.

Fath al-Baari, 10/355.

It was reported that ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Abd-Allah ibn Wahb said: we entered upon Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) and she brought out a lock of hair of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to show us, and it was dyed red.

(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 5558. Ibn Maajah (3623) and Ahmad (25995) added: “… with henna and katam.”)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The best things to use to change grey hair are henna and katam.”

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1753; Abu Dawood, 4205; Ibn Maajah, 3622). Al-Tirmidhi said: the hadeeth is hasan saheeh). Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) dyed his hair with henna and katam. (Narrated by Muslim, 2341).

It should be noted that in the ahadith where katam is mentioned , it is always accompanied by henna, because what is meant by the ahadith is that the hair should be dyed with katam mixed with henna.

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

What is prohibited is making the hair pure black, but if something else is added to henna, such as katam etc., there is nothing wrong with that. Katam and henna make the hair a colour between red and black, unlike wasmah (woad leaves) which make the hair black as coal. This is saheeh.

(Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/336).

(Wasmah or woad is a plant that is used for dyeing).

Therefore katam cannot be used on its own, because it gives a pure, coal-black colour, but it has be used with henna so that the colour is not black. (But henna on its own can be used)

One of the most important lessons we have to learn is the seriousness of talking about Islam as we are speaking about the deen of Allah.

We are not talking about Sport.

Often I see people who love to be in a conversation by giving their opinions on any subject be it medicine or Islam.

They may not have sufficient knowledge of these subjects.

To an ordinary person it may appear that not dyeing grey hair is natural but as we have seen there are other factors which make it better to dye one’s grey hair (i.e. being different from the Jews and Christians). However, a person cannot say oh this person has not dyed his grey hair and a less pious person because he or she may be allergic to a dyes.