Question Summary:
Assalaaamu ‘alaykum, I would like some details on the hadith of women cuting their hairs; please note that I’m from the hanafi madhab but I want to be on truth. In your fatwa #15293, you mentionned that “The people who claim that it is permissible for women to cut their hair use…

Question Detail:

Assalaaamu 'alaykum, I would like some details on the hadith of women cuting their hairs; please note that I'm from the hanafi madhab but I want to be on truth. In your fatwa #15293, you mentionned that "The people who claim that it is permissible for women to cut their hair use as proof the word AKHZ which is found in the above mentioned hadith. They incorrectly translate it as ‘cutting’. However the correct meaning of AKHZ in the context of this hadith it will be in the meaning of “to hold and tie” and will not mean to “cut”. The verb "akhadha" means "to take" or "grab" but in the hadith it is followed by the preposition « min » (from), which precise its meaning that there is an action of taking something from the hair, and not taking the hair in itself. Besides, An Nawawi and Qâdhi 'Iyâdh (rahimahoumullâh) stated that this hadith indeed prooves that the spouses of the prophet (sallalahu 'alayhi wasalam) used to shorten their hair, in order to ease the washing of the head during bath and that only a little amount of water was needed. And in many other ahadith, we find the expression « akhadha min cha’rihi » that means cutting the hairs, for example 1- Oum Salamah (radhia Allâhou anha) narrates from the prophet Mouhammad (sallallâhou 'alayhi wa sallam) that he said : مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ هِلَالَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ ، وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يُضَحِّيَ ، فَلَا يَأْخُذْ مِنْ شَعْرِهِ وَأَظْفَارِهِ ، حَتَّى يُضَحِّيَ which means (approximately) « he who sees the moon of dhoul hidjjah and has the intention to sacrify an animal, THEN let him NOT CUT HIS HAIRS (fa lâ ya’khoudhou min cha’rihi – with the verb « akhadha min » used) ....» (Sounan Nassaï) 2- قال الحسن إن أخذ من شعره وأظفاره أو خلع خفيه فلا وضوء عليه Hassan Al Basri (rahimahoullâh) said: « If he cut his hairs or nails or put off his socks, he does not need to do wudhu again.» (quoted as Ta’lîqan by Imâm Boukhâri (rahimahoullâh) in his sahih) 3- A title in a chapter of Moussannaf de Ibn Abî Chaybah : الرجل يأخذ من شعره أيتوضأ « A man who cuts his hairs… (Does he have) to do woudhoû ? »

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
The quotation of our Fatwa number 15293 in your question is a response to an argument generally given by those who rule on the permissibility of women cutting the hair. This does not imply that we are of that view.
It is not permissible for women to cut their hair. The Jameeatul Mufteen (a Board consisting of 12 highly respected Muftis in ) unanimously ruled on the non permissibility of women cutting their hair.
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Muhammed Zakariyya Desai,
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah