30th April 2018
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Question: Is it permissible for a wife to dye her white hair to black to please her husband?
الجواب حامداً ومصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
With reference to your query, although the Hanafi scholars have differed on this matter, some permit it whilst many disapproved of it due to the generality of the Hadīth, the preferred view is that it should be avoided.[1] The Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said to Abū Quhafa radhiyallahu anhu whose hair and beard had turned white “change this with another colour but avoid black.”[2] This Hadīth clearly forbids black dye. She can, however, dye her hair using other colours such as brown etc for adornment but must refrain from black.
However, some have regarded it as disliked but not Haram for a woman dying the hair to please her husband. Shaykh Mufti Taqi Usmani Sahib (May Allah preserve him) mentions as follows;
“The preferred judgement in this regard is that if it is applied for adornment purpose where a woman applies it to please her husband or the husband applies it to please his wife then this is not considered Haram, but rather Makrooh-e-Tanzeehi (discouraged and best to refrain from). As for the Hadeeth but abstain from black the explanation of this ruling would be that if it (black hair-dye) is applied to deceive others then this ruling (of prohibition) becomes bounded. If it is for adornment purpose for each other’s spouse then this ruling is preferred (discouraged) and to abstain from it is better otherwise if someone (in the case of adornment for one’s spouse) applies it then it will not be considered Haram.”[3]
It is, therefore, best to avoid but should the wife do it anyway then it will be considered as disliked the most but not Haram.
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Sajeda Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Fatawa al Hindiyya ,Kitāb al-Karahiyat, Baab lizinaat…, v5, pg 438
وَأَمَّا الْخِضَابُ بِالسَّوَادِ فَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ الْغُزَاةِ لِيَكُونَ أَهْيَبَ فِي عَيْنِ الْعَدُوِّ فَهُوَ مَحْمُودٌ مِنْهُ، اتَّفَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْمَشَايِخُ رَحِمَهُمْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ لِيُزَيِّنَ نَفْسَهُ لِلنِّسَاءِ وَلِيُحَبِّبَ نَفْسَهُ إلَيْهِنَّ فَذَلِكَ مَكْرُوهٌ وَعَلَيْهِ عَامَّةُ الْمَشَايِخِ وَبَعْضُهُمْ جَوَّزَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ غَيْرِ كَرَاهَةٍ
Al Durrul Mukhtar ala raddil mukhtar , Kitāb Al-kuntha, Masail shatta, v6, pg 756
)قَوْلُهُ جَازَ فِي الْأَصَحِّ) وَهُوَ مَرْوِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفَ فَقَدْ قَالَ: يُعْجِبُنِي أَنْ تَتَزَيَّنَ لِي امْرَأَتِي كَمَا يُعْجِبُهَا أَنْ أَتَزَيَّنَ لَهَا وَالْأَصَحُّ أَنَّهُ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ فِي الْحَرْبِ وَغَيْرِهِ وَاخْتَلَفَتْ الرِّوَايَةُ فِي أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – فَعَلَهُ فِي عُمْرِهِ وَالْأَصَحُّ لَا وَفَصَّلَ فِي الْمُحِيطِ بَيْنَ الْخِضَابِ بِالسَّوَادِ قَالَ عَامَّةُ الْمَشَايِخِ: إنَّهُ مَكْرُوهٌ وَبَعْضُهُمْ جَوَّزَهُ مَرْوِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفَ، أَمَّا بِالْحُمْرَةِ فَهُوَ سُنَّةُ الرِّجَالِ وَسِيَّمَا الْمُسْلِمِينَ اهـ مِنَحٌ مُلَخَّصًا وَفِي شَرْحِ الْمَشَارِقِ لِلْأَكْمَلِ وَالْمُخْتَارُ أَنَّهُ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – خَضَّبَ فِي وَقْتٍ، وَتَرَكَهُ فِي مُعْظَمِ الْأَوْقَاتِ، وَمَذْهَبُنَا أَنَّ الصَّبْغَ بِالْحِنَّاءِ وَالْوَسْمَةِ حَسَنٌ كَمَا فِي الْخَانِيَّةِ قَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ: وَمَذْهَبُنَا اسْتِحْبَابُ خِضَابِ الشَّيْبِ لِلرَّجُلِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ بِصُفْرَةٍ أَوْ حُمْرَةٍ وَتَحْرِيمُ خِضَابِهِ بِالسَّوَادِ عَلَى الْأَصَحِّ لِقَوْلِهِ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «غَيِّرُوا هَذَا الشَّيْبَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا السَّوَادَ
[2] Saheeh Muslim , Book of clothing and adornment , Chapter on colouring the hair, no .79
وحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ، قَالَ: أُتِيَ بِأَبِي قُحَافَةَ يَوْمَ فَتْحِ مَكَّةَ وَرَأْسُهُ وَلِحْيَتُهُ كَالثَّغَامَةِ بَيَاضًا، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «غَيِّرُوا هَذَا بِشَيْءٍ، وَاجْتَنِبُوا السَّوَادَ
[3] Taqreer Tirmizi, vol 2, p354