Gray hair is now not only experienced in old age. In this era even people of younger ages are getting gray hair. Factors like heredity, stress, climate, medications, and lifestyle can accelerate the growth of gray hair. To overcome gray hair we sometimes pull out the gray strands or dye the hair so that it can hide the original color. Is it true that those are the best solutions to overcome the gray hair?
Pulling out gray hair is actually not recommended by both dermatologists and the Sunnah. From the health view, gray hair is like other hair that grows under the skin so pulling out the gray hair may have impacts such as headaches and baldness due to the damaged follicles.
While in Islam Rasulullah (SAW), in the hadith At-Tirmidhi and Nasa’i, said:
“Prophet Muhammad (SAW) forbade revoking gray hair on the head because it is light for a Muslim.”
Then what if we dye our hair with red, brown, yellow, or blue colors? Here are the related hadiths that address dyeing hair in Islam.
Narrated Abu Huraira, Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said : “The Jews and the Christians do not dye (their grey hair), so you shall do the opposite of what they do (i.e. dye your grey hair and beards).” [Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol.4 Hadith No.3462 & Sahih Muslim Vol.3 Chapter 831 Hadith No.5245]
Narrated Abu Dharr, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “The best things with which grey hair are changed are henna and katam (a plant from Yemen which produces a reddish-black dye).” [Sunan Abu Dawood Vol.3 Chapter 1567 Hadith No.4193]
Jabir bin Abdullah reported that Abu Quhaafah was led (to the audience of the Holy Prophet) on the day of the conquest of Makkah and his head and beard were white like thughamah (hyssop), whereupon Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said: “Change it with something but avoid black.” [Sahih Muslim Vol.3 Chapter 831 Hadith No.5244]
Ibn ‘Abbaas reported the Allah’s Messenger (SAW) as saying: At the end of time there will be people who will use this black dye like the crops of birds; they will not experience the fragrance of Paradise.” [Sunan Abu Dawood Vol.3 Chapter 1569 Hadith No.4200]
Thus, based on the above hadith, every Muslim/Muslimah is allowed to dye their hair with a color other than black.
However, according to Dr. Zakir Naik, dyeing the hair when there is no grey hair, though not forbidden, is not regarded as following the Prophet’s example, since it does not serve the same shar’i interests as achieved by dyeing grey hair.
Wallahu A’lam
