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The Sunnah in parting the hair

Question

Assalaamu alaykum. I have been told here in my locality that we should part our hair in two and say, {Guide us to the straight path.} [Quran 6:1] Is this part of the Sunnah related to combing the hair? If not, then is there any other Sunnah related to combing the hair? May Allaah reward you.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

It has been authentically reported that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) used to part his hair. Ibn ʻAbbaas  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him said, "The people of the Book used to let their hair hang down (fall loose), and the polytheists used to part it; the Messenger of Allaah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) liked to conform with the People of the Book in the matters about which he was not instructed otherwise. So, the Messenger of Allaah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) used to let his hair hang down and then afterwards he parted his hair." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] This wording is Muslim’s.

An-Nawawi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him wrote, "It is deduced from the hadeeth that the correct and chosen view in this regard is that it is permissible to let one’s hair hang down or part it; however, it is better to part it."

As for reciting a Quranic verse or anything else while parting the hair, we did not find anything that could serve as evidence in this regard; hence, such an act is not prescribed in Islam.

Please, refer to fataawa 82557, 98747, 86670 and 291727 about the religious rulings related to the hair.

Allaah knows best.

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