Shaving the pubic hair

4-11-2001 | IslamWeb

Question:

What is the religious status regarding the “shaving of hair around the reproductive organ”? Is there healthy approval or disapproval?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

It is a Sunnah to shave the pubic hair; Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: “Five are among the Fitrah acts (i.e. natural disposition upon which Allaah created mankind): Circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, plucking out the armpit hair, clipping one's nails and trimming one's moustache.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The meaning of the saying of the Prophet : “Five are among the Fitrah acts” means that these acts are among the Sunnah of Islam described as Fitrah; Allah Says (what means): {[Adhere to] the Fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion.} [Quran 30:30]

It is desirable not to leave the pubic hair unshaven for more than forty days as Anas said: “A time limit has been prescribed for us [i.e. by the Prophet] for trimming the moustache, clipping the nails, plucking the hair under the armpits, shaving the pubes, that none of them should be left for more than forty nights.” [Muslim]

There is no doubt that removing this hair is good for health, as it could be a cause –if left –to some illnesses or to the reproduction of some bacteria.

Allah knows best.