Fiqh & Benefits
from
‘Mukhtasir Shama’il al-Muhammadeeyah’
Characteristics & Descriptions
of the
Prophet Muhammad
–sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam–
By
Al-Hafidh Al-Imam Abu Isa at-Tirmidhi
Abridged
by
Shaykh Muhammad Nasir uddeen al-Albaani
Part Six
The Messenger of Allaah Dyeing his Grey Hair
Translated & Compiled
By
Abbas Abu Yahya
Chapter 6
What has been mentioned about the
Messenger of Allaah
-sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam–
Dyeing his Grey Hair
Contents
Encouragement to dye ones grey hair. 3
Hadeeth 37 – His grey hairs were red in colour. 7
Hadeeth 38 – Did the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– Dye his Hair. 10
Hadeeth 40 – Hair of the Messenger of Allaah had been Coloured. 12
Hadeeth 41 – His Hair was Dyed. 13
Introduction to Chapter 6
Encouragement to dye ones grey hair
1 – From Abu Hurairah from the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam:
غيروا الشيب و لا تشبهوا باليهود و النصارى
‘Dye grey hair and do not resemble the Jews and Christians
[Collected by Ahmad, Ibn Sa’ad & Albaani said its Isnaad was Hasan Silsilah Saheehah no. 836]
2 – From Nafa bin Jubayr bin Mut’im who said: Abu Bakr dyed his hair with henna and katm. Umar dyed his hair completely and Uthmaan bin Affan a pale colour.
It was said to Nafa bin Jubayr did the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– dye his hair?
He said: he dyed it a little.
In a narration from Abu Hurairah which is in Bukhari and Muslim from the Prophet with the wording:
إن اليهود و النصارى لا يصبغون فخالفوهم
‘Indeed, the Jews and Christians do not dye their hair so do the opposite of them.’
[Collected in Takhreej al-Halal wal Haram 105 & Silsilah no. 836]
3 – From Utbah bin Abd:
كان يأمر بتغيير الشيب مخالفة للأعاجم
‘The Prophet would order to dye grey hair in opposition to the non-Arabs.’
[Collected by Tabraani in ‘Kabeer’, AbdulGhani al-Maqdasi in ‘as-Sunnan’ & Albaani in Saheehah no.2114 and in graded it Hasan in Saheeh al-Jama 9018]
4 – From Ibn Umar who said the Majoos were mentioned in front of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– so he said:
إنهم يوفرون سبالهم و يحلقون لحاهم فخالفوهم . يعني المجوس
‘They lengthen their mustache and shave their beards so do the opposite of them. Meaning the Majoos.’
Ibn Umar would cut his mustache like one cuts a sheep or camel.
[Collected by Ibn Hibban in ‘Saheeh Ibn Hibban’, al-Bayhaqi and Albaani said its Isnaad is jayyid. Silsilah Saheehah no. 2834.]
Shaykh Albaani commented:
‘Know that in this Hadeeth there is a noble Prophetic instruction which has been frequently neglected by many of the specific Muslims let alone the general Muslims, which is none other than differing from the non-Muslim Majoos (fire worshippers) and other than them as is mentioned in the Hadeeth from Bukhari and Muslim:
إن اليهود و النصارى لا يصبغون فخالفوهم
‘Indeed, the Jews and the Christians do not dye their hair so do the opposite of them.’
The Ahadeeth with this type of meaning are very many and well known. What I wanted to explain was the point that the matter of being in opposition to the non-Muslims which we have been ordered with, is more general than the prohibition of imitating them.
Imitating, is that a Muslim performs an action which the non-Muslim performs, even though he does not intended imitating, and it is that he has the capability to not perform it, so the Muslim has been ordered to leave that action.
The ruling for leaving off ‘imitating’ differs with the different outward imitating in respect to its strengths and weakness.
As for opposing and differing to the non-Muslims then that is the opposite to ‘imitating the non-Muslims’ completely, then this means that the Muslim performs an action which the non-Muslim does not do. If in his action there is not any opposition to the Sharia’ for example: praying whilst wearing shoes since indeed the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– ordered to oppose the Jews. Perhaps opposing them could be in that which Allaah created all humans with, no difference between a Muslim and a non-Muslim, no difference between a man and a woman, like for example grey hair and along with that the Prophet ordered to dye grey hair in opposition to them as has preceded. This is the most far reaching point in this issue of opposing the non-Muslims.
Therefore, it is upon the Muslim to have concern about his religion, to watch over that in all aspects of his life. In this, he can be saved from falling into opposing the command of opposing the non-Muslims, let alone him being saved from resembling the non-Muslims, which is a problematic disease in our time, and Allaah’s sought.’[1]
Hadeeth 37 – His grey hairs were red in colour
From Abu Rimthah at-Taymee who said:
“I came to the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– and with me was a son of mine.”
He continued:
“The Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said “Is this your son?”
I replied: “Yes, I swear to the fact that he is my son.”
“The Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– then said
“Let him not be a cause of injustice upon you and let you not be a cause of injustice upon (i.e. don’t wrong him).”
I swore that his -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– grey hairs were red in colour.
[Abu Eesa at-Tirmidhi commented on this narration saying:
“This is the best thing that has been reported on this topic and it is the narration that explains matters the most because the authentic narrations stated that the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– did not reach such a stage that he had grey hairs that he would need to dye them. And the name of the companion Abu Rimthah is Rifaa’ah ibn Yathribee at-Taymee.”]
[Collected by Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi in Sunnan, Nisa’ee and Albaani said it was Saheeh. Abu Dawood collected this narration without mentioning ‘grey hair’, but then had extra wording: [Then he said: ‘As for not letting him because of injustice upon you and you not being a cause of injustice to him.’ Then the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– recited: <<and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another>> [An’aam: 165 & Najm: 38].’
This is an invalidation of what the Arabs in the times of Jahileeya were upon, where a person would be held accountable for the crime which his close relative committed.’
[Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadiyyah P.41]
AbdurRazzaq al-Abbad said:
‘The author –Rahimullaah- began with the hadeeth of Abu Rimthah –RadhiAllaahu anhu- who said: “I came to the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– and with me was a son of mine.” In this is a general benefit, which is that fathers should take their kids along with them to good gatherings. When a father is about to go to a gathering of knowledge, or to visit a scholar etc, then he should take his sons with him if possible. Since in this is a training and an education for them upon loving the people of knowledge, loving the gatherings of knowledge, connected to them, benefitting from them.
This matter is emphasised in our time where there are many means to being destroyed and reasons for deviancy. Desires and doubts have swamped the children of the Muslims. Therefore, taking children to gatherings of knowledge with gentleness, in a good way, encouragement and getting them to love gatherings of goodness, then this is very beneficial for their training and teaching them behaviour.’[2]
Hadeeth 38 – Did the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– Dye his Hair.
From Uthmaan bin Muhib who said:
Abu Hurairah was asked: “Did the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– dye his hair.”
He replied: “Yes.”
[Collected by Bukhari, Ibn Majah, Ahmad and Albaani – Saheeh Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadiyyah]
Bukhari brought a chain from Umm Salamah that she took out a hair from the hairs of the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– and it was dyed.’
Ibn Majah from Uthmaan bin Muhib who said:
‘I visited Umm Salamah and she took out for me hairs from the hairs of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– dyed with Henna and al-Katm (a substance used to colour hair).’
[Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadiyyah p.42]
Hadeeth 39 – Da’eef
From al-Jahathamah the wife of Basheer bin al-Khassasseyah who said:
‘I saw the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– coming out of his house shaking his head and he had just washed, and he had a dye of Henna on his head, or he said: stained cloth. The doubt here is from al-Shaykh.’
Albaani said: ‘Its Isnaad is weak.’
[Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadiyyah p.42]
Hadeeth 40 – Hair of the Messenger of Allaah had been Coloured
From Anas:
“I saw that the hair of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– had been coloured.”
[Albaani said: ‘Its Isnaad is Saheeh upon the conditions of Muslim and only Tirmidhi collected it and not in the other six books. Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadiyyah P.43]
Hadeeth 41 – His Hair was Dyed
From Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Uqeel who said:
‘I saw the hair of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– with Anas bin Malik and it was dyed.
[Albaani said: Its Isnaad is Saheeh also till Ibn ‘Aqeel. It is a hadeeth which is Hasan. Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadiyyah P.43]
[it was dyed]
Muhammad Nasiruddeen Albaani said:
‘Nawawi –Rahimullaah- said: ‘The opinion which is preferred is that the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– dyed his hair sometimes. What shows this is the hadeeth of Ibn Umar in Bukhari and Muslim and that he left it off most of the time. Everyone informed of what they saw and they were truthful and Allaah knows best.’
Albaani discusses the contradiction of how some of the Companions saw that the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– dyed his hair and others who said he did not. The Shaykh says: ‘The answer to this is what was narrated by Ibn ‘Uqeel himself: ‘Anas bin Malik came to Madinah whilst Umar bin AbdulAziz was the ruler there. Umar sent for Anas and told the messenger: ‘Ask him, did the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– dye his hair, indeed I saw some hair from his hair and it had been coloured.’
Anas said: ‘Indeed the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– was blessed with black hair. If I counted what I saw of grey hair on his head and beard it would not be more than eleven grey hairs. As for the hair which has been coloured is from perfume with which the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– used to fragrance his hair.’
[Collected by al-Hakim and he said its Isnaad is Saheeh and Dhahabi agreed with him.]
I say: The hadeeth is understood according to this, meaning, that where it is mentioned that his hair was dyed then this was due to perfume and not from Henna. This cancels the clear contradiction between these Ahadeeth. And Allaah knows best.’
[Mukhtasir ash-Shamail al-Muhammadiyyah p.43-44]
[1] [Silsilah Saheehah no. 2834]
[2] [Sharh Shamail an-Nabi p.70-71]