Is It Haram To Dye Your Hair? – Islamic Guide
Dyeing one’s hair is not haram in Islam, in fact, the Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged his companions to do so.
Dyeing the hair has been common in the past as well as in the times of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as well. Still, some scholars argue that dyeing hair with specific colors is not suitable or even permitted in Islam and others have a different opinion. I will cover everything related to dying hair and Islam in this article.
In short, you can watch this video and have a general idea about dyeing your hair:
Is It Haram To Dye Your Hair Black?
It is a very critical question these days as some Muslim men and women have grey or white hair at a very young age and cause of this many Muslims stay away from keeping their beards which is considered an obligation on men.
I have found in my study that dyeing black is also permissible in Islam under some circumstances and under some dyeing black is haram. I will let you know all possible circumstances here so you can have a clear idea about dyeing hair black or any other color.
First, we should know that our Prophet (peace be upon him) asked Muslims to dye their hair and beards and not follow the Christians and Jews who don’t use to dye their hair.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) 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 3462]
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
The Jews and the Christians do not dye (their hair), so oppose them.
[Sahih Muslim 2103]
The hadiths shared above are a suggestion from the Prophet (peace be upon him) to dye our hair and not to follow in the footsteps of the non-Muslims. It is almost an order and all Muslims are highly advised in Islam to color their hair.
Here we need to understand that dyeing the hair is not an obligation but only a suggestion as there were some Sahabas (companions) of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who didn’t use to dye their hair and had white beards too.
Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered us to be different than non-Muslims so we differentiate and this includes dyeing hair as non-Muslims usually didn’t use to dye their hair then.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who copies any people is one of them.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 4031]
Some Muslims do think that coloring the hair is an obligation and if one doesn’t dye the white hair then there will be a sin. But this is not true as proven by some Sahabas who didn’t dye their white hair.
I would like to share one more hadith here and it will shed light on whether our Prophet (peace be upon him) used to dye his hair or not as some scholars argue.
Thabit reported that Anas b. Malik was asked about the dyeing (of the hair of) Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ). Thereupon he said.:
(They were so few) that if I so liked I could count their number in his head, and he further said: (That is) he did not dye. Abu Bakr, however, dyed them and so did ‘Umar dye them with pure henna.
[Sahih Muslim 2341d]
Even at the end of his life, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not dye his hair since he didn’t need to. Among men, black hair is considered an element of beauty. Muslims believe that our Prophet (peace be upon him) is the most beautiful creation of Allah and he had black hair till his last breath.
Now let’s look at the hadiths which some scholars use to declare that dyeing your hair black is haram in Islam.
It was narrated that Jabir said:
“Abu Quhafah was brought on the Day of the Conquest of Makkah, and his hair and beard were white like the Thaghamah. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: ‘Change this with something, but avoid black.'”
[Sunan an-Nasa’i 5076]
This hadith is also narrated in Sahih Mulsim.
Jabir b. ‘Abdullah reported that Abu Quhafah was led (to the andience of the Holy Prophet) on the day of the Conquest of Mecca and his head and beard were white like hyssop, whereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said:
Change it with something but avoid black.
[Sahih Muslim 2102b]
This hadith is when the father of Hazrat Abu Bakr (r.a) Abu Quhafah was brought to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his hair was all white as he was really old approximately 90 years of age.
At this point, the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered Abu Quhafah to dye his hair but not go for black color. Many scholars take this hadith and say that the black color is haram in Islam.
Logically Abu Quhafah’s all hair was white and there was not a strand of black hair plus he was very old so it’s understandable that he should not dye his hair black. It won’t look good obviously. Imagine a really old man with pure black hair. It won’t look smooth.
Thus, the interpretation of this hadith would be to not dye your hair black if you are really old because it won’t look normal.
One more hadith is cited by scholars as a defense for banning black dye.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: At the end of time there will be people who will use this black dye like the crops of doves who will not experience the fragrance of Paradise.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 4212]
Some scholars declare that this hadith says that if anyone dyes his or her hair black won’t even come close to paradise. But the Prophet (peace be upon him) only said that this will only be a sign of one group of people. He never condemned dyeing black but just stated the facts that those people will also dye their hair black.
So it’s safe to say that you can dye your hair black unless you are too old and it won’t look normal on you which might be considered a deception in some cases. If you are young and generally black looks good you can dye your hair black.
Let me share the best hadith to prove that black dye is halal after which it will be crystal clear to you.
Narrated Muhammad:
Anas bin Malik said, “The head of Al-Husain was brought to ‘Ubaidullah bin Ziyad and was put in a tray, and then Ibn Ziyad started playing with a stick at the nose and mouth of Al-Husain’s head and saying something about his handsome features.” Anas then said (to him), “Al-Husain resembled the Prophet more than the others did.” Anas added, “His (i.e. Al-Husain’s) hair was dyed with Wasma (i.e. a kind of plant used as a dye)
[Sahih al-Bukhari 3748]
This hadith clearly mentions that Imam Husain (a.s) was a lookalike of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his hair was also dyed with Wasma which is a black colored dye.
Imam Husain (a.s) is considered the leader of the paradise among the Muslims and it’s safe to say that if he dyed his hair black then it’s 100% halal and permitted in Islam.
I am certain that no scholar would ever dare to say that Imam Husain (a.s) didn’t know Islamic rulings about dyeing hair.
Even Imam Hasan (a.s) as well as many other Sahabas are also known to dye their hair black.
It’s my advice to all Muslims who are shy of keeping a beard just cause their beard is white or grey to dye the hair black if they are not very old.
Even if you want to stay clear of black color sure you can. Other colors that are mentioned in Islam are the colors of henna and katam. Henna is red and katam is dark brown.
Narrated AbuDharr:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The best things with which grey hair are changed are henna and katam.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 4205]
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Why Is It Haram To Dye Your Hair Black?
When you want to deceive someone, dyeing your hair black is haram in Islam. For example, imagine a person who is quite old and wants to look young just to marry a young girl. If in this particular case he dyes his hair black it will be considered haram.
Deception is only allowed in war and you can deceive your enemy that’s why it’s allowed for old ones to dye black in a state of war.
Jabir reported the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “War is deception.”
[Sunan Abi Dawud 2636]
It is normally not haram to dye your hair black as I have mentioned but only if you are too old as in the case of the father of Abu Bakr (r.a) who was 90 years of age or if you want to deceive anyone apart from your enemy in the state of war.
There can be other instances where one Muslim only dyes black to deceive others just like in applying for jobs and mentioning the wrong age which will again be considered haram in Islam.
When is it Halal to Dye your Hair Black?
According to scholars, the Prophet’s wisdom in prohibiting black hair dyeing was to avoid appearance deception. In normal cases dyeing black is totally halal as proven that Imam Husain (a.s) also use to dye his hair black.
In another case, if one person is young and his or her hair is beginning to get white or grey due to an illness or an abnormality it will be halal to dye them black to look normal. This act was just to change the abnormality and not to deceive anyone.
For example, it is haram in Islam to mutilate body parts. However, if a person has six fingers instead of five. In this case, surgically removing the extra finger to restore normalcy is permissible.
Under no circumstances should you attempt to deceive anyone. In Islam, deception is a major sin, and you should not dye your hair black for this purpose.
Apart from deception, all other reasons are okay to dye your hair black unless you are really old, and black won’t look normal on you.
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Is It Haram To Dye Hair (Blue, Pink, Purple, Green, Silver)?
Most scholars state that dyeing hair that is not a norm is haram or not permitted in Islam just like dyeing hair blue or pink.
The reason here is that Muslims should always look distinctive from non-Muslims. These days non-Muslims color their hair with abnormal colors which is not Allah’s creation just like pink or blue.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who copies any people is one of them.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 4031]
We should be proud of our Muslim identities. We should not lose our Muslim identities by imitating others.
What Colors Are Halal To Dye Your Hair?
You are allowed to dye your hair with any natural color for example black, brown, and blonde but avoid all the unnatural colors like blue and pink.
Some scholars might ask you to avoid black but I have proven above that black is only haram under certain conditions.
If you are young and you don’t want to deceive any other person you can dye your hair black as well.
There is a hadith that tells us about the best colors one Muslim can choose from.
Narrated AbuDharr:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The best things with which grey hair are changed are henna and katam.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 4205]
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Is It Haram To Dye Your Eyebrows Or Beard?
No, it is not haram to dye your eyebrows or your beard. In fact, our Prophet (peace be upon him) advised us to color beards. Although the same ruling will be applied that Muslims aren’t allowed to dye unnatural colors like blue and pink.
All natural colors are okay to dye hair, eyebrows, and beards.
Is It Haram For Men To Dye Their Hair?
No, it is not haram for Muslim men to dye their hair but it is highly suggested. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded us to dye our white hair with natural colors.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) 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 3462]
Did Prophet Muhammad Dye His Hair?
There is a difference of opinion among the scholars here but I have found a hadith that clearly states that he didn’t.
Thabit reported that Anas b. Malik was asked about the dyeing (of the hair of) Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ). Thereupon he said.:
(They were so few) that if I so liked I could count their number in his head, and he further said: (That is) he did not dye. Abu Bakr, however, dyed them and so did ‘Umar dye them with pure henna.
[Sahih Muslim 2341d]
Although I admit there are other hadiths that say that he dyed some of his hair with henna.
At various points in his life, the Prophet was accompanied by various companions. It’s nearly impossible to pinpoint exactly when a companion was with the Prophet.
So it’s possible that when one of the Prophet’s companions accompanied him, he wasn’t dyeing his hair. Another companion was with the Prophet at another time, and the Prophet was dying his hair.
In any case, dyeing the hair was highly advised in Islam.
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Why Do Muslim Men Dye Their Beards?
Muslim men always tend to follow the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his teachings and the Sahabas after him. Every Muslim strives to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet of Islam, both in deed and in appearance.
As Prophet (peace be upon him) himself advised to dye white hair which includes beards it is highly suggested in Islam to dye white beards. Although it is not a sin not to dye as it’s not an obligation.
Is Highlighting Hair Allowed In Islam?
Highlighting the hair is halal for the women as dyeing the hair is allowed. The same ruling will apply here but only be allowed with natural colors. For example, if the hair is blonde one can highlight it with black or brown. So highlighting with natural colors are halal and permitted for women.
Although there are some rulings that women have to follow such as the hijab. Highlighting is okay until it is for mahrams only.
Highlighting your hair is permissible, but exposing your beauty in front of strangers is not.
Is It Haram To Dye Your Hair In Ramadan?
No. it is not haram to dye the hair during Ramadan. You can dye any day of the year as long as you are dyeing the hair with natural colors and it’s not to deceive anyone irrespective of your enemies in a war situation.
Intercourse, eating, drinking, blood, vomiting, and menstruating all invalidate fasting. Dying one’s hair does not fall under any of the fast-breaking rules.
I will just make sure that if you are fasting just keep this in mind that non of the dye or anything that involves the dyeing process is absorbed by the skin or inhaled. This might break your fast though.
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Is Bleaching Hair Haram?
There is a difference in the bleaching of the hair. Some allow it and some don’t. I might add that one should always check the side effects of the procedure. Some bleaching procedures are not safe and can cause more harm than good to the hair.
If you agree that it is safe and you agree with the scholars that see bleaching as allowed in Islam then you can go for it as there is no ruling against it.
Final Thoughts
It’s totally fine and halal to dye your hair with natural colors unless you are too old in which case black will not be advisable. The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised his companions to dye their hair if they were white.
Black color is only advised to those who are young and don’t want to deceive anyone of their age. The exception to this is the situation of war.
All the unnatural colors are haram to dye such as blue, pink, and red.
And Allah Knows Best.
