Fatwa.. A pilgrim on hajj or 'umra shaving his head for himself or for another

Egypt's Dar al-Iftaa answers readers' questions in various fatwas. We at See publish these fatwas. The question says:

Is it permissible for a pilgrim performing hajj or 'umra to shave his head for himself or for other pilgrims after finishing the rituals?

ANSWER

There is no objection to a pilgrim performing 'umra to shave his head or shorten his hair for himself or for others who are eligible to do this after finishing sa'y [traversing between as-Safa and al-Marwa]. Likewise, there is no objection to a pilgrim performing hajj from doing the same after departing from Muzdalifah for Mina. Rather, a pilgrim is commanded to shave his head or shorten his hair by virtue of the general implication of legal texts. Allah the Almighty says,Then let them end their untidiness. [Al-Hajj: 29]

muhrims at this stage of their rites. This is based on the fact that at this stage of the rites, shaving or shortening the hair has become lawful after it was forbidden. Therefore, it takes precedence over performing a permissible action such as shaving for a non-muhrim. Al-Nawawi stated in Rawdat al-Talibeen, "It is permissible for a muhrim to shave the head of a non-muhrim." Whoever maintains the impermissibility of a pilgrim on 'umra or hajj shaving his head or trimming his hair should know that, while it is true that removing hair from the body is among the restrictions of ihram, yet this prohibition applies only up to a certain stage of the rites.

Once past this stage, a muhrim is required to release himself from ihram by shaving his head or shortening his hair, rendering lawful everything that was unlawful to him during ihram for umra, some of the things that were unlawful for him before the partial release for ihram for hajj or most of the things that were unlawful for him before full release from ihram for hajj.

Allah the Almighty knows best.