I wanted to know why arent women allowed to cut their hair?

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

1. The Fuqahaa (scholars of jurisprudence) have ruled that it is impermissible for women to cut their hair. If a woman cuts her hair she will be sinful and accursed. Consider the following texts:

1.1. Khulasat Al-Fatawaa (546 ah) by Shaykh Taahir Bin Abd Al-Rasheed al-Bukhari:

“If a woman cuts her hair, then it is incumbent on her to seek forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala” (Kitaab Al-Nikah, vol 2, pg 52, Rasheediyya)

1.2. Al-Multaqat (556 ah) by Nasir Al-Deen Al-Samarqandi:

“It is not permissible for a woman to cut her hair” (Kitaab Al-Nikah, pg 102, Ilmiyya)

1.3. Nisaab Al-Ihtisaab (820 ah) by Umar Bin Muhammad Al-Sanaami:

“Abu Bakr (Al-Iskaaf) was asked regarding a woman that cuts her hair. He replied: It is incumbent on her to seek forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala, repent and not return to such doings” (Al-Ihtisaab Ala al-Nisaa, pg 142, Al-Taalib al-Jaami’ee)

1.4. Fatawaa Al-Bazaziyyah (827 ah) by Muhammad Bin Muhammad Al-Bazazi:

“It is incumbent upon a woman that cuts her hair to seek forgiveness although her husband commands her to do so, because there is no obedience to the creation in an act that violates the laws of the creator” (Fatawaa Al-Bazaziyya with Al-Fatawaa al-Hindiyya, pg 379,vol 6, Rasheediyya)

1.5. Al-Ashbah Al-Nazaair (970 ah) by Ibn Al-Nujaim:

“It is not permissible for a woman to cut her hair” (Kitaab Al-Nikah, pg 178, Ilmiyya)

1.6. Al-Durr al-Mukhtaar (1088 ah) by Al-Haskafi:

“If she (woman) cuts her hair, she has committed a sin and is accursed. Bazaziyya adds: ‘even if her husband consents because there is no obedience to anyone in an act of disobedience to Allah”. (Al-Durr al-Muhtaar with Shaami, Kitabul Hadri wal Ibahah, vol 6, pg 407, HM Sa’eed)

The above ruling of the Fuqahaa are supported by the following Hadith:

“Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) prohibited women from allowing their hair to drop on their shoulders (by cutting it). (Al-Mu’jam al-Sagheer,Baabul Haa, Man Ishuhu Al-Hasan, vol 1, pg 229, Dar Al-Ammar)

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai