Dyeing Hair
Total Hadiths 61
What Prophetic Hadiths Teach Us About Dyeing Hair in Islam
These authentic prophetic traditions offer clear guidance on how Muslims should manage grey hair according to the Sunnah. The text shows that changing the appearance of grey hair is encouraged, as demonstrated when Abu Quhafah was brought before the Prophet with hair as white as hyssop. However, the Prophet explicitly instructed to avoid using black dye. Instead, he recommended natural alternatives, stating that the best things to change grey hair with are henna and katam. Furthermore, eye-witness accounts confirm that the Prophet himself practiced this, with narrations highlighting his hair stained with henna, reflecting a balanced approach to personal grooming and appearance.
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، - الْمَعْنَى - عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ تَنْتِفُوا الشَّيْبَ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يَشِيبُ شَيْبَةً فِي الإِسْلاَمِ " . قَالَ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ " إِلاَّ كَانَتْ لَهُ نُورًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ " . وَقَالَ فِي حَدِيثِ يَحْيَى " إِلاَّ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهَا حَسَنَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً " .
'Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father's authority, told that his grandfather reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do not pluck out grey hair. If any believer grows a grey hair in Islam, he will have light on the Day of Resurrection. (This is Sufyan's version). Yahya's version says: Allah will record on his behalf a good deed for it, and will blot out a sin for it.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 4202In-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 44English translation : Book 34, Hadith 4190
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ السَّرْحِ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ أُتِيَ بِأَبِي قُحَافَةَ يَوْمَ فَتْحِ مَكَّةَ وَرَأْسُهُ وَلِحْيَتُهُ كَالثَّغَامَةِ بَيَاضًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " غَيِّرُوا هَذَا بِشَىْءٍ وَاجْتَنِبُوا السَّوَادَ " .
Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah : Abu Quhafah was brought on the day of the conquest of Mecca with head and beard while like hyssop. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Change this something, but avoid black.
[1] A white fruit from a type of plant.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 4204In-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 46English translation : Book 34, Hadith 4192
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ أَبْجَرَ، عَنْ إِيَادِ بْنِ لَقِيطٍ، عَنْ أَبِي رِمْثَةَ، فِي هَذَا الْخَبَرِ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبِي أَرِنِي هَذَا الَّذِي بِظَهْرِكَ فَإِنِّي رَجُلٌ طَبِيبٌ . قَالَ " اللَّهُ الطَّبِيبُ بَلْ أَنْتَ رَجُلٌ رَفِيقٌ طَبِيبُهَا الَّذِي خَلَقَهَا " .
This version adds (to the previous hadith No 4194): My father said to him (the Prophet): Show me what is on your back, for I am a physician. He (the Prophet) said: You are only a soother. Its physician is He Who has created it.
[1] A healer.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 4207In-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 49English translation : Book 34, Hadith 4195
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَعْلَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بِهِ أَبِي، عَنْ غَيْلاَنَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَفْضَلُ مَا غَيَّرْتُمْ بِهِ الشَّمَطَ الْحِنَّاءُ وَالْكَتَمُ " .
It was narrated from Abu Dharr that: The Prophet [SAW] said: "The best things with which you can change gray hair are Henna and Katam."
[2] A dye, which was dark. Some of them say it was a dye made by mixing a plant with henna , or other plants.Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 5077In-book reference : Book 48, Hadith 38English translation : Vol. 6, Book 48, Hadith 5080
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، وَسُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، أَنَّهُمَا سَمِعَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يُخْبِرُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى لاَ يَصْبُغُونَ فَخَالِفُوهُمْ " .
Abu Hurairah narrated that : The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "The Jews and the Christians do not dye their hair, so be different from them."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 5241In-book reference : Book 48, Hadith 202English translation : Vol. 6, Book 48, Hadith 5243
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ الْحَارِثِ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَزْرَةُ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ ثَابِتٍ - عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ أُتِيَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِأَبِي قُحَافَةَ وَرَأْسُهُ وَلِحْيَتُهُ كَأَنَّهُ ثَغَامَةٌ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " غَيِّرُوا أَوِ اخْضِبُوا " .
It was narrated that Jabir said: "Abu Quhafah was brought to the Messenger of Allah [SAW] and his head and beard were white like the Thaghamah. The Prophet [SAW] said: 'Change this, or dye it.'"
[1] A white fruit from a type of plant.Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 5242In-book reference : Book 48, Hadith 203English translation : Vol. 6, Book 48, Hadith 5244
أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَكِيمٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو قُتَيْبَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عُبَيْدٍ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ يُصَفِّرُ لِحْيَتَهُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَفِّرُ لِحْيَتَهُ .
It was narrated that 'Ubaid said: "I saw Ibn 'Umar dyeing his beard yellow and I asked him about that. 'He said: "I saw the Prophet [SAW] dye his beard yellow."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 5243In-book reference : Book 48, Hadith 204English translation : Vol. 6, Book 48, Hadith 5245
أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي رَوَّادٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَلْبَسُ النِّعَالَ السِّبْتِيَّةَ وَيُصَفِّرُ لِحْيَتَهُ بِالْوَرْسِ وَالزَّعْفَرَانِ . وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ .
It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "The Prophet [SAW] used to wear Sibtiyyah sandals and dye his beard yellow with Wars and saffron." And Ibn 'Umar used to do that.
[2] Made of hairless, tanned leather.Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 5244In-book reference : Book 48, Hadith 205English translation : Vol. 6, Book 48, Hadith 5246
حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا الزُّهْرِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، وَسُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى لاَ يَصْبُغُونَ فَخَالِفُوهُمْ ".
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Jews and Christians do not dye their hair so you should do the opposite of what they do.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5899In-book reference : Book 77, Hadith 116USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 72, Hadith 786
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، وَسُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، يَبْلُغُ بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى لاَ يَصْبُغُونَ فَخَالِفُوهُمْ " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: Jews and Christians do not dye (their beards), so act differently from them.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 4203In-book reference : Book 35, Hadith 45English translation : Book 34, Hadith 4191
