Why do we cut our hair after Umrah?

Halq: refers to the act of shaving the entire head and Taqsir: involves trimming the hair on the head by at least an inch. Performing Halq or Taqsir is the Wajib act that must be performed to leave the state of Ihram.

Significance:

Allah says in the Quran:

Certainly, Allah had shown to His Messenger the vision with truth: you will most certainly enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah pleases, in security, having their heads shaved and having their hair cut, you will not fear, but He knows what you do not know, so He brought about a near victory before that. [Surah al-Fath, 48:27]

The famous Mufassir Ismail ibn Kathir V writes the following about this verse: In a dream, the Messenger of Allah saw himself entering Makkah and performing Tawaf around the House. He then invoked the mercy of Allah on those who had shaved their heads three times and he supplicated just once for those who had their hair shortened, demonstrating the excellence of shaving the hair completely. The Prophet SAWW said, “Be merciful to those who get their head shaved,” and on the fourth time he added, “And to those who have their hair cut short”. [Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari]

Rulings and Method:

Halq or Taqsir is Wajib. You will not be able to leave the state of Ihram until you have performed one of the two. Abdullah ibn Umar I narrates: Allah’s Messenger SAWW forbade Al-Qaza (leaving a tuft of hair here and there after shaving one’s head). [Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari] It is Sunnah to face the Qibla and start Halq / Taqsir from the right side.

Anas ibn Malik R.A reported:

Allah’s Messenger SAWW came to Mina; he went to the Jamarat and threw pebbles at it, after which he went to his lodging in Mina, and sacrificed the animal. He then gave it to the people. [Narrated in Sahih Muslim] If you have no hair on your head, simply passing a razor over your head will suffice. When doing Taqsir, the minimum amount to trim is the length of a fingertip from all ends of the hair. It is permissible and a common practice to have someone else cut your hair for you. Men and women may also cut their own hair to come out of Ihram. Trimming the Hair for Women Women are not to perform Halq i.e.have their heads shaved. The evidence for this is from the following Hadith narrated by Ali R. A: The Messenger of Allah forbade women to shave their heads. [Narrated in Sunan an-Nasa’i] A woman is simply to trim a fingertip’s length i.e.about an inch from the end of her hair. In the case of a woman’s hair being very short in length, it must still be trimmed to leave the state of Ihram. If you are performing Umrah by cheap umrah packages from London or Hajj al-Tamattu, do not forget to cut your hair before coming back to the hotel. Many women forget to do so and incur penalties due to still being in the state of Ihram. If this happens, a slaughter Is then levied on the pilgrim as expiation.

When and Where For those performing Umrah out of the Hajj season, the hair is cut once after performing Sa’i. For those performing Hajj al-Tamattu, where Umrah and Hajj are performed separately, the hair is cut twice; once during Umrah and once during Hajj, after the Hady is completed. For those performing Hajj al-Qiran, the hair is cut once during Hajj, after the Hady is completed. For those performing Hajj al-Ifrad, the hair is cut once during Hajj and can be performed straight after the pelting of Jamarat al-Aqaba. For all three types of Hajj, the hair must be cut before sunset on the 12th of Dhul Hijjah. The hair can be cut in Makkah, Mina or Muzdalifah. It is Sunnah for those performing Hajj to have their hair cut in Mina. Licensed barbers, on the other hand, charge up to 30 Riyals for a shave. Since barber shops are often busy and to save some money, you also have the option of shaving your head. You can bring hair clippers to cut your hair and use a razor to clean and shave your head.