His statement, “And he shaves or shortens all of his hair”: it would have been better had the author said, “Then he shaves …,” so that we would know that this is in sequence. He shaves all of his hair with a razor, not with clippers—even if they are set to their shortest setting—for that is not considered shaving. Shaving must be done with a razor. The wisdom behind shaving the head is that it is an act of humility before Allah, not a means of cleanliness. This is why it was not prescribed outside the state of ihram: we were not commanded to shave our heads, whereas we were commanded to shave the pubic hair and pluck the underarm hair for cleanliness. Accordingly, shaving the head is an act of worship through which we draw near to Allah.

His statement, “or shortens”: here, this indicates a choice, but a choice between what is superior and what is inferior. Shaving is superior, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, supplicated for those who shave their heads three times, and for those who shorten their hair once (1). He mentioned the latter merely in conjunction, rather than saying, “O Allah, have mercy on those who shorten their hair,” indicating that shortening the hair is of a far lower rank.

Furthermore, Allah mentioned shaving first, saying:

“Surely you will enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, in safety, with your heads shaved or your hair shortened, fearing nothing.” [Al-Fath 48:27]

He may shave his own head, or have someone else shave it, contrary to what some scholars have said—that if a person shaves his own head, he has committed a prohibited act. We say: he has not committed a prohibited act; rather, he has shaved for the sake of the ritual.

By his statement, “all of his hair,” the author indicates that shortening the hair must