Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm Āl al-Shaykh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia (may Allah have mercy on him), said: “It is not permissible for women to shave their heads. Al-Nasāʾī has transmitted this with his chain in his Sunan from ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him), al-Bazzār with his chain in his Musnad from ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him), and Ibn Jarīr with his chain from ʿIkrimah (may Allah be pleased with him). They all reported that ‘the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade a woman to shave her head.’ A prohibition that comes from the Prophet ﷺ indicates that the act is unlawful unless there is evidence to the contrary.”

Mullā ʿAlī al-Qārī said in al-Mirqāt Sharḥ al-Mishkāt: “His statement ‘that a woman shave her head’—because a woman’s plaits are to her what a beard is to a man in appearance and dignity.” End of citation.⦗1⦘

As for trimming the hair of her head: if this is done out of a need unrelated to adornment—such as being unable to care for it, or because it grows excessively long and becomes difficult—there is no objection to cutting it according to the need. Some of the Prophet’s wives used to do this after his death, having given up adornment and no longer having any need for lengthy hair.

However, if a woman’s purpose in cutting her hair is to imitate disbelieving or immoral women, or to resemble men, then it is unquestionably forbidden. There is a general prohibition against imitating the disbelievers and against a woman resembling men. And if the intention