The 365 · Sunnah · Day 283 · Cleanliness
Combing the Hair, Oiling It, Caring for the Body's Appearance
The hadith
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ شَعْرٌ فَلْيُكْرِمْهُ»
The Prophet ﷺ said: Whoever has hair, let him honor it. (Abū Dāwūd, ḥasan)
Svenska: Profeten ﷺ sa: Den som har hår, låt honom hedra det. (Abu Dawud, ḥasan)
Sunan Abū Dāwūd 4163, classified ḥasan. Anas radiya Allāhu ʿanhu also described the Prophet ﷺ combing his hair and beard regularly (Muslim 2344).
The story
Anas described the Prophet's ﷺ hair: it was wavy, reaching to his shoulders or below, parted from the middle. He combed it daily. He used oil (often olive oil or some natural oil). The hair was preserved as a Sunnah image: the believer's care for his appearance reflects the dignity of the dīn he carries.
Why it's here
The Prophet ﷺ was meticulous about appearance: combing his hair, oiling it, parting it neatly, keeping his beard groomed. The Sunnah of honoring the hair is part of the believer's general care for the body Allah created. The unkempt appearance is named in the Sunnah literature as the appearance of one whom shayṭān has influenced (drawn from multiple narrations).
Try it today
1) Keep a comb visible in your bathroom and use it daily. 2) Apply a natural oil to hair and beard once or twice a week. 3) Maintain regular trimming and styling within Islamic guidelines (men: keep the beard, trim the mustache; women: as per personal practice within īmān).
In your day
Comb your hair daily. Trim or maintain regularly. For men with beards, comb and oil the beard; for those whose hair grows long enough, the Sunnah is to maintain its quality. For women, the same care applies under the hijab; the modest framing does not eliminate the duty of honor.
A reflection to carry
Some believers think piety requires neglect of appearance. The Sunnah is the opposite. The Prophet ﷺ, the most beloved of believers, was the most particular about his appearance. He smiled at his reflection in water before going out; he wore his best for the masjid; he applied perfume. The Sunnah's beauty is to honor what Allah gave us. Neglect of appearance is closer to the Sunnah of shayṭān than of the Prophet ﷺ. Tonight, look in the mirror as the Prophet ﷺ would have: see the gift, honor it.
Read the longer reflection
There is a teaching in the Prophet's ﷺ appearance that few notice. He was meticulous but not vain. The line between honoring the body and being preoccupied with it is drawn by intention. The believer who combs his hair as a Sunnah is following the Prophet ﷺ; the believer who combs his hair to be admired is in the territory of riyāʾ. The same act, different intention. Tonight, when you maintain your appearance, do so with the intention: I am honoring what Allah created, following the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. The act becomes worship. Yā Allāh, let our care for the bodies You gave us be a Sunnah, not a vanity. Beautify us in ways You love. Āmīn.
Sources: Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasai. The Qur'an and its translation are verified; the scholarship is retold faithfully in our own words and credited to its sources, never reproduced verbatim.
A verse, a healing, and a Sunnah, every morning.
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