بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
What Is Henna?
Henna is the dried and powdered leaf of the dwarf evergreen shrub Lawsonia inermis, a member of the family Lythraceae and sole species of the genus Lawsonia.
When applied to the skin, hair, or nails, the pigment lawsone in henna leaves interacts with the keratin which results in a reddish‐brown colour.
What is Katam?
Katam is the dried and powdered leaf of the Buxus dioica, a member of the Buxaceae family.
When applied, the pigment-skin interaction results in a dark colour – almost black – with violet undertones.
The recommendation to dye the hair [male/female] & beard [male] with henna and katam
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِنَّ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى لاَ يَصْبُغُونَ فَخَالِفُوهُمْ ”
Abû Hurayrah reported Allâh’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The Jews and the Christians do not dye (their hair), so oppose them. (Sahîh Bukhârî 2103)
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
Jâbir ibn ‘Abdullâh reported that Abû Quhâfah was led (to the audience of the Holy Prophet) on the day of the Conquest of Mecca and his head and beard were white like hyssop, whereupon Allâh’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Change it with something but avoid black. (Sahîh Muslim 2102)
عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِنَّ أَحْسَنَ مَا غُيِّرَ بِهِ هَذَا الشَّيْبُ الْحِنَّاءُ وَالْكَتَمُ ”
Narrated by Abû Dharr: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The best things with which grey hair are changed are henna and katam. (Abû Dawûd 4205. Declared Sahîh by Al-Albânî)
عَنْ أَبِي رِمْثَةَ، قَالَ انْطَلَقْتُ مَعَ أَبِي نَحْوَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَإِذَا هُوَ ذُو وَفْرَةٍ بِهَا رَدْعُ حِنَّاءَ وَعَلَيْهِ بُرْدَانِ أَخْضَرَانِ
Narrated by Abû Rimthah: I went with my father to the Prophet (ﷺ). He had locks hanging down as far as the lobes of the ears stained with henna, and he was wearing two green garments. (Abû Dawûd 4206. Declared Sahîh by Al-Albânî)
عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ مَوْهَبٍ، قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ . قَالَ فَأَخْرَجَتْ إِلَىَّ شَعَرًا مِنْ شَعَرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ مَخْضُوبًا بِالْحِنَّاءِ وَالْكَتَمِ
Narrated that ‘Uthmân ibn Mawhab said:“I entered upon Umm Salamah and she brought out for me a hair of the Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ), which was dyed with henna and katam.” (Ibn Mâjah 3623. Declared Sahîh by Al-Albânî)
عَنْ أَنَسٍ، خَادِمِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلَيْسَ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ أَشْمَطُ غَيْرَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، فَغَلَفَهَا بِالْحِنَّاءِ وَالْكَتَمِ
Narrated by Anas: (the servant of the Prophet) When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived (at Medînah), there was not a single companion of the Prophet (ﷺ) who had grey and black hair except Abû Bakr, and he dyed his hair with Henna’ and Katam. (Sahîh Bukhârî 3919)
The prohibition to dye the hair black
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ يَكُونُ قَوْمٌ يَخْضِبُونَ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ بِالسَّوَادِ كَحَوَاصِلِ الْحَمَامِ لاَ يَرِيحُونَ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ ”
Narrated by Abdullâh ibn Abbâs: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: At the end of time there will be people who will dye their hair with black like the crops of doves and will not smell the fragrance of Paradise. (Abû Dawûd 4212. Declared Sahîh by Al-Albânî)
The recommendation to use henna on the skin (for women)
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أُتِيَ بِمُخَنَّثٍ قَدْ خَضَبَ يَدَيْهِ وَرِجْلَيْهِ بِالْحِنَّاءِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” مَا بَالُ هَذَا ” . فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يَتَشَبَّهُ بِالنِّسَاءِ . فَأُمِرَ بِهِ فَنُفِيَ إِلَى النَّقِيعِ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلاَ نَقْتُلُهُ فَقَالَ ” إِنِّي نُهِيتُ عَنْ قَتْلِ الْمُصَلِّينَ ” . قَالَ أَبُو أُسَامَةَ وَالنَّقِيعُ نَاحِيَةٌ عَنِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَلَيْسَ بِالْبَقِيعِ
Narrated Abû Hurayrah: Am effeminate man (mukhannath) who had dyed his hands and feet with henna was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ). He asked: What is the matter with this man? He was told: “Messenger of Allâh! He imitates the look of women.” So he issued an order regarding him and he was banished to an-Naqi’. The people said: Messenger of Allâh! Should we not kill him? He said: I have been prohibited from killing people who pray. Abû Usâmah said: Naqi’ is a region near Medînah and not a Baqi’.
Abu Dawûd 4928. Declared Sahîh by Al-Albânî.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، – رضى الله عنها – قَالَتْ أَوْمَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ وَرَاءِ سِتْرٍ بِيَدِهَا كِتَابٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَبَضَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدَهُ فَقَالَ ” مَا أَدْرِي أَيَدُ رَجُلٍ أَمْ يَدُ امْرَأَةٍ ” . قَالَتْ بَلِ امْرَأَةٌ . قَالَ ” لَوْ كُنْتِ امْرَأَةً لَغَيَّرْتِ أَظْفَارَكِ ” . يَعْنِي بِالْحِنَّاءِ .
Narrated by ‘Âishah :A woman made a sign from behind a curtain to indicate that she had a letter for the Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) closed his hand, saying: I do not know if this is a man’s or a woman’s hand. She said: No, a woman. He said: If you were a woman, you would make a difference to your nails, meaning with henna.
Abû Dawûd 4166. Declared Hasan by Al-Albânî
Fatâwâ of Shaykh Abd al-‘Azîz Ibn Bâz (may Allâh have mercy upon him)
Question: Is it obligatory for a woman to put henna on her hands, because some people say that a woman is imitating men if she does not put henna on her hands?
Answer: Undoubtedly dyeing her hands with henna is recommended. There are some hadîths concerning that which are somewhat da‘îf (weak), but it is better for her to dye them with henna. As to whether that is obligatory or it is forbidden (harâm) for her to leave her hands white, I do not know of any basis for saying that. But it is better and preferable for her to dye them with henna, so that they will not resemble the hands of a man. This is what is better and is preferable, because there are hadîths which speak of this, and because it is part of the Sunnah that is well-known among women and it was customary at the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and afterwards to dye the hands with henna, and it is preferable for women.
السؤال:
من المرسلة… وردتنا هذه الرسالة تقول فيها:
هل يجب على المرأة وضع الحناء في يديها؛ لأن البعض يقول: إن المرأة تتشبه بالرجل إذا لم تضع الحناء في يديها؟
الجواب:
لا شك أن تغيير يديها بالحناء مستحب، وقد جاء فيه أحاديث لا تخلو من ضعف، فالأولى لها أن تغيرها بالحناء، أما كون ذلك يجب أو كونه يحرم عليها بقاء يديها بيضاء فلا أعلم له أصلاً، ولكن الأفضل والأولى أن تغيرها بالحناء حتى تكون غير مشابهة ليد الرجل، هذا هو الأفضل والأولى؛ لأنه جاء في هذا أحاديث ولأنه من السنة المعلومة بين النساء والمعروفة في عهد النبي ﷺ وبعده تغيير اليدين بالحناء هو أمر معلوم، وهو الأولى في حق المرأة
The medicinal properties of Henna (L.inermis)
- Antibacterial
Henna has shown to be antibacterial against a range of bacterial organisms : Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, P. aeruginosa, Bacillus spp, Klesiella pneumoniae, Salmonella spp, Shigella sonnei, Citrobacter frewndii, Vibrio cholerae, Neisseria meningitides, Haemophilus influenzae, Aeromonas hydrophila, MRSA, Micrococcus spp, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Bacteriodes fragilis, Clostridium perfringens [1].
References
[1] Habbal O, Al-Jabri A, El-Hag A, Al-Mahrooqi Z, Al-Hashmi N. In vitro antimicrobial activity of Lawsonia Inermis linn (henna). A pilot study on the Omani henna. Saudi Med J 2005;26:69-72.
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