Intro to being "Islamicly Locked"

2005-03-06T14:54:00.000-05:00

As Salaam A’laykom

I have created this blog with the express purpose of educating those that would like to “lock” or dread lock their hair on the how to’s. As Muslims every aspect of our lives is governed by our religion. As such certain precautions must be taken into consideration before under taking a particular endeavor and that would include locking the hair. For a non Muslim this may seem odd or restricting however upon closer inspection if one were to analyze their own lives they would come to the realization that everything a person does is governed by either a law be it religious or secular, or by a belief system be that a personal belief system which one develops over time via observing life and different aspects of life or a religious belief system be it Islam, Christianity or Hinduism for that matter.

My point in stating the above is to stress the fact that although there are many methods which can be under taken when it comes to locking ones hair, the methods entailed on this site will only entail the Islamic aspect of this process. If the reader is not Muslim but is interested in locking by all means please continue to view this site as this will also contain very valuable information and glimpse into the Islamic faith.

A brief look into the history of Islam

Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (PBUH) was born on the year 570 AD. He was born to the parents of Abdullah and Ameena in the holy city of Mecca in present day Saudi Arabia. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) found himself orphaned at the age of six when his mother Ameena died while traveling from Medina to Mecca. His father died previously shortly after the holy prophet’s birth. So the burden of raising the holy prophet fell upon his grandfather (Abdul Muttalib) and shortly after his death his uncle (Abu Talib).

Later in young adult hood the prophet became well known for his honesty and compassion for his fellow man and as such was given the name Mustapha (One who is trust worthy). As a result of this he was given the opportunity to run a caravan trading business for a widowed business woman by the name of Khadija bint al Khuwalid. After a brief period Khadija bint al khuwalid expressed an interest in marrying after witnessing his good moral character. It was not long after that Khadija’s and the holy prophet were married. From the fruits of their marriage came two sons named Qasim and Tahir who passed away as infants in Mecca and four daughters named Ruqiyah, Zaynab, Umm Kulsum, and Fatima. After twenty five long and glorious years Khadija Bint al Khuwalid died at the age of 65.

During the early years of the holy prophets marriage to Khadija he would go to mount Hirat to contemplate on life when one day he was visited by the Arch Angel Gabriel (Jibreel in Arabic) who said to him `Recite!' to which the holy prophet replied, `What shall I recite?' Again the divine voice very clearly and openly called out, `Recite, O Muhammad!'

And a third time Gabriel repeated, `Recite in the Name of Your Lord Who created. He created the human being from a clot. Recite and your Lord is Most Honorable, Who taught (to write) with the pen, taught the human being what he knew not' (Al Quran 95:1-5).

This marked the beginning Mohammad’s (pbuh) prophetic mission. The Holy Prophet Muhammad taught that Islam is an Abrahamic faith. To understand this one must understand that Islam follows the traditions of the prophet Abraham. This may be a bit confusing to some but it must be remembered that contrary to popular belief The Prophet Abraham was not Jewish as the term Jewish did not come about until the time of the kingdom founded by the son of the prophet Jacob (Ya’qob) whose name was Yahudah. To be more precise the word Jew or Jewish is an english mistranslation of the word Yahudah which is the Hebrew word for the son of the prophet Jacob and later attributed to those people from his kingdom. The prophet Abraham in fact was a monotheist and he and his followers were referred to as Hebrews. According to Jewish sources the word "Hebrew" (in Hebrew, "Ivri") is first used in the Torah to describe the prophet Abraham (Gen. 14:13). According to the same Jewish source the term Hebrew may also be derived from the name Eber, one of Abraham's ancestors. Another Jewish tradition teaches that the word comes from the word "eyver," which means "the other side," referring to the fact that Abraham (pbuh) came from the other side of the Euphrates, or referring to the fact Abraham was separated from the other nations morally and spiritually.

On a side note, I would also like to mention that in English bibles the term Jew does appear however as stated above the term does not appear in the Jewish bible, and instead is a mistranslation.

Whatever the case may be the prophet Abraham is attributed with being the world’s first monotheist and is the fore father of a long line of prophets and the father of Ishmael and Isaac who are attributed to being the fore bearers of the two Semitic groups Arabs and Jews a like. From the line of prophets descending from the prophet Abraham we have the present day three major religions Judaism, Christianity and Islam as well as smaller lesser known group’s one being the Sabeans (the followers of John the Baptist). It should also be mentioned that Islam accepts all of the biblical as well as thousands of other prophets who were sent to the different nations and tribes on the earth all of which were sent by Allah to reform the nations to which they were sent. Muslims also believe that Muhammad (pbuh) was the last and final prophet and is the seal of the prophets.

The Islamic creed which serves as the foundation of Islamic teachings is the five pillars of Islam which are as follows:

There is no god but Allah and Muhammad Ibn Abdullah is his last and final messenger.
The establishment of the five daily prayers (Morning, Afternoon, Early Evening, Late evening and Night)
The giving of Alms (which is equal to about 2% of a persons savings) which is to be distributed to the needy
Fasting during the month of Ramadan (This is the month it is said the Quran was revealed to the holy Prophet)
The pilgrimage to Mecca (which is only to be undertaken by those who have the financial and physical means to undertake the journey)

Later developments

These are all universally agreed upon points within the Islamic community however a historical split did occur which was based on the principle of succession or who should lead the Muslims in religious and governmental affairs upon the death of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Ahl al Sunnat wa al Jumma’t (Or Sunnis) assert that the holy prophet left behind no clear designation while the Shi’a (partisans) believe that the prophet’s son in law and first cousin Ali Ibn Abi Talib was designated as the prophet’s Successor (khalif). The Shi’a believe that not only did the prophet designate Ali ibn Abi Talib but that he also stated 12 of the descendants which were direct descendents of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima bint Muhammad (the Prophet’s daughter) would also rule over the Muslims one after the other. These descendants are known as the ahl al bayt or people of the house.

With this divergence came some small variations in practices but nothing which would lead one to the conclusion that the other groups are apostate. However some elements with in Islam specifically groups like the Wahabis (Salafis) make it a point especially on various websites to denounce Shi’a as being apostates because of their rejection of the Sunni caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman as rightful leaders.

What does Islam say about men’s hair, specifically locks?

This is an interesting topic and depending on who you speak to the answer may differ from person to person. It should be noted that there are several hadith (traditions narrated by Muslims who lived during the time of the holy prophet) which state that the holy prophet wore his hair in braids or what is popular termed plats. The traditions state he often had his hair in two plats one on either side of the head. There are also other traditions (Hadith) which make mention of other Muslim men with this hair style. Among the Shi’a traditions we also see this mentioned as well as the tradition of some of their Imams (leaders) from the ahl al bayt (people of the house) who had their hair plated, specifically Imam Rida. While this is no clear indication that locking ones hair is Islamicaly permissible it is a clear indication that men did often in that time braid their hair and kept their hair rather long shoulder length or a bit past the shoulders.

So now with this in mind what does Islam have to say about Dreadlocks? First I will provide a ruling by a Shi’a scholar by the name of Ayatollah Khameini who is the present day waliyat al faqih (Juristic leader of the Islamic republic of Iran). The following question and answer was sent to Ayatollah Khameini’s office in Qom Iran:

As Salam Alaykom

I would like to ask the Sayyid (HA) the ruling on two types of hair styles.

1. Is dredlocks. This is a process of twisting the hair into cylndrical shapes and keeping the hair this way until the hair mats together. This hair style does not stop water from reaching the scalp at all.

2. The hairstyle called cornrow. This is a process of braiding the hair tightly along the scalp usually front to back. This also does not stop water from reaching the scalp.

Is there any ruling or any reason a Muslim couldn't have this hairstyle?

Thank you

As Salam A'laykom

Answer

Salamun `alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.
The answer is as follows:

Bismihi Ta`ala

In itself, there is no objection to the hair styles.

With prayers for your success,

wassalam.

To add on to this the use of the term “In itself” refers to the fact that as long as the hair style does not prevent one from performing their religious obligations namely the ritual purification known as wudhu which requires the running of water over the scalp in preparation for praying. So the hairstyle must allow water to run freely over the scalp. This is not a problem what so ever with locks as the roots are not themselves locked but instead the ¼ of an inch of hair closest to the scalp is loose like normal free standing hair and water is not impeded from flowing over the scalp.

The next ruling was given by Dr. Yusuf Ziya Kavakci a Sunni Islamic lawyer who has practiced law in Turkiye, Libya and Saudi Arabia.

Question I am looking for a fatwa on women having dreadlocks. Dreadlocks can be neat and clean. They can be wet daily for wudu and lathered with shampoo for ghusl, the parts are neat so that water can reach the scalp at all times. The only difference is that each lock cannot be combed out although they can be washed like unlocked strands of hair, so in essence each lock functions as a strait of hair. I am asking what the Islamic ruling on having them is, is it okay since I can wash them with water and shampoo after my menses or janaba, and what about at the time of my janaza (funeral) they can be washed then also, even though each lock is taken out and the locks can be braided into three braids.

Answer In a situation of Wudu there is no need to unlock the dreads and blocks of hair. All that is required is that you wipe over the hairs of the dread locks. But in the case of Ghusul (process of purifying the entire body via a bath) from Janabah and Menses, the hairs need to be done and washed so that all of the hairs are completely wet and the water reached your skull. The same goes for Ghusl of Janaza (funeral). If these conditions can be met, then having dreadlocks is not Haram(a sin)

I have seen the ruling of one scholar from India which stated dreadlocks are not permissible as it is a hairstyle started by non Muslims namely Rastafarians and as such Muslims should not follow the traditions of other religions. However I would like to point out that the tradition of wearing dreadlocks was used by a Muslim group in West Africa namely the Baye Fall mourids from Senegal. This is a Sufi offshoot of the Qadiryani Sufi brotherhood founded by Amado Bamba, one of West Africas most famous and revered Sufi Shaykhs.

Sufism

Sufism with in the greater context of Islam is a spiritual movement generally found in Sunni Islam. Shi’a Islam has a similar movement which is referred to as Irfan. Both Sufis and Irfanis claim to have a chain of teachers which are all linked back to Ali ibn Abi Talib (the son in law of Muhammad (pbuh)) and from him to the holy Prophet Muhammad. It is said that these teachings are the inner spiritual teachings of Islam which only those able to comprehend are allowed to learn. Would be students generally must seek and find a Shaykh or Sufi/Irfani teacher which will guide them in their spiritual development. The four main brotherhoods or schools among the Sunni strain of Sufism include Chishtiyya, the Naqshbandiyya, the Qadiriyya and the Mujaddiyya.

Baye Fall

Cheikh Lo (Senegalese Musician)
Baye Fall talib

It is from the Qadiriyya Sufi School that the Baye Fall Sufi movement was born in Senegal in the later 1800’s. The founder of the Baye Fall movement was Cheikh Ibrahima Fall. Cheikh Ibrahima taught his students that Islamic religious obligations were not enough to reform and sublimate ones soul. Instead one also needed to do work with in his community. It is from this tradition the Baye Fall have come to be known for their various communal endeavors such as groundnut and peanut cultivation as well as garment manufacturing. Generally the proceeds from these works go back into helping the community at large for which they serve. Another characteristic they are known for is their long Dread Locks which according to them symbolizes modesty and a conscious reservation from the material world.

It is important to note that while the Baye Fall have their roots in the later part of the 1800’s, the Rastafarian movement didn’t start to take shape until the 1930’s. Some of the Rastafarian beliefs and practices namely communal practices, Dreadlocks and the smoking of marijuana have been attributed to Hindu mystics known as saddhus who were imported into the West Indies as indentured servants. These facts high light the fact that dreadlocks are not only exclusive to one religious group or tradition, but as it stands it is also an Islamic phenomenon as it has developed in West Africa.