Answered by Shaykh Yūsuf Badāt
Question:
Is it permissible in Islam to tint or dye hair to black, gold, white or any other colour?
Answer:
In the Name of God, Most Kind, Most Merciful
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for your question.
Dying or colouring the hair is permissible in any reasonable colour that does not resemble the hair styles and hair colour of sinful people. The dye or hair-colour used should blend in the hair, not cover the hair [as a coating or shell]. (See: Fiqh al Ḥalāl wa al Ḥarām by Muftī Khālid Saifulllāh Al Raḥmānī)
“The Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings upon him) encouraged Abū Quḥāfah to dye his white hair.” – (See: Abū Dāwūd)
General Colours in Hair Dye
“ʿAbd Allāh Ibn ʿOmar (may God be pleased with him) used saffron coluour to die his hair.” – (See: Abū Dāwūd)
“ʿAbd Allāh Ibn ʿAbbas (may God be pleased with him) was of the view, it is best to use either henna or a yellowish colour.” – (See: Abū Dāwūd)
“There are reports the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) instructed to use red colour to die hair.” – (See: Fatḥ Al-Bārī)
Black Colour
Dying hair black is also permissible in general. Some jurists have deemed it as makrūh (disliked). – (See: Fiqh al Ḥalāl wa al Ḥarām by Muftī Khālid Saifulllāh Al Raḥmānī)
Most jurists are of the view that the narrations that prohibit black are weak in nature. (See: Fath Al-Bari)
ʿOthmān Ibn ʿAffān, Ḥasan Ibn ʿAlī, Ḥusayn Ibn ʿAlī, ʿUrwah Ibn Zubayr, Ibn ʿAbbās, ʿUtbah Ibn ʿĀmir, Ibn Al-Shihāb Al-Zuhrīy and Ibn Sirīn (may God be pleased with them) are all of the view that black hair dye coulour is permissible.” – (See: ʿUmdat Al-Qārīy, Sharḥ Al-Nawawī of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Qāmūs Al-Fiqh and Fiqh al Ḥalāl wa al Ḥarām by Muftī Khālid Saifulllāh Al Raḥmānī)
And Allāh Knows Best
