What hair length am I allowed to keep as a girl?

Question

I'm a girl. How long must I keep my hair? What is the minimum length required? My hair grows fast and my mother doesn't let me cut it, saying that women must keep their hair long. I don't mind the long hair but it gets difficult handling it when it reaches my knees.

Answer 1

I don't know from where people get that it is prohibited, as this has no backup unless from local customs! Here is a reference to the Fatwa @Abdel Rahman Shamel mentioned.

You find in Sahih Muslim

Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al−Rahman reported: I along with the foster brother of 'A'isha went to her and he asked about the bath of the Naby (Messenger of Allah) (may peace be upon him) because of sexual intercourse. She called for a vessel equal to a Sa' and she took a bath. and there was a curtain (Hijab) between us and her. She poured water on her head thrice and he (Abu Salama) said: The wives of the Naby (Messenger of Allah) (may peace be upon him) collected hair on their heads and these lopped up to ears (and did not go beyond that).

As I have some bad feelings about the word "Apostle" I changed it in the text to "Naby" and added "(Messenger of Allah)". I also added the word (Hijab) to make clear they didn't see her which is explained in other versions of the hadith!

This hadith has been compiled in the following books:

• Nisai: (Al-Sughra) ;(Al-Kubra)
• Musnad Ahmed
• Mustakhraj Sahih Muslim
• Musnad Abu-Awana
• Sunan Al-Kubra Al-Bahqhi

As far as I know it's not prohibited for a Muslim woman to cut her hair (except with shaving it, see for example in Jami' at-Tirmidhi and Sunan an-Nasa-i) in this view is consider by scholars as weak as it goes against clear statements in the sunnah as shown above! But for a married one she should ask her husband because it's allowed to her to cut her hair to please him. For that reason I might think a non married girl should take the permission of her father. And you can give the above hadith as a reference that it is allowed! For details you ma refer to islamqa #174932

Another "limitation" is that women should avoid imitating men, so they shouldn't cut their hair in a similar way/style or length according the local customs. See also this hadith.
Note that assuming women are covered by hijab nobody except their husband would see whether they've imitated men or not.

Also note that a woman must cut or take from all of her hair to have her Hajj and 'Umrah accepted and leave the ihram as an obligatory act.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Shaving is not a duty laid on women; only clipping the hair is incumbent on them. (Sunan abi Dawod)

For details see islamqa #110804

As stated in my comment on another answer here:
Even for health reasons hair should be cut from time to time as if not it could start falling - as it was in my wife's case she likes to have her hair long! Cutting the hair makes it healthier and stronger!

At least here's a Fatwa in Arabic.

Answer 2

Al sheikh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said that it is allowed for a woman to cut her hair as long as it isn't meant to imitate kafir women, and as long as it pleases her and her husband, but since you're not married then that isn't a problem. It was also narrated in Sahih Muslim that Abu Salamah Ibn Abdel Rahman said: "The wives of the Prophet PBUH used to cut their hair until it came just below their ears."

I hope that helped, and Allah knows best.

Answer 3

Bismillahi rahmaan rahiim. Women are not allowed to cut their hair as they might imitate men. Men are allowed to grow their hair up to the shoulders or above them. Therefore women's hair should below the shoulders because cutting their up to the height of men is accursed action. Its also not allowed to imitate non muslims who cut their hair for fashion. Because ''anyone who imitates a group is part of it''.

Answer 4

Dear it is prohibited for women in islam to cut the hairs so we are not allowed to cut it because at Maidan e Hashr your hair will cover your body part that is why it is prohibited for us but really i haven't heard about the minimum length of hairs because everytime everyone said not to cut your hair because i too have long hairs and difficult to carry it but due to hijab it is always tied in the form juda.

Answer 5

Like we're does it say in the Qur'an that girls are allowed to cut their hair I just don't believe that it is true unless the reason is genuine or for health conditions then a women should leve the hair alone it's only natural to its a gift from Allah like the zam zam water it's a blessing

Answer 6

Abu Salamab. 'Abd al−Rahman reported: I along with the foster brother of 'A'isha went to her and he asked about the bath of the Naby (Messenger of Allah) (may peace be upon him) because of sexual intercourse. She called for a vessel equal toa Sa' and she took a bath. and there was a curtain (Hijab) between us and her. She poured water on her head thrice and he (Abu Salama) said: The wives of the Naby (Messenger of Allah) (may peace be upon him) collected hair on their heads and these lopped (means cut) up to ears (and did not go beyond that).

Answer 7

Male's hair can be upto shoulder. If a man has hairs which goes below shoulder than it resembles women. And a female's hair should be below shoulders otherwise it will resemble men.