What does Islam say about hairstyles?

Question

Does Islam (Quran, Sunnah, or Hadith) say anything about hairstyles? Can I do anything I want to with my hair, like spiking or dyeing, or does it have to be cropped to a small size?

Answer 1

No, you can't do anything to your hair. The rules are fairly simple:

1. Men should not look like women
2. Women should not look like men
3. The style should not imitate kafir
4. It is best to imitate the prophet of Islam

You can read the full fatwa here from islamqa.

So if this spiking style was a trend started by a kafir, then that style would not be allowed Islamically.

Answer 2

Hadith - Bukhari 4:668, Narrated Abu Huraira , see also Bukhari 7:786

Allah's Apostle said, "The Jews and the Christians do not dye (their grey hair), so you shall do the opposite of what they do (i.e. dye your grey hair and beards)."

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Hadith - Muslim, Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah

When AbuQuhafah (father of AbuBakr) came in the Year of Victory or on the Day of Victory (to the Prophet to pledge his allegiance to him) his head and his beard were white like hyssop. He (the Prophet ) commanded or the women were commanded by him that they should change this with something (that the color of his hair should be changed).

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Hadith - Muslim, Narrated 'Ubaid Ibn Juraij

...And about the dyeing of hair with Hinna; no doubt I saw Allah's Apostle dyeing his hair with it and that is why I like to dye (my hair with it)...

^{Sources: 1, 2}

it is prohibited to have your hair in the style that looks like camel humps,

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "There are two types of people who will be punished in Hell and whom I have not seen: men having whips like the tails of cows and they will be beating people with them, and, women who will be dressed but appear to be naked, inviting to evil; and they themselves will be inclined to it. Their heads will appear like the humps of the Bactrian camel inclined to one side. They will not enter Jannah and they will not smell its fragrance which is perceptible from such and such a distance."

[Muslim].

وعنه قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏ "‏صِنفان من أهل النار لم أرهما‏:‏ قوم معهم سياط كأذناب البقر يضربون بها الناس، ونساء كاسيات عاريات مميلات مائلات، رءوسهن كأسنمة البخت المائلة لا يدخلن الجنة، ولا يجدن ريحها، وإن ريحها ليوجد من مسيرة كذا وكذا‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه مسلم‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

Everything is halal until proven guilty, it is prohibited to have a hair style which looks like a camel hump, there is a hadith which says that camel humps hair style is a sign of judgement day, do not keep one part of your hair long and the other short just keep it long or cut it all

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah [SAW] forbade Al-Qaza' (to shave part of the head and leave part)." (Sahih)

أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، رضى الله عنهما قَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الْقَزَعِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ حَدِيثُ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ بِشْرٍ أَوْلَى بِالصَّوَابِ ‏.‏