What is the ruling on al-qaza’? Is it makrooh?
Ans. All Perfect Praise be to Allah.
Qaza’ means shaving part of the head and leaving part of it.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (1/167): Qaza’ means shaving part of the head and leaving part of it.
It is of different types:
1- Where the shaving is not done properly, so some hair is shaved on the right side and on the left, and on the front, and on the back [i.e., separate parts of the head are shaved and the rest is left].
2- Where the middle is shaved and the sides are left.
3- Where the sides are shaved and the middle is left.
4- Where the front part only is shaved and the rest is left.
End quote.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade qaza’. Al-Bukhaari (5921) and Muslim (2120) narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade qaza’. Naafi’ was asked: What is al-qaza’? He said: Shaving part of a boy’s head and leaving part.
Imam Ahmad (5583) narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw a boy, part of whose hair had been shaved and part had been left. He forbade that and said: “Shave it all or leave it all.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Saheehah (1123).
The prohibition in these ahaadeeth which speak of qaza’ is to be understood as meaning that it is makrooh, not haraam.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo’ (1/347): Qaza’, which means shaving part of the head, is makrooh because of the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar in al-Saheehayn, which says that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade qaza’. End quote.
The author of Mataalib Ooli al-Nuha (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Qaza’, which means shaving part of the head and leaving some, is makrooh. End quote.
Based on this, qaza’ is makrooh, unless a person does it in imitation of the kuffaar or evildoers, in which case it is haraam, not makrooh.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Qaza’ is makrooh, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw a boy, part of whose hair had been shaved and part had been left. He told them not to do that and said: “Shave it all or leave it all.” But if it is done in imitation of the kuffaar it is haraam, because imitating the kuffaar is haraam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” end quote.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (1/167).
And Allaah knows best.