Halk or Taksir refers to shaving the head or cutting the hair. It is obligatory to perform Halk or Taksir during Umrah. Performing Halk or Taksir is the final step of Umrah. That is, after the Sa’i, one must perform Halk or Taksir. Through this, the Umrah is completed.
Why is Halk or Taksir performed?
Halk or Taksir is performed because it is a symbol of completing Hajj or Umrah. It signifies that you have completed your Hajj or Umrah. In other words, through your Halk or Taksir, it is understood that your Hajj or Umrah has been completed. Additionally, it is the formal declaration of release from the state of Ihram.
The History of Halk or Taksir
Allah says in the Qur’an:
لَقَدْ صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ رَسُولَهُ الرُّؤْيَا بِالْحَقِّ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللّٰهُ آمِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ اللّٰهُ آمِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ لَا تَخَافُونَ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا فَجَعَلَ مِنْ دُونِ ذَلِكَ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا ❁
Indeed, Allah has confirmed the dream of His Messenger with truth. You will surely enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, in safety, with some of you shaving your heads and others shortening your hair. You will not fear. But He knew what you did not know and had arranged before that a victory near at hand. [Surah Al-Fath, 48:27]
The famous Mufassir Ismail ibn Kathir wrote the following about this verse:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw in a dream that he was entering Makkah and performing Tawaf around the Ka’bah. While in Madinah, he told his companions about this dream. Some of them shaved their heads, and some shortened their hair.
The dream of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was thus realized. During the Farewell Hajj, the Prophet (peace be upon him) shaved his head entirely, starting from the right side. He then prayed three times for mercy for those who shaved their heads and once for those who shortened their hair. This shows the virtue of shaving the head. Abdullah ibn Umar was the first to mention this.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “O Allah! Have mercy on those who shave their heads.” The people said, “O Messenger of Allah! Also (pray for mercy) for those who shorten their hair.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “O Allah! Have mercy on those who shave their heads.” The people said, “O Messenger of Allah! Also those who shorten their hair.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said (for the third time), “and for those who shorten their hair.” Nafi’ said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said once or twice, “O Allah! Have mercy on those who shave their heads,” and the fourth time he added, “and those who shorten their hair.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]
The Rules for Halk or Taksir
Shaving your head (Halk) or shortening your hair (Taksir) is Wajib (obligatory). You cannot exit Ihram without doing one of these two actions. However, remember that Halk (shaving) is better.
If Halk is done, the head must be completely shaved. According to Abdullah ibn Umar:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prohibited the practice of partially shaving the head, leaving some hair while shaving other parts. [Sahih al-Bukhari]
It is a Sunnah to face the Qiblah and start from the right side when performing Halk/Taksir. According to the narration of Anas ibn Malik, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to Mina, went to the Jamrah, and threw the stones. After that, he went to his tent in Mina, sacrificed the animal, turned to the right, called for a barber, and allowed him to shave his head. Then, he turned to the left. He distributed the hair among the people. [Sahih Muslim]
If one does not have hair on the head, it is sufficient to just pass the razor over the scalp. For Taksir, at least one inch, or the length of a finger, must be cut from every part of the hair. Cutting less than one inch is not sufficient. Hair must be cut until the minimum amount is assured.
It is acceptable for someone else to cut your hair. There is no requirement for the person who cuts the hair to have shaved their own hair first.
Both men and women can cut their hair to exit from Ihram.
Although the restrictions of Ihram are lifted after cutting the hair, marriage relations are not permitted until Tawaf al-Ziyarah is completed.
The Amount of Hair to be Removed
There are various opinions among scholars regarding how much hair should be shaved or cut.
Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) says that shaving or cutting a quarter of the hair is sufficient to exit Ihram. Imam Shafi’i (RA) says at least three locks of hair must be removed. Imams Malik and Ahmad (RA) say that the entire head must be shaved or cut.
Hair Cutting for Women
Women do not perform Halk, meaning they do not shave their heads. This is proven from the following Hadith narrated by Ali:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prohibited women from shaving their heads. [Sunan an-Nasa’i]
A woman must cut only a finger’s length, which is about one inch, from the ends of her hair. If a woman’s hair is very short in length, she must cut it in order to exit the state of Ihram.
If you are performing Umrah or Hajj Tamattu, do not forget to cut your hair before returning to the hotel. Many women forget to do this while in the state of Ihram and face a penalty.
Even women who are menstruating must cut their hair.
When, Where, and How to Cut the Hair
For those performing Umrah outside of the Hajj season, the hair is cut once after completing Sa’i.
For those performing Hajj Tamattu, where Umrah and Hajj are performed separately, the hair is cut twice: once during Umrah and again after completing the Hajj rites.
For those performing Hajj al-Qiran, the hair is cut once during Hajj, after the sacrifice is completed.
For those performing Hajj al-Ifrad, the hair is cut once during Hajj, and it can be done immediately after the Jamrah al-Aqabah (the large pillar).
For all three types of Hajj, the hair must be cut before sunset on the 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah. If delayed beyond this time, a penalty must be paid.
Hair cutting can take place in Makkah, Mina, or Muzdalifah. It is a Sunnah to cut the hair in Mina for the Hajj pilgrims.
