Mishkat al-Masabih

Ibn ‘Abbas said the woman who supplies false hair and the one who asks for it, the woman who pulls out hair for other people and the woman who depilates herself, the woman who tattoos and the one who has it done when there was no disease to justify it were cursed. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said God’s messenger cursed the man who dressed like a woman and the woman who dressed like a man. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn Abu Mulaika told that when someone remarked to ‘A’isha that a woman was wearing sandals (in refrence to men’s footwear) she replied that God’s messenger cursed mannish women. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Thauban told that when God’s messenger went on a journey the last member of his family he saw was Fatima and the first he visited on his return was Fatima. Once when he returned from an expedition she had hung up a hair-cloth, or a curtain, at her door and adorned al-Hasan and al-Husain with silver bracelets, so when he arrived he did not enter. Thinking that he had been prevented from entering by what he had seen she tore down the curtain, unfastened the bracelets from the boys and cut them off them. They went weeping to God's messenger, and when he had taken them from them he said, “Take this to so and so’s family, Thauban. These are my family and I dislike their enjoying their good things in the present life. Buy Fatima a necklace of ‘asb( the meaning is not clear. It is suggested that it means the tendons of the joints of animals cut into beads, or the teeth or bones of the hippopotamus) , Thauban, and two ivory (Or, 'tortoise-shell’ (’aj) bracelets.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, “Apply antimony, for it clears the sight and makes the hair grow.” And he asserted that the Prophet had a collyrium-case from which he applied collyrium every night in each eye three times. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He said the Prophet used to apply antimony three times in each eye before going to sleep, and reported him as saying, “The best medicines you apply are those sipped at the corners of the mouth, those snuffed up the nose, cupping, purgatives; the best thing you apply to your eyes is antimony, for it clears the sight and makes the hair grow ; and the best days for cupping are the seventeenth, nineteenth and twenty-first.” When God’s messenger was taken up to visit heaven every company of angels he passed said, “Keep up the practice of cupping.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

‘A’isha said the Prophet forbade men and women from entering baths, but afterwards permitted men to enter them wearing lower garments. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abul Malih told that some women who belonged to Hims came to ‘A’isha and she asked where they were from. On their replying that they came from Syria she said, “Perhaps you come from the region whose women enter the baths.” They replied that that was so, and then she told them she had heard God’s messenger say, “A woman does not remoye her clothes elsewhere than in her husband’s house without tearing down the veil between her and her Lord.” A version has, "elsewhere than in her house without tearing down her veil between her and God who is great and glorious.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. 'Amr reported God’s messenger as saving, "The land of the foreigners will be conquered for you, and you will find in it houses called baths. Men must not enter them without lower garments. Keep women away from them, except those who are ill or in childbed.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir reported the Prophet as saying, "He who believes in God and the last day must not enter a bath without a lower garment; he who believes in God and the last day must not bring his spouse into a bath ; and he who believes in God and the last day must not sit at a cloth where wine is being circulated.” Tirmidhi and Nasa'i transmitted it.

Thabit told that when Anas was asked whether the Prophet dyed his hair he replied, "If I had wanted to count the hoary hairs which were on his head I could have done so,” adding that he did not dye his hair. In a version he added that Abu Bakr dyed his hair with henna and katam, and ‘Umar dyed it with henna alone. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar used to make his beard yellow with a yellow dye so that his clothes were full of it. He was asked why he used the yellow dye and replied, "I saw God's messenger using it as a dye, and he liked nothing better than it. He used to dye all his clothes with it, even his turban.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

I went to visit Umm Salama and she brought out for us some hairs of the Prophet which had been dyed. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira told that a mukhannath who had dyed his hands and feet with henna was brought to God’s messenger who asked, "What is the matter with this man?” On being told that he affected women’s get-up he ordered him to be banished to an-Naqi'. The people suggested that they should kill him, but he said, “I have been prohibited from killing people who pray.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

When God’s messenger conquered Mecca the people of Mecca began to bring their boys and he would invoke a blessing on them and rub their heads. I was brought, but as I had been perfumed with a mixture of saffron he did not touch me because of the perfume. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Qatada told that he said to God’s messenger, "I have locks coming down to the shoulders, so should I comb it ?” He replied, “Yes, and show honour to it.” Abu Qatada often greased it twice a day because God’s messenger said, “Yes, and show honour to it.” Malik transmitted it.

We went in to visit Anas b. Malik, and my sister al-Mughira told me that at that time I was a youth with two plaits of hair (The text mentions qarnan or qussatan. The former would mean two side plaits and the latter two plaits over the forehead. The alternative is given evidently because the transmitter is not sure which was the correct word), and he wiped my head, invoked a blessing on me and said, “Shave these two, or clip them, for this is the style of the Jews.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Ali said God's messenger forbade that a woman should shave her head. Nasa'i transmitted it.

‘Ata’ b. Yasar told that when God’s messenger was in the mosque a man whose head and beard were dishevelled entered, and God’s messenger pointed his hand at him as though he were ordering him to arrange his hair and his beard. When he had done so and returned, God's messenger said, “Is this not better than that one of you should come with his head dishevelled, as though he were a devil ?” Malik transmitted it.

“God is good and likes what is fragrant (Tayyib is ‘good’ and tib is ‘perfume’, or ‘fragrance.’); clean and likes cleanliness; generous and likes generosity; munificent and likes munificence; so cleanse (I think he said, your courtyards), and do not imitate the Jews.” I mentioned that to Muhajir b. Mismar and he said he had been told by ‘Amir b. Sa‘d, on his father’s authority, that the Prophet had said something similar, but he said, “Cleanse your courtyards.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.