What is the prescribed action regarding the hair of the head after the rituals?
Chapter on the Description of Hajj
Al-Mughni
Book of Hajj
Primary text
One must either shave the head (Halaq) or trim the hair (Taqṣīr), because the Prophet, peace be upon him, shaved his head. The Sunnah is to begin with the right side of the head, then the left, due to the report detailing the Prophet's actions and because he favored beginning on the right in all his affairs. If this specific order is not followed, the ritual is still valid; there is no known dispute on this point. The majority of scholars hold that one is free to choose between shaving or trimming, and whichever is done is sufficient.
Supporting text
It is reported from Al-Hasan that he obligated shaving on the first Hajj. This is not sound because God Almighty stated: {having your heads shaved and shortened} [Quran 48:27], and the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not differentiate. Shaving is preferred because the Prophet, peace be upon him, made a specific prayer for those who shaved, and although later included those who trimmed, the initial emphasis was on the shavers. If one has matted, braided, or tied their hair, Ahmad, Al-Nakha'i, Malik, Al-Shafi'i, and Ishaq mandate shaving. Ibn Abbas held that one should follow their original intention (if they intended shaving, they shave, otherwise not). The People of Opinion maintain that the choice always remains open, as the general permissibility is established without evidence to the contrary. The correct view is that the person remains free to choose unless a definite report from the Prophet, peace be upon him, proves otherwise; the actions of Umar and his son are contradicted by Ibn Abbas, and the Prophet's act of shaving does not necessitate it being obligatory after he clarified the permissibility of both options.