The Dyes

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع وَ قَدِ اخْتَضَبَ بِالسَّوَادِ فَقُلْتُ أَرَاكَ قَدِ اخْتَضَبْتَ بِالسَّوَادِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ فِي الْخِضَابِ أَجْراً وَ الْخِضَابُ وَ التَّهْيِئَةُ مِمَّا يَزِيدُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي عِفَّةِ النِّسَاءِ وَ لَقَدْ تَرَكَ النِّسَاءُ الْعِفَّةَ بِتَرْكِ أَزْوَاجِهِنَّ لَهُنَّ التَّهْيِئَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ الْحِنَّاءَ يَزِيدُ فِي الشَّيْبِ قَالَ أَيُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ يَزِيدُ فِي

“Once I visited abu al-Hassan (a.s.). He had applied black dye to his hairs. I said to him (the Imam), ‘I see that you have applied black dye to your hairs.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘In applying dye there is reward. Applying dye and to be prepared is of matters by which Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, increases the ch

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ص فَنَظَرَ إِلَى الشَّيْبِ فِي لِحْيَتِهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص نُورٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنْ شَابَ شَيْبَةً فِي الْإِسْلَامِ كَانَتْ لَهُ نُوراً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ قَالَ فَخَضَبَ الرَّجُلُ بِالْحِنَّاءِ ثُمَّ جَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ص فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْخِضَابَ قَالَ نُورٌ وَ إِسْلَامٌ فَخَضَبَ الرَّجُلُ بِالسَّوَادِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص نُورٌ وَ إِسْلَامٌ وَ إِيمَانٌ وَ مَحَبَّةٌ إِلَى نِسَائِك

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that once a man came to the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He (the Messenger of Allah) looked at the signs of oldness in his beard. The Holy Prophet said, ‘It is light.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) then said,

دَخَلَ قَوْمٌ عَلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَرَأَوْهُ مُخْتَضِباً بِالسَّوَادِ فَسَأَلُوهُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي رَجُلٌ أُحِبُّ النِّسَاءَ وَ أَنَا أَتَصَنَّعُ لَهُنَ‌[1].

‘I am a man who loves women, and I adorn myself for them.

دَخَلَ قَوْمٌ عَلَى الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ص فَرَأَوْهُ مُخْتَضِباً بِالسَّوَادِ فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَمَدَّ يَدَهُ إِلَى لِحْيَتِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فِي غَزَاةٍ غَزَاهَا أَنْ يَخْتَضِبُوا بِالسَّوَادِ لِيَقْوَوْا بِهِ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ.

‘The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, in an armed expedition commanded them to apply black dye so they can overpower the pagans.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ خِضَابِ اللِّحْيَةِ وَ الرَّأْسِ أَ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص لَمْ يَخْتَضِبْ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا مَنَعَهُ قَوْلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص إِنَّ هَذِهِ سَتُخْضَبُ مِنْ هَذِهِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of coloring the beard and head if it is of Sunnah. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is of the Sunnah .’ I then said, ‘’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), did not use dye.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because of the words of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muha

فِي الْخِضَابِ ثَلَاثُ خِصَالٍ مَهْيَبَةٌ فِي الْحَرْبِ وَ مَحَبَّةٌ إِلَى النِّسَاءِ وَ يَزِيدُ فِي الْبَاهِ.

’In al-Khidab (applying hair dye) there are three positive qualities. It shows one’s firmness in war, love of women and increase in sexual desire.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ خِضَابِ الشَّعْرِ فَقَالَ قَدْ خَضَبَ النَّبِيُّ ص وَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ وَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع بِالْكَتَمِ‌[2].

‘The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, applied it as well as al-Husayn and abu Ja’far, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, with al- Katam (a plant that looks like myrtle and gives out a black dye).”’

خَضَبَ النَّبِيُّ ص وَ لَمْ يَمْنَعْ عَلِيّاً ع إِلَّا قَوْلُ النَّبِيِّ ص تَخْتَضِبُ هَذِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ وَ قَدْ خَضَبَ الْحُسَيْنُ وَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, applied hair dye and ’Amir al-Mu’minin did not apply it because of the words of the Holy Prophet, ‘This will be dyed with this’ . Al-Husayn and abu Ja’far, ‘Alayhi

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ خِضَابِ الشَّعْرِ فَقَالَ خَضَبَ الْحُسَيْنُ وَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ص بِالْحِنَّاءِ وَ الْكَتَمِ.

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Khidab (hair dye). He (the Imam) said, ’Al- Husayn and abu Ja’far, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, applied hair dye with henna and al-Katam.’”

رَأَيْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع‌[1] يَخْتَضِبُ بِالْحِنَّاءِ خِضَاباً قَانِياً.

“I saw abu Ja’far (a.s.), had applied hair dye with henna of red color.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِيَّاكَ وَ نُصُولَ الْخِضَابِ‌[2] فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ بُؤْسٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You must not allow the hair dye to wear off because it is despair.’”

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‌ نَفَقَةُ دِرْهَمٍ فِي الْخِضَابِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ نَفَقَةِ دِرْهَمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ فِيهِ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ خَصْلَةً يَطْرُدُ الرِّيحَ مِنَ الْأُذُنَيْنِ وَ يَجْلُو الْغِشَاءَ عَنِ الْبَصَرِ وَ يُلَيِّنُ الْخَيَاشِيمَ وَ يُطَيِّبُ النَّكْهَةَ وَ يَشُدُّ اللِّثَةَ وَ يَذْهَبُ بِالْغَشَيَانِ وَ يُقِلُّ وَسْوَسَةَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَ تَفْرَحُ بِهِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَ يَسْتَبْشِرُ بِهِ الْمُؤْمِنُ وَ

“The Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Spending one dirham on hair dye is better than spending one dirham in the way of Allah. There are fourteen advantages in it. It dispels air from the ears, brightens gloominess from the eyes, soft