يَامَن لا تَراهُ العُيُونُ ولا تُخَالِطُهُ الظُّنُونُ، ولا يَصِفُهُ الوَاصِفُونَ، ولا تُغَيِّرُهُ الحَوَادِثُ، ولا يَخْشَى الدَّوَائَر، يَعْلَمُ مَثَاقيلَ الجِبَالِ ومكائيلَ البِحَارِ، وعَدَدَ قَطْرِ الأمْطَارِ، وعَدَدَ وَرَقِ الأشْجَارِ، وعَدَدَ ما أَظْلَمَ عَليْهِ اللَّيْلُ وأشْرَقَ عَليْهِ النَّهَار، ولا تُوَارِي مِنْهُ سَمَاءٌ سَمَاءً، ولا أرْضٌ أرْضاً، ولا بَحْرٌ ما في قَعْرِهِ ولا جَبَلٌ ما في وَعْرِه، اجْعَلْ خَيْرَ عُمْرِي آخِرَهُ، وخَيْرَ عَمَلي خَوَاتـمَهُ، وخَيْرَ أيَّامي يَوْمَ ألقَاكَ فيهِ

Katam (Plant Used to Dye the Hair)

كتـم : روى البخاري في صحيحه ‏:‏ عن عثمان بن عبد الله بن موهب، قال‏:‏ دخلنا على أم سلمة ـ رضي الله عنها ـ فأخرجت إلينا شعرًا من شعر رسول الله، فإذا هو مخضوب بالحناء والكتم‏.‏ وفي السنن الأربعة ‏:‏ عن النبي ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أنه قال‏:‏ ‏(‏إن أحسن ما غيرتم به الشيب الحناء والكتم‏)‏‏.‏

وفي الصحيحين‏:‏ عن أنس رضي الله عنه، أن أبا بكر رضي الله عنه اختضب بالحناء والكتم‏.‏ وفي سنن أبي داود ‏:‏ عن ابن عباس ـ رضي الله عنهما ـ، قال‏:‏ ‏(‏مر على النبي ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ رجل قد خضب بالحناء فقال‏:‏ ما أحسن هذا ‏؟‏ فمر آخر قد خضب بالحناء والكتم، فقال‏:‏ هذا أحسن من هذا فمر آخر قد خضب بالصفرة، فقال‏:‏ هذا أحسن من هذا كله‏)‏‏.‏ قال الغافقي‏:‏ الكتم نبت ينبت بالسهول، ورقه قريب من ورق الزيتون، يعلو فوق القامة، وله ثمر قدر حب الفلفل، في داخله نوى، إذا رضخ اسود، وإذا استخرجت عصارة ورقه، وشرب منها قدر أوقية، قيأ قيئًا شديدًا، وينفع عن عضة الكلب، وأصله إذا طبخ بالماء كان منه مداد يكتب به‏.‏

وقال الكندي‏:‏ بزر الكتم إذا اكتحل به، حلل الماء النازل في العين وأبرأها‏.‏ وقد ظن بعض الناس أن الكتم هو الوسمة، وهي ورق النيل، وهذا وهم، فإن الوسمة غير الكتم‏.‏ قال صاحب الصحاح ‏:‏ الكتم بالتحريك‏:‏ نبت يخلط بالوسمة يختضب به، قبل‏:‏ والوسمة نبات له ورق طويل يضرب لونه إلى الزرقة أكبر من ورق الخلاف، يشبه ورق اللوبيا، وأكبر منه، يؤتى به من الحجاز واليمن‏.‏

Bukhari narrated that Uthman bin Abdullah bin Maw'hab said. “We came to Umm Salamah Radi Allaho Anha and she took out some hairs of Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam that were dyed with Henna and Katam.” In addition, in the four books of Sunan (Abu Dawood, Al-Tirmizi, An-Nas’ay and Ibn Majah), it is narrated that Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam said: "Henna and Katam are the best of what you use to change (the color of) white hair".

In the Sahihain, it is narrated that Anas Radi Allaho Anh said, Abu Bakr Radi Allaho Anh once dyed (his hair) with Henna and Katam. Furthermore, Abu Dawood narrated that Ibn Abass said, ‘A man who tinted (his hair) with Henna passed by Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam who said, "How good this is". Then, another man who tinted (his hair) with both Henna and Katam passed by and Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam said, this is even better. Then another man who tinted his hairs with Sufrah passed by and Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam said, ‘This is the best of all'.

وزاد أحمد قال: وجاء أبو بكر بـأبي قحافة إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يوم فتح مكة يحمله حتى وضعه بين يدي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لـأبي بكر : (لو أقررت الشيخ في بيته لأتيناه)، تكرمة لـأبي بكر ، فأسلم ولحيته ورأسه كالثغامة بياضاً، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: (غيروهما وجنبوه السواد)

Imam Ahmad reported that at the time of Fath Makkah (the fall of Quraish Empire), Abu Bakr Radi Allaho Anh brought his father (Abu Quhafah) to Messenger of Allah (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam), carrying him in his hands until he let his father to sit in front of the beloved Prophet, and because he was an old man, Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam said "If you have kept him in the house, it was better that we would have walked down to visit him at the house (as a respect for Abu Quhafah)". Abu Quhafah accepted ISLAM & his beard & head were white like a Thughamah tree (a tree that is full of white flowers), so Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam said "Take him to his women so that they may dye his hair, but avoid the black color (Henna was meant here). Al-Ghafiqi said, “Katam is a plant that grows in valleys and its leaves are similar to olive-leaves and grows higher than a man's shoulders. Its fruit grows to the size of peppers and have seeds in the middle. When the seeds are crushed, they turn black and when the leaves are squeezed and one drinks a small measure [of the extract], it causes vomiting. Katam benefits against dog bites. When the stem is boiled in water, it is used as ink. Al-Kindi stated that if one uses the Katam seeds as Kohl (i.e., eyeliner), it will clear the eye from the water that accumulates in it.

Some people thought that Katam is the Wasmah or the Nile-Leaves. This is not true, because Wasmah is a different plant. The author of the Sahih said, "Katam which is used to dye the hair, is a plant that is mistakenly taken for Wasmah. The Wasmah has long leaves that are bluish in color and which are larger than the Khilaf (Chalet) leaves and are similar to pea leaves but larger in size. Furthermore, Wasmah is collected in Hijaz and Yemen". If someone asks, “In the Sahih, it is narrated that Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam did not dye (his hair), we answer that Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said that other companions have narrated that Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam dyed (his hair). Those who were witnesses to an act are not like those who did not witness it. Hence, Imam Ahmad affirmed that Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam had indeed used Khizaab (dyed the hair), although Imam Malik denied it.

In Sahih Muslim, a Hadith is narrated that disallows dying the hair black, when Abu Bakr's father was brought to the Prophet with all his hair being white. Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam said at that time: “Change this white hair but avoid the black color" Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam disallowed dying the hair black. But if Katam is mixed with Henna, there is no harm in it. Katam and Henna dye the hair between red and black colors, unlike Wasmah (woad), which turns the hair black. This is the most plausible answer to the argument.

To explain Sufrah (Yellow dye) فمر آخر قد خضب بالصفرة, we look into another Hadith :

وعن نافع عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما: (أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يلبس النعال السبتية ويصفر لحيته بالورس والزعفران، وكان ابن عمر يفعل ذلك) رواه أبو داود و النسائي

Reported by Naf'e on the authority of Ibn Umar Radi Allaho Anh that he said : "Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alahie Wasallam used to wear Sabatean shoes (of Yemeni origin) & he used to dye his beard YELLOW with Wars (cornel) & Saffron, & Ibn Umar Radi Allaho also adopted the same". (Narrated by Abu Dawood & Nasa'i) The main objective here is that black color should be avoided while dying the hair and Allah Knows the best.