رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Prophet's Guidance on treating and removing LICE from the head

فَصْلٌ فِي هَدْيِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي عِلَاجِ الْقَمْلِ الَّذِي فِي الرَّأْسِ وَإِزَالَتِهِ

Guidance of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم on Treating and Removing Head Lice

فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ عُجْرَةَ، قَالَ: كَانَ بِي أَذًى مِنْ رَأْسِي، فَحُمِلْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَالْقَمْلُ يَتَنَاثَرُ عَلَى وَجْهِي، فَقَالَ: «مَا كُنْتُ أَرَى الْجَهْدَ قَدْ بَلَغَ بِكَ مَا أَرَى» ، وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَحْلِقَ رَأْسَهُ، وَأَنْ يُطْعِمَ فَرَقًا بَيْنَ سِتَّةٍ، أَوْ يُهْدِيَ شَاةً، أَوْ يَصُومَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ 

Ibn al-Qayyam wrote : In *Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim*, it is narrated from Ka'b ibn 'Ujrah who said: "I was suffering from a condition on my head, so I was brought to the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, and lice were falling on my face. The Prophet said, 'I did not think that hardship had reached you to the extent that I see.' In one narration, he ordered him to shave his head, give charity by feeding half a "Saa’'" (a certain measure) of food to six needy people, or offer a sacrifice of a sheep, or fast for three days."

Lice are generated in the head and body due to two main reasons: one is external to the body, and the other internal. The external reason is accumulated dirt and grime on the body's surface. The internal reason is the discharge of foul, decayed fluids expelled by the body from between the skin and flesh. These fluids ferment due to the body's blood-based moisture in the skin after being released through the pores, resulting in lice. This condition is most common following illness and sickness.

Because of dirt and other factors, lice were more commonly found on children’s heads due to their increased moisture and habits that contribute to lice growth. Therefore, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم shaved the heads of the children of Ja'far Radi Allaho Anh.

One of the best treatments for lice is shaving the head, as this opens the pores, allowing harmful vapors to escape, which weakens the conditions that encourage lice. After shaving, it is recommended to apply medications on the head to kill any remaining lice and prevent them from reappearing.

Head shaving is divided into three types:

(1). Religious act of devotion: This includes shaving the head as part of pilgrimage rites during Hajj or Umrah, which is an act of worship and submission to Allah.

(2). Necessity and medicine: Shaving the head for practical purposes, like health or medical reasons.

(3). Innovation and idolatry: This type involves shaving the head for someone other than Allah, such as disciples shaving their heads in devotion to their spiritual leaders. They may say, "I shaved my head for so-and-so," which is similar to saying, "I bowed to so-and-so." Head shaving in this context signifies submission and servitude, which should be reserved only for Allah. In the pilgrimage, head shaving is a sign of humility and obedience, and Imam Shafi'i even considers it an essential pillar, symbolizing submission to Allah’s greatness.

Some misguided leaders encouraged their followers to shave their heads as a sign of devotion to them, presenting it as an act of submission. They rebranded it, saying, "This is placing one’s head in submission before the Sheikh," but in reality, it is akin to bowing, which should be done only for Allah.

By Allah, true prostration is only for Allah, placing one’s head in submission before Him, the Most Glorious. However, misguided individuals have adorned and encouraged acts of vowing, repenting, and swearing oaths in the names of their leaders, which amounts to taking these leaders as lords and gods besides Allah. Allah says in the Quran:

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ اللهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوْا عِبَاداً لِّى مِن دُونِ اللهِ وَلَكِن كُونُواْ رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ وَلاَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُواْ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ أَرْبَاباً، أَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إذْ أَنْتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

"It is not for a human that Allah should give him the Book, wisdom, and prophethood, and then he would say to the people, 'Be my worshippers rather than Allah's.' Instead, he would say, 'Be devoted to your Lord, because of your teaching of the Book and because of your studying of it.' Nor would he command you to take angels and prophets as lords. Would he command you to disbelieve after you have submitted [to Allah]?"  (Aal Imran 3:79–80)

The most honorable form of worship is prayer, but this worship has been appropriated by certain spiritual leaders, pseudo-scholars, and tyrants in various forms. The spiritual leaders took the most sacred part—prostration—and claimed it for themselves. The pseudo-scholars adopted bowing, so that when they meet one another, they bow as a worshipper bows to their Lord. The tyrants appropriated the act of standing, with free people and slaves standing before them in servitude while the tyrants sit.

Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم prohibited all three acts specifically as they relate to anyone other than Allah. Violating these prohibitions is a clear disobedience to him. He forbade prostration to anyone other than Allah, saying, "It is not appropriate for anyone to prostrate to another." When Mu'adh Radi Allaho Anh once prostrated to him, he objected, saying, “Stop!” The prohibition against this is well-known and essential in the religion, and anyone who permits it for anyone other than Allah is in opposition to Allah and His Messenger, as prostration is one of the highest forms of worship. Allowing it for humans is equivalent to sanctioning worship for someone other than Allah.

قالَ رجلٌ يا رسولَ اللَّهِ الرَّجلُ منَّا يلقى أخاهُ أو صديقَه أينحني لَه قالَ لا قالَ أفيلتزِمُه ويقبِّلُه قالَ لا قالَ أفيأخذُ بيدِه ويصافحُه قالَ نعَمْ (أخرجه الترمذي 2728، وابن ماجه 3702)

It has also been authentically reported that Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was asked, "When a man meets his brother, should he bow to him?" He said, "No." They then asked, "Should he embrace him and support him?" He said, "No." They then asked, "Should he shake hands with him?" He said, "Yes."

Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم also prohibited standing while he was seated, a practice used by non-Arabs to show reverence. He even discouraged this practice in prayer by instructing his followers to pray sitting if he led the prayer sitting, even if they were physically able to stand. This was to prevent them from standing above him as he sat, despite the fact that their standing was for Allah. Therefore, how could standing in reverence for anyone else be acceptable?

The ignorant and misguided souls abandon the worship of Allah and give this form of devotion to others. Such people prostrate, bow, stand, swear oaths, make vows, shave their heads, and slaughter animals for someone other than Allah, and they circumambulate places other than His House. They exalt these people through love, fear, hope, and obedience in a way that rivals the honor given to the Creator—sometimes even more so. They place their worship of others on par with the worship due only to the Lord of all worlds. Such people oppose the message of the prophets and equate others with their Lord. They are the ones who will say while disputing in the Fire alongside those they idolized:

تَاللهِ إن كُنَّا لَفِى ضَلاَلٍ مُبِينٍ إذْ نُسَوِّيكُم بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

“By Allah, we were truly in manifest error when we equated you with the Lord of all worlds.” **Ash-Shu'ara (26:98)**

They are the people, whom Allah Described, when He Said:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ أَنْدَاداً يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللهِ (بقرة:165)

"And among the people are those who take others as equals to Allah. They love them as they should love Allah.  (Al-Baqarah 2:165).

All of this is a form of polytheism, and Allah does not forgive associating others with Him.