Hadith: “Heads looking like humps of camels”

September 4, 2010

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Question

In the following Hadith, can you please elaborate on “heads looking like humps of camels.” What does it mean? Because I know many women keep their hair tied up on the top part of their heads and it does look like a hump. This question is from on of my wife’s students.

Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

â€œThere are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen: a people with whips like the tails of cattle, with which they beat the people, and women who are clothed but naked, walking with an enticing gait and with their heads looking like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will not enter Paradise and will not even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance?
(Narrated by Muslim, 2128).

Answered by: Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf

Assalamu alaykum

In the name of Allah the Inspirer of truth.

Imam Nawawi states the following concerning this portion of the hadith:

“The meaning of their “heads looking like humps of camels” is that they arrange it so that it seems big and raised by either using a turban, a rap or something similar.” After quoting this in his commentary of Sahih Muslim ‘Allama Taqi ‘Uthmani writes:

I say, such women have appeared in our days who arrange their hair on the backs of their necks or in the middle of their heads in a manner that fully resembles the humps of camels. The Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam drew a similarity between their heads and camel humps. This is from among the miracles of the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam, because it has happened exactly as he prophesied fourteen centuries ago. (Takmilat Fath al-Mulhim 4:201)

Hence such hairdos should be avoided.

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf

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Dr. Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf

Dr. Shaykh Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera is a British Muslim scholar educated in both the Islamic and Western traditions. He memorised the Qur’an by heart and graduated from the Darul Uloom seminary Bury, UK, and later earned a specialised licence to issue fatwa (legal responses) at Mazahir ‘Ulum Saharanpur, India. He earned his BA from the University of Johannesburg and completed his MA and PhD in Islamic Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He holds an honorary fellowship at The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Amman, Jordan. Shaykh Abdur-Rahman has the unique experience of serving as an imam in Muslim communities on both sides of the Atlantic, eight years in Southern California and over five in the great city of London—and his continued work as an international speaker and lecturer enables him to address and offer pertinent advice on current challenges that face Muslims in the West. He is the founder of Whitethread Institute, a post-graduate insititute for Islamic scholars. He is an avid traveller and continues to teach hadith and work on scholarly publications through White Thread Press (www.whitethreadpress.com). Many of his lectures are available on www.zamzamacademy.com and his courses through Rayyan Institute (www.rayyaninstitute.com).