Short answer
Extensions or wigs made of human hair are haram, because the Prophet ﷺ cursed the woman who joins hair and the woman who asks for it. In the Hanafi school, extensions made of synthetic fibre, wool or animal hair are allowed for a woman, provided they do not deceive anyone. A wig must be taken off for the wiping of the head in wudu.
Joining human hair to one's own hair is haram, whether it is her own cut hair or someone else's. Using pieces made of wool, synthetic fibre or other non-human hair is permitted.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Human hair and impure hair are haram; pure non-human hair is allowed only for a married woman with her husband's permission.
- Maliki
- Joining the hair with anything that looks like hair, even wool or synthetic fibre, is forbidden.
- Hanbali
- Joining hair with any hair is forbidden; tying in threads that do not look like hair is allowed.
Explanation
A woman came to the Prophet ﷺ and said her daughter had lost her hair after an illness and was about to be married. She asked whether she could add hair. He refused and said that Allah has cursed the woman who joins hair and the one who has it done. Even marriage and illness did not make it allowed, which shows how serious it is.
The Hanafi scholars explain the reason as the honour of the human body: human hair is part of a person and is not to be used or sold as a product. So the ruling falls on human hair, which covers most premium extensions, weaves and wigs. Pieces made of synthetic fibre, wool or similar materials are allowed for a woman in the Hanafi school. Check the label, because many products mix human and synthetic hair.
Wigs and hair systems for men. A man with hair loss may, according to many Hanafi muftis, wear a synthetic hairpiece, as long as it is not human hair. For wudu you must wipe at least a quarter of the head itself, so a removable wig has to come off. A system that is glued or bonded for weeks raises questions about wudu and ghusl that depend on how it is fixed, so ask a mufti about your exact product. See how to make wudu.
Moving your own hair from one part of the scalp to another in a hair transplant is a different question, since it is your own living hair, and many scholars allow it.
Ask a mufti about your own case. This answer explains the general ruling. When the details of your situation matter, as they do here, ask a qualified mufti and give them the full facts. Where to ask a scholar.
The evidence
Quran, Surah An-Nisaa 4:119
وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَءَامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ وَلَءَامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَ وَلِيًّۭا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًۭا مُّبِينًۭا ﴿١١٩﴾
And I will mislead them, and I will arouse in them [sinful] desires, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah." And whoever takes Satan as an ally instead of Allah has certainly sustained a clear loss.
Changing Allah's creation for show is from Satan's call.
Sahih Muslim 2122
Sahih... لعن الله الواصلة والمستوصلة ...
"Allah has cursed the woman who joins hair and the woman who asks for it to be joined."
Said in answer to a mother asking to add hair for her sick daughter before her wedding.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Durr al-Mukhtar with Radd al-Muhtar, Kitab al-Hazr wa al-Ibaha. Joining human hair is haram, while pieces of wool or similar are allowed.
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on adornment, rings and jewellery. On joining hair.
- al-Mughni (Ibn Qudama), Kitab al-Taharah, section on the practices of the fitrah. The Hanbali distinction between hair and threads.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.