Short answer
A woman may trim her hair, tidy the ends and keep it at a moderate length. She may not cut it so short that it looks like a man's haircut, and she may not shave her head without a medical reason. That is the Hanafi position; the schools agree on the two limits and differ on how much trimming is fine.
Trimming for neatness or health is permitted. Cutting the hair short like men is haram because it imitates men; al-Durr al-Mukhtar says a woman who cuts her hair in this way sins, even with her husband's permission. Shaving the head is not allowed except for illness or medical need.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men. Hair is one of the clearest marks of this: in most cultures a short crop or a fade is a man's style. So the Hanafi scholars say a woman's hair should stay a woman's hair. They also point out that long hair has always been part of a woman's beauty, and cutting it away without reason goes against that.
On the other side, a report in Sahih Muslim says the wives of the Prophet ﷺ used to cut their hair until it was like a wafrah, hair reaching about the earlobes. Scholars explain this in different ways: Qadi Iyad and others say they did it after his death, as widows who no longer needed to adorn themselves; others take it as proof that some trimming is allowed. This is why the schools differ on the details.
Practical guidance:
- Allowed: trimming split ends, layers, a fringe, cutting to shoulder length or similar for ease or health, as long as it is still clearly a woman's style.
- Not allowed: pixie cuts that look like a man's haircut, undercuts or fades, and shaving part of the head.
- Medical reasons: chemotherapy, lice, scalp conditions or surgery allow cutting or shaving as needed.
- Who sees it: only your husband, mahrams and women, so the style is for them, not for the public.
See also haram haircuts, hair extensions and wigs and dyeing your hair. For cutting hair for umrah, see how much hair a woman cuts for umrah.
The evidence
Sahih al-Bukhari 5885
Sahih... لعن رسول الله المتشبهين من الرجال بالنساء والمتشبهات من النساء بالرجال ...
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men."
A woman may not adopt a man's haircut.
Sahih Muslim 320
Sahih... وكان أزواج النبي يأخذن من رءوسهن حتى تكون كالوفرة ...
"The wives of the Prophet ﷺ used to take from their hair until it was like a wafrah, reaching about the earlobes."
Shows some trimming is allowed, which is why the schools differ on how much.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Kitab al-Hazr wa al-Ibaha. A woman who cuts her hair short like men sins, even with her husband's permission.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hazr wa al-Ibaha. Explains that the reason is imitation of men.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. 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.