Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood beside me at Al-Hudaibiya and the lice were falling from my head in great number. He asked me, "Have your lice troubled you?" I replied in the affirmative. He ordered me to get my head shaved. Ka`b added, "This Holy Verse:--'And if any of you is ill, or has ailment in his scalp (2.196), etc. was revealed regarding me. "The Prophet (ﷺ) then ordered me either to fast three days, or to feed six poor persons with one Faraq (three Sas) (of dates), or to slaughter a sheep, etc. (sacrifice) whatever was available.
Contextual Background
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari 1815 recounts an incident during the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah when pilgrims were prevented from completing their pilgrimage to Mecca. Ka'b bin 'Ujrah, a companion of the Prophet (ﷺ), was suffering from severe lice infestation while in the state of ihram.
Scholarly Commentary on the Incident
The Prophet's inquiry demonstrates his compassion and concern for his companions' wellbeing, even in matters others might consider trivial. The lice infestation constituted genuine hardship (mashaqqah) that justified relaxing the rules of ihram.
Shaving the head while in ihram is normally prohibited, but illness or scalp ailments provide legitimate exceptions. This establishes the Islamic legal principle that necessity permits what is otherwise forbidden.
Exegesis of Quranic Revelation
This incident directly occasioned the revelation of Quran 2:196, which states: "And if any of you is ill, or has an ailment in his scalp (necessitating shaving), he must compensate by fasting, charity, or sacrifice."
Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain this verse establishes three alternative expiations for shaving one's head during pilgrimage due to medical necessity: fasting three days, feeding six poor persons, or offering a sacrificial animal.
Legal Rulings Derived
The faraq mentioned equals approximately three sa' (roughly 6-7 kilograms) of dates, establishing the measure for feeding poor persons.
Scholars derived that these expiations are alternatives - one may choose whichever is easiest to fulfill. This reflects Islam's facilitation and removal of hardship for the believers.
The ruling extends beyond lice to any genuine scalp condition causing similar discomfort, demonstrating the flexibility of Islamic law in addressing human needs.