Let me start by saying that hair in the black community is a sensitive topic, especially for women and girls. Al-Humduillah, my parents reinforced that my hair is beautiful in its natural form, and I am not defined by hair. Because once I stepped outside the safe bubble my parents provided, I was told otherwise repetitively.
I have spoken about negative experiences in Quranic School in “An Unfortunate Experience of Being a Black Muslimah.” Still, recently, I saw a triggering post. A non-black woman was talking about the Hadith of fake hair being haram. I was going to research the entire Hadith, but I am not. I have never claimed to be an Islamic scholar, and not going to use this platform to say what is and is not haram. But I will speak about my experiences and give my conclusions.
With all things, especially in Islam, it is all about intentions! If you wear fake hair to fool people, then haram, but that has never been me. And for the record, there are numerous reasons why someone would choose to wear false hair, and rarely is it to fool anyone.
Like most black moms, my mom put my hair in braids with extensions to protect my hair during the summer. Little did she know that the non-black and the girls with really loose curl patterns would constantly make me feel ugly and that I was going to hell over my braids. Occasionally, even their mothers would chime in, but it never came from Muslim women with hair textures similar to mine.
As an adult, when I hear the conversation about fake hair, it’s typically not from women in the African diaspora, and it is always in a way that is anti-black. Many issues in the Muslim community deserve attention, but for damn sure, weaves, extensions, and whatever should not be included! I cannot speak for anyone’s intentions, but I can say the delivery is off, and, again, it comes off as anti-black.
Instead, we should have an open conversation about the racism/anti-blackness in the Muslim community! Because, let’s be honest, stereotypically, when you hear weave, you think of Black Women. So from Black Women across the diaspora, stop concerning yourselves with what we do with our hair, and focus on your deen. For Islamic scholars, delivery is everything, and we have more important things to discuss!
Wise words my aunt once told, “if you bought it, then it’s your hair. That’s your business between you and Allah(swt) on the day of judgment. You don’t owe anyone an explanation”.
The Misunderstood Afro Muslimah 