Henna in Islam
In my blog about Henna’s history, there was a lot of overlap with Muslim traditions and henna. This is because the two are intertwined in many Eastern cultures. Henna is a celebratory adornment that all Muslim women want for our Eid holidays, weddings, and other celebrations. However, henna in Islam goes deeper than that as a sunnah practice as well.
In Islam, we believe in one God, Allah, and we follow the last Prophet He sent to spread His word, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Something that is “Sunnah” is defined as any of his actions, deeds or sayings that we keep alive. Muslims should practice the Sunnah as much as possible because we believe Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to be the most exemplary Muslim and human role-model. Moreover, it is a reported hadith (saying of Prophet Muhammad صَلَّ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) that Henna and Katam are the best to dye grey hair with.
So, let's break that down. Firstly, I actually did not know what Katam was upon first reading this hadith. I just found out that it is from a tree that originated in Yemen, that creates a dark purple/violet/brown color when mixed with henna powder. I find it so interesting when things from our natural world are used in cultural practices like these, connecting us back to the Earth, it's just so cool to me. Anyway, our Prophet (صَلَّ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) encourages the use of henna to dye gray hair! But what about for women like we do all the time? That one’s a different story.
The hadith goes something like this: “If you're a woman, why are you not wearing henna?” The context of this being that he had to give or receive something and couldn't see the face of this woman. Not wanting to touch the hand of the opposite gender out of loyalty and modesty, he (صَلَّ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) got confused after not being able to identify that she was a woman. Therefore, henna was and still is so relevant to Muslim women, as a mark of femininity, modesty and culture.
Islam encourages the use of henna in dying of grey hair and beautification purposes, as portrayed in the sunnah. So, it remains a precious ritual in the Muslim populations of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Yemen, and many more countries. What is even more beautiful is that the designs and styles of henna vary across the Muslim world; Pakistan, India and Bangladesh have more florals and mandalas in their henna while Moroccan Fessi (originated in Fez, Morocco) henna is much more geometric. It can also be more meaningful when elements of Islamic art, architecture, and quotes are implemented in henna designs (100+ aura). Henna carries our culture and religion in each stain, celebrating generations of these identities. This is another profound reason why I love henna–as a Pakistani Muslim and admirer of art, it means so much.
Abu Dawood. Sunan Abu Dawood. Book 33, Hadiths 4162 & 4199. Sunnah.com, https://sunnah.com/abudawud/33. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
Henderson, Carole. Henna’s Secret History. Lexington Books, 2013.
