The barber’s wage

Question

Question: A preacher said in a speech that the barber’s wage is haram. Ever since this humble one heard it, he has been extremely worried, for this is this humble one’s very profession. So he gives charity and pays zakat from his earnings, and spends his money on the mosque and madrasa as far as possible; moreover, his food, drink and clothing all come from this very earning.

Answer

If the barber shaves the head, trims the moustache, shaves the armpits and clips the nails in accordance with the Shari‘a, then the wage for it is not haram; rather, it is permissible. Perhaps the doubt arose from the word “hajjam”: the hajjam’s wage has been called foul (khabith) in the hadith, but there “hajjam” does not mean the barber; it means the one who performs cupping.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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