Taqsir or Halq

Taqsīr (التَقصير) or ḥalq (الحلق) is one the obligations of hajj and 'umra. Taqsir involves cutting some strands of the hair from head, beard, mustache, or alternatively one may cut a nail of hand or foot. Halq means shaving one's head, which is only permissible for men.

Taqsir or halq, like other rituals is an act of worship in 'umra. So, it is obligatory that one should make the right intention.

In al-'Umra al-Mufrada

In 'umra the fifth deed after sa'y is taqsir. In al-'umra al-mufrada halq is acceptable instead of taqsir.

In 'Umra al-Tamattu'

In 'umra al-tamattu' a man is not permitted to perform halq and it is obligatory for him to only perform taqsir.

Halq (shaving head) is not permissible, nor sufficient to exit the state of ihram in 'umra al-tamattu'. One must perform taqsir so as to complete 'umra al-tamattu' and exit the state of ihram. If a person shaves his head purposely and knowingly before or after taqsir he must slaughter a sheep as kaffara.

Plucking hair is not sufficient to exit ihram of 'umra al-tamattu'; one should perform taqsir as mentioned. If he plucks his hair instead of taqsir deliberately and knowingly, it is not sufficient, moreover, he has to pay kaffara for it. If a person plucks his hair instead of doing taqsir unknowingly and then performs hajj al-tamattu', his 'umra is void and the performed hajj will be considered as hajj al-ifrad. If hajj was obligatory for him, on the basis of obligatory caution, he should perform al-'umra al-mufrada after performing the rites of hajj and the next year, he has to perform 'umra al-tamattu' and hajj al-tamattu'. The same ruling applies to a person who has shaved his head instead of taqsir and then performed hajj unknowingly.

It is not obligatory to do taqsir directly after performing sa'y. If a person does not perform the act of taqsir deliberately or ignorantly and without it he wears ihram for hajj, his 'umra would be void and his hajj would be considered as hajj al-ifrad. On the basis of obligatory caution, he should perform al-'umra al-mufrada after performing hajj and if his hajj was obligatory, he should perform 'umra and hajj the next year. If a person neglects taqsir inadvertently and wears ihram for hajj, his ihram would be valid as well as his 'umra and hajj, and kaffara is not obligatory for him. However, it is mustahabb to slaughter a sheep or goat as kaffara. Rather, it is a caution not to neglect paying kaffara.

After performing taqsir and exiting the state of ihram of 'umra al-tamattu', every forbidden thing in state of ihram becomes halal including intercourse with one's spouse.

In Hajj

Taqsir (التَّقصير) or halq is the sixth obligation of hajj and formulates the third rite at Mina. It is obligatory to do halq or perform taqsir after slaughtering an animal.

Women should perform taqsir, as halq is not adequate for them. It is based on caution that they should shorten some of their hair and nails. Men are allowed to choose between halq and taqsir. Shaving head is not obligatory for them but if they are performing hajj for the first time, on the basis of obligatory caution, they should shave their head.

Both halq and taqsir are acts of worship. It is obligatory to have pure intention for seeking nearness of Allah Almighty and it should be free from any sort of riya (people pleasing tendency). So, if a person performs halq or taqsir without the conditions required for intention, halq and taqsir would not be sufficient and the things permission of which depends on halq and taqsir would not become permissible for him.

If a person seeks help from others in performing taqsir or halq, he must do intention himself.

It is based on obligatory caution, halq or taqsir should be performed on the day of Eid al-Adha or else it must be performed on the night before the 11th day or it would be sufficient to do it any time after that. For a person, who delays slaughtering of animal due to any reason and do not perform it on the day of Eid, it is not necessary to delay halq or taqsir. On the basis of obligatory caution, performing halq and taqsir is mandatory on the day of Eid al-Adha. However, performing the tawaf of hajj and the other five ritual deeds in the Holy city of Mecca in this state are objectionable. He should wait and perform these deeds after slaughtering the animal.

Halq or taqsir must be performed in the land of Mina i.e. performing these rites in other places by choice is not allowed. If a person performs halq or taqsir outside the land of Mina deliberately, forgetfully or ignorantly, or goes out of Mina without taqsir and halq and performs all the deeds, it is obligatory to return to Mina for halq and taqsir and then repeat the following rites.

On the day of Eid al-Adha, it is obligatory to perform ramy (stoning) at Jamara al-'Aqaba first, slaughter an animal if the animal for slaughtering is feasible for him, followed by taqsir or halq. If a person disturbs the order of rites deliberately, he/she has committed disobedience. Apparently, it is not obligatory for him/her to repeat these acts although it is compatible with caution to repeat these rites, if possible. This ruling also applies to a person who does not abide by the specific order of rites due to ignorance and forgetfulness.

If a person is unable to slaughter the animal on the day of Eid al-Adha at Mina, but it is possible to slaughter it in the current slaughterhouse situated outside Mina, it is based on obligatory caution to slaughter his/her animal and then perform halq or taqsir. In case, if this deed is impossible for him, on the basis of obligatory caution, he/she should do halq or taqsir on the day of Eid al-Adha and by doing so, the person would become free from state of ihram. However, he/she should delay fulfillment of five rites in the holy city of Mecca until the slaughtering of animal or else the validity of these rites is objectionable.

After doing halq or taqsir, all the things that were forbidden for a muhrim will become permissible for him except his/her spouse and scent.

References

• The Rites of Hajj, In Accord with Fatwas of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Hajj and Ziarah Research Center