Al-Khallal said: I asked Ahmad ibn Yahya—meaning (71) Tha'lab—about the limma. He replied: It is what touches the ear. And the jumma is what is long. Al-Bara' ibn Azib mentioned in his hadith that the hair of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) struck his shoulders, and he called it a limma.
It is desirable that a person's hair follow the description of the hair of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace); if it is long, it should reach his shoulders, and if it is short, (72) it should reach his earlobes. If one grows it longer, there is no harm in that; Ahmad explicitly stated this.
Abu Ubayda said: He had two 'aqisatan (plaited buns), (73) and Uthman (74) had two 'aqisatan.
Wail ibn Hujr said: I came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) while I had long hair. When he saw me, he said: "Dhubab, dhubab." (75) So I returned and cut it, then I came to him the next day, and he said: "I did not mean you, and this is better." Reported by Ibn Majah. (76)
It is desirable to comb the hair and honor it, as narrated by Abu Hurayra [that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:] (77) "Whoever has hair, let him honor it." Reported by Abu Dawud. (78)
It is desirable to part the hair, because the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) parted his hair, and it is mentioned as part of the fitra (innate nature) in the hadith of Ibn Abbas. (79) Furthermore, in the conditions imposed by Umar upon the People of the Covenant (Ahl al-Dhimma) is that they should not part their hair, so as not to imitate the Muslims.
(71) Omitted from: the original. He is Abu al-Abbas al-Shaybani, the author of works on grammar and linguistics, who died in the year 291 AH. Tarikh al-'Ulama' al-Nahwiyyin 181, 182. (72) In the original: "qasruhu". (73) 'Aqisa: braided or twisted hair, a form of plaiting; the root of 'aqs is twisting and inserting the ends of the hair into its base. Al-Nihaya 3/275. (74) In M, there is an addition: "kanat" (feminine), and in A: "kana" (masculine). (75) Dhubab: bad omen. It is also said: persistent evil. Al-Nihaya 2/152. (76) In: The Book of the Dislike of Having Long Hair, from the Book of Clothing. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/1200. It was also reported by Abu Dawud, in: The Book of Lengthening the Jumma, from the Book of Grooming. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/400. And al-Nasa'i, in: The Book of Taking from the Moustache, and the Book of Lengthening the Jumma, from the Book of Adornment. Al-Mujtaba 8/113, 117. (77) In M: "yarfa'uhu". (78) In: The Book of Grooming the Hair, from the Book of Grooming. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/395. (79) See what has preceded on page 115.
