killing lice or removing them were permissible, Ka'b would not have left them until he became in that state, or the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would have commanded him to remove them specifically. Nits are like lice in this regard, and there is no difference between killing lice or removing them by dropping them on the ground, or killing them with mercury, for their killing is not prohibited due to their sanctity, but because of the comfort derived from it; thus, the prohibition encompasses their removal in any manner (3). He should not groom himself (i.e., remove lice), for grooming is an expression for removing lice, and he is forbidden from doing so. It is permissible for him to scratch his head, and he should be gentle in scratching so as not to cut a hair or kill a louse. If he scratches and finds hair in his hand, we prefer that he offers a fidya (expiation) as a precaution, but it is not obligatory upon him unless he is certain that he plucked it. Some of our companions said: The difference of opinion narrated regarding lice is only concerning those in his hair; as for those he removes from the surface of his body, there is no fidya for them.

Section: If he violates this and grooms himself, or kills lice, there is no fidya for it, for Ka'b ibn 'Ujrah, when he shaved his head, removed many lice, and nothing was obligatory upon him for that; rather, the fidya was only due for the shaving of the hair. Moreover, lice have no monetary value, so they are like mosquitoes and fleas, and they are neither game (hunted animals) nor are they edible. It was narrated from Ibn Umar that he said: They are the most trivial of things to be killed. Ibn Abbas was asked about a Muhrim who dropped a louse and then searched for it but did not find it, and he said: That is a lost item that is not to be sought. This is the view of Tawus, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, 'Ata', Abu Thawr, and Ibn al-Mundhir.