Hadith 18068

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said thatMuhammad ibn Ibrahim at-Taymi had informed him that Abu Salama ibn Abdar-Rahman said "Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Aswad ibn Abdal-Yaghuth used tosit with us and he had a white beard and hair. One day he came to usand he had dyed them red, and the people said to him, 'This isbetter.' He said. 'A'isha the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, sent her slave girl Nukhayla to me yesterday. Sheswore that my hair would be dyed and she informed me that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq used to dye his hair.' "Yahya said that he heardMalik say about dyeing the hair black, 'I have not heard anythingcertain on that, and other colours than that are preferable to me."Yahya said, "Not to dye at all is permitted, Allah willing,and there is no constraint on people concerning it."Yahyasaid that he had heard Malik say, "There is no clear indication inthis hadith that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, did not dye his hair. Had the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, dyed his hair, A'isha would have sent amessage to that effect to Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Aswad."