Grey Hair Becomes Light on the Day of Resurrection

Short answer

Yes, there is an established hadith stating that grey hair which grows in Islam becomes light for its owner on the Day of Resurrection. The main wording below is the narration of Ka‘b bin Murrah RA in Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, no. 1634. al-Albani graded it sahih. The more precise expression is “becomes light,” as stated in the wording of the hadith.

Translation

From Ka‘b bin Murrah RA, who said: I heard Rasulullah SAW say: “Whoever grows a grey hair in Islam, it becomes light for him on the Day of Resurrection.”

Narrator

Ka‘b bin Murrah RA (main wording); ‘Abd Allah bin ‘Amr RA (separate supporting narration)

Sources and scholars

al-Tirmidhi; al-Albani; Muhammad Shams al-Haq al-‘Azimabadi

Scholarly commentary

1. al-Tirmidhi narrated the hadith of Ka‘b bin Murrah in Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, no. 1634. In the text displayed on Sunnah.com, he mentions that this hadith is hasan and discusses the difference in the chain of transmission: the route of Mansur includes a narrator between Salim bin Abi al-Ja‘d and Ka‘b. The grading “hasan sahih gharib” applies to the narration of ‘Amr bin ‘Abasah at no. 1635, not to this main wording.

2. al-Albani graded this narration of Ka‘b bin Murrah as sahih in Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 1634, as recorded in al-Mawsu‘ah al-Hadithiyyah, al-Durar al-Saniyyah. The Darussalam grading displayed on Sunnah.com differs, namely da‘if; the final status of this review adopts al-Albani’s grading of sahih, with the supporting narration mentioned separately.

3. The narration of ‘Abd Allah bin ‘Amr through ‘Amr bin Shu‘ayb, from his father, from his grandfather is found in Sunan Abi Dawud, no. 4202. The narration of Sufyan mentions light on the Day of Resurrection, while the narration of Yahya mentions one good deed and the removal of one sin. al-Albani graded this hadith hasan sahih. The two wordings are not combined as a single quotation.

4. al-‘Azimabadi explains in ‘Awn al-Ma‘bud, commentary on hadith no. 4202, that a single grey hair becomes a cause for obtaining light. He states that this hadith provides strong encouragement to keep grey hair and not pluck it out. He also distinguishes between plucking grey hair and dyeing it.

Explanation

1. What is the status of this hadith?

The hadith stating that grey hair which grows in Islam becomes light on the Day of Resurrection is established. The main wording above is narrated from Ka‘b bin Murrah RA by al-Tirmidhi, no. 1634, and graded sahih by al-Albani. There is a supporting narration from ‘Abd Allah bin ‘Amr RA in Sunan Abi Dawud, no. 4202.

2. What is meant by “grey hair becomes light”?

According to al-‘Azimabadi in ‘Awn al-Ma‘bud, that grey hair becomes a cause for obtaining light on the Day of Resurrection. This hadith mentions a virtue for a person who has grey hair in Islam. The form, colour, or measure of that light is not detailed in the cited wording. Therefore, use the expression of the hadith: “it becomes light for him on the Day of Resurrection.”

3. Does every grey hair have a reward?

The narration of Abu Dawud mentions a single grey hair. In the wording of Sufyan’s narration, it becomes light; in the wording of Yahya’s narration, Allah records one good deed and removes one sin because of it. This difference in wording should be explained, not merged as though it were one and the same quotation.

4. How should it be acted upon?

Do not pluck out grey hair merely to remove it. The prohibition of plucking is also narrated in Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, no. 2821, which al-Tirmidhi graded hasan. al-‘Azimabadi explains that plucking and dyeing are two different matters. The hadith prohibiting plucking does not by itself mean that all forms of dyeing grey hair are prohibited.

5. What is its lesson?

Grey hair is not necessarily something to be ashamed of. Based on al-‘Azimabadi’s explanation, this hadith encourages us to keep it and hope for Allah’s reward. Continue to preserve faith and deeds; the virtue mentioned is connected to grey hair that grows in Islam.

Conclusion

Grey hair that grows in Islam becoming light for its owner on the Day of Resurrection has an established hadith basis. The main narration is the hadith of Ka‘b bin Murrah RA in Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, no. 1634, which al-Albani graded sahih. There is a supporting narration from ‘Abd Allah bin ‘Amr RA. Avoid plucking grey hair, and do not add descriptions of the light that are not mentioned in the hadith.