Five are acts of Fitrah (natural disposition): circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, trimming the mustache, clipping the nails, and plucking the armpit hair

Chapter: The clipping of nails

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 5891

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏

الْفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ الْخِتَانُ، وَالاِسْتِحْدَادُ، وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ، وَتَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ، وَنَتْفُ الآبَاطِ ‏"

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say:

"Five are acts of Fitrah (natural disposition): circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, trimming the mustache, clipping the nails, and plucking the armpit hair."

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 5891, 5889, 6297), Muslim (No. 257a, 257b), Abu Dawud (No. 4198), At-Tirmidhi (No. 2756), An-Nasa’i (No. 9, 10, 11, 5044, 5225), Ibn Majah (No. 292), Malik (No. 1676) and Ahmad (No. 6842, 6963, 7479, 8953, 9945).

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned five acts that belong to the religion of Islam and the practices of the messengers.

First: Circumcision: This is to cut the foreskin of the glans of the male organ and to cut the tip of a female's clitoris.

Second: Shaving the pubes. This is to cut the pubic hair, which grows around the sex organs.

Third: trimming the mustache. This is to trim the hair that grows on a man's upper lip in a way that makes the lip visible.

Fourth: Clipping the nails.

Fifth: Plucking the armpit hair.

Lessons

The messengers' practices that Allah likes, is pleased with, and enjoins lead to perfection, purity, and beauty.
The legitimacy of observing these acts and not overlooking them.
These acts serve religious and worldly benefits, such as: improving appearance, cleaning the body, being heedful about purification, differing from the disbelievers, and complying with the commands of Allah.
Other Hadīths mention more acts of the Fitrah other than these five, like letting the beard grow and using the tooth-stick.

Explanation in Arabic

بَيَّنَ النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم خمسَ خصالٍ من دينِ الإسلام وسنن المرسلين:

أولها: الختان، وهو قطع جِلْدَةٍ زائدةٍ على الذَّكَرِ فوق الحَشَفَة، وقطعُ رأسِ جِلدةٍ في فرج الأنثى فوق مَحَلِّ الإيلاج.

وثانيها: الاستحداد، وهو حَلْقُ شَعَرِ العَانَة الذي حول القُبُل.

وثالثها: قص الشارب، وهو قصُّ ما نبت على شفة الرجل العليا بحيث تظهر الشفة.

ورابعها: قص الأظفار.

وخامسها: نتف الإبط.

سُنَنُ المرسلين التي يُحِبُّها الله ويرتضيها ويأمر بها تدعو إلى الكمال والنزاهة والجمال.
مشروعية تَعَاهُدِ هذه الأشياء، وعدم الغفلة عنها.
لهذه الخصال فوائد دينية ودنيوية، منها: تحسين الهيئة، وتنظيف البدن، والاحتياط للطهارة، ومخالفة الكفار، وامتثال أمر الله.
ذُكِرَ في أحاديث أخرى زيادةُ خصالٍ للفطرةِ غيرِ هذه الخمس، مثل: إعفاء اللحية، والسواك، وغيرها.

Classical commentary

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani — Fath al-Bari

حَدِيث أَبِي هُرَيْرَة قَدْ تَقَدَّمَ شَرْحه مُسْتَوْفًى.…

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Al-Bukharid. 256 AH	Authenticصحيح	The hadith	صحيح البخاري No. 5891

Grades of other versions (1)

AuthenticIbn Asakir حسن صحيح — معجم الشيوخ (1/517)

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 5889

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Five practices are characteristics of the Fitra: circumcision, shaving the pubic region, clipping the nails and cutting the moustaches short."

‏ الْفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ ـ أَوْ خَمْسٌ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ ـ الْخِتَانُ، وَالاِسْتِحْدَادُ، وَنَتْفُ الإِبْطِ، وَتَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ، وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 6297

The Prophet (ﷺ) said "Five things are in accordance with Al Fitra (i.e. the tradition of prophets): to be circumcised, to shave the pelvic region, to pull out the hair of the armpits, to cut short the moustaches, and to clip the nails.'

الْفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ الْخِتَانُ، وَالاِسْتِحْدَادُ، وَنَتْفُ الإِبْطِ، وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ، وَتَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 257a

Five are the acts quite akin to the Fitra, or five are the acts of Fitra: circumcision, shaving the pubes, cutting the nails, plucking the hair under the armpits and clipping the moustache.

الْفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ - أَوْ خَمْسٌ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ - الْخِتَانُ وَالاِسْتِحْدَادُ وَتَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ وَنَتْفُ الإِبْطِ وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 257b

Five are the acts of fitra: circumcision, removing the pubes, clipping the moustache, cutting the nails, plucking the hair under the armpits.

الْفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ الاِخْتِتَانُ وَالاِسْتِحْدَادُ وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ وَتَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ وَنَتْفُ الإِبْطِ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Abu Dawud 4198

The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: The inborn characteristics of man are five. Another version says: Five things are of the inborn characteristics of man: circumcision, shaving the pubes, plucking out hair under the armpit, paring the nails and clipping the moustaches.

الْفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ أَوْ خَمْسٌ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ الْخِتَانُ وَالاِسْتِحْدَادُ وَنَتْفُ الإِبْطِ وَتَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2756

that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Five are from the Fitrah: Cutting the pubic hair, circumcision, paring the mustache, plucking the under arm hair and trimming the fingernails."

"‏ خَمْسٌ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ الاِسْتِحْدَادُ وَالْخِتَانُ وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ وَنَتْفُ الإِبْطِ وَتَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

See all 24 versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 9

"The Fitrah are five: Circumcision, removing the pubes, trimming the mustache, clipping the nails, and plucking the armpit hairs."

"‏ الْفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ الاِخْتِتَانُ وَالاِسْتِحْدَادُ وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ وَتَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ وَنَتْفُ الإِبْطِ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Differing grades Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 10

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The Fitrah are five: Trimming the mustache, plucking the armpit hairs, clipping the nails, removing the pubes, and circumcision.'"

"‏ خَمْسٌ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ قَصُّ الشَّارِبِ وَنَتْفُ الإِبْطِ وَتَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ وَالاِسْتِحْدَادُ وَالْخِتَانُ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 11

"The Fitrah are five: Circumcision, shaving the pubes, plucking the armpit hairs, clipping the nails and taking from the mustache."

"‏ خَمْسٌ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ الْخِتَانُ وَحَلْقُ الْعَانَةِ وَنَتْفُ الإِبْطِ وَتَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ وَأَخْذُ الشَّارِبِ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 5044

"Five things are of the Fitrah: Clipping the nails, trimming the mustache, plucking the armpit hairs, shaving the pubes, and circumcision." (Sahih Mawquf)

خَمْسٌ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ تَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ وَنَتْفُ الإِبْطِ وَحَلْقُ الْعَانَةِ وَالْخِتَانُ ‏.‏

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 5225

"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said to me: 'Five things are from the Fitrah: Trimming the mustache, plucking the armpit hairs, clipping the nails, shaving the pubes and circumcision.'"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Ibn Majah 292

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The deeds connected to the Fitrah are five (or five things are connected to the Fitrah): circumcision, shaving the pubic hairs, clipping the nails, plucking the armpit hairs and trimming the mustache.'"

"‏ الْفِطْرَةُ خَمْسٌ - أَوْ خَمْسٌ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ - الْخِتَانُ وَالاِسْتِحْدَادُ وَتَقْلِيمُ الأَظْفَارِ وَنَتْفُ الإِبِطِ وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Muwatta Malik 1676

cutting the nails, trimming the moustache, removing the hair from the armpit, shaving the pubic region and circumcision."

وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ خَمْسٌ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ تَقْلِيمُ الأَظَافِرِ وَقَصُّ الشَّارِبِ وَنَتْفُ الإِبْطِ وَحَلْقُ…

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 6842