Shaving the head is preferrable to cutting the hair, although cutting the hair is permissible

'Abdullah reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got his head shaved (after slaughtering the sacrificial animal on the 10th of Dhu'l-Hijja), and so did a group of Companions, while some of them got their hair clipped. Abdullah said:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) observed once or twice:" May Allah have mercy upon those who get their heads shaved." And he also said:" Upon those too who got their hair clipped."

وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَلَقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَحَلَقَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ وَقَصَّرَ بَعْضُهُمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

‏ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ الْمُحَلِّقِينَ - مَرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ قَالَ - وَالْمُقَصِّرِينَ ‏

‏ ‏.‏

Abdullah b. Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as having observed:

O Allah, have mercy upon those who get their heads shaved. They (the Companions) said: Messenger of Allah, (what about those) who have got their hair clipped? He said: O Allah, have mercy upon those who have got their heads shaved. They (again) said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , (what about those) who have got their hair clipped? Thereupon he said: (O Allah, have mercy upon those) who have got their hair clipped.

وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمِ الْمُحَلِّقِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا وَالْمُقَصِّرِينَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمِ الْمُحَلِّقِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا وَالْمُقَصِّرِينَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَالْمُقَصِّرِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Ibn 'Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

May Allah have mercy upon those who have got their heads shaved. They said: Messenger of Allah, (what about) those who got their hair clipped? He said: May Allah have mercy upon those who have got their heads shaved. They said: Messenger of Allah, (what about those who have got their hair clipped)? He said: May Allah have mercy upon those who got their hair shaved. They said: Messenger of Allah, (what about) those who got their hair clipped? He said: (O Allah, have mercy upon) those who got their hair clipped.

أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ، إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ الْمُحَلِّقِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا وَالْمُقَصِّرِينَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ الْمُحَلِّقِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا وَالْمُقَصِّرِينَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ الْمُحَلِّقِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا وَالْمُقَصِّرِينَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَالْمُقَصِّرِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Ubaidullah reported this hadith with the same chain of transmitters and (it is said) that it was on the fourth turn that he (the Prophet) said:

(May Allah have mercy upon) those who got their hair clipped."

وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَقَالَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ الرَّابِعَةُ قَالَ ‏

‏ وَالْمُقَصِّرِينَ ‏

‏ ‏.‏

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as having said:

O Allah, grant pardon to those who got their heads shaved. They (Companions of the Prophet) said: Messenger of Allah, (what about those) who get their hair cut? He said: O Allah, grant pardon to those who get their heads shaved. They said: Messenger of Allah, (what about those) who got their hair clipped? He said: O Allah, grant pardon to those who get their heads shaved. They said: Messenger of Allah, (what about those) who get their hair clipped? He said: (O Allah, grant pardon to) those who get their hair clipped.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَابْنُ، نُمَيْرٍ وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ جَمِيعًا عَنِ ابْنِ فُضَيْلٍ، - قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، - حَدَّثَنَا عُمَارَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي، هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُحَلِّقِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلِلْمُقَصِّرِينَ قَالَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُحَلِّقِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلِلْمُقَصِّرِينَ قَالَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُحَلِّقِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلِلْمُقَصِّرِينَ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَلِلْمُقَصِّرِينَ ‏"‏‏.‏

A hadith like this is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira.

وَحَدَّثَنِي أُمَيَّةُ بْنُ بِسْطَامَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحٌ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمَعْنَى حَدِيثِ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ.‏

Yahya b. al-Husain reported on the authority of his grandfather that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) invoked blessing on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage three times for those who got their heads shaved and once for those who got their hair clipped. In the narration transmitted by Waki' there is no mention of the Farewell Pilgrimage.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْحُصَيْنِ، عَنْ جَدَّتِهِ، أَنَّهَا سَمِعَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ دَعَا لِلْمُحَلِّقِينَ ثَلاَثًا وَلِلْمُقَصِّرِينَ مَرَّةً ‏.‏ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ وَكِيعٌ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ ‏.‏

Ibn Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got his head shaved on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage.

وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْقَارِيُّ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ - كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَلَقَ رَأْسَهُ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ ‏.‏