Men and Ponytails

In ‘Malfūẓāt-i-Ala Hazrat’, it is mentioned that the reviver of Islam, the Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Aḥmad Razā Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه, was asked:

Is it permissible for men to tie their hair in ponytails?

He replied:

It is haram. The beloved Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  stated,  لَعَنَ اللہُ الْمُتَشَبِّھِیْنَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ بِالنِّسَاءِ وَالْمُتَشَبِّھَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ بِالرِّجَالِ “Allah curses the men who imitate women and the women who imitate men.”^[1]

The erudite Hanafi jurist, Muftī Amjad ꜤAlī al-AꜤẓamī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه, states in Bahār-e-SharīꜤat, volume 16:

It is not permitted for a man to grow his hair to the length which women keep. Some of the pseudo-Sufis extend their hair to the extent that it sways like snakes on their chests. This is impermissible and contrary to Islamic law. Spiritual wayfaring (Tasawwuf) is not in extending one’s hair and wearing colourful clothing, rather it is to completely emulate the beloved Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  and supress the wrongful desires of the carnal-self.

He further states:

It is disliked to grow the hair of the head whilst shaving the hair of the neck. Nowadays, there is a widespread trend of keeping a tuft on top by trimming all the surrounding hair very short and leaving long hair in the centre. This is emulation of the disbelievers and is impermissible.^[2]