Regarding Shaving the Private Parts

Ash-Shawkānī said in ‘Nawlul-Awṭār’ (1/178), concerning the ḥadīth of Abū Hurairah (may Allāh be pleased with him) – marfūʿan: “Five things are from Fiṭrah…”:

“His saying: ‘al-Istiḥdād’: means to shave the ‘ʿānah’ (hair of the private parts). It was called ‘istiḥdād’ because the ‘ḥadīdah’ (iron razor) is used, that being the razor; and it is a ‘Sunnah’ by agreement, and it can be performed by shaving, clipping, plucking or depilation (removal using creams). An-Nawawī said[1]: “Most excellent is shaving.” Then what is meant by the ‘ʿānah’ (hair of the private parts) is: The hair which grows above and around the man’s penis, and likewise the hair which surrounds the woman’s genitals; and it is related from Abul-ʿAbbās ibn Surayj: that it is the hair which grows around the anus. An-Nawawī said: “So all of this combined means that it is recommended to shave all that is upon the genitals and anus and what surrounds them.” End.

So I say: Since ‘Istiḥdād’; in the language means: shaving the hair of the genitals, as An-Nawawī mentioned, then there is no proof for shaving the hair which grows around the anus. So even though its meaning is shaving with a razor — as occurs in ‘al-Qāmūs’, then there is no doubt that this term is more general that just shaving the hair of the genitals. However in ‘Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim’ and elsewhere instead of ‘al-Istiḥdād’, in the ḥadīth: “Ten things are from the Fiṭrah…”, there occurs: “Shaving the ‘ʿānah’ (hair of the genitals)”, so this clarifies the unrestricted wording of ‘al-Istiḥdād’ (lit. Using the razor) in the ḥadīt: “Firve things are from the Fitrah:…”.

Therefore claims that it is from the Sunnah to shave the hair growing around the anus, or that it is recommended, will not be established except with proof: and we do not find shaving the hair of the anus to be from his, Peace and blessings be upon him, practice, nor the practice of anyone form his Companions.”

The Time Limit for Shaving the Private Parts.

Shaikh al-Albānī brings in ‘Ādābuz-Zafāf’ (pp. 206-207) the narration of Anas (may Allāh be pleased with him):

“The time limit was laid down for us [and in a narration: Allāh’s Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him) laid down a time limit for us] for the clipping of the moustache, the clipping of the nails, the plucking of the armpits, and the shaving of the hair of the private parts, that this should not be left for more than forty nights.”

And he (may Allāh haver mercy on him) said: “Reported by Muslim.., Abū ʿAwānah.., Abū Dāwud.., An-Nasāʾī.., At-Tirmidhī.., Aḥmad.., Ibnul-Aʿrābī in ‘Al-Muʿjam’.., Ibn ʿAdiyy, and Ibn ʿAsākir.., and the other narration is reported by all of them except for the first two.

I say: And what is apparent from the ḥadīth is that it is not permissible to go beyond the forty (days), and this was clearly by some of the verifiers such as Ash-Shawkānī.”

[1]  ‘Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim’: 2/151.