K'ab bin 'Amr bin 'Ubbad · The Book of Pilgrimage

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to me on the occasion of Hudaibiya and I was kindling fire under my cooking pot and lice were creeping on my face. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Do the vermins harm your head? I said: Yes. He said: Get your head shaved and (in lieu of it) observe fasts for three days or feed six needy persons, or offer sacrifice (of an animal). Ayyub said: I do not know with what (type…

Do these vermins trouble you? I said: Yes. Thereupon he said: Then shave your head; and it was in connection with me that this verse was revealed:" Whoever among you is sick or has an ailment of the head, he (may effect) a compensation by fasting or alms or a sacrifice". He (the Holy Prophet, therefore) said to me: Observe fast for three days or give a quantity of alms enough to feed six needy persons or offer sacrifice (of…

Do these vermin trouble you? He (Ka'b) said: Yes. The Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) said: Shave your head and give some quantity of food enough to feed six needy persons (faraq is equal to three sa's), or observe fast for three days or offer sacrifice of a sacrificial animal. Ibn Najih (one of the narrators) said:" Or sacrifice a goat."

Do these vermins trouble your head? He said: Yes. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Shave your head. Then sacrifice a goat or observe fasts for three days or give three sits of dates to feed six needy persons.

I cannot afford it. He then commanded him to observe fasts for three days or feed six needy persons, one sa' for every two needy persons. And Allah the Exalted and Majestic revealed this (verse) particular with regard to him:" So whosoever among you is sick and has an ailment of the head.." ; then (its application) became general for the Muslims.