If you forgot to shave your hair after finishing `Umrah

Q: I performed `Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) on the twenty-seventh of Ramadan and after (Part No. 10; Page No. 356) I finished Tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka`bah) and Sa`y (going between Safa and Marwah during Hajj and `Umrah), I offered the rest of the Tarawih (special supererogatory night Prayer in Ramadan) with the Muslim congregation. However, I fainted due to stress excessive crowds. After that, I left the Al-Haram (all areas within the Sacred Sanctuary of Makkah), and forgot to shave or shorten my hair. What should I do now?

A: If you forgot to shave your hair after finishing `Umrah, you should, when you remember, put on Ihram (clothing worn during the ritual state for Hajj and `Umrah) once again, then shave or shorten your hair. If you had sexual intercourse with your wife before you shaved, you have to offer a Fidyah (ransom), i.e. slaughter a sheep that meets the same conditions for Ud-hiyah (sacrificial animal offered by non-pilgrims) in the Haram and distribute the meat among the poor of the Haram. If you could not do this, you should fast for ten days.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.