Question:
The hairs of my chest often break off and I am intending to perform Hajj. I have heard that for every hair broken, you have to give a goat as kaff�rah while on Hajj. Can I shave my chest before going so that on Hajj I do not have to worry about any hair breaking off?

Answer:
There is no harm on someone who loses some hairs inadvertently while in the state of ihr�m. He does not have to offer any expiation (kaff�rah) for it. He is only prohibited from shaving his hair on purpose.

Also, there is only a single expiation for each time that you shave or cut your hair, not for each hair itself. If you shave your head, for instance, you must offer a single expiation. If you then, for instance, cut the hair on your mustache, you must pay another. If you later purposely pluck out a hair or a handful of hair, you must pay another.

Allah knows best.

Responded by:
Sheikh `Abd Al-Wahh�b Al-Turayr�, former professor at Al-Im�m University in Riyadh