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 of expiation) did he commence (the statement).  

أَتَى عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ زَمَنَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ وَأَنَا أُوقِدُ تَحْتَ قَالَ الْقْوَارِيرِيُّ قِدْرٍ لِي وَقَالَ أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ بُرْمَةٍ لِي وَالْقَمْلُ يَتَنَاثَرُ عَلَى وَجْهِي فَقَالَ أَيُؤْذِيكَ هَوَامُّ رَأْسِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَاحْلِقْ وَصُمْ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ أَوْ أَطْعِمْ سِتَّةَ مَسَاكِينَ أَوِ انْسُكْ نَسِيكَةً قَالَ أَيُّوبُ فَلاَ أَدْرِي بِأَىِّ ذَلِكَ بَدَأَ  

This hadith is narrated on the authority of Ayyub.  

عَنْ أَيُّوبَ فِي هَذَا الإِسْنَادِ بِمِثْلِهِ  

It was I for whom this verse was revealed (to the Holy Prophet):" Whoever among you is sick or has an ail- ment of the head, he (may effect) a compensation by lasting or alms or a sacrifice" He said: I came to him (the Holy Prophet) and he said: Come Dear. So I went near. He (again) said: Come near. So I went near. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Do the vermins trouble you? Ibn Aun (one of the narrators) said: I think he (Ka'b b. Ujra) replied in the affirmative. He (the Holy Prophet) then commanded to do compensation by fasting or by giving sadaqa (feeding six needy persons) or by sacrifice (of a animal) that is available.  

فِيَّ أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ { فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ بِهِ أَذًى مِنْ رَأْسِهِ فَفِدْيَةٌ مِنْ صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ} قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ ادْنُهْ فَدَنَوْتُ فَقَالَ ادْنُهْ فَدَنَوْتُ فَقَالَ ﷺ أَيُؤْذِيكَ هَوَامُّكَ قَالَ ابْنُ عَوْنٍ وَأَظُنُّهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَأَمَرَنِي بِفِدْيَةٍ مِنْ صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ مَا تَيَسَّرَ  

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 an animal) that is available.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَفَ عَلَيْهِ وَرَأْسُهُ يَتَهَافَتُ قَمْلاً فَقَالَ أَيُؤْذِيكَ هَوَامُّكَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَاحْلِقْ رَأْسَكَ قَالَ فَفِيَّ نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ { فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ بِهِ أَذًى مِنْ رَأْسِهِ فَفِدْيَةٌ مِنْ صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ} فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صُمْ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ أَوْ تَصَدَّقْ بِفَرَقٍ بَيْنَ سِتَّةِ مَسَاكِينَ أَوِ انْسُكْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ  

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."  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ مَرَّ بِهِ وَهُوَ بِالْحُدَيْبِيَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ مَكَّةَ وَهُوَ مُحْرِمٌ وَهُوَ يُوقِدُ تَحْتَ قِدْرٍ وَالْقَمْلُ يَتَهَافَتُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ أَيُؤْذِيكَ هَوَامُّكَ هَذِهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَاحْلِقْ رَأْسَكَ وَأَطْعِمْ فَرَقًا بَيْنَ سِتَّةِ مَسَاكِينَ وَالْفَرَقُ ثَلاَثَةُ آصُعٍ أَوْ صُمْ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ أَوِ انْسُكْ نَسِيكَةً قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ أَوِ اذْبَحْ شَاةً  

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.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَرَّ بِهِ زَمَنَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ آذَاكَ هَوَامُّ رَأْسِكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ احْلِقْ رَأْسَكَ ثُمَّ اذْبَحْ شَاةً نُسُكًا أَوْ صُمْ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ أَوْ أَطْعِمْ ثَلاَثَةَ آصُعٍ مِنْ تَمْرٍ عَلَى سِتَّةِ مَسَاكِينَ  

I sat with Ka'b (Allah be pleased with him) and he was in the mosque. I asked him about this verse:" Compensation in (the form of) fasting, or Sadaqa or sacrifice." Ka'b (Allah be pleased with him) said: It was reveal- ed In my case. There was some trouble in my head. I was taken to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and lice were creeping upon my face. Thereupon he said: I did not think that your trouble had become so unbearable as I see. Would you be able to afford (the sacrificing) of a goat? I (Ka'b) said: Then this verse was revealed:" Com- pensation (in the form of) fasting or alms or a sacrifice." He (the Holy Prophet) said: (It Implies) fasting for three days, or feeding six needy perscins, half sa' of food for every needy person. This verse was revealed particularly for me and (now) Its applica- tion is general for all of you.  

قَعَدْتُ إِلَى كَعْبٍ ؓ وَهُوَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ هَذِهِ الآيَةِ { فَفِدْيَةٌ مِنْ صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ} فَقَالَ كَعْبٌ ؓ نَزَلَتْ فِيَّ كَانَ بِي أَذًى مِنْ رَأْسِي فَحُمِلْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالْقَمْلُ يَتَنَاثَرُ عَلَى وَجْهِي فَقَالَ مَا كُنْتُ أُرَى أَنَّ الْجَهْدَ بَلَغَ مِنْكَ مَا أَرَى أَتَجِدُ شَاةً فَقُلْتُ لاَ فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ { فَفِدْيَةٌ مِنْ صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ} قَالَ صَوْمُ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ أَوْ إِطْعَامُ سِتَّةِ مَسَاكِينَ نِصْفَ صَاعٍ طَعَامًا لِكُلِّ مِسْكِينٍ قَالَ فَنَزَلَتْ فِيَّ خَاصَّةً وَهْىَ لَكُمْ عَامَّةً  

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.  

أَنَّهُ خَرَجَ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مُحْرِمًا فَقَمِلَ رَأْسُهُ وَلِحْيَتُهُ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ فَدَعَا الْحَلاَّقَ فَحَلَقَ رَأْسَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ هَلْ عِنْدَكَ نُسُكٌ قَالَ مَا أَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَصُومَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ أَوْ يُطْعِمَ سِتَّةَ مَسَاكِينَ لِكُلِّ مِسْكِينَيْنِ صَاعٌ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷻ فِيهِ خَاصَّةً { فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ بِهِ أَذًى مِنْ رَأْسِهِ} ثُمَّ كَانَتْ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ عَامَّةً