Muslim

The Prophet Muhammed dyed his beard red using henna and his Caliphs adopted this practice. Fatima, Muhammed’s daughter, adorned her hands in mehndi. Khamsa, also the Arabic number 5, refers to the protective image of Fatima’s hand with patterns on it, often worn as a talisman. The use of henna and mehndi by the Prophet insured its place in history and its popularity and acceptance among the Muslim people.

Henna rituals flourished in the bathhouses or hamam. The hamam was a segregated, public bath that harem women would attend once a week. This was one of three occasions women would leave the compound, the other two being for purposes of worship and visiting her parents. Visits to the hamam could last all day, this was a place where women could socialize and speak freely. A welcome respite from the strict lives of prescribed rules of behavior in the harem. Women would dye their hair with henna, thread away body hair, apply mehndi and perfumes. Bathing and cleanliness are very important in Islam as they serve as ablutions, ritual, religious cleansing. In the hamam, when the henna paste was removed it was viewed as an ablution, believed to purify and rid the person of evil. Hamam was also an opportunity for women to compete with their beauty among each other and adorn themselves to gain the attention of their husbands.