Keeping Hairs and Parting them

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if parting hairs is of Sunnah. He (the Imam) replied, ‘No, it is not of Sunnah.’ I then asked if the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, parted his hairs.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he (the Messenger of Allah) did so.’ I then asked, ‘If the Messenger of Allah parted his hairs, then how is it that it is not part of the Sunnah ?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah experienced a certain condition which made him to part his hairs. If others experience such a condition, they also do as he (the Messenger of Allah) did and in so doing they follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, otherwise, they do not follow the Sunnah.’ I then asked, ‘How did that happen?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘When the Messenger of Allah was prevented from visiting the House, he had already driven his sacrificial animal to be offered as a sacrifice and had assumed the state of Ihram. Allah showed him in his dream, of which Allah has spoken in His book saying, “Allah certainly made the dream come true for the messenger in all truth. That is, you will enter al-Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred Masjid) if Allah so wills, in peace with your heads shaved, and Taqsir (cut or trim a part of his nails or hair) being done without any fear.” (48:26) Thus, the Messenger of Allah learned that Allah would keep His promise about what He has shown him in the dream. For this reason he allowed his hairs that was on his head at the time of assuming the state of Ihram to grow, waiting for the time of shaving in al-Haram (the sacred area) as Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, had promised. When he shaved his head as part of the acts of his al-Hajj, he (the Messenger of Allah) thereafter did not allow his hairs to grow. It (growing of his hairs) was not because of his intention to grow hairs.”’