Al Minah Al `Aliyyah (38)

According to what is mentioned above , there are three cases :

The first case: To honor the right side, thus it precedes whether it is hand or leg, in combing the hair, putting on shoes and making ablution, entering the mosque, cutting the hair, eating, drinking and all other honorable things and the evidence for this has been mentioned before. It is the hadith of ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). 

The second case: is that the left leg or hand is given priority, such as entering the bathroom, leaving the mosque, using the left hand to remove impurities, taking off of the shoes and so on.  What supports this is the agreed upon ahadith that Abu Qatadah t narrated Allah’s Messenger r said, “And whenever anyone of you goes to a lavatory, he should neither touch his genitals nor clean his private parts with his right hand.”^[1]

The third case: is that the person has the option to use any hand, but originally should use the right one. ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated, “Allah’s Messenger loved to start with the right hand (or leg) in all of his affairs.”

Upon commenting on this hadith, Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “This is a working ruling in the Shari’ah and it is part of honoring man to start with his right hand in cases like wearing clothes and socks, using the siwak, trimming the hair, cutting the mustache, plucking the armpit hair, shaving the hair, shaking hands, washing the limbs when making ablution, leaving the lavatory, eating and drinking, touching the black stone and so on where it is recommended to start with the right hand first or move with the right leg. However, it is recommended to use the left leg or hand first in certain other cases, such as entering the lavatory, removing impurities, taking off clothes or socks and so on.

Scholars have unanimously agreed that it is better to start with the right side in ablution, however, if one did the opposite, the ablution would still be valid, but it is better to start with the right side first.”^[2]

Importance

It is Sunnah for the one who wants to have his hair shaved to start with the right side and then the left one. Regrettably, this is an act of Sunnah that people have abandoned.  Anas t narrated, “Allah’s Messenger r went to Mina and he threw the stones. Then, he slaughtered an animal and asked for a barber and said to him: ‘Cut the right part first, and then he gave his hair to the people.”^[3]

What is prohibited in this section is

when men imitate women and vice-versa.

To imitate disbelievers in their dress and the like, to wear something for the sake of showing off, to wear something transparent that displays the body, to wear gold and silk except with a legal excuse (for men), to shave one’s beard, to leave the moustache, for the woman to show her adornment,  to pluck the eyebrows, for the woman to be tattooed or make a space between her teeth to look more attractive, to wear a wig or join artificial hair to hers,  to change the creation of Allah, the Almighty and to die her hair black.