What is the Sharee'ah-ruling on a woman who shortens her hair in order to look beautiful before her husband?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Before the disturbance of beauty standards, a woman's long hair was an advantageous quality for which she was recommended. Islam allows a woman to shorten the length of a fingertip of her hair to end the state of Ihraam (state of ritual consecration) for Hajj or ‘Umrah. However, if she does so out of imitating non-Muslim women or men, it is forbidden to do so. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:

•        "Whoever imitates a people becomes one of them."

•        "Allaah has cursed women who imitate men."

Some scholars hold the opinion that it is disliked for a woman to shorten her hair for other purposes unless it is necessary, as when it is too long to be able to care for it and maintain it.

Nonetheless, if a woman shortens her hair just to look pretty before her husband, and not out of imitating any of the Western or Eastern non-Muslim women, then we hope that she is not held guilty for doing this. However, it is better to avoid this out of fear that the heart is afflicted with a sort of inclination to imitate them. Allaah says (what means): {And do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest you be touched by the Fire….} [Quran 11: 113]

Allaah Knows best.