In many cultures, men traveling abroad have followed the custom of leaving their hair unshorn until their return. This practice likely stems from the belief that travelers are vulnerable to the magical arts of the strangers they encounter during their journeys. If their hair were cut and obtained by others, it might be used against them for malicious purposes. For instance, the Egyptians would refrain from cutting their hair while traveling and would only do so once they returned home. Similarly, in Tâif, when a man returned from a journey, his first duty was to visit the Rabba and have his hair cut.
