Dought & clear, - How should a woman cut her hair in Hajj and ‘Umrah?

After my mother performed 'Umrah, she cut one lock of her hair, as she
didn't know the ruling. What is the ruling on that?
Praise be to Allah.
Shaving the head or cutting the hair is one of the obligatory acts of
'Umrah. Women do not have to shave their heads; rather what is
prescribed for them is cutting the hair. It is essential to shorten
all of the hair, according to the correct opinion. This is the view of
the Maalikis and Hanbalis. If she has braids, she should remove a
little from the end of each braid. Otherwise she should gather her
hair and cut something from the ends of all of it. What is recommended
(mustahabb) is to remove a fingertip's length, but less than that may
be removed, because no specific amount is mentioned in the texts.
Al-Baaji (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Muntaqa(3/29): With
regard to women, when a woman wants to enter ihram, she may braid her
hair, then when she exits ihram she may cut something from the ends of
her braids.
How much should she cut off? It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that he
said: The length of a fingertip. Ibn Habeeb narrated from Maalik that
it should be the length of a fingertip or a little more or a little
less. Maalik said: In our view there is no specific amount, and
whatever she cuts off is acceptable, but it is essential to cut
something from all of the hair, whether it is long or short. End
quote.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Mughni(3/196): It
is obligatory to cut or shave all of the hair; this (with regard to
cutting the hair) also applies to women. This is our view and is also
the view of Maalik. End quote.
He also said: Any amount that is cut from it is acceptable. Ahmad
said: He should cut off a fingertip's length. This is also the view of
Ibn 'Umar, ash-Shaafa'i, Ishaaq, and Abu Thawr. This may be understood
as meaning that it is mustahabb, because of the words of Ibn 'Umar.
End quote.
He also said (3/226): A woman should cut a fingertip's length from her
hair. What is meant by the fingertip is the end of the finger, from
the highest knuckle. What is prescribed for women is to cut the hair,
not to shave the head, and there is no difference of opinion
concerning that. Ibn al-Mundhir said: The scholars are unanimously
agreed on this. It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "Women do not have to shave their heads; rather
women have to cut their hair." Narrated by Abu Dawood. It was narrated
that 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told women not to shave
their heads. Narrated by at-Tirmidhi. Ahmad used to say: She should
cut a fingertip's length from each lock of hair. This is the view of
Ibn 'Umar, ash-Shaafa'i, Ishaaq and Abu Thawr. Abu Dawood said: I
heard Ahmad being asked whether a woman should cut something from all
of her hair. He said: Yes; she should gather her hair at the front of
her head then remove a fingertip's length from the ends of her hair.
End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said inash-Sharh
al-Mumti'(7/329): "A woman should cut a fingertip's length from her
hair" refers to the top of the finger. In other words, a woman should
take hold of her braids, if she has braids, or the ends of her hair,
if she does not have braids, and trim the length of a fingertip from
it. That is approximately two centimeters. With regard to what is
common among women, which is wrapping the end of the hair around the
finger then cutting it , that is not correct. End quote.
Based on that, a woman who cut only one lock of her hair has not cut
it in the manner required. What she must do now is cut her hair in the
manner we have described, but there is no penalty on her for what she
may have done previously of things that are forbidden in ihram.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning a
woman who had not completed her 'Umrah: With regard to what she may
have done of things that are forbidden in ihram, if we assume that her
husband had intercourse with her – and intercourse when in ihram is
the most serious of the things that are forbidden – there is no
penalty on her, because she was unaware (of the rulings), and anyone
who does any action that is forbidden when in ihram out of ignorance
or forgetfulness, or because he was compelled to do it, does not have
to pay any penalty.
End quote fromMajmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen(21/351).
He (may Allah have mercy on him) was also asked: A man cut his hair on
one side after 'Umrah, then he went back to his family and he found
out that what he had done was not correct. What should he do? He
replied: If he did this thing out of ignorance, than what he must do
is take off his ordinary clothes now (and put on his ihram garments),
and shave his head completely or cut his hair. What he did is
pardoned, because he did not know. Shaving or cutting the hair does
not have to be done in Makkah; rather it may be done there or
elsewhere. But if what he did was based on a fatwa from one of the
scholars, he does not have to do anything, because Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "Ask the people of knowledge, if you
do not know" [al-Anbiya' 21:7]. And some of the scholars said that
cutting part of the hair is like cutting all of the hair.
End quote fromal-Liqa' ash-Shahri, no. 10
Women do not have to change their clothes before cutting the hair,
because it is not haraam for them to wear ordinary clothes when in
ihram; rather they are only forbidden to wear the niqab and gloves.
And Allah knows best.