Hajj and its rituals, as well as other important acts of worship, are instituted by Allah for purposes some of them are plainly clear to us, while others are not so clear. Allah is Wise and All-Knowing, and all of His laws have tangible benefits.

Hajj is once in a life-time journey whose primary purpose is to help Muslims witness the great signs of God and to remind them of their final journey to Allah.

A Haaj (pilgrim) enters ihram while freeing himself from all of the worldly entanglements and evidence of status or wealth demonstrating his poverty and dependence on Allah. He is dusty and disheveled; and hence, once he completes the rituals he sheds the hair as a symbolic demonstration of coming out of the state of consecration. Imam Shah Waliyullah explains the wisdom of shedding the hair in Hajj as follows:

It is the sure way of coming out of ihram in a manner that does not bespeak irreverence. If one were to left to follow his or her way in doing so, each person would have followed his way. Furthermore, it suggests a perfect manner of ending the state of being disheveled; therefore it is akin to uttering salam on both sides at the conclusion of Prayer.

Allah Almighty knows best.