Ruling of braids

This is something that was acceptable and usual according to the customs of that time. Customs vary and Muslims may be living in a place where people do not do that, or they regard the one who does that as imitating immoral people, so it should not be done. 

It was narrated that Umm Haani’ (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Makkah and he had four braids. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1781; Abu Dawood, 4191; Ibn Maajah, 3631; classed as hasan by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Mukhtasar al-Shamaa’il, 23. 

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

What is indicated by the hadeeth is that his hair usually came down to his shoulders, and sometimes it was so long that he wore it in braids, as was narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi with a hasan isnaad from Umm Haani’ who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Makkah and he had four braids. This is to be understood as referring to times when he was so preoccupied that he could not take care of his hair for a long time, such as when travelling and the like.  

End quote from Fath al-Baari, 10/360. 

وعن أم هانئ رضي الله عنها قالت : قدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مكة وله أربع غدائر . رواه الترمذي (1781) وأبو داود (4191) وابن ماجه (3631) . والحديث : حسَّنه ابن حجر في "فتح الباري" ، وصححه الألباني في "مختصر الشمائل" (23) . 

والغدائر هي الضفائر . 

قال الحافظ ابن حجر رحمه الله : 

" وما دل عليه الحديث من كون شعره صلى الله عليه وسلم كان إلى قرب منكبيه كان غالب أحواله ، وكان ربما طال حتى يصير ذؤابة ويتخذ منه عقائص وضفائر كما أخرج أبو داود والترمذي بسند حسن من حديث أم هانئ قالت : ( قدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مكة وله أربع غدائر ) وفي لفظ : ( أربع ضفائر ) وفي رواية ابن ماجه : ( أربع غدائر يعني ضفائر ) وهذا محمول على الحال التي يبعد عهده بتعهده شعره فيها وهي حالة الشغل بالسفر ونحوه " انتهى باختصار . "فتح الباري" (10/360) .