Keeping the Beard Is Obligatory, and Its Limit: A Detailed Legal Review
Introduction
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد! Growing the beard is obligatory, and only one who is unaware of the principles and evidences of the Shariah opposes it.
Islamic texts contain several clear proofs regarding the beard. Shaving the beard was the practice of the people of Lot, and the wicked people of this Ummah follow them, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“You will follow the ways of those before you”
Some modern doctors have tried to present growing the beard as a sign of neglecting the religion, but true Muslims are not deceived by their baseless claims and follow their Prophet ﷺ.
Evidences for Leaving the Beard (Not Shaving It)
➊ The statement of Prophet Harun (peace be upon him)
﴿يَبنَؤُمَّ لا تَأخُذ بِلِحيَتى وَلا بِرَأسى﴾
“O son of my mother! Do not seize my beard or my head.”
This verse establishes the existence of the beard and that it can be grasped, which is the practice of the prophets.
➋ Prohibition of changing Allah’s creation
﴿وَلَـٔامُرَنَّهُم فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلقَ اللَّـهِ﴾
“And I will surely command them, and they will surely change the creation of Allah.”
This verse clearly shows that changing Allah’s creation without permission is obedience to Satan and disobedience to Allah. A hadith states that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed the women who change Allah’s creation, and this includes shaving the beard for beautification, because the reason for both is the same.
➌ Ahadith of the Prophet ﷺ – the command to leave the beard
A. The narration of Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
“اَحْفُوْا الشَّوَارِبَ وَأَعْفُوا اللِّحَى”
B. In another narration:
“اِنْهَكُوا الشَّوَارِبَ وَأَعْفُوا اللِّحَى”
C. The command to oppose the polytheists:
“خَالِفُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ، أَوْفِرُوا اللِّحَى، وَأَحْفُوا الشَّوَارِبَ”
When Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) performed Hajj or Umrah, he would take a fistful of his beard and cut off whatever exceeded it. The one who shaves his beard and grows his moustache imitates the polytheists.
➍ Curse upon imitating the opposite gender
It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him):
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed women who imitate men and men who imitate women.”
➎ The narration of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him)
“جُزُّوا الشَّوَارِبَ، وَأَرْخُوا اللِّحَى، خَالِفُوا الْمَجُوسَ”
Trim the moustaches, let the beards grow, and oppose the Magians.
➏ Leaving the beard among the natural characteristics
It is narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“There are ten characteristics of fitrah: trimming the moustache, leaving the beard, using the miswak, rinsing the nose with water, cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the armpit hair, shaving the pubic hair, and cleansing with water after relieving oneself…”
The Ruling on Leaving the Beard: The Imperative Indicates Obligation
Allah the Exalted says:
﴿فَليَحذَرِ الَّذينَ يُخالِفونَ عَن أَمرِهِ أَن تُصيبَهُم فِتنَةٌ أَو يُصيبَهُم عَذابٌ أَليمٌ﴾
This verse shows that opposing the command of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ may lead to a severe outcome.
Description of the Beard of the Prophet ﷺ
In Sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim and Nasai, under the chapter “Ittikhadh al-Jummah” (keeping hair locks), it is narrated that:
Al-Bara ibn Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was of medium height, broad-chested, with a thick beard, and hair reaching the lobes of his ears…”
The Ruling on Opposing the People of the Book and the Magians
Imam Ahmad narrated from Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Make your beards thick, shorten your moustaches, and oppose the People of the Book.”
The Amount of the Beard: The Ruling on Cutting What Exceeds a Fistful
➊ The narration of Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)
“When he performed Hajj or Umrah, he would take a fistful of his beard, and cut off whatever exceeded it.”
➋ The practice of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him)
“He would take the beard in his fist and cut the part that exceeded it.”
➌ The statement of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him)
“We used to lengthen our moustaches, but not during Hajj and Umrah.”
➍ The practice of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) is also mentioned
Opinions of the Scholars
Al-Zaylai (may Allah have mercy on him) said that these narrations cannot be used as evidence against the authentic marfu’ ahadith, because the general wording of the marfu’ ahadith indicates the obligation of leaving the beard uncut.
Shaykh Salih ibn Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Some scholars have permitted cutting what exceeds a fistful of the beard, but what is better is that which the general wording of the previous ahadith indicates. The Prophet ﷺ did not make any exception regarding this.”
Refutation of Incorrect Opinions
What is written in Durr al-Mukhtar (5/261):
“Plucking the white hairs of the beard and trimming it from the sides is permissible,”
this statement is based on error. Because:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Do not pluck the white hairs”
Calling trimming the sides of the beard a Sunnah is also not correct, because there is no evidence for it from the Sunnah.
ھٰذا ما عندي، واللہ أعلم بالصواب۔
