6 Islamic Rulings on the Beard Based on Authentic Hadith
Source: Fatāwā ad-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Volume 1, Page 415
Introduction
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Growing the beard is obligatory, and its denial comes only from those unfamiliar with the foundational principles and evidences of Shariah.
Numerous clear Islamic texts establish the importance of the beard. Shaving the beard was the practice of the people of Lūṭ (عليه السلام), and it is the fāsiq individuals of this Ummah who follow their ways, just as the Prophet ﷺ said:
“You will surely follow the ways of the nations before you.”
Some modern doctors have attempted to portray growing the beard as a sign of religious negligence. However, sincere Muslims are not deceived by such baseless claims and remain devoted to following the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
➊ Proof from the Statement of Hārūn (عليه السلام)
﴿يَـٰبْنَ أُمَّ لَا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِى وَلَا بِرَأْسِى﴾
(Sūrah Ṭāhā: 94)
“O son of my mother! Do not seize me by my beard or by my head.”
This verse proves the existence and graspability of the beard, showing it to be from the way of the Prophets.
➋ Prohibition of Altering Allah's Creation
﴿وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ ٱللَّهِ﴾
(Sūrah an-Nisāʾ: 119)
“And I will command them, and they will surely alter the creation of Allah.”
This verse clearly shows that modifying Allah’s creation without permission is obedience to Shayṭān and disobedience to Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ cursed the women who alter Allah’s creation, which includes shaving the beard for beautification, as the reasoning behind both is the same.
(Tammām al-Minnah, pp. 78–80)
➌ Prophetic Commands to Leave the Beard
a. Narrated from Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
“Trim the moustaches and leave the beards.”
(Bukhari 2/129, Nasāʾī 3/1039)
b. Another narration:
“Shorten the moustaches and let the beards grow.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhari 2/875)
c. Command to differ from the polytheists:
“Oppose the polytheists. Let the beards grow and trim the moustaches.”
Practice of Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
He used to take a fistful of his beard during Hajj or ʿUmrah, and cut what exceeded that.
Those who shave the beard and lengthen the moustache resemble the polytheists.
➍ Curse on Imitating the Opposite Gender
Narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنه):
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed the men who imitate women and the women who imitate men.”
(Bukhari, Mishkāt 2/380)
➎ Hadith of Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه)
“Trim the moustaches and grow the beards. Oppose the Magians (Zoroastrians).”
(Abū ʿAwānah, Muslim 1/129)
➏ Beard Included Among Natural Dispositions (Fitrah)
Narrated from ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Ten acts are from the natural disposition: trimming the moustache, letting the beard grow, using the siwāk, rinsing the nose, cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking underarm hair, shaving pubic hair, and cleansing with water...”
(Muslim 1/129, Mishkāt 1/44)
❖ Command to Let the Beard Grow is a Binding Command
Allah says:
﴿فَلْيَحْذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِۦٓ أَن تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾
(Sūrah an-Nūr: 63)
“So let those beware who oppose His command, lest a trial befall them or a painful punishment strike them.”
This verse shows that disobeying the command of the Prophet ﷺ leads to serious consequences.
Description of the Beard of the Prophet ﷺ
In Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Muslim, and Nasāʾī under the chapter “Keeping long hair (al-jummah)”, it is narrated:
al-Barā’ ibn ʿĀzib (رضي الله عنه) said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was of medium height, broad-chested, had a thick beard, and his hair reached his earlobes...”
(Ādāb az-Zifāf, p. 135)
Command to Oppose the People of the Book and Magians
Imām Aḥmad narrated from Abū Umāmah (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Let your beards grow, trim your moustaches, and oppose the People of the Book.”
(Aḥmad 5/264, Majmaʿ az-Zawā’id 5/131)
❖ Length of the Beard – Ruling on Trimming Beyond a Fist-Length
➊ From Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
He would take a fistful of the beard during Hajj or ʿUmrah and cut what exceeded.
(Bukhari 2/875, Abū Dāwūd 1/328, Nasāʾī, Ḥākim, Dāraqutnī, Naṣb ar-Rāyah 2/457)
➋ From Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
He used to grasp his beard in a fist and cut the excess.
(Ibn Abī Shaybah 8/373)
➌ Statement of Jābir (رضي الله عنه):
“We would grow our moustaches long, except during Hajj and ʿUmrah.”
(Abū Dāwūd 2/225 – Chain is weak)
➍ Practice of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) is also mentioned.
(Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 4/11)
Scholarly Opinions
al-Zaylaʿī (رحمه الله) states:
These traditions cannot be used as evidence in place of authentic Marfūʿ aḥādīth, which clearly indicate the obligation of letting the beard grow.
Shaykh Ṣāliḥ ibn ʿUthaymīn (رحمه الله) says:
“Some scholars considered trimming beyond a fist-length permissible. However, the better opinion is that which the general wording of previous aḥādīth implies. The Prophet ﷺ made no exception in this regard.”
❖ Refutation of Incorrect Opinions
In Durr al-Mukhtār (5/261), it is written that:
“Plucking white hairs from the beard and trimming the edges is permissible.”
This is an erroneous statement, because:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Do not pluck white hairs.”
(Fatāwā Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah 31/120)
To claim that trimming the edges of the beard is Sunnah has no authentic basis in the Sunnah.
هَذَا مَا عِنْدِي، وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَاب
