❀ Source: Fatawa al-Deen al-Khalis, Volume 1, Page 422
❀ Question:
What is the Sunnah regarding the mustache — shaving, plucking, or trimming? Please issue a fatwa. May Allah reward you.
✦ Response:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh. Ammā ba‘d:
Various terms have been used in the blessed Ahadith regarding the mustache, including:
◈ إحفاء
◈ جز
◈ قص
◈ الأخذ
◈ نهك
◈ حلق
✿ Ahadith of the Prophet ﷺ Regarding the Mustache
① Hadith from Bukhari (2/875)
Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه):
«انْهَكُوا الشَّوَارِبَ وَأَعْفُوا اللِّحَىٰ»
“Remove the mustaches completely and leave the beards.”
② Another narration from Ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه):
«خَالِفُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ أَوْفِرُوا اللِّحَىٰ وَأَحْفُوا الشَّوَارِبَ»
“Oppose the polytheists; grow the beards and trim the mustaches thoroughly.”
③ Narration of Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) (Muslim 1/29):
“Five are from the natural practices: circumcision, using water for istinja, plucking the armpit hair, clipping the nails, and trimming the mustache.”
④ Another Hadith from Muslim:
“Trim the mustaches, leave the beards, and oppose the fire-worshippers.”
⑤ Narration of Mughira bin Shu‘bah (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ instructed the trimming of the mustache using scissors placed alongside a miswak.
(Sources: Tirmidhi 2/5, Abu Dawood 1/38, Hadith 187, Tahawi 2/397, Mishkat 2/367)
⑥ Narration of Zayd bin Arqam (رضي الله عنه):
«مَنْ لَمْ يَأْخُذْ مِنْ شَارِبِهِ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا»
(Reported by Ahmad, Nasa’i, Tirmidhi)
“He who does not take from his mustache is not one of us.”
✿ About the Word "Halq" (Shaving)
The term “halq” (shaving) is not explicitly mentioned in the Hadith.
Some scholars have interpreted “ihfa’” as shaving, i.e., complete removal.
◈ Scholarly Differences of Opinion
➊ Those Scholars Who Consider Complete Removal (Ihfa’) Preferable:
Their Evidences:
✔ The term "ihfa’" appears in both Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.
✔ Most of the Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم) used to completely remove their mustaches.
◈ Tahawi (2/308):
Isma‘il bin Khalid said:
“I saw Anas bin Malik and Wasila bin al-Asqa‘ — they used to remove their mustaches and leave their beards.”
Other Sahabah who practiced complete removal include:
◈ ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar
◈ Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri
◈ Abu Usayd al-Sa‘idi
◈ Rafi‘ bin Khadij
◈ Jabir bin ‘Abdullah
◈ Abu Hurairah
◈ Anas bin Malik
◈ Salamah bin al-Akwa‘
Ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) would clean his mustache to such an extent that the whiteness of his skin would become visible.
➋ Those Scholars Who Prefer Trimming (Qass):
Their Evidences:
✔ Ahadith concerning trimming are greater in number and authenticity.
✔ The Hadith of Mughira bin Shu‘bah clearly mentions trimming the mustache using scissors with the miswak as a guide.
◈ Bazzar narrates from ‘A’ishah (رضي الله عنها):
The Prophet ﷺ saw a man with an overgrown mustache. He placed the miswak at the edge and trimmed the overhanging hairs with scissors.
(Tuhfat al-Ahwazi 4/11)
◈ Tabarani al-Kabir (1/4):
‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) would twist his mustache and blow on it.
◈ Narration of Sharjeel bin Muslim Khawlani:
It was the practice of five Companions (رضي الله عنهم) to trim their mustaches:
◈ Abu Umamah al-Bahili
◈ ‘Abdullah bin Busr
◈ ‘Utbah bin ‘Abd as-Sulami
◈ Hajjaj bin ‘Amir al-Ashmali
◈ Miqdam bin Ma‘dikarib
They would only trim the hair extending over the lips, not cut from the roots.
◈ Imam Nawawi (رحمه الله):
The preferable method of trimming is to remove only the hairs that extend beyond the edge of the lips, not from the root.
◈ Ibn Sa‘d (1/433, 449):
A barber trimmed the mustache of the Prophet ﷺ.
◈ Imam Malik (رحمه الله):
He considered shaving from the root as “muthlah” (disfiguring the face).
➌ Both Practices are Permissible, but Trimming is Preferable
◈ Imam Bayhaqi (رحمه الله):
Imam Malik interpreted “ihfa’” as trimming, not shaving.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (رحمه الله):
According to Tabarani, both methods — ihfa’ and qass — are proven from Hadith, but the preference is towards trimming.
◈ Imam Tahawi (رحمه الله):
In Ma‘ani al-Athar (2/208) he stated:
“One may choose either method, both are from the Sunnah.”
◈ Imam Malik’s Statement:
About someone who shaves his mustache:
“I believe he should be strictly punished.”
He labeled complete removal as a bid‘ah (innovation).
(Fath al-Bari 1/285–286)
➍ Fatwa of Shaykh Salih al-‘Uthaymeen:
The Sunnah is to trim the mustache, and that is preferable:
✔ Cut the hair near the lips so that the lips become visible.
✔ Or trim the entire mustache until it is neat.
✔ Shaving is not Sunnah, rather it is an innovation.
➎ Response to the Dubious Narration
Some versions contain the wording “halq al-sharib” (shaving the mustache), but this is not present in the printed versions of Sunan al-Nasa’i (both al-Sughra and al-Kubra).
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar mentioned it and declared it shaadh (irregular).
(Fath al-Bari 1/285)
◈ Shaykh al-Albani also referred to it in Irwa’ al-Ghalil (1/112, No. 73).
Conclusion:
✔ Trimming the mustache is preferable.
✔ Complete removal (ihfa’) is also permissible.
Shaving (halq) is an innovation, as clarified by Imam Malik and other scholars.هٰذَا مَا عِنْدِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
