Is the beard fard or Sunnah?

[Dahri]

Aslaam-o-Alykum!
sorry to come after so many days but actually busy in Police courses.
any way some one send me one Hadith regarding Beard Issue so could you let me the Authenticity of this Hadith please.

Hazrat Prophet (pbuh) clipped his beard at the bottom and on the sides. (Tirmidhi, Adab, 17)

Please let me know this Hadith is Zaeef or Mauzu and on what reason it is zaeef or sahih and about by witch narrated is this Haidth Zaeef ?
Jazakaa Allah
Waslaam-o-Alykum

[Kyle]

The beard is obligatory, and this is the opinion of 3 of the 4 madhabs. Growing the beard at least to a fistful is what I have been taught. The Shaf'ii madhab has a differing opinion, saying it is not necessarily obligatory, and this view came from Imam Nawwawi.

[Kyle]

A Hadith on it...
And it was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Be different from the mushrikeen: let your beards grow and trim your moustaches.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5892; Muslim, 259)

As an Anglo dude, I first had problems embracing the beard. Then one day I decided to quit shaving and insha allah will grow a beard again! I had a huge beard for a while, but shaved it for an interview. However, that was haraam of me to do so, as the beard is obligatory!

['Abd-al Latif]

It is sunnah.

The beard is not sunnah, it is obligatory.

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[tango92]

well you could say it is sunnah and obligatory. Sunnah because the prophet pbuh used to do it, and obligatory because it has to be done - at least to the extent that it looks like a beard and not just a fashion statement

also brother, members of this forum are not qualified to be discussing rulings on hadith. You may find people giving different rulings because they've copy pasted from a different site....

[dysphoricrocker]

Salaam.

In the Shafi'i madhab, beard is a sunnah and shaving it is makruh.

[yasirslm]

The beard is sunnah and it is obligatory.

[jameelash]

salam,sunnah or farz it is the one men carry along to grave.isn,t it great

[yasirslm]

salam,sunnah or farz it is the one men carry along to grave.isn,t it great

Yes:statisfie

[Muslim Woman]

:sl:

even if it's Sunnah , here is an excellent reminder :

The Sahaba (radiAllahu anhum) used to cling to the Sunnah just because it was Sunnah


Today we abandon the Sunnah, just because it's Sunnah.

Courtesy of Ummah forum

[Futuwwa]

A Hadith on it...
And it was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Be different from the mushrikeen: let your beards grow and trim your moustaches.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5892; Muslim, 259)

Does that mean that if we live in a society where the mushrikeen are beardy, we should instead be clean shaven? ^o)

['Abd-al Latif]

Does that mean that if we live in a society where the mushrikeen are beardy, we should instead be clean shaven? ^o)

If non-Muslims follow our customs, we do not invent new ones.

[sofiap]

salaams...there are difference of opinions on the beards...what is fard,is what is commanded by Allaah himself as in the Quran,we are given other such things,as not engage intoxication,gambling, immodesty,adultery,etc... i find it amusing to say the least, that we do not fulfil the laws of Allaah yet we can have countless debates on a beard,which does or should not negate a faith, nor should be somthing we look and say he is a better muslim then the one who does not keep a beard ...this mode of thinking is not reality,its being God concious Allah says: "O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has Taqwa (God-consciousness, fearing Allah). Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware." [Soorah al-Hujurat (49): 13]....only Allaah knows the realities of the hearts of his servants....if we all think quietly for a while,Allaah tells us that we should use our faculties in and reason in All our affairs insha Allaah, to ponder and reflect on Allaahs ayat, "Indeed, in the skies and the earth...are signs for people who reason" (Quran 2:164); "Most surely in the creation of the skies and the earth...are signs for people who understand, those who remember Allah...and who ponder the creation..." (Quran 3:190-1); "Thus does Allah clarify for you the verses, so that you may think" (Quran 2:219); and finally, "Do they not ponder the Qur'an?" (Quran 47:24). so if we take examples from around us, we see that some muslims with abeard compared to are better in character[not due to beards]and some muslims without beards are better muslims by character.so what do we see..does e beard hold a magical mgnet to attract good? the reality is its our deeds and actions that speak louder to how we interact with the society around us,keeping away from what we know is harmful...if you wish to keep it due to sunnah..Alhumduillah..but actions have to follow as now you are representing the outer aspects of amuslim, but the most important part of islam is what we hold within,and what we do using those strengths for the betterment of family friends and society ...we should not look at another without a beard,as any less nor feel superiority and pride of wearing a beard,or having pride in anything else is not part of what Allaah encourages...Allaah tells us that we should not walk on the earth with pride...these are lessons we need to reflect on and make sense of...forgive me if i have offended anyone,or have come across as harsh...i just believe in learning and looking at signs of Allaah of what Allaah manifests to questions ourselves more deeply so we can see where we can be more mindful,and wiser insha Allaah..we owe our sleves this,as we Will be accountable for ourselves..we are all in the same boat and if we can help eachother,by Allaahs will..then we have understood true brotherhood insha Allaah

[Muhaba]

The fuqaha (fiqh scholars) divided Islamic commandments into Sunnah and Fard, saying that what is in the Quran is Fard and what is in not in there but in hadith is Sunnah, but this is wrong, as stated by the Muhadditheen. For example, we get the method of wudu from the the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW). The whole method of wudu is not in the Quran, which states:

O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful. (5:6)

But that doesn't mean that what is in the Quran is enough for the wudu to be complete. There are hadith that show that we have to do the wudu exactly the way the Prophet (SAW) did it, which means that the method of wudu in the Sunnah is fard (obligatory).

Of the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) some things are obligatory and some are preferred and some are optional. for each thing, there is evidence in hadith showing whether it is fard or preferred or optional. (Insha-Allah i'll post some stuff about this from a book called osool-ul-fiqh when I have time.)

Since there are hadith that state that the beard should be grown, it means that it is fard and not optional.

[Banu_Hashim]

The beard is not sunnah, it is obligatory.

You should elaborate on exactly what you mean. There are different views on this, but all scholars and madhhabs agree that it is forbidden to shave it off completely and be clean shaven. As to trimming it/leaving it, there are different opinions.

['Abd-al Latif]

You should elaborate on exactly what you mean. There are different views on this, but all scholars and madhhabs agree that it is forbidden to shave it off completely and be clean shaven. As to trimming it/leaving it, there are different opinions.

There is no elaboration needed. The beard is obligatory and this is the answer to the original poster's question. As for trimming the beard to a fist length, it is far better for a Muslim man to let his beard grow because this is what the Messenger :saws1: did: he never trimmed his beard.

The narration of trimming the beard found in Bukhari is a practice of Ibn Umar, not of the Messenger :saws1:.

[sofiap]

islam is all about understanding wisdom... check out shaykh Habib Al Jiffri on this talk...and he puts things in perspective..

[Dahri]

Jazak Allah for all your replies and appreciated for it.
but no one answer my question.
Hazrat Prophet (pbuh) clipped his beard at the bottom and on the sides. (Tirmidhi, Adab, 17)
i needed Authenticity of this Hadith.
if any one know about it, please let me know if not then no problem. Inshaa Allah
Waslaam-o-Alykum

['Abd-al Latif]

Jazak Allah for all your replies and appreciated for it.
but no one answer my question.
Hazrat Prophet (pbuh) clipped his beard at the bottom and on the sides. (Tirmidhi, Adab, 17)
i needed Authenticity of this Hadith.
if any one know about it, please let me know if not then no problem. Inshaa Allah
Waslaam-o-Alykum

It is not saheeh.

Al-Nawawi said: the best is to leave it as it is and not touch it or shorten it at all. (Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 8/39).

- As for the hadeeth, “He used to reduce the length and width (of his beard)” – this is a false and fabricated hadeeth.

See al-‘Ilal al-Mutanaahiyah by Ibn al-Jawzi, 2/686

[dysphoricrocker]

Salaam.

I am not sparking an argument here, but i have been taught all my life, by different Ustaz in my country, that the beard is a sunnah. And if i am not wrong, this is the stance of ibn Hajar al Haytami and other prominent scholars of the Shafi'i madhab. I am well aware that it is obligatory in other madhab, but as per my knowledge, this is the stance of my madhab.

Like i said, i am not saying this to spark and argument, just to share what i know. And btw, i do have a beard and i do not shave it either Alhamdulillah (:

[Insaanah]

:sl:

Does that mean that if we live in a society where the mushrikeen are beardy, we should instead be clean shaven?

1- Letting the beard grow is not only for the sake of being different, rather it is also part of the fitrah as shown in a hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim:

'A'isha (radiyallahu anha) reported: Rasoolullah said: "Ten are the acts according to fitra: clipping the mustache, letting the beard grow, using the tooth-stick, snuffing water in the nose, cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the hair under the armpits, shaving the pubic hair and cleaning one's private parts with water." The narrator said: I have forgotten the tenth, but it may have been rinsing the mouth. (Sahih Muslim, Chapter# 11, Book 2, number 0502)

Some hadeeth on the fitrah show five things, but there are ahadeeth that order the growing of the beard by themselves, with no mention of identity e.g:

Ibn Umar said: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: "Trim closely the moustache, and let the beard grow." (Sahih Muslim, Chapter #11, Book 2, Number 0498)

2- It is the Sunnah of previous prophets.

3- The Jews, Christians, mushrikeen etc nowadays do not all let their beards grow, and not even a quarter of them do that, rather the majority of them shave their beards, as can be seen.

4- If a ruling is established in sharee’ah for a reason that no longer applies, and this ruling is in accordance with the fitrah or is one of the symbols of Islam, then it remains even if the reason no longer applies. Raml (walking at a fast pace) in the first three rounds of tawaaf was originally intended so that the Prophet and his companions could demonstrate physical strength in front of the mushrikeen of Makkah who said: "There have come to you people who have been weakened by the fever of Yathrib". This was in the Umrah performed in the year 7 Hijri. This reason no longer applies, but the ruling remains in effect, and the Prophet did raml in the Farewell Pilgrimage in 10 Hijri, even though the reason was no longer there, as most of the Makkans were Muslim by then.

Moreover, the claim that the reason for letting the beard grow (i.e. doing the opposite of the non-Muslims) no longer applies is not true, because most of the kuffar today shave their beards, as is well known to anyone who has any knowledge of other nations and their actions. Even if we assume that most of them today let their beards grow, this does not alter the fact that it is prescribed in Islam to let the beard grow, because the fact that the enemies of Islam imitate something that is prescribed for the Muslims does not mean that it is no longer prescribed, and that we should or can leave it. Rather, we should adhere more closely to it...

Adapted from source: http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/75525/beard

http://www.islamicboard.com/miscella...ml#post1463329

And Allah knows best in all matters.

[Muhaba]

Salaam.

I am not sparking an argument here, but i have been taught all my life, by different Ustaz in my country, that the beard is a sunnah. And if i am not wrong, this is the stance of ibn Hajar al Haytami and other prominent scholars of the Shafi'i madhab. I am well aware that it is obligatory in other madhab, but as per my knowledge, this is the stance of my madhab.

Like i said, i am not saying this to spark and argument, just to share what i know. And btw, i do have a beard and i do not shave it either Alhamdulillah (:

no statement of ustaz or faqih can be accepted without evidence from Quran and Sunnah.

even scholars like Shafiee and Hanafi told their students that if they said anything against Quran or Sunnah, it shouldn't be accepted. whatever rulings they gave regarding some mater was based on Quran or Sunnah or it was based on ijmaa (which is by itself based on Quran and Sunnah).

if a hadith tells you to do something, then you have to unless there is another hadith showing that it is not obligatory. like i wrote before, some Sunnah were obligatory and some preferred and some completely optional. You can't say that all sunnah are optional and since commandment about beard is in Sunnah, then it is optional. That is a wrong assumption.

All Sunnah are not optional. Some are obligatory, some preferred and some optional.

[Perseveranze]

Salaam.

In the Shafi'i madhab, beard is a sunnah and shaving it is makruh.

The Shaf'ii madhab has a differing opinion, saying it is not necessarily obligatory, and this view came from Imam Nawwawi.

Asalaamu Alaikum,

It is worth noting;

---

The Shafi’i school

It is stated in Sharh al-Ubab: “The two shaykhs of the school (i.e. Nawawi & Rafi’i) state that it is Makruh (disliked) to shave the beard, but Ibn al-Rif’a objected to this stating that Imam Shafi’i (Allah have mercy on him) himself categorically mentioned in his book “al-Umm” that shaving the beard is unlawful (haram). Imam al-Azra’i said that the correct position of the school is that, to shave the beard without a valid medical reason is unlawful.” (Sharh al-Ubab & Hashiya Ibn Qasim al-Abbadi, 9/376)

Imam Ibn Qasim al-Abbadi also stated in his Hashiya: “It is said that, shaving of the beard is unlawful.” (See: Hashiya Ibn Qasim al-Abbadi ala Tuhfat al-Muhtaj, 2/468, Kitab al-Salat)

http://www.muftisays.com/blog/Seifed...-wajib%3F.html

---

And Allah knows best.

[Tyrion]

Hey, don't tell anyone but... I don't have a fist length sized beard, and I don't plan on growing one out any time soon. :omg: I know, shocking right? Then again, I tend to have somewhat atypical views (compared to others on this forum at least) when it comes to this stuff. :p:

I've always been taught that beard is completely optional, and didn't hear otherwise until I started lurking around Islamic circles on the internet (and as you can see, I wasn't exactly swayed by what I saw).

[MustafaMc]

The beard is not sunnah, it is obligatory.

Obligatory means fard, right? To not do something that is fard puts one outside the fold or realm of Islam, right? If one does not pray 5 times a day (2 fajr, 4 zuhr, 4 asr, 3 maghrib, 4 isha) according to the methodology of the sunnah, then one is not a Muslim, right? Fasting the month of Ramadhan (for all), paying zakat (for those with a certain amount for 1 year), and making hajj (for those with the means to do so) are also fard, or obligatory requirements. Not eating pork, blood, carrion, or drinking alcohol or taking other intoxicants are all likewise fard.

There are certain other things that are sunnah that we should all strive or intend to do. I see that wearing a beard for men and a hijab for women falls into this category. To deny that these are sunnah and to dismiss them as not being a part of Islam puts one in a predicament in the manner of one who would deny any accepted sunnah such as eating with the right hand or saying alhamdulillah after sneezing. We should acknowledge what is absolutely required (fard) for a Muslim and differentiate it with what is sunnah that are much preferred, but not absolutely required.

I have had a beard continuously since 2002, but the length is only about 1 inch or the length of the first joint on my finger. If one says that keeping a beard is fard, then it must also be fard to keep it at least a fist length or about 4 inches. My intention in growing a beard was to more closely follow the sunnah, but I stopped short at the length of my beard as I don't like my appearance with a longer beard (shabby, unkempt) and I don't feel as strongly about that part of the sunnah. Am I not a Muslim because my beard is not 4 inches long or is my Bangladeshi brother not a Muslim because he shaves his beard every day? Is the sister who wears a head scarf only to pray and on the Eid a Muslim or is she not?

[~Zaria~]

Assalamu-alaikum,

I found the following the most useful whenever I'm asked about the status of the beard in Islam.

I hope it is of benefit to you as well, insha Allah.

From: http://www.askimam.org/public/question_detail/16493

LEGAL STATUS OF BEARD

It is Waajib (compulsory) for a Muslim male to grow a beard.
It is also Waajib to let the beard grow a fist length. It is prohibited to cut or shave the beard. He who does so is a Faasiq (sinner) and to shorten it less than a fist length is Makruh Tahrimi (near Haraam).

This is the view of the majority of scholars. (see Wujoob I’efaaul-lihyah of Shaykhul Hadith, Ml. Muhammad Zakariyyah and the footnotes of ex-grand Mufti of Saudia – Shaykh ibn Baaz)


Verdict of Keeping the Beard according to the Hanafi Madhab
Allaamah ibnul Humaam (RA) has mentioned that nobody has permitted the trimming of the beard lesser than a fist length. (Fathul Qadeer; Shaami; Fataawa Mahmoodiyyah vol.5 pgs.93, 105, 108)


Quotations of other Madhaahib

Hereunder are some quotations from the Ulama of other Madhaahib (schools of thought) which support the above. More clarity can be attained by referring to the present day scholars of each Madhab.

The Shaafi’ee Madhab

Allaamah Nawawi (RA) states, ‘The correct view (according to the Shaafi’ee Madhab) is to leave the beard to grow and it is Makrooh to trim the beard whatsoever.’ (al-Majmoo vol.1 pg.290; also see Sharh Saheeh Muslim vol.2 pg.143)

Allaamah al-Iraaqi (RA) states in his book entitled, ‘Tarhu Tathreeb’ (vol.2 pg.8): ‘… that the best is to leave the beard totally and not to cut anything from it at all, and this is the view of Imaam al-Shaafi’ee and his students.’
There are quotations from 2 great scholars of the Shaafi’ee Madhab that do not permit the trimming of the beard at all, not even upto one fist.

The Maaliki Madhab

Imaam Abul-Waleed al-Baaji al-Maaliki (RA) has stated that: It has been narrated from Imaam Maalik (RA) that he permitted the slight trimming of those hairs that are overgrown and are outside the general growth of the rest of the hair, and that Imaam Maalik (RA) was asked about a beard that had grown extremely long, he replied that it should be trimmed a bit.’

Imaam Abul-Waalid explains the following, ‘And it has been narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar and Abu Hurayra (Radhiallaahu Anhum) that they trimmed upto one fist.’ Hence, this is what was meant by Imaam Maalik. (refer al-Muntaqa vol.7 pg.266)
Imaam al-Qurtubi al-Maaliki (RA) has also mentioned something similar to this in his commentary of Sahih Muslim. (see al-Mufhim vol.1 pg.513)

The Hanbali Madhab

Imaam Saamiri (RA) – who is an expert Hanbali Faqeeh (jurists) - states: And he should not trim any bit from the beard except if he wishes to do so upto the extent of one fist. However, it will be best if he doesn’t do so.’ (al-Mustaw’ib vol.1 pg.260 – see Hukm al-Lihyah fil Madhaahibil arba’ah; Abdul-Aziz al-Nu’maani pg.50)

Another Hanbali scholar, Imaam Shamsuddeen al-Maqdisi (RA) states, ‘It is forbidden to shave the beard and it is not Makrooh to trim what is in excess of a fist’s length… because this is supported by the practice of Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu).’ (Kitaabul Furoo vol.1 pg.130; Ibid)
Similar verdicts are found in other sources of Hanbali Fiqh such as al-Mubdi of ibn Muflih, al-Insaaf of al-Maawardi; Kashful Qinaa, etc. (Hukm al-lihyah pg.50)
It is clear from all these quotations that it is permissible to trim the beard only up to a fist length. No one has explicitly mentioned that it is permissible to trim the beard lesser than a fist length. In fact, according to some of these quotations, it will be better not to trim the beard at all.

Proof of Wujoob

There are various Ahaadith of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] in which the keeping and lengthening of the beard have been ordered.

We will just mention a few that prove the above claim.

1) Imaam Bukhari (Rahimahullaah) reports on the authority of Imaam Naafi' [ra] who narrates from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Oppose the Mushrikeen (polytheists); lengthen the beards and trim the moustaches.'

Imaam Naafi' (RA) further states, 'And ibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) during Hajj or Umrah used to hold on to his beard with his fist and cut off whatever was in excess of that.' (Bukhari vol.2 pg.875; Kitaab-ul-Libaas no.5892)

Note: This Hadith has also been narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra [Radhiallaahu anhu] and he is also reported to have trimmed his beard upto one fist.
The verdict of the growing of the beard being Waajib (obligatory) is deduced from this Hadith. That is because any explicit command of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) will be regarded as Waajib, if there is no apparent, clear reason/proof which states that that particular command is for Istihbaab (preference).

This is an established fact in Usool-ul-Fiqh (principles of jurisprudence).

Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] has commanded the Ummah to lengthen the beards.

Allah Ta’ala has mentioned in the noble Qur’aan, ‘Those who disobey his (Rasulullah – Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) should beware of a trial or painful punishment that will afflict them.’ (Surah Noor 63)

Allamah Nawawi (RA) has explained that this Hadith has been reported with various wordings:

·The word, ‘Waffiroo’ is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari (Hadith5892)
·In another narration of Bukhari. The words ‘Ufoo’ is mentioned (Sahih Bukhari Hadith5893)
·The word ‘Arkhoo’ is mentioned in Sahih Muslim (Hadith602)
·The word ‘Awfoo’ is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari (Hadith5892) and Sahih Muslim (Hadith601).

All these words imply the same meaning and that is to lengthen and to increase the growth of the beard. (Fathul Bari vol.10 pg.429, 431; Sharh al-Nawawi alaa Saheeh Muslim vol.2 pg.143)

Hafiz ibn Jareer al-Tabari (ra) has stated that some Ulama have totally disliked that one trims his beard at all, while others have permitted trimming upto a fist length. (Fathul Bari vol.10 pg.430)

2) When the two messengers of Kisraa (Khusru – the Persian King) came to Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam], they had long moustaches and shaved beards. Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam turned his face away in disgust and asked them, ‘Who commanded you to do this (despicable deed)?’ They replied, ‘Our Lord, (i.e. King)’ At this, Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] mentioned, ‘But my Lord has commanded me to lengthen my beard and shorten my moustache.’ (Tabaqaat ibn Sa’ad vol.1 pg.147; Taareekh Tabari vol.2 pg.267-266; Bidaaya wan Nihaaya)

3) In this narration, Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] has stated that to lengthen the beard is infact the command of Allah Ta’ala Himself.
Furthermore, the Wujoob is further emphasized by the fact that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) did practice on this in his entire life. Know well that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) did not trim his beard in his life. In fact, the beard of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] was dense and almost covered his blessed chest. (Shamaail Tirmidhi Hadith8; Dalaail al-Nubuwwah of Imaam Bayhaqi vol.1 pg.235)


Actions of the Sahaaba [radhiallaahu anhum]

The narrator (Ibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) himself trimmed his beard upto a fist's length, this implies that the Wujoob of keeping a beard is up to a fist length only (this will be explained shortly).
Furthermore, this (trimming upto a fist length) has also been reported from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Radhiallaahu Anhu) and other Taabi'een. (Tamheed of ibn Abdul-Barr al-Muntaqaa and Fathul Baari vol.10 pg.430). Bear in mind that Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra [radhiallaahu anhu] has also narrated a Hadith wherein we are commanded to lengthen the beards. (Sahih Muslim Hadith602)
Moreover, for the benefit of your knowledge, the sayings and actions of the Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhum) is a Hujjah (proof). This is also an established principle in Usool-ul-Fiqh.


A Misconception

Many individuals who fail to understand the above, argue that it is Waajib to keep a beard, but there is no mention of any specific length in the Hadith. Hence, if one has a bit of hair on his face – irrespective of the length – it would be permissible, because this is also called a beard!

They also argue that to keep a beard upto a fist’s length is the act of a Sahaabi [- Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar - radhiallaahu anhu – and Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra – Radhiallaahu anhu] and it is not the command of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam]. Hence, the one who chooses not to do so will not be contravening any command of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam], so why is such emphasis being put on the length of one fist?

This – unfortunately – is a result of a lack of understanding of the actual wording of the Hadith. Firstly, in the Hadith we have quoted, Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wasallam] has commanded us to lengthen the beard and not just to ‘keep’ a beard. The difference between the two is quite clear. If one just ‘keeps’ a shortened beard, he will not be fulfilling the command of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam].

Therefore, the one who intentionally keeps a trimmed beard will not be fulfilling the command of lengthening the beard. The lengthening is Waajib, not just having any sort of a beard.

Secondly, the Hadith – as is clear – is general and does not specify any length of the beard. The words, ‘u’ful lluhaa / waffiroo-lluhaa’ in the Hadith commands us to lengthen the beards, which will (literally) mean, ‘it is Waajib to let the beard grow’ upto whatever length it reaches. If we did not have the narration of Naafi' that Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) did trim his beard, then this would have been the case.

However, the narrator himself (Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar and Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra – radhiallaahu anhuma) as well as other Taabi’een (Radhiallaahu Anhum) did trim their beards upto one fist’s length, the Ulama have deduced that this means that the Wujoob (obligation) of lengthening is only upto a fist’s length. Neither can we say that it is not permissible to trim it at all – resulting in the accusation of the Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhum) of contradicting the explicit command of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and especially the narrator, (Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar and sayyiduna Abu Hurayra - Radhiallaahu Anhuma). Nor can one claim the permissibility of trimming it upto less than a fist’s length, for there is no proof for this in Shari’ah.

Hence, if a person has to trim his beard up to a fist's length it would be permissible and if he does so up to shorter than a fist's length, he will be going against an act which is Waajib and this is not permissible, and if he chooses not to trim it at all, this will also be permissible.

The practice of the Sahaabi [radhiallaahu anhu] here is used for 'permissibility' of cutting upto a fist's length, because – being the narrator – this is what he understood to be the intended meaning of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam]. In other words, the Sahaabi [radhiallaahu anhu] had understood that the command of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] of lengthening the beard only applies upto a fist’s length and not more. That is why they (the sahaabah concerned – Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar and Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra - radhiallaahu anhuma) used to trim what was in excess of one fist. It is not Waajib to follow them in doing so. What is Waajib in this situation is to let it grow, and the action of the Sahaabi is used only to explain that Waajib and restrict going against that.


Severity of the Sin

One should ponder over the narration that we have quoted concerning the two messengers of the Persian King. How Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] turned his blessed face away from them in disgust. Remember, these were Kaafirs (disbelievers). Imagine if Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wasallam] turns his face away from a Muslim on the day of Qiyaamat because he did not have a proper beard! Imagine the plight of that person, Allah forbid.
Furthermore, as for the act of shaving, by doing so, one is actually imitating the appearance of women. Rasulullah [Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam] has cursed those males who aspire to resemble the females and vice versa. (Sahih Bukhari)

After all, what is it that stops us from at least adopting the outer features of Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam]. Why is it so difficult to make our faces resemble in some way the Mubaarak and blessed face of our beloved Nabi [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam]. The translation of an Arabic couplet is as follows:
‘And resemble them if you cannot be identical. Verily the resemblance of the noble ones is also a form of success.’

Lastly, we hope that this article eradicates all misconceptions regarding the length of the beard. In fact, this would be sufficient for a sincere reader. May Almighty Allah grant each and every Ummati (follower) of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) the ability to keep a beard that fulfils the requirements of the Shari’ah, Aameen.
and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best


Moulana Muhammad ibn Moulana Haroon Abassommar
FACULTY OF SPECIALTY IN HADITH SCIENCES

Checked & Approved by: MUFTI EBRAHIM DESAI (FATWA DEPT.) - with comments
May Allah Ta’ala accept the noble effort and research presented by Moulana Muhammad Saheb, Aameen. We urge each and every Ummati to read the article carefully and practise upon it. The beard is regarded as an integral part of Islam, and a great Sunnah of Rasulullah [Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam], all the Anbiyaa [alayhimus salaam] and the Sulahaa. Adverse conditions should not deter us from fulfilling the obligation of lengthening our beards and fulfilling this great Sunnah of Rasulullah [Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam]

[Muhammad]

:sl:

Some of the confusion seems to be arising because of different understandings of the word Sunnah. As sister WRITER mentioned earlier, sunnah doesn't always mean optional.

Hey, don't tell anyone but... I don't have a fist length sized beard, and I don't plan on growing one out any time soon. :omg: I know, shocking right? Then again, I tend to have somewhat atypical views (compared to others on this forum at least) when it comes to this stuff. :p:

I've always been taught that beard is completely optional, and didn't hear otherwise until I started lurking around Islamic circles on the internet (and as you can see, I wasn't exactly swayed by what I saw).

I do find it worrying that you seem to consider it so unimportant. It is one thing for a person not to carry out an action and at least acknowledge its status, but to deny its value to begin with is worse. In the above posts it is clear that there are so many scholars who agree that shaving the beard is prohibited. The difference seems to be only in the length of the beard.

[Al-manar]

Peace

:sl:

As sister WRITER mentioned earlier, sunnah doesn't always mean optional. .

but with the case of beard ,I think it is one of those included among the optional (not obligatory) sunna...

It is a matter of my convention to the arguments of the scholars who believe in it as recommended.

In the above posts it is clear that there are so many scholars who agree that shaving the beard is prohibited.

other scholars in past and present ,believe that shaving is nothing beyond not recommended...

all scholars and madhhabs agree that it is forbidden to shave it off completely and be clean shaven.

That is wrong ..

Allaamah al-Iraaqi (RA) states in his book entitled, ‘Tarhu Tathreeb’ (vol.2 pg.8): ‘… that the best is to leave the beard totally and not to cut anything from it at all, and this is the view of Imaam al-Shaafi’ee and his students.’

..

look, when it comes to shafi's Madhab , the leading names of its school, believe that shaving the beard is makruh (not recommended) ,eg; Imam al-Nawawi , Imam Al-Ghazali , Imam al-Khattabi , imam al-rafi'i , Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami ,Imam Zakariyya al-Ansari, Imam Khayr al-Din al-Ramli , Imam Al-Bujairami etc.....


when it comes to Hanafi Madhab,its scholars all without exception ,believe that it is unlawful to shave it....

when it comes to The Maaliki Madhab ,most of its scholars believe that it is unlawful to shave it.... but it seems that there is some exception ...
for example; one of the most famous scholars of Maliki law "Qadi Ayyad ibn Musa" believe that It is Makruh (not recommended) to shave it....

the case is similar to the Hanbali school,as Imaam ibn Muflih al-Hanbali believe that it is recommended (not obligatory) ...

besides those scholars of the past,the believe of the beard as recommended (not obligatory), is held in modern times by some great scholars (who don't follow a madhab strictly) eg; Al-azhar grand Imams , Jadul Haq Ali ,Shaikh Mahmud Shaltut, besides other eminent scholars as infamous scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Imam Muhammad Abu Zahra ,Sheikh 'Sayyid Sabiq ,Sheikh 'Abdullah al-Judai ,etc etc etc.....

all of those have their convincing arguments, all of them have beards ,yet none of them think of it as obligatory ...


If you lean to the opinion that it is obligatory ,you are welcome .... just don't skip the other opinion (that is held by great scholars in past and present,including titans in madhabs ),hence showing your bias....

another example similar to our issue :
Though I held that niqab is not obligatory(That is the opinion of the majority of scholars and Muslims in past and present) ,I never skipped in any discussion that view (whom I disagree with)... it is a matter of honesty and a balanced discussion.

peace

[Muhammad]

:salamext:

look, when it comes to shafi's Madhab , the leading names of its school, believe that shaving the beard is makruh (not recommended) ,eg; Imam al-Nawawi , Imam Al-Ghazali , Imam al-Khattabi , imam al-rafi'i , Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami ,Imam Zakariyya al-Ansari, Imam Khayr al-Din al-Ramli , Imam Al-Bujairami etc.....


when it comes to Hanafi Madhab,its scholars all without exception ,believe that it is unlawful to shave it....

when it comes to The Maaliki Madhab ,most of its scholars believe that it is unlawful to shave it.... but it seems that there is some exception ...
for example; one of the most famous scholars of Maliki law "Qadi Ayyad ibn Musa" believe that It is Makruh (not recommended) to shave it....

the case is similar to the Hanbali school,as Imaam ibn Muflih al-Hanbali believe that it is recommended (not obligatory) ...

besides those scholars of the past,the believe of the beard as recommended (not obligatory), is held in modern times by some great scholars (who don't follow a madhab strictly) eg; Al-azhar grand Imams , Jadul Haq Ali ,Shaikh Mahmud Shaltut, besides other eminent scholars as infamous scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Imam Muhammad Abu Zahra ,Sheikh 'Sayyid Sabiq ,Sheikh 'Abdullah al-Judai ,etc etc etc.....

all of those have their convincing arguments, all of them have beards ,yet none of them think of it as obligatory ...


If you lean to the opinion that it is obligatory ,you are welcome .... just don't skip the other opinion (that is held by great scholars in past and present,including titans in madhabs ),hence showing your bias....

another example similar to our issue :
Though I held that niqab is not obligatory(the is the opinion of the majority of scholars and Muslims in past and present) ,I never skipped in any discussion that view (whom I disagree with)... it is a matter of honesty and a balanced discussion.

I agree with the principle that we have to respect valid opinions where they exist. The question here is whether the other opinion (that keeping a beard is optional (sunnah)) is a valid one to begin with. Whenever I have tried to check what the scholars have said about this issue, there always seems to be an agreement that the act of keeping a beard is obligatory - I've never seen a fatwa site, for example, answering the question with, 'scholars have differed whether keeping a beard is optional or obligatory'. The only differences they mention are with regards to the length and size. Below are some extracts from different fatwa sites to illustrate this (note: some of these sites I personally do not use, I'm just using them to highlight this point):

Question

Is keeping beard Farad, Sunnah or just Nafal? Please mention comments according to different Islamic scholars.


Answer


Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

As for shaving the beard, it is Haram according to the Hanafi, Maliki, Hanbali schools of thought as well as most later scholars of al-Shafi'e school of thought.

On the other hand, most scholars believe that it is permissible and not Makruh (disliked) to cut off what exceeds one's fist of the beard hair. The same opinion is recorded by Ibn AbuShaiba in his Musannaf from Ali Ibn Abu Talib , Abu Hurairah , Abdullah Ibn 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab , Tawoos and al-Qasim Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abu Bakr . Jabir said: 'We do not shorten our beards except in Hajj or Umrah' .

In al-Muntaqa, Malik was asked: 'What to do if one's beard becomes too long?' He replied: 'I think it is better to trim it' .

Ibn Mufleh in al-Adab al-Shar'iyyah said: 'It is Sunnah to let one's beard grow. It is said: to the extent of one's fist. This means that one can trim what exceeds one's fist or leave it; it is better to leave it' .

In brief, there is disagreement among scholars concerning the definition of "letting beard grow". Some scholars believe to let it grow without any form of trimming to become long. Others say there is no objection to cut off what exceeds one's fist. But, it is known that the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) is to completely avoid any form of trimming.

Allah knows best.

http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&lang=E&Id= 84474

Letting the beard grow is obligatory according to sharee’ah, and shaving it is haraam. In the answer to question no. 1189 we have stated the ruling on shaving the beard, and that shaving it is a haraam action.

Ibn Hazm (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated that the scholars are unanimously agreed that it is not permissible to shave the beard.Al-Muhalla, 2/189
http://islamqa.info/en/ref/52886/

The above statements of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) and the statements of the jurist (fuqaha) go a long way in proving that to shave the beard (or trimming it to a very thin line which in effect is shaving) is unlawful (haram). A Muslim (and especially one who classes himself to be practicing) can never look with favour towards the act of shaving the beard.
http://www.daruliftaa.com/question?t...nID=q-18192582

It is important at the outset to know that: (a) keeping a full-length beard is an sunna that is established from both the practice and command of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), that (b) keeping a beard is a distinctive mark of Muslim men, especially the scholars and the righteous among them, and that (c) there is scholarly agreement that to completely shave off the beard without any excuse is blameworthy. I know of no Muslim scholar of any of the four schools—whether an early scholar or a late scholar—or of any other school who ever said that it is unconditionally permissible to shave one’s beard.

All of the above is all based on the following rigorously authenticated hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) that command us to grow full beards in order to be different from the Magians and the polytheists.
[---]

Moreover, some of the scholars in your list of recent scholars have opined that music is allowed, shaking hands with non-mahram women is allowed... so again we need to distinguish between differences that are valid and those that are not. And Allaah (swt) knows best.

[Tyrion]

I do find it worrying that you seem to consider it so unimportant.

I wouldn't say I consider it unimportant, I just don't find myself thinking its absolutely necessary to grow a beard that long. That's just my own personal opinion. If someone was convinced by what they read on the matter, I would not try to sway them away from it.

[Hamza Asadullah]

I wouldn't say I consider it unimportant, I just don't find myself thinking its absolutely necessary to grow a beard that long. That's just my own personal opinion. If someone was convinced by what they read on the matter, I would not try to sway them away from it.

:sl:

Thats the problem brother Tyrion, your not "swung" on many matters pertaining to Islam simply because you lack knowledge in them. So what you should be concentrating on is looking into such matters properly before forming a "personal" opinion on such matters. In the same way if you had an exam on a particular topic, it is not your opinions that will count but that you give a scholarly analysis using wel known models and quotes etc. I am not saying that your opinion does not count as a lay person but surely you cannot dismiss something simply because you lack knowledge in it.

Therefore always learn about the matter properly looking at the established scholarly works and perspectives regarding it before deciding whether you are "swung" on the matter or not and before forming your own "personal opinion" as it maybe that you are dismissing that which is close to Allah through ignorance of the matter due to lack of knowledge.

[Tyrion]

:sl:

**words**

:wa:

Good to see you haven't changed, Hamza. ;D

[dysphoricrocker]

Peace



but with the case of beard ,I think it is one of those included among the optional (not obligatory) sunna...

It is a matter of my convention to the arguments of the scholars who believe in it as recommended.



other scholars in past and present ,believe that shaving is nothing beyond not recommended...



That is wrong ..




look, when it comes to shafi's Madhab , the leading names of its school, believe that shaving the beard is makruh (not recommended) ,eg; Imam al-Nawawi , Imam Al-Ghazali , Imam al-Khattabi , imam al-rafi'i , Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami ,Imam Zakariyya al-Ansari, Imam Khayr al-Din al-Ramli , Imam Al-Bujairami etc.....


when it comes to Hanafi Madhab,its scholars all without exception ,believe that it is unlawful to shave it....

when it comes to The Maaliki Madhab ,most of its scholars believe that it is unlawful to shave it.... but it seems that there is some exception ...
for example; one of the most famous scholars of Maliki law "Qadi Ayyad ibn Musa" believe that It is Makruh (not recommended) to shave it....

the case is similar to the Hanbali school,as Imaam ibn Muflih al-Hanbali believe that it is recommended (not obligatory) ...

besides those scholars of the past,the believe of the beard as recommended (not obligatory), is held in modern times by some great scholars (who don't follow a madhab strictly) eg; Al-azhar grand Imams , Jadul Haq Ali ,Shaikh Mahmud Shaltut, besides other eminent scholars as infamous scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Imam Muhammad Abu Zahra ,Sheikh 'Sayyid Sabiq ,Sheikh 'Abdullah al-Judai ,etc etc etc.....

all of those have their convincing arguments, all of them have beards ,yet none of them think of it as obligatory ...


If you lean to the opinion that it is obligatory ,you are welcome .... just don't skip the other opinion (that is held by great scholars in past and present,including titans in madhabs ),hence showing your bias....

Thank you Brother Al-manar. Exactly my sentiments.

But i suppose this will be a never ending discussion. I feel regarding this matter, we should all just stick to our own beliefs and not try to disprove each tother insyaAllah.

May Allah guide us all.

[MustafaMc]

I am somewhat reminded by this discourse of the hadith about the bedouin urinating in the masjid, the attitude of some companions about this and then Prophet Muhammad's response. Does it do any of us any good to argue whether wearing a beard is compulsory/obligatory or whether it is a highly preferred sunnah and therefore discretionary/optional? Where does the legalism end? the length of the beard, not shaving the lower neck, how closely to trim the mustache, to color a gray beard with henna or is 'Just for Men' colorant OK?

I am again reminded of the Pharisees during the time of Jesus (alayhe salaam) and how they were stuck on following every letter of the law, but lacked compassion and mercy toward their fellow men. In listening to the lectures. 'Purification of the Heart' by Hamza Yusuf, I learned that self-righteousness is one of the diseases of the heart to guard against for those who strive toward a higher level of practice. I am not saying anyone here is behaving self-righteously, but again what good does it do to argue this matter?

[Muhammad]

:sl: brother Mustafa,

I appreciate your thoughts and I agree that such discussions should not be a cause of ill-feeling, and certainly self-righteousness is something to be cautious of.

I can also appreciate that on the face of it, the nature of the discussion may appear trivial: one side is saying obligatory and another is saying optional/recommended, between which there doesn't seem to be a world of difference. But I personally feel this is important to clarify because of a deeper issue surrounding differences of opinion.

Sometimes there is a very clear difference of opinion between scholars, with evidences supporting both sides, and clearly it is not for us lay people to argue over who is right. Each person can follow the view they believe is closest to the truth. But the point is that there is a valid difference of opinion. An example of this is the issue of Niqab: a great number of scholars opined that it is recommended, and many others thought it was obligatory.

There are other issues where nearly all the scholars are agreed and to present it as being a simple matter of disagreement is not doing justice to the topic. An example of this is the issue of music. It is accepted that a few contemporary scholars hold the view that musical instruments are permissible albeit with certain conditions attached, but this does not render the issue controversial and the difference is not a valid one.

The examples you gave regarding the length of the beard, how closely to trim the moustache, hairs on the neck or cheek - these are all examples of where the scholars have differed. I would not be so concerned about a discussion on those. But with regards to the very act of keeping a beard, it is not one group of scholars or one school of thought who are saying the beard is obligatory. It is an overwhelming number of scholars, earlier and later, to the point that some have declared a consensus.

And Allaah (swt) knows best.

[Hamza Asadullah]

Aslaam-o-Alykum!
sorry to come after so many days but actually busy in Police courses.
any way some one send me one Hadith regarding Beard Issue so could you let me the Authenticity of this Hadith please.

Hazrat Prophet (pbuh) clipped his beard at the bottom and on the sides. (Tirmidhi, Adab, 17)

Please let me know this Hadith is Zaeef or Mauzu and on what reason it is zaeef or sahih and about by witch narrated is this Haidth Zaeef ?
Jazakaa Allah
Waslaam-o-Alykum

:sl:

The following is a couple of excerpts from scholarly works regarding the obligation of keeping a beard and the issue regarding the length, which is very relevant to your question:


(1) The hadiths about "Leaving the beard be" are unconditional, that is, can be read to indicate that it is obligatory not to cut the beard at all.

(2) This ruling seems to be conditioned by a number of considerations from the actual practice of the Sahaba, who were trained by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and intimately familiar with his appearance, such as:

(a) that Ibn 'Umar, one of the most learned Sahaba and keenest in following the sunnah, used to cut his beard when he went on hajj or 'umra, that is, presumably in anticipation of entering the ihram or "state of pilgrim sanctity" in which it is unlawful for a Muslim to cut or otherwise remove any hairs of his beard, a situation in which a learned person could be expected to trim the maximum allowable, since he would be unable to to so (while in ihram) for some time to come. This shows that the unconditionality of the hadiths was, in Ibn 'Umar's view, conditioned by trimming the beard, in all probability by instruction or example of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), since the Sahaba were all legally upright ('udul) by consensus (ijma') of Muslim scholars, and it is inconceivable that they would institutionalize and set a precedent that was in direct defiance of a religious obligation.

Ibn 'Umar who relates from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that he said: "Do otherwise than those who ascribe partners to Allah (al-mushrikin): leave beards be, and trim mustaches." And ibn 'Umar, when he went on hajj or 'umra, grasped his beard with his hand, and removed what was in excess of it (Sahih al-Bukhari. 9 vols. Cairo 1313/1895. Reprint (9 vols. in 3). Beirut: Dar al-Jil, n.d., 7.206: 5892 and Sahih Muslim, 5 vols. Cairo 1376/1956. Reprint. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1403/1983, 1.222: 259).

(b) Imam Baghawi reports that trimming the beard was also the practice of Abu Hurayra, another of the foremost scholars of the Sahaba, and Baghawi reports from Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, the sheikh of the early Muslim community in Iraq, that the Sahaba used to trim their beards on the sides.

(c) If the earliest Muslims had all had beards down to their waists or to their knees from never cutting them, this would have been conveyed to us by hadiths, but it has not.

(3) The wisdom of letting beards be, as in the above hadith of Bukhari and Muslim, is doing otherwise than the non-Muslims. Other hadiths, related in the Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shayba and other sources, explicitly state that the Persians used to shave their faces and grow their mustaches long. Distinguishing ourselves from them could be accomplished with considerably less than a long beard.

(4) General Islamic values entail beauty in behavior, manners, and dress. When a man once asked if liking fine clothes and sandals was a form of arrogance, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "Verily, Allah is beautiful and loves beauty" (Sahih Muslim, 1.93: 91).

(5) The general Islamic demand for beauty entails refinement and moderation, at minimum meaning not to deliberately seek notoriety through one's appearance. The Prophet of Islam (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said, "Whoever dresses in a garment of notoriety in this world, Allah will dress him in a garment of humiliation on Judgement Day" (Musnad al-Imam Ahmad. 6 vols. Cairo 1313/1895. Reprint. Beirut: Dar Sadir, n.d., 2.139), a well authenticated (hasan) hadith. One's standards for this are not non-Muslims, however, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said, "Whoever imitates a people is one of them" (Sunan Abi Dawud. 4 vols. Cairo n.d. Reprint (4 vols. in 2). Istanbul: al-Maktaba al-Islamiyya, n.d. 4.44: 4031). Rather, the standard is that of other religious Muslims.

(6) In consideration of these general values ((4) and (5)), Imam al-'Ayni above investigates the length that obliges one to cut the beard, though he reports that the earliest authorities did not agree on this.

To summarize, to have a beard is obligatory for the Muslim man. The wording of the above sahih hadith indicates it should be abundant, though this is conditioned by the 'urf or common acknowledgement for it among religious, practicing Muslims. The early Muslims trimmed their beards, and there is not an unequivocal text (nass) that establishes a fixed legal limit to length and size. While the sunna is considered by many ulama to be "the handful," my own sheikhs trimmed their beards considerably closer than this, and they were ulama. It is my conviction and the premise of my approach to Islamic law that Allah will not punish the ordinary Muslim for something differed about between traditional ulama. If a person is not able to grow it plentifully due to genetics or some other condition then they will still gain the same reward as a person who is as long as they grow it "plentifully" in accordance with their own genetic personal capacity of being able to grow a beard.

Regarding "What does 'leave beards be' mean, when 'to leave be' (al-i'fa') literally means 'to make plenteous,' and there are people, who, if they were to leave their beard, following the outward sense of leave beards be, their beard would become outrageous in length and width, and look disgusting, so that the person would become a topic of conversation, or a proverb"--The reply is that it is established from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that this hadith is conditioned by a specific context [i.e. the demand to do the contrary to what the Persians and non-Arabs did, established by the first words of the hadith], and that the amount and definition of the beard that is unlawful to leave uncut have been differed upon by the early Muslims . . . . The meaning, is, in my opinion "as long as it does not exceed what is customary among [religious] people." 'Ata' [ibn Abi Rabah, Mufti of Mecca, d. 114/732), has said, "There is no harm in trimming a little from the length and sides of his beard, if it grows large and long, in order to avoid notoriety, or if one risks being made fun of" ('Umda al-qari sharh Sahih al-Bukhari. 20 vols. Cairo: Mustafa Babi al-Halabi, 1392/1972, 18.76)

Referance: Sunnipath


So it is clear from the evidence that there is no question of the obligation of a sane Muslim man of growing a beard, nor is there a question of the fact that the beard should be "plentiful" in length and this will be in accordance with one's own personal genetic capability of being able to grow a beard, with a fistful length being the recommended benchmark for a person who is able to grow a beard plentifully due to the narration of Ibn 'Umar.

If a person is not able to grow it plentifully due to genetics or some other condition then they will still gain the same reward as a person who is as long as they grow it "plentifully" in accordance with their own genetic personal capacity of being able to grow a beard.

[Al-manar]

:sl:

But i suppose this will be a never ending discussion. I feel regarding this matter, we should all just stick to our own beliefs and not try to disprove each tother

Peace Bro dysphoricrocker ,you have just said a wise word of truth ,but If you note ,my post isn't to disprove "the obligatory position" , but to add additional information to make the view balanced .....

also two sided conversation ,depends for me on ,with whom you gonna talk....
Bother Muhammad, is known to me that he is one of those who know how to lead a civil discussion.

........................
:sl:

But with regards to the very act of keeping a beard, it is not one group of scholars or one school of thought who are saying the beard is obligatory. It is an overwhelming number of scholars, earlier and later

It is an overwhelming number of scholars, earlier and later believe that niqab is not fard , would that simply justify their opinion ?


I think you answered my question in the following :

I agree with the principle that we have to respect valid opinions where they exist.

Exactly ... we have a proverb in Arabic says ;"abandoned truth is better than a common mistake"....

Whenever I have tried to check what the scholars have said about this issue, there always seems to be an agreement that the act of keeping a beard is obligatory

Those sites are both getting the matter in brief ,and biased...

check for example this article ,whose writer has skipped totally what the majority of scholars believe regarding womens' Hijaab ... just where is the balanced ,full picture of the fatwa?!!

http://islamqa.info/en/ref/21134

Ibn Hazm (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated that [B]the scholars are unanimously agreed that it is not permissible to shave the beard.

quotations (in Arabic and English translation) from the scholars who didn't believe in beard as obligatory:

"Qadi Ayyad ibn Musa" (1083-1149) one of the most famous scholars of Maliki law and author of the well-known " Tartib al-mardarik wa-taqrib al-masalik li-marifat alam madhab Malik" a collection of biographies of eminent Malikis.

He wrote in his book "Ikmal Almuallem befawaid almuslim":


قال القاضي المالكي عياض (ت544هـ) في "إكمال المعلم بفوائد مسلم" (والنقل من غيره) (2|63) عن أحكام اللحية: «يكره حلقها وقصُّها وتحذيفها. وأما الأخذ من طولها وعرضها فحسن. وتكره الشهرة في تعظيمها وتحليتها، كما تكره في قصها وجزها.

It is makruh (not recommended) to shave the beard ................

"Imam Al-Nawawi (1234–1278 CE)"
when it comes to the Shafi'iy school, His position on legal matters is considered the authoritative one in the Shafi'i Madhhab,his position is held in the highest esteem


Imam al-Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) states in his renowned commentary of Sahih Muslim:
اثنا عشر خصلة مكروهة في اللحية، منها حلقها

there are 12 disliked things regarding the beard including shaving it .........................................

wrote it again in his book

Rawdat al-Talibin

في اللحية عشر خصال مكروهة: خضابها بالسواد إلا للجهاد، وتبييضها بالكبريت أو غيره استعجالا للشيخوخة، ونتفها أول طلوعها
.....................................removing the hair of the beard is disliked

wrote it again in his book Altahqeeq
ويكره حلقها "التحقيق" ص 51
shaving beard is disliked



Imam Al-Ghazali (1058–1111 C.E.)wrote in his highly acclaimed book "Revival of the Religious Sciences "

ذكر الغزالي (505هـ) في "إحياء علوم الدين" (1|142) خصال مكروهة في اللحية منها: «نتفها أو بعضها بحُكم العَبَث والهوس، وذلك مكروه

it is disliked removing,shaving the beard



Imam al-Khattabi wrote in his book (Ma'alim al-Sunan)
913
قال الخطابي في معالم السنن : (وأما إعفاء اللحية فهو إرسالها وتوفيرها. كره لنا أن نقصها كفعل بعض الأعاجم وكان من زي آل كسرى قص اللحى وتوفير الشوارب، فندب صلى الله عليه وسلم أمته إلى مخالفتهم في الزي والهيئة
......................................It is disliked to shave it ..................................................


Imam Al-Bujairami wrote in his commentary on shafi-fiqh
,وفي حاشية البجيرمي على الخطيب
يكره نتف اللحية أول طلوعها إيثارا للمرودة , ونتف الشيب واستعجال الشيب بالكبريت أو غيره طلبا للشيخوخة .‏ على شرح الخطيب لمتن أبي شجاع في الفقه الشافعي.


removing the hair of the beard is disliked ..................................

Imam Khayr al-Din al-Ramli (1004-...)wrote in his Fatwas collection:

وفي فتاوي الرملي
‏( باب العقيقة ) ( سئل ) هل يحرم حلق الذقن ونتفها أو لا ؟ ( فأجاب ) بأن حلق لحية الرجل ونتفها مكروه لا حرام

shaving,emoving the beard is not forbidden but disliked ..


Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami wrote in his book "tuhfat Almuhtaaj"

قال ابن حجر الهيتمي في تحفة المحتاج ( قال الشيخان
الرافعي والنووي
يكره حلق اللحية

both of the Imam al-rafi'i and al-Nawawi ,believe that it is disliked to shave the beard.

Imam Zakaryia Alansari wrote in his book “Asnaa Al-Matalib”

أسنى المطالب، للشيخ زكريا الأنصاري، ج1 ص

« (و) يكره (نتفها) أي اللحية أول طلوعها إيثارًا للمرودة وحسن الصورة»

removing the hair of the beard is disliked ..................................


I have more quotations for the rest of the scholars I mentioned in previous post ,but I think that is enough to support my point....
anyone needs the Arabic references in pdf ,just PM me.

and again my reminder,I'm not refuting anything by my quotes, merely I'm trying to give fuller context to the issue...

Moreover, some of the scholars in your list of recent scholars have opined that music is allowed, shaking hands with women is allowed... so again we need to distinguish between differences that are valid and those that are not. And Allaah (swt) knows best.

First: The case of music is similar to the case of beard ,some scholars in the past an present allowed it ,or disliked it ... so the scholar you refer to, isn't the initiator of that position , anyway music isn't our topic right now...


second : should we reject a scholar's valid,impressive input due to one or 2 errors(as we think) he commited ?

actually that is one of the saddest things ,lots of muslims do !!!!

there are virtual diamonds of Islamic knowledge ,that is ignored ,avoided due to such unwise logic !!!


there are some muslims who are specialized in defaming the big scholars (who disagree with their Islamic school) and their works
to the extent that some of them make reference in volumes collecting scholars' mistakes (according to him) !!!!


I remember the first time when I encountered a muslim with that behaviour ,when I was much younger .... It was ,once I encountered a brother who is greatly influenced by the salafi school ,and he looked up my library ,till he found the book Fi Zilal al-Quran , a highly influential commentary of the Qur'an, by Sayyid Qutb


he told me that I must avoid that book ,and listen how he tried to justify his position:

1-that Sayyid Qutb was beardless !!

2- he counted 5 instances that he erred ,including his opinion of musa (peace be pon him): "Let us take Moses - as the example of the leader of excitable nature - and this excitable impulse quickly passes away and he regains his composure, as is the case with the excitable folk." etc .....


I told him what if he erred those 5 instances(I don't think he erred)? does it mean we should ignore the whole work of the man,with all the great wonderful Quranic insight comntained therin .

are we to ignore the scholars whom you think most authortative ,if they issue shocking fatwa?


every scholar but has his mistake(s),which by no mean question his scholarship...

That is enough ,I won't quote more , don't like to imitiate those collectors of at odd fatwas ,who are fond of degrading,defaming the scholars .....


my point is that we mustn't lose diamonds of knowledge ,using such unwise excuse...


May Allah bless you Bro Muhammad .

:sl:

[AabiruSabeel]

:sl:


Even if we consider shaving the beard to be disliked, imagine doing an act which is disliked by Allah! Think, whom are you displeasing by doing a disliked act? Aren't we supposed to extend our utmost efforts in trying to please Allah?

والله ورسوله أحق أن يرضوه إن كانوا مؤمنين

But it is more fitting that they should please Allah and His Messenger, if they are Believers. [9:62]

When the two messengers of Kisraa (Khusru – the Persian King) came to Rasulullah :saws1:, they had long moustaches and shaved beards. Rasulullah:saws1: turned his face away in disgust and asked them, ‘Who commanded you to do this (despicable deed)?’ They replied, ‘Our Lord, (i.e. King)’ At this, Rasulullah :saws1: mentioned, ‘But my Lord has commanded me to lengthen my beard and shorten my moustache.’ (Tabaqaat ibn Sa’ad vol.1 pg.147; Taareekh Tabari vol.2 pg.267-266; Bidaaya wan Nihaaya)


Isn't this sufficient for any sane Muslim to learn that our Prophet :saws1: turned his face away in disgust when two clean-shaven men approached him?

Imagine on the Day of Judgement, when you approach the Prophet :saws1: at the Kauthar for a drink and he turns his face away from you in disgust, imagine the pain you will feel that day seeing your only hope of quenching your thirst and your only hope of Shafa'ah turning away from you in disgust!


And for those who keep their beards according to the beautiful Sunnah, imagine when the angels question you in the grave regarding Rusulullah :saws1:, you can proudly tell the angels, "I followed the way of Muhammad :saws:, don't you see I look like him", while passing your hand on your beard.

[Futuwwa]

Therefore always learn about the matter properly looking at the established scholarly works and perspectives regarding it before deciding whether you are "swung" on the matter or not and before forming your own "personal opinion" as it maybe that you are dismissing that which is close to Allah through ignorance of the matter due to lack of knowledge.

Well, he said that he has read and given consideration to the arguments presented in favour of the position that beard is fard. Which means he isn't acting out of ignorance. Rather, he has given that position its day in court.

[Muhammad]

:wasalamex

Peace Bro dysphoricrocker ,you have just said a wise word of truth ,but If you note ,my post isn't to disprove "the obligatory position" , but to add additional information to make the view balanced .....

I would like us to reflect on the following extract from an article:

...It is expedient that we understand the principle of Islamic law which informs us that where a handful of scholars hold a view which opposes the overwhelming majority, the issue neither remains controversial nor the difference acceptable and valid. This principle is agreed upon among Islamic jurists and reads, ‘There is no censure in issues of disagreement, while the censure is only in issues that have consensus’.⁴ The scholars have further explained the meaning of issues of disagreement by stating that irregular or weak opinions are excluded from this principle altogether rendering them open to censure. For this reason Ibn al-Qayyim in his work ’Ilam al-Muwaqqi’in explains at length the difference between issues that are open to enquiry and the exercising of one’s opinion [ijtihad] and issues that are not subject to ijtihad even if there may be scholars who hold opinions contrary to the established ruling.⁵

Failure to either differentiate between the two issues or to neglect this rule entirely will inevitably lead to significant problems which could possibly lead to the dissolution of Islamic law; this may seem ostensibly dramatic yet we are still required to accept certain truths though they do not seem inevitable. Throughout the works of comparative jurisprudence, especially the voluminous manuals such as al-Mughni, al-Majmu’, Fath al-Bari, ‘Umadat-ul-Qari and al-Tamheed, we rarely unearth a legal issue which is free from dispute but to accommodate each and every opinion in all legal disputes would result in a disordered system void of the perfection projected by Islam...

http://www.islam21c.com/islamic-law/...f-disagreement

In light of this, simply mentioning opinions of scholars who differed does not always make the view balanced.

You likened the issue of music to that of the beard, in the sense that both are issues which are differed over. But the key question in our discussion is whether we can reduce these issues to mere matters of disagreement. Even if some scholars held a different opinion, we need to consider whether this is enough to consider the difference as valid and we need to appreciate the weight of either side.

On the issue of music, a consensus has been quoted by a number of scholars on the prohibition of using musical instruments. So as I mentioned in my previous post, the fact that some scholars held a different opinion does not make the issue a controversial one as if there are valid differences of opinion. If the early scholars unanimously agree on an interpretation, it is not permissible to go against this as it would contravene well-established texts forbidding this, as well as common sense.

If you view the beard as similar to the issue of music, and if indeed it is a case of going against a consensus, then we will clearly have the same disagreement.

Those sites are both getting the matter in brief ,and biased...

check for example this article ,whose writer has skipped totally what the majority of scholars believe regarding womens' Hijaab ... just where is the balanced ,full picture of the fatwa?!!

I also quoted from two other sites involving a completely different group of scholars, precisely to try and broaden the number of scholars. I wasn’t looking for detailed analyses, I just wanted to show that in all these sites, their conclusions/summaries were pretty much the same and they did not indicate that a difference of opinion really exists.

quotations (in Arabic and English translation) from the scholars who didn't believe in beard as obligatory:

Jazakallaahu khayran for taking the time to post the quotations. I accept that some scholars of the Shafi’i maddhab opined that shaving the beard is makrooh. Although, based on other things I have read, it seems a lot more research is required to verify what is the correct understanding here, not only with respect to statements attributed to various scholars of the madhhab but also their terminology. It would also be interesting to see what responses they give to the compelling evidences given by the other side.

second : should we reject a scholar's valid,impressive input due to one or 2 errors(as we think) he commited ?

Errors are of different kinds and when there are numerous odd opinions by a scholar, commented on by people of knowledge, one wonders whether their methodology in deriving rulings is reliable, especially when comparing them to distinguished scholars from the four schools of thought and earlier generations. I thought your naming of particular scholars with their perceived mistakes was quite unnecessary. Despite inaccuracies in what you said, this is not the key part of our discussion and there is no need to dwell on it.

May Allaah (swt) forgive me if I said anything wrong, and may He (swt) bless you also, Aameen.

Wassalaamu Alaykum.

[Al-manar]

:sl:


How are you Bro AabiruSabeel ?I think this is the first time we have a two sided conversation ...

:sl:

Aren't we supposed to extend our utmost efforts in trying to please Allah?

Exactly,No Muslim would disagree with that Muslim men are rewarded for having beards....
just we disagree of the consequences of not having it..... that is a big difference ...

Isn't this sufficient for any sane Muslim to learn that our Prophet :saws1: turned his face away in disgust when two clean-shaven men approached him?

It would be sufficient, if the Hadith already mentioned, be safely authenticated ,It is classified as Mursal .... not lots those who would take it seriously as establishing a rule....

more important some scholars (assuming it as authentic) ,argued its invalidity to infer from it a rule of obligation of having a beard .....I may quote them next post ...

Imagine on the Day of Judgement, when you approach the Prophet :saws1: at the Kauthar for a drink and he turns his face away from you in disgust, imagine the pain you will feel that day seeing your only hope of quenching your thirst and your only hope of Shafa'ah turning away from you in disgust!

That is much emotional reading into the future,who says that the prophet's reaction to the sinful from his ummah will be similar to his reaction to the pagan Persians? more important such guessing is contradicting :

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) quotes the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying, “The People of Paradise will enter it (in the best form). They will be hairless and beardless. They will be white-colored and strong. Their eyelashes are darkened with kohl (eyeliner). They will be thirty-three years

(Reported by Ahmad and is classified as Sahih)


يدخل أهل الجنة الجنة جردا مردا بيضا جعادا مكحلين أبناء ثلاث وثلاثين على خلق آدم ستون ذراعا في عرض سبع أذرع
الراوي: أبو هريرة المحدث: أحمد شاكر - المصدر: مسند أحمد - الصفحة أو الرقم: 15/74
خلاصة حكم المحدث: إسناده صحيح


take care ,May Allah bless you

:sl:

[AabiruSabeel]

:sl:

It would be sufficient, if the Hadith already mentioned, be safely authenticated ,It is classified as Mursal .... not lots those who would take it seriously as establishing a rule....

more important some scholars (assuming it as authentic) ,argued its invalidity to infer from it a rule of obligation of having a beard .....I may quote them next post ...

I was not discussing about taking the ruling of obligation from that Hadith at all. Even if it is Mursal, we know the reaction of Rasulullah :saws1: from it.

That is much emotional reading into the future,who says that the prophet's reaction to the sinful from his ummah will be similar to his reaction to the pagan Persians?

We can safely say that there was no Sahabi who had shaved his beard. And after witnessing the above incident, no Sahabi would dare to do that.
Aren't we supposed to follow the footsteps of the Sahabah?

more important such guessing is contradicting :

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) quotes the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying, “The People of Paradise will enter it (in the best form). They will be hairless and beardless. They will be white-colored and strong. Their eyelashes are darkened with kohl (eyeliner). They will be thirty-three years

(Reported by Ahmad and is classified as Sahih)


يدخل أهل الجنة الجنة جردا مردا بيضا جعادا مكحلين أبناء ثلاث وثلاثين على خلق آدم ستون ذراعا في عرض سبع أذرع
الراوي: أبو هريرة المحدث: أحمد شاكر - المصدر: مسند أحمد - الصفحة أو الرقم: 15/74
خلاصة حكم المحدث: إسناده صحيح

Yes, but the people of Jannah will be beautified after they have already been declared as people of paradise.

[Al-manar]

:wasalamex
I would like us to reflect on the following extract from an article

Thank you for bringing that text ,though I'm afraid ,cause it address some items eg; "ijmaa,census" etc... which is controversial and needs tons of quotes to be translated from Arabic to English .....

there is a big difference for me to translate from English to Arabic ,and the opposite .... the first is very easy and fast ...the second is painful !....

If the early scholars unanimously agree on an interpretation, it is not permissible to go against this

depends on what they agreed on, eg; some of their quranic understanding of the Quran ,in the past,was all wrong and science corrected them ...etc....

we have lots of Quranic verses that we understand nowadays much better than the past due to the accumulation of human knowledge....

a consensus has been quoted by a number of scholars on the prohibition of using musical instruments.

you know why I can't go on responding here? because I think we gonna disagree on many points regarding the consensus ,including its definition ...

but I appreciate your position for sure

Jazakallaahu khayran for taking the time to post the quotations. I accept that some scholars of the Shafi’i maddhab opined that shaving the beard is makrooh. Although, based on other things I have read, it seems a lot more research is required to verify what is the correct understanding here, not only with respect to statements attributed to various scholars of the madhhab .

I studied comparative fiqh in Al-azhar , and trust me ,all the quotations I posted reflect their authors' convictions....

I thought your naming of particular scholars with their perceived mistakes was quite unnecessary. Despite inaccuracies in what you said, this is not the key part of our discussion and there is no need to dwell on it.

I respect your opinion ,and will edit the post ..... but now plz PM me (on that sensitive issue) with reasons you see my quotes regarding the 2 specific scholars are inaccurate... thanx


May Allaah (swt) forgive me if I said anything wrong, and may He (swt) bless you also, Aameen.

Wassalaamu Alaykum.

[Al-manar]

:sl:

:sl:
Yes, but the people of Jannah will be beautified after they have already been declared as people of paradise.

According to other authentic Hadiths,they gonna have such physical looking so much earlier ...

Aboo Nu’aym reported in ‘Sifatul-Jannah’ , Bukhaaree in ‘At-Taareekhul-Kabeer’ (4/2/219/no. 2779) by way of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-Waahid, from al-Awzaa’ee, from Haaroon ibn Ri’aab, from Anas ibn Maalik (ra), who said that the Messenger of Allaah said: “The believers will be raised on the Day of Resurrection in the form of Aadam: hairless, beardless, with eyelids edged with black, being thirty three years old. [Shaykh Al-Albaanee said in 'As-Saheehah' (6/1/46); 'Its chain of narration is Saheeh."]

صفة الجنة لابن أبي الدنيا

حدثنا أبو عبد الله جعفر بن محمد بن جعفر الكندي ثنا أبو بكر محمد بن عمرو بن نصر بن الحجاج القرشي حدثني أبي عن أبيه نصر بن الحجاج حدثني الأوزاعي حدثني هارون بن رئاب عن أنس أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال يبعث أهل الجنة في صورة آدم ميلاد ثلاثة وثلاثين مردا جردا مكحلين

....................
also

Muadh ibn Jabal (ra), said that the Messenger of Allaah said: “The believers will be raised on the Day of Resurrection in the form of Aadam: hairless, beardless, with eyelids edged with black, being thirty three years old [Musnad Ahmed,Sunan al-Tirmidhi ,' "classified as Hasan,good ."]
)

حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ فِي تَفْسِيرِ شَيْبَانَ , عَنْ قَتَادَةَ , قَالَ : وَحَدَّثَ شَهْرُ بْنُ حَوْشَبٍ , عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ , قَالَ : قَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " يُبْعَثُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ جُرْدًا , مُرْدًا , مُكَحَّلِينَ بَنِي ثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً
خلاصة حكم المحدث: إسناده حسن‏‏

May Allah grant you paradise...Ameen..

:sl:

[AabiruSabeel]

According to other authentic Hadiths,they gonna have such physical looking so much earlier ...

:jz: for sharing these Ahadith. But still, these do not justify shaving the beard here in this world.

May Allah grant you paradise...Ameen..

Ameen. May Allah grant Jannatul Firdaus to all of us.

['Abd-al Latif]

Obligatory means fard, right? To not do something that is fard puts one outside the fold or realm of Islam, right? If one does not pray 5 times a day (2 fajr, 4 zuhr, 4 asr, 3 maghrib, 4 isha) according to the methodology of the sunnah, then one is not a Muslim, right? Fasting the month of Ramadhan (for all), paying zakat (for those with a certain amount for 1 year), and making hajj (for those with the means to do so) are also fard, or obligatory requirements. Not eating pork, blood, carrion, or drinking alcohol or taking other intoxicants are all likewise fard.

There are certain other things that are sunnah that we should all strive or intend to do. I see that wearing a beard for men and a hijab for women falls into this category. To deny that these are sunnah and to dismiss them as not being a part of Islam puts one in a predicament in the manner of one who would deny any accepted sunnah such as eating with the right hand or saying alhamdulillah after sneezing. We should acknowledge what is absolutely required (fard) for a Muslim and differentiate it with what is sunnah that are much preferred, but not absolutely required.

I have had a beard continuously since 2002, but the length is only about 1 inch or the length of the first joint on my finger. If one says that keeping a beard is fard, then it must also be fard to keep it at least a fist length or about 4 inches. My intention in growing a beard was to more closely follow the sunnah, but I stopped short at the length of my beard as I don't like my appearance with a longer beard (shabby, unkempt) and I don't feel as strongly about that part of the sunnah. Am I not a Muslim because my beard is not 4 inches long or is my Bangladeshi brother not a Muslim because he shaves his beard every day? Is the sister who wears a head scarf only to pray and on the Eid a Muslim or is she not?

Not doing something that is obligatory puts you out of the folds of Islam? Really? When did I say that?

Can you prove to me from the Qur'an and Sunnah that the person who drinks and commits zinah is a kafir, because it is obligatory to refrain from them?

As for al-manar and Tyrion, I will advise you with the following:

I'm not going to get into a detailed discussion about fiqh and its principles simply because I don't have the time to type it all out. But I will say this: for you to lower the obligation of growing the beard to a sunnah is ignorance on your half of what makes something obligatory and what makes something a sunnah. But to inform you regardless of what you know: anything that is a command from Allah and His Messenger :saws1: is obligatory and anything other than that is a sunnah of the Messenger :saws1:. Both have a reward: you are rewarded greatly for following a command and as well you are rewarded for following a sunnah though you are not necessarily sinful if you leave it.

This is proven from many verses in Qur'an and just as many ahadeeth that obligate Muslims to follow the command of Allah and His Messenger. This command to follow Allah and His Messenger is because you did not create yourself, nor did you play any part in bringing about your own existence in this world, then can you guide yourself? Can you show yourself the right way and not be among those who are deaf, dumb and blind? If you are unable to do any of this then you have no option but to submit to the One who created you, put you on this earth and then shows you the straight path.

Of the characteristics of the men on the straight path are those who grow a beard. This is because the Messenger :saws1: commanded to grow the beard. The Messenger of Allah :saws1: said: "Be different from the mushrikeen: let your beards grow and trim your moustaches."

According to another report: "Trim your moustaches and let your beards grow."

In Saheeh Muslim, Allah's Messenger :saws1: said, "Cut the moustache and grow your beards. Be different from the Magians."

Another Narration in Muslim says, "Cut your moustache and spare your beards – be different from the people of the scripture."

Jabir ibn Sumarah (r) and Ali ibn Abu Talib (r) said that the Messenger :saws1: had a large beard.

The wife of the Messenger :saws1:, A'ishah (r), said "..by the One who has beautified men with beards..."

The above ahadeeth have affirmed the beard, the following hadeeth negates the lack of a beard.

Abu Hurairah (r) repoted that the ruler of Yemen, appointed by the Persian emperor Kisra, sent two envoys to the Messenger :saws1:. When they came into his presence, he noticed that they had shaved their beards and had grown large moustaches. Disliking their appearence, the Messenger :saws1: turned his face away from them and said: "Woe be to you, who told you to do so?" They replied, "Our master did!" The Messenger :saws1: responded, "But my Master [Allah] has commanded me to spare my beard and trim my moustache."

This is how much the Messenger disliked the those who belittled the beard, so much so that he :saws1: refused to look at the one who disobeyed the command of Allah of growing the beard.

Furthermore, if the Messenger :saws1: made growing of the beard obligatory we can still, in essence, call it a sunnah because this was "his way". But as some sunnah (way of the Messenger:saws1:) are obligatory to follow, such as the way in which he prayed because he :saws1: made this obligatory with the hadeeth: "Pray as you see me pray", the beard also becomes obligatory because the wording of the hadeeth is a command, not an option.

As for the madhabs, I will go back to what is actually said by the madhabs itself.

Maliki view

Shaving the beard is prohibited, as is cutting so short as to clearly change one's appearance. But if it becomes oversized, and if cutting it would not appear as a mutilation, then it may be cut; but that would be disliked and contrary to that which is better. (Sharh ur-Risalah by Abu Hasan and the commentary on it by al-Adwi)

There are more quotes like this that I can provide.

Shafi'ee view

Imam Shafi'ee said in his famous book Al Umm that it is prohibited to shave the beard. So did Zarkashi, Al Halimi in Shu'ba ul-Imam. Ath-thowri (r) said: "It is prohibited to totally shave the beard without a medical reason.

Hambali view

Ibn Taymiyah said: "It is prohibited to shave the beard."

Other scholars have said the same. It is not upon you to cherry-pick opinions from different madhabs, quoting as evidence distant sayings from people of knowledge who are not an authority in Islam. The only authority in Islam is Allah and then His Messenger :saws1: and their command is to grow the beard.

In addition to this, Ibn Mas'ood (r), a sahabi, advised all Muslims to follow the way of those who have passed away (i.e. the sahaba) because they have been given jannah due to their steadfastness on the straight path and dying upon it. All the sahaba are people of paradise and they all grew beards, the Messenger :saws1: grew a beard and every single Prophet and Messenger before him grew a beard, and they are the ones whom we take our guidance from.

Whoever disputes this is not only disputing the command of the Messenger, but is looking for an excuse to fit in a society that has gone astray and is destined as the people of hell fire, unless Allah decides to have mercy upon them.

I will not allow the hadeeth of the Messenger to be disputed against and discarded for two reasons:

1 - No Muslim has any right to go against the authority of the Messenger :saws1: or have any opinion or say after the Messenger :saws1: has spoken;
2 - The source of every madhab is Quran and Hadeeth, and since we all follow the same source one must not submit to his whims;

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