Beards

Society Religion & Philosophy
1

Why? Does it really make you more spiritual?

And is this just a cultural preference the prophet had, that we’ve turned into something “spiritual” and something that should or must be done?

I mean, who decided that beards are recommended or mandatory in Islam? And WHY??

I’m asking this because a few years ago, a local masjid forced a board member to don a beard, threatening to remove him from the board if he doesn’t. He now has a beard, although he doesn’t enjoy having it, but he wishes to keep his seat.

Isn’t this a ziati?

2

Beards are Sunnah, and not mandatory as far as i know.

3

But why are they sunnah? I mean from what i've always understood sunnah and mandatory things are mandatory/or sunnah because there is a function involved. What is the function of a beard? Does it make you more holy? Does it make you understand the Prophet's message better? Or is it just to show off a holier-than-thou attitude?

Granted, I'm not saying men with beards are religiously egoed out. Many men sport beards, and they're fine gentleman. However, it would seem to be to be a personal choice....like choosing whether to wear a blue shirt or gray shirt on thursday.

4

i am not too sure..some say its mandetory some say its not..i got it

5

I guess it is too look more masculine.

6

Question: If a man shaves his moustache and leaves his beard (to grow), is there any sin in this? And what did the Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) used to do?

Response: All Praise is for Allaah the One, and prayers and salutations upon His Messenger, upon his family and his companions. To proceed…

The Sunnah is to trim the moustache and not to remove it as the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) said:

((Trim the moustaches and leave the beards (to grow) and oppose (differ) from the mushrikoon)). The authenticity of this hadeeth is agreed upon by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

If he shaved it (off) then there is nothing (no sin) upon him. As for the beard, then it is obligatory to leave it (to grow) as the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) said:

((Trim the moustaches and leave the beards (to grow), (in doing so) oppose (differ from) the mushrikoon)).

And with Allaah lies all success and may Allaah send prayers and salutations upon our Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) and his family and his companions.

The Permanent Committee for Islaamic Research and Fataawa, comprising -
Head: Shaykh 'Abdul 'Azeez Ibn Abdullaah Ibn Baaz;
Deputy Head: Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq 'Afeefee;
Member: Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn Ghudayyaan;
Member: Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn Qu'ood

It is the fitrah to grow your beard.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Ten are the acts according to fitrah (nature): clipping the moustache, letting the beard grow, using the tooth-stick, cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the hair under the arm-pits, shaving the pubes, and cleansing one's private parts (after easing or urinating) with water. The narrator said: I have forgotten the tenth, but it may have been rinsing the mouth.

Book 1, Number 0052: Sunan Abu Dawud

7

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ~Sehar~: *
Beards are Sunnah, and not mandatory as far as i know.
[/QUOTE]

Imaam al-Barbahaari (rahimahullaah) said: Know that Islam is the Sunnah, and the Sunnah is Islaam and one of them cannot be established without the other.

The Prophet said, "He who turns away from my Sunnah is not from me." Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. trans. 7/1-2/no.l), Muslim (Eng. Trans. 2/703/n0.3236) and an-Nasaa'ee.

Abu Hurairah said that Allaah's Messenger said, "All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except those who refuse." It was said, "Who will refuse?" He replied. "Whoever obeys me enters Paradise and whoever disobeys me has refused." Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. trans. 9/284/n0.384).

Imaam az-Zuhree (the famous taabi'ee, d.124H) said,"The people of knowledge who came before us used to say,'Salvation lies in clinging to the Sunnah.'" Reported by ad-Daarimee in his Sunan (no.96).

Imaam Maalik said,"The Sunnah is like the Ark of Noah. Whoever embarks upon it reaches salvation and whoever refuses is drowned." Quoted by Shaikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah in Majmoo' ul-fataawaa(4/57).

Allahu Aalim

8

Re: Beards

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by PyariCgudia: *

And is this just a cultural preference the prophet had, that we've turned into something "spiritual" and something that should or must be done?

[/QUOTE]

Following the Prophet's (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) sunnah(ways) is following him in his actions, speech, behavior, dress, the way he lived, the way he interacted with people, etc..

9

ok, still doesn't answer the question of what Athari posted if I let my beard grow and out of the blue i decide to trim or shave it; is there ne sin, why?

and whats the PURPOSE of having a beard? so if u make the argument its to follow the sunnah, then what was the Prophets purpose of having a beard?

10

IS KEEPING BEARD THAT IMPORTANT?

To be straight on the point shaving the beard is Haraam because of the saheeh ahaadeeth that clearly state this, and of the general application of texts that forbid resembling the kuffaar

One of these reports is the hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar who said that the Messenger of Allaah 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." There are other hadeeth which convey the same meaning, which is to leave the beard as it is and let it grow long, without shaving, plucking or cutting any part of it. Ibn Hazm reported that there was scholarly consensus that it is an obligation (fard) to trim the moustache and let the beard grow. He quoted a number of ahaadeeth as evidence, including the hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) quoted above, and the hadeeth of Zayd ibn Arqam in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever does not remove any of his moustache is not one of us." (Classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi). Ibn Hazm said in al-Furoo': "This is the way of our colleagues *."

Is it haraam (to shave it)? Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "The Qur'aan, Sunnah and ijmaa' (scholarly consensus) all indicate that we must differ from the kuffaar in all aspects and not imitate them, because imitating them on the outside will make us imitate them in their bad deeds and habits, and even in beliefs, which will result in befriending them in our hearts, just as loving them in our hearts will lead to imitating them on the outside. Al-Tirmidhi reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah beupon him) said, "He is not one of us who imitates people other than us. Do not imitate the Jews and Christians."

According to another version: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad) 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab rejected the testimony of the person who plucked his beard. Imaam Ibn 'Abd al-Barr said in al-Tamheed: "It is forbidden to shave the beard, and no one does this except men who are effeminate" i.e., those who imitate women. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had a thick beard (reported by Muslim from Jaabir). It is not permitted to remove any part of the beard because of the general meaning of the texts which forbid doing so. [Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 5/133]*

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Is Keeping the beard being Fard.

The beard (Arabic: liyah) is defined as the hair which grows on the cheeks and the jaws (ex., review: al-Q m s al-Muh t by al-Fayrazabad ). It includes the hair of the temples, the growth underneath the lower lip, the hair of the chin, and the hair that grows on the lower side of the jaws.

The Islamic Ruling Concerning Beards: Growing the beard is a wajib (mandatory) for all males who are capable of doing so. This has ample evidence in the Sunnah (as will be shown below) and is the unanimous opinion of the ulamaa of Islam. One should not be misled by the neglect to this sunnah by a few contemporary shaykhs, and by their providing shaky fatwas to support their action. By doing that they make people follow them into the wrong way, when the Messenger (S) said: He who starts a good sunnah (way) will be rewarded for it, in addition to receiving rewards equal to the rewards of those who follow him into it. Whereas he who starts a bad sunnah will be burdened with it, in addition to receiving burdens equal to the burdens of those who follow him into it. [Muslim]

And he said: Allah does not pull the knowledge abruptly from the hearts of people, but he takes away the knowledge by taking [the lives of] the ulamaa (true scholars). When noulamaa are left, people will take ignorant persons for leaders. Those will give them fatwa (religious verdicts) without knowledge. By doing this, they will stray and lead others astray as well. [Al-Bukhari]

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A List of Violations: Shaving the beard results in a series of Islamic violations, as is obvious from Allah’s Book and His Messenger’s Sunnah. The following is a list (not necessarily comprehensive) of such violations:

A. Disobedience to Allah
B. Disobedience To the Messenger (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) C. Deviation from the Appearance and Guidance of the Messenger (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam)
D. Deviation from the Way of Believers
E. An Imitation of the Disbelievers.
F.Changing Allah’s Creation without Permission
G. An Imitation of Women
H. Shaving the Beard Contradicts the Pure Fitrah (Nature)

13

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by CocoNut: *

and whats the PURPOSE of having a beard? so if u make the argument its to follow the sunnah, then what was the Prophets purpose of having a beard?
[/QUOTE]

'May Allaah have mercy upon you! Know that the Sunnah is not a matter for analogies or reasoning with examples, and desires are not to be followed in it. Rather, it is just a case of affirming the narrations from Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam), without asking how, explaining or saying: 'Why?' or 'How?'

'Umar ibn al-Khattaab, rahimahullaah, said, "There is no excuse for anyone going astray thinking that he is upon guidance. Nor for abandoning guidance thinking it to be misguidance, since the affairs have been made clear, the proof established and the excuse cut off."

**Al-'Irbaad ibn Saariyah, radiallaahu'anhu, reports that the Prophet said, ".... I have left you upon clear guidance. Its night is like its day. No one deviates from it after me except that he is destroyed." Reported by Ahmad, Ibn Maajah (no. 43) and al-Haakim. It is declared saheeh by Shaikh al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (no. 937).

Reported by Ibn Battah in, al-lbaantul-Kubraa (no. 162) by way of Awzaa'ee that it reached him that 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab said it. However, its chain is munqati' (disconnected).

Al-Marwazee reports in as-Sunnah (no. 95) that 'Umar ibn 'Abd Allah-'Azeez said, "There is no excuse for anyone, after the Sunnah, to be misguided upon error which he thought was guidance." **

That is because the Sunnah and the Jamaa'ah have consolidated and safeguarded all of the Religion. It has been made clear to the people, so it is upon the people to comply and follow.

*'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood radiallaahu 'anhu, said, "Follow and do not innovate, for you have been given that which is sufficient and every innovation is misguidance." Reported by Abu Khaithamah in Kitaab Ul-'Ilm (no. 540) and declared saheeh by Shaikh al-Albaanee.
*

14

Bla bla bla lotta jargon lotta ambiguity but no reasoning, i'm an empty vessel give me reason fill me in on why and the purpose of it? For a moment think of me as a person of different faith, I'm really not interested in your technicalities of how to tie it and where to grow it. I wanna know WHY and What purpose it serves : )

15

not really!

in response to the previous post that the posts of athar contain "blah blah blaah" Well if u are a member of another religion then they might then referances from Respected Scholars and Hadiths may seem blah blah blaah too you.
It should be noted that It is understood that All of the messengers/prophet sent on earth had a beard.

Plz Read This Hadith Carefully:

Ibn Umar said: The Prophet said, "Do the opposite of what the pagans do. Keep the beards and cut the moustaches short." Whenever Ibn 'Umar performed the Hajj or 'Umra, he used to hold his beard with his hand and cut whatever moustaches. Ibn Umar used to cut his moustache so short that the whiteness of his skin (above the upper lip) was visible, and he used to cut (the hair) between his moustaches and his beard.

Note that the Words are "DO...." not "Do IF YOU CAN" Or "It IS BETTER IF YOU DO..."

Now if you dont keep a beard thaty doesnt mean that you should be all opposed to anyone who keeps a beard becoz of religious reason.

16

Give me a purpose buddy boy...i'm looking for a purpose of the beard rather than mimicking these Prophets.

here lemme give you an example of what i'm asking for EXAMPLE: women of Islamic faith cover themselves not only because MARY did but also to void the glare of men.

17

Ok, let me make it simple. Reading some of the responses above I can see why some people are getting frustrated. :)

The reason why muslim men are instructed to grow beard and trim moustache, is to differentiate muslim men from men of other nations.

There are certain aspects of dress and get-up which are particular to certain nations. For example, the black robe and white collar is representative of christian priests. The simple dress of buddish monks is very specific to them. In Prophet's (Sallalah o alaihay wa'salam) time jews used to have what we now call "french cut" beard or goatee, and thus Prophet actually asked a muslim tribesman to grow full beard and not the sort of beard which is similar to jews. Similarly, muslims are required to keep a distinctive appearance by growing their beards and trimming their moustache.

Now, you may ask, why it is necessary to differenciate between the appearance of men from different nations (the word "nation" is used in terms of religion)?

There is a hadith that on the day of judgement you will be raised with the nation whom you emulate in your appearance. It is implied in this order that anyone should be able to recognize a muslim just by his appearance. If you think about it, it is clear that a long beard, no moustache (and a turban on the head) will almost always be a muslim. Hijaab for muslim women also is typical muslim dress.

In addition, if you read about it, you will notice that all Prophets (Allaih Salaam) sent by Allah Ta'llah had beards. Why? Because Allah wants men to look like .... men. Women don't have facial hair like men and so men should not try to look like women by being clean-shaven. Heavy moustache is discouraged because it is taken as a sign of arrogance, similar to why muslim men are required to keep their dresses above their ankles. These represented pride and arrogance, however according to islamic thought-process, all glory is to Allah and all our wealth is a gift of Allah. That is nothing for us to be proud of. Its only our good deeds which will make us successful.
*
Disclaimer: The above answer is for those who use quran and sunnah as sources of sharia. It is only for informational purposes. For most accurate religious knowledge, as always, please consult a proper islamic scholar.*

18

wait a take the podium Faisal :k:
thank you for clarifying it : )

heh, u literally have to break an arm n leg here to get the message across to these guys that not many read their technicalities and jargon. A plain and simple explanation would be nice with a hint to reference.

nehoo thank you again.

19

i think faisal made it quite clear....

but just to put it short....

beard is compulsory because the Prophet has ordered muslim men to grow the beards and shave the moustache (in a saheeh authentic hadith), and the hadith also mentions the reason i.e. to differentiate from the non-muslims....

20

all the 4 school of thoughts hold beard as wajib..