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Fatwa CenterTrimming the beard
Question
I've been growing a full beard according to the Sunnah (length of a fist) of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) for the last 3 years. The reward is amazing. People identified me as a Muslim right away and greet with ‘Salaam.’ My wife and I just don't understand how some of these so called " Big Sheikh" have a really nice trimmed beard (George Michael-style) and using big word like "woman should have a Hijab" when they are not fulfilling their duty themselves. In the time of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam), these so-called big Sheikhs would not even get a chance to lead the prayer. I'm just so disappointed no one really dares to talk about it. Men can imitate the Kufr but women is doomed if they do so. This is sexist and sad that we don't talk about our duty (men's responsibility). I hope you have a full beard yourself and if so, please for the sake of Allah make an effort and talk about it because we don't have to be politically right in front of Allah the Almighty.
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Allah, The Most-High, has proportioned everything, and it is not correct nor acceptable for a Muslim to be vehement to an extent that he puts something beyond its measures and proportions, or to demean something below its merits and real value.
Islamic Jurisprudence is regulated according to five rules (principles):
1) Permitted/permissible acts.
2) Desirable acts.
3) Obligations mandatory acts.
4) Disliked/dislikeable actions.
5) Forbidden (Haram) actions.
It is considered to be an exaggeration in religion to treat somebody who has not performed a mandatory act as if he had left out or neglected one of the pillars of Islam or to treat someone who neglected one likeable act as if he had committed a major sin.
As far as your question is concerned, we have to distinguish between shaving the beard and trimming the beard.
Shaving the beard is forbidden, this is the opinion of the majority of scholars and it is the preponderant opinion. The evidence about this opinion is what is reported in about ten authentic Ahadith that it is Haram to shave the beard.
However, the Shafi’e Madhab argue that it is Makrouh (dislikeable) to shave the beard; this is the prevailing opinion of their Madhab.
Their evidence is as follows:
1) They say that the Hadith mentions the order about leaving (not shaving) the beard and trimming the moustaches. The majority of scholars do not say that it is recommended to trim the moustaches but it is only a Sunnah. So, they say how some of the Hadith is interpreted as a mandatory act while the second part of the same Hadith is interpreted as a Sunnah act although the verb used is the same and the order is the same.
2) The order not to shave the beard is considered among the manners pertaining to persons as individuals not as an act that can affect other people in anyway.
Manners and conducts are not taken into account as obligations as it is known in the principles (of Islam).
As regards trimming the beard, Ibn Abi Shayba in his Mussanaf mentioned that Ali used to trim his beard beside his cheeks, and Tawus used to trim his beard and does not consider that obligatory. Waki’ says that Abu Hilal said, I asked Hasan and Ibn Sirin: they said: There is no harm in trimming the beard (shortening its length).
Ibrahim Al Nakhai’ said: They used to trim their beard (to shorten its length) and take from its width.
Al Baji in Al Muntaqi Sharh Al Muwata’ said: Malik said that it was desirable – i.e. to trim the beard and moustaches – because taking from their length does not change the creation from its beauty, as regards shaving them clean it, is like the shaving of the hair of a woman, and it is forbidden for her to do so, the same thing applies to shaving the beard and moustaches as this changes the creation and causes mutilation. But what goes beyond its beauty and becomes disheveled, then it is permissible to take from it.
In conclusion the majority of scholars who are of the view that the beard should not be shaved, do not forbid trimming it.
However, there is a difference of opinion regarding trimming it, i.e. the extent to which the beard could be trimmed.
Some say that the minimum is to leave a fist (handful long hair), and some others say that it could be trimmed to the extent that it does not change the creation regarding the beauty as it is reported from Malik.
Allah knows best.
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