Is it haram to shave your beard? Beard is a symbol of male characteristics and beauty. Just as there are worldly benefits of keeping a beard, one can attain Paradise by observing the Sunnah keeping it.
That is why there is no evidence that Rasulullah – may Allah bless him and grant him peace – or any of his millions of companions shaved their beards.
There are many confusions about beards in society. Some scholars preach that keeping a beard is Sunnah to cover up one’s weakness. But all reliable scholars have agreed that beard is obligatory.
Therefore, it is good to keep a beard; it is no problem if you don’t keep it; This is not observing a Sunnah. This is a complete misconception. Beard is a great favor of Allah.
Importance of beard
More than twenty hadiths have been narrated from Rasulullah – may Allah bless him and grant him peace – with the command to keep a beard. Two things are worth noting in following those instructions.
First, having a beard is human nature or Sunanul Fitrat, on which Allah created man. That is why all the prophets had beards.
This is the natural Sunnah for all Prophets and their Ummah. Muhammad Rasulullah – sallallahu alaihi wa sallam – was describing the shape of the Prophets when the discussion of Ibrahim Rasulullah – sallallahu alaihi wa sallam came up, he said,
And I looked at Ibrahim Rasulullah – sallallahu alaihi wa sallam -. Whenever I looked at any part of his body, it felt like I was looking at my body as if he were my partner.
That is, the appearance of the body of Muhammad Rasulullah – sallallahu alaihi wa sallam – is the same as the appearance of Ibrahim Rasulullah – sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. Among them, his beard was like the beard of Ibrahim Rasulullah – sallallahu alaihi wa sallam –
Secondly, to the instruction of the Prophet Rasulullah – Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam – to keep it, it has become obligatory to observe the law.
This is because the Messenger of Allah – may Allah bless him and grant him peace – instructed his Ummah and asked them to oppose shaving the beard as it is the Sha’ar of another religion, which is obligatory for all Muslims to observe.
As the hadith says,
عَنْ أَبِى هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : قُصُوا الشَّوَارِبَ وَأَعْفُوا اللِّحَى
Narrated by Abu Huraira Rasulullah – may Allah bless him and grant him peace – he said, Rasulullah may Allah bless him and grant him peace – said, “You should shorten the mustache and leave the beard”. There is another hadith,
عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَرَنَا بِإِحْفَاءِ الشَّوَارِبِ وَإِعْفَاءِ اللِّحَى
On the authority of Ibn Umar (RA), he said, “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) ordered us to shorten the mustache and grow the beard.”
Is it haram to shave your beard?
Yes, It’s Haram to shave the beard. Because it is obligatory for men to have a beard, our Rasoolullah had a beard, and may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Beard is the Sunnah not only of our Prophet but of all Prophets. This is the Shir or sign of Islam.
Keeping a beard is a symbol of Islam. This is the Sunnah of all the Prophets. Hazrat Ibn Umar – Radiyallahu Anhu – said – Rasulullah – may Allah bless him and grant him peace – used to order the mustache to be short and the beard to be long (Sahih Muslim 1/129, 259).
Hazrat Hasan said, Rasulullah – Sallallahu Alaihi wa sallam – said – 10 natures were such, by adopting which the people’s wealth was destroyed. One is cutting the beard and lengthening the mustache (Durare Mansur 5/644).
Famous jurist Allama Ibn Abedin Shami said – The main thing about the beard is that it is obligatory to keep it. Its standard measure is a handful. Keeping a beard is the Shi’ar and a sign of Islam.
This is the Sunnah of all the Prophets. It is a sign of gentleness, greatness and honor and respect. Therein lies the perfection of manhood. Keeping a beard in this way was a constant practice of Rasulullah – sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.
Sahaba, Tabein, Tabe-Tabein, Fuqaha, Muhaddisin, and Salafe-Salehin also had such practices. Rasulullah – sallallahu alaihi wa sallam – called it fitrat or human nature. So keeping a beard is a must. Squeezing or cutting in one fist is haram and Kabira sin.
How long can you shave your beard?
The main thing is to keep the beard of Rasoolullah – Sallallahu Alaihi wa sallam – and the companions as they were. Narrated in Hadith Sharif: When RasulullahS.A.W.AW) was worried, he held his beard and looked at it (Kanjul Ummal 1/701).
Hadith Sharif – Narrated by Hazrat Amr Ibn Shuaib to cut a fist-sized portion from under and around his beard. (Sharhu Shiratil Islam-298).
It is clear from this hadith that Rasulullah (SAW)S.A.W.beard was more than a handful, and the rest can be cut off by keeping a handful.
Sahaba Keram kept his beard long. However, the recognition of cutting after one fist is found in the period of Sahaba Karam.
In the light of the instructions of Rasulullah (SAWS.A.W.rom numerous hadiths, the practices and the Companions, the practice of Tabein Tabe-Tabein, the practices and guidance of Imam Fuqaha and the Muhaddisin, the rulings of the Ulama of Aqab regarding beards are as follows:
After a lengthy discussion, Hazrat Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri (R.H.) writes – Shaving the beard has been transformed into a Shi’a or sign of the Jewish Christians in the present age. Among Muslims, people who do not belong to the religion also accept it. Instead, they prefer to follow English customs.
Then Imam Muhammad (R.A.) mentioR.A.he saying – Cutting the beard like shaving the beard is haram (Bazlul Majhud 1/33).
Bukhari Sharif’s Commentary Faizul Bari mentions – It’s Haram to Shave the beard less than one fist based on the consensus of all the Imams (4/380).
Why The beard shaved is Haram?
There are many reasons why a shaved beard is haram. Below are some of the reasons worth mentioning.
Characteristic of Jewish Bastards who shaved their beards:
During the time of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Companions, most of the Jews who were untouchables used to shave their beards. And the few who had beards did not use henna. That is why the Prophet ordered his Ummah to do the opposite of their actions.
Shaving the beard is a characteristic of polytheists
During the time of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Companions, the characteristics of the mushriks of the then-Indian subcontinent, including Mecca, were to shave their beards and cover their faces with long mustaches.
When the Prophet (PBUH) learned about this anti-Fitr practice, he strongly opposed it and ordered his Ummah to keep beards. On the authority of Abdullah Ibn Umar (RA), he said, The Prophet (PBUH) said,
خَالِفُوا الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ أَحْفُوا الشَّوَارِبَ وَأَوْفُوا اللِّحَى
“You oppose the polytheists. Trim your mustaches and leave your beards.”
Characteristics of Agni worshipers who shave their beards
During the era of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Companions, the people of Persia used to worship fire. One of their physical characteristics was shaving their beards and growing their mustaches.
Whenever they came to the Messenger of God as messengers, he would turn away when he saw them shaving their beards. And he used to ask them the reason. He used to ask the Companions to oppose them. So it’s haram to shave your beard.
Shaved beards are similar to male transgender people.
There are similarities with male transgender people in shaving their beards. Because they shave or shave their beards to hide their identity. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade to be likened to them. Ibn Abbas (R.A.) said
The Prophet (peace be upon him) cursed male transgressors and male prostitutes. He said, ‘Get them out of the house.’
Ibn Abbas (R.A.) said The Prophet (PBUH) expelled so-and-so, and Umar (R.A.) expelled so-and-so. That’s why some scholars mentioned that shaving the beard is characteristic of male transgender people.
Summary of the article
The beard shave is Haram. Most of Islamic scholars have presented this opinion in this regard. However, according to some, it is permissible to shave the beard. They say it is Sunnah to keep a beard.
However, there are many hadiths in favor of them. But expert Ulama has given this opinion Keram Dari Shave Haram.