Question.
Assalamoualaikum Mufti saahab;
I want to know the rules regarding the beard;
(1) Is it obligatory to keep a beard?
(2) I heard that a person must grow his beard up to one fist, how true is this?
(3) I heard that it is haraam to trim it unless it is more than a fist, is it so?
(4) what is the ruling of praying swalaah behind the Imaam who trims his beard and does no let it grow up to a fist after knowing that a fist is waajib to keep. Is it permissible to pray behind him while their are others having beard according to the sunnah and they can lead the swalaah ( i mean they can read Quraan properly and they know the masaail of swalah etc)?
(5) Is it permissible to keep such a person as an Imaam?
Bayyinou mudallalan wa mufasswlan bit tahqeeq wal yaqeen toujarou.please forward me all details with proof Allah will reward you Mufti saahab in both worlds?
Answer.
Shari'ah has commanded males to lengthen the beard.
1) Rasulullâh sallallâhu alaihi wasallam has said, “Oppose the Idolaters and lengthen the beard and shorten the moustache”. (BUKHARI)
(2) A Hadith in Sahih Muslim states on the authority of Hazrat Ibn Umar (R.A.) that Rasulullâh sallallâhu alaihi wasallam ordered the trimming of the moustache and the lengthening of the beard. (MUSLIM)
(3) Rasulullâh sallallâhu alaihi wasallam has mentioned in a Hadîth, “From the nature of man is the bathing on Jumuah, the use of the miswaak, the trimming of the moustache and the lengthening of the beard. Verily, the Fire-worshippers lengthen their moustaches and shave their beards, so oppose them by cutting your moustaches and lengthening your beards”. (MAWARID US ZAM’AAN HADITH NO.560)
(4) It has been narrated in Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba that a fire-worshipper came to Rasulullâh sallallâhu alaihi wasallam and he had shaved his beard and lengthened his moustache. Rasulullâh sallallâhu alaihi wasallam asked him about this. He replied that this is our religion. Rasulullâh sallallâhu alaihi wasallam then said,“ In our religion we cut our moustaches and lengthen our beards”. (MUSANNAF IBN ABI SHAIBAH V.8 pg379)
(5) Rasulullâh sallallâhu alaihi wasallam has said, “Ten things are Fitrat (natural). To cut the Moustache and lengthen the beard (are from amongst ten things)”. (MUSLIM)
In Bazlul Majhood (commentary of sunan Abi Dawood) Fitrat (nature) has been counted as the practices of the Ambiya (A.S.) (BAZLUL MAJHOOD)
(6) Rasulullâh sallallâhu alaihi wasallam has mentioned “Whosoever resembles another nation then he is from amongst them.” (MISHKAAT)
All the Sahaba, Tabieen and pious predecessors have acted upon this order of Rasulullâh sallallâhu alaihi wasallam. Acting contrary to this order has not been recorded. Instead, stern warnings and admonitions have been narrated for not keeping a beard. Therefore, the Mujtahideen and Fuqahâ` (jurist) have decreed that it is Waajib (compulsory) to keep a beard.
Hazrat Shaikh Zakariyya (R.A.) has mentioned that According to all the 4 schools of fiqh it is Haraam to cut the beard.
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (R.A.) has quoted Ibn Haazim as saying that to cut the beard is Haraam by consensus of the ummat. (AL BIDAYAH V.14 PG.274)
In Addurul Mukhtar it has been stated that to cut the beard less than a fist length is not permissible according to any one. (V.2 Pg.155)
The same has been mentioned by Allamah Ibnul Hummam (R.A.) (See AL FATHUL QADIR V2 Pg.348)
The verbs used Sahih Bukhari and the other authentic books of Hadeeth to issue this command are all in the imperative sense. Imperative verbs normally denote the obligatory nature of an action and the obligation of that action can only be demoted to an optional level if some Hadeeth or Shar'ie proof is found to negate its obligation. In this case, there is no such proof because if lengthening of the beard was only a Sunnat and not a Waajib (compulsory) act, there would have been at least one occasion mentioned in the Ahaadeeth wherein an action contrary to the above injunction could be found. Not one such Hadeeth can be found, hence we may safely deduce that to lengthen the beard is compulsory. There is another fundamental principle of Shari'ah and that is: when Shari'ah uses an imperative verb to make some action obligatory upon us (and the obligation is nowhere negated), then, whilst carrying out that action becomes compulsory, discarding that action would become Haraam. Take the example of Salaah; that Allah Ta'aala commands us: “Establish Salaah”. This command makes Salaah obligatory upon us. Thus, any action to the contary; i.e. the action of neglecting and discarding Salaah would become Haraam.
When we have been commanded to lengthen the beard, then shaving and shortening the beard to less than the size of a fist would become Haraam and result in a major sin. One can honestly only be said to have lengthened the beard (which is the injunction in the Hadeeth) if one allows it to grow up to at least a fist’s length..
Let us now come to the point of where and how it has been established that the beard should be allowed to grow to at least a fist's length. The first proof of this can be found in the fact that, as we all know, the first addressees of the injunctions of Shari'ah were the Sahabah-e-Kiraam radhiallahu anhum. They were the first to receive the Qur'aan from Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam and the first to listen to his discourses and Ahaadeeth. When they received the injunction of lengthening the beard, they immediately put it into practice. They were daily present in the court of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam, so they obviously also saw with they own eyes, the practice of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam too in this regard and followed suit. As Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam lengthened his beard, so too did the Sahabah radhiallahu anhum. Staying constantly in the company of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam also taught them that if the beard grew longer than a fist, it was permissible to trim it up to a fist's length and not shorter than that. Hence, we learn from the books of Hadeeth that some Sahaba-e-Kiraam radhiallahu anhum used to trim their beards to the size of a fist if it grew beyond a fist. The Sahabah radhiallahu anhum then would appear in the presence of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam without being reproached for this, indicating that it was permissible to trim the beard up to a fist's length.
The incident of Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar radhiallahu anhu (who was a staunch and ardent follower of the Sunnah) is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari that he used to catch hold of his beard with his fist and cut off those hairs of his beard that protruded beyond his fist. If it was permissible to trim the beard shorter than a fist, he would have trimmed it shorter, but neither did he nor did any other Sahabi radhiallahu anhu ever do so. In short, trimming the beard to a fist's length and then not being rebuked by Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam, shows the permissibility of shortening to only a fist's length, and not more. (Reference: Bazlul-Majhood under the discussion of the Hadeeth of "Khisaalul-Fitrah.")
Another proof that the beard should be grown to at least a fist's length, can be found even in the Qur'aan: When Hadhrat Moosa alaihis-salaam returned from the Mount of Toor and found that some of his people had transgressed the limits of Shari'ah in his absence, he became very angry and demanded an explanation from his brother Hadhrat Haroon alaihis-salaam as to why he was not able to maintain order while he (Hadhrat Moosa alaihis-salaam) was away. While talking to him, Hadhrat Moosa alaihis-salaam angrily grabbed his brother's head and beard. Hadhrat Haroon alaihis-salaam responded by saying:-
“O my mother's son, do not catch my beard nor my head.” [Surah Tahaa, 20:94].
It is obvious that Hadhrat Moosa alaihis-salaam could only have caught his brother firmly by the beard if the beard was at least up to a fist's length. If the beard was a mere stubble and only a superficial cover as some people are wont to grow it nowadays, it would have been virtually impossible to grasp him by the beard. This incident also indicates that the other Ambiyaa alaihimu-salaam also kept long beards and that is what they expected from their Ummatis (followers) as well.
The following extract from "Durrul-Mukhtaar", an authentic reference work on Hanafi Fiqh also categorically points out the prohibition of trimming the beard to less than the size of a fist. It also states that shaving the whole beard is the way of the Jews and fire worshippers whereas these are two of the many sects regarding whom we have been commanded in the Ahadeeth to avoid emulating:-
“Trimming the beard to less than a fist -such as is practised by some western nations and also by men who mimic the ways of women- is an act that has not been allowed by any of the reliable scholars. As for shaving the whole beard, that is the way of the Jews and fire worshippers.” [Durrul-Mukhtaar, Vol 2, Pg. 174].
The person who shaves his beard or keeps a beard that is less that the Shari'e regulation is termed as a “Faasiq” in Shari'ah and it is Makrooh-e-Tahrimi (i.e. highly reprehensible) to appoint a Faasiq as a Imaam. Thus, the Imaamat of a person who shaves his beard and a person whose beard is less than the Shar'ie regulation is Makrooh-e-Tahrimi; i.e. highly reprehensible [Fataawa Mahmudiyya Vol. 16, Pg. 275].
Huffaaz who only grow their beards temporarily in Ramadhaan merely for the purpose of performing Taraweeh and then shave their beards after Ramadhaan will also be fall under this category. Such Huffaaz (who have no firm resolve of perpetually keeping a beard) should not be appointed to lead the Taraweeh or any other Salaah.
Hence, a person who regularly shaves or trims his beard to less than a fist’s length out of the month of Ramadhaan cannot be appointed as an Imaam. What further aggravates the situation is that in spite of the fact that some of these Huffaaz are made aware of the importance of constantly keeping a beard, they still do not take heed of the warning. This further displays their gross neglect for the injunctions of Deen. Such persons do not deserve to lead the Taraweeh or any Salaah for that matter.
The Mutawallis and Committee members who insist on appointing such a person as an Imâm are also guilty of a transgression, as they are corrupting the Salaah of the Muqtadis; hence they too would need to make sincere Taubah for this transgression.
Now that the true nature of the Mas’alah has been brought to the notice of the Mutawallis, they ought to take remedial action: Either the Haafiz concerned makes sincere Taubah to Allâh Ta’âlâ and makes a firm commitment and resolve to grow his beard up to the required length and keep it that way at all times throughout the year, in which case he would be allowed to lead the Taraaweeh salaah; or he is politely told by the committee to make way for other Huffaaz whose beards conform to the Shari’ah and who would also like to get the opportunity of performing Taraaweeh in the local Masjid. If the Haafiz concerned is not prepared to change and grow his beard to the required length, then his application for performing Taraaweeh should be politely declined. By allowing him to continue performing Taraaweeh, the Mutawaalis are going to make things difficult for themselves; because tomorrow, another Haafiz who shaves or trims his beard short will demand to be also given a chance and base his argument on the premise that “you people allowed so and so with a short beard to lead the Taraaweeh Salaah, so why not me !.”
In fact, this matter is so serious that our Akaabir (senior) Ulema state that if a Haafiz with a fully Shar’ie-compliant beard cannot be found in a community, then it would be better to have a pious non-Haafiz (whose beard is Shari’e-compliant) to lead the Taraaweeh, whilst reciting from Alam-Tara-Kayf (i.e. small Surahs) rather than having the Haafiz (who shaves or trims his beard to less than a fist) reciting the whole Qur’aan in Taraaweeh!
AND ALLÂH TA’ÂLÂ KNOWS BEST.
