Jesus (peace be upon him) also said, "keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:17)
"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19)
Clearly showing the importance of obeying the commands of God.
A few more quotes you may find interesting:
"The hair of the chin showed him to be a man." St Clement of Alexandria (c.195, E), 2.271
"How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!...For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest-a sign of strength and rule." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275
"This, then, is the mark of the man, the beard. By this, he is seen to be a man. It is older than Eve. It is the token of the superior nature....It is therefore unholy to desecrate the symbol of manhood, hairiness." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.276
"It is not lawful to pluck out the beard, man's natural and noble adornment." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.277
St Cyprian
"In their manners, there was no discipline. In men, their beards were defaced." St Cyprian (c. 250, W), 5.438
"The beard must not be plucked. 'You will not deface the figure of your beard'." (Leviticus 19:27) St. Cyprian, 5.553
Lactantius
"The nature of the beard contributes in an incredible degree to distinguish the maturity of bodies, or to distinguish the sex, or to contribute to the beauty of manliness and strength." Lactantius (c. 304-314, W), 7.288
Apostolic Constitutions
"Men may not destroy the hair of their beards and unnaturally change the form of a man. For the Law says, "You will not deface your beards." For God the Creator has made this decent for women, but has determined that it is unsuitable for men." Apostolic Constitutions (compiled c.390, E) 7.392. (1)
Augustine of Hippo
"There are some details of the body which are there for simply aesthetic reasons, and for no practical purpose-for instance, the nipples on a man's chest, and the beard on his face, the latter being clearly for a masculine ornament, not for protection. This is shown by the fact that women's faces are hairless, and since women are the weaker sex, it would surely be more appropriate for them to be given such a protection." City of God (c. 410) book 22, chapter 24
Like I said the shafi ruling should be taken from shafi ulama, not some random guy on a hanafi forum. Let's learn to respect and tolerate valid difference of opinion something that seems to be greatly lacking in the ummah nowadays.
That is one of the most narrow-minded thread in sf and its misleading.
The mutmaad of Shafi Madhab regarding the beard is NOT the position of Imam shafi'i, Just like in Hanafi Madhab there are numerous Mutmaad positions which NOT the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa.
FATWA 1
The Beard in the Shafi�i School
Could do you tell me the relied-upon position of the Shafi school regarding the beard?
1) Is it haram to shave the beard? Some people say that shaving the the beard is haram in all schools. I have heard it is only makruh, and this is the opinion of Imam Shafi and Imam Nawawi?. Is this the relied opinion? Which scholars have said what? What is the Maliki position?
2) Is it permissible to have a trimmed beard? What is the sunnah length?
3) What is the beard according to the Shafi school? I have heard if one grows some hairs on the chin (the 'Goatee'), this is a beard in the school as well. Does this follow the sunnah and is it permissible? I also have heard that number of Shafi scholars have goatee's and is a sound opinion as well, but this entails shaving the sides, which is haram I think?
_____________________________________
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
Is it haram to shave the beard?
Imam al-Shafi�i is reported to have said that shaving the beard is forbidden (haram). This is not, however, the position taken by the Shafi�i school.[1] The soundest position in the Shafi�i school is that shaving the beard is disliked (makruh) and not forbidden (haram). This is the position of all the important figures in the late Shafi�i school, such as Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Muhammad al-Ramli, al-Khatib al-Shirbini, and Shaykh al-Islam Zakariyya al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with all of them). (I�anatu�l-Talibin, 2.341). Ibn Hajar has mentioned that this was the position of both Imam Nawawi and Imam Rafi�i (Hashiyat Shirwani, 9.376). Imam Nawawi explicitly mentions that it is disliked to shave the beard in his commentary on Sahih Muslim and also in his Rawdat al-Talibin. Anyone familiar with the works of the school will realize that the agreement of all these scholars seals the case as far as the position of the school is concerned.
What is the ruling of trimming the beard?
To trim the beard is also disliked. It is not forbidden, as can be inferred a fortiori from the ruling regarding shaving the beard (if it is not forbidden to shave the beard, how can it be forbidden to trim it?). Ibn Hajar says in his Tuhfa:
�The outword purport (dhahir) of what our imams say is that it is unconditionally disliked to trim the beard.� (Tuhfat al-Muhtaj, 9.376)
What is the sunna length of the beard?
The optimal length of the beard is to leave it uncut and not touch it at all, as mentioned by Ibn Hajar above. Anything less than this optimal length is disliked. Ibn Hajar foresees the objection that this would result in making one�s appearance ugly by saying that this would only occur if one neglected caring for one�s beard by not washing or oiling it. (Tuhfat al-Muhtaj, 9.376).
What constitutes a minimum beard?
I have heard through Shaykh Amjad Rasheed of Amman (who studied in Hadramawt), that the Shafi�is of Hadramawt say that someone who grows hair on his chin is legally considered to have kept a beard. As such, a goatee would minimally fulfill the sunna of keeping a beard, although it would obviously be superior to keep a fuller beard. The level of disliked-ness (karahah) in which one is engaged is commensurate with one�s distance from the optimal (uncut) beard.
The way of caution
Other schools of fiqh are not as lenient regarding the beard. The Hanafis and Hanbalis both hold, for example, that keeping a beard is obligatory (I don�t know the position of the Malikis; perhaps one of the Californians could get a referenced answer from Zaytuna regarding this).[2] Despite the fact that the official position of the Shafi�i school is that shaving one�s beard is disliked, many prominent Shafi�is (al-Halimi among the early Shafi�is and al-Adhra�i, Ibn al-Rif�ah, Zayn al-Din al-Malibari, and Ibn Ziyad among the later ones) have taken the opinion that it is forbidden. As such, the way of caution in one�s religion would be to keep a full beard. Sidi Omar recently quoted Habib �Ali as saying that it does not befit a student of knowledge to shave his beard.
And Allah knows best.
Hamza Karamali and Mostafa Azzam.
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Notes
[1] Those unfamiliar with the concept of a �madhhab� are often under the impression that to follow the school of a particular Imam means to follow all his positions �no matter what�. This is not true. Each of the four schools of fiqh consisted of hundreds of top-notch scholars who were experts in a wide range of Islamic sciences. Over the generations, these scholars checked and refined the positions of the Imam of the school and the positions of the scholars who came before them. The late books of each school represent the collective effort of a whole school, and it is not uncommon to find that the position adopted by the school is contrary to the position of the particular Imam that the school is attributed to. Someone who really understands this will appreciate how absurd it is for someone to come along in the twenty-first century and claim that something recorded in the late books of a school has no proof behind it. To make such a claim is to accuse a millennium of Islamic genius of being sub-par (or even worse) �blind-followers who turn away from the Qur�an and Sunna�.
[2] Posts sent out on this list are meant primarily for followers of the Shafi�i school. It is forbidden (haram) to constantly seek out dispensations, and so I omit mentioning positions of other schools when they are more lenient than the position of the Shafi�is. When these positions are stricter than the position of the Shafi�i school, however, it is good to mention them, since the way of taqwa entails being precautionary in one�s religion by avoiding what any of the four schools have ruled as being forbidden. In fulfilling the stricter position of another school, one, of course, also fulfills the more lenient position of the Shafi`I school.
FATWA 2
What is the ruling of trimming the beard in the Shafi‘i school?
Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed
According to the relied-upon position in our school, shaving the beard or trimming it (to made it shorter than a fistful) is offensive, rather than unlawful.
This is the position of the two sheikhs, al-Nawawi and al-Rafi‘i, as well as the majority of later scholars such as Ibn Hajr al-Haytami. There is a weaker position in our school that shaving the beard is unlawful. Some of our Imams like Imam al-Athru‘i prefers this position. However, the reliable position is that of offensiveness as in at-Tuhfa (9/375) and I‘anat it-Talibeen” (2/340).
Amjad Rasheed
(Translated by Abu Muhammad Rahil)
السؤال: ما حكم تقصير اللحية في المذهب الشافعي ؟
الجواب : حلقُ اللحية أو تقصيرُ شيءٍ منها ولو تحت القبضة مكروهٌ وليس بحرام على المعتمد في مذهبنا كما عليه الشيخان النووي والرافعي وجمهورُ المتأخرين كالشيخ ابن حجر الهيتمي . وعندنا قولٌ بتحريم حلق اللحية رجحه بعضُ أئمتنا كالأذرعي ، لكن المعتمد هو القول بالكراهة كما في "التحفة" ( 9/ 375-376 ) وانظر "إعانة الطالبين" ( 2/340 )
P.s. Unlawful = Haraam; offensive = Makrooh
FATWA 3
Question:
Salam
I’ve had people recently asking me the ruling for shaving the beard in accordance to my understanding all four schools of thoughts had a consensus that shaving is haram however I have read recently that the relied-upon position for the Shafii Madhab is that it is makrooh (not sinful) to shave the beard is this correct?
If yes, then the fact that this is a sign of islam to keep a beard how can i explain to those who pick and chose from different schools of thought or if someone is [following] the Shafii Madhab How do i tell them that they should still grow it and not consider it a small act to shave? If there is no way then that is understandable
Also, i dont know the terminologies in the shafii madhab when it comes to makrooh so is someone shaves and never grows a beard in accordance to the shafii madhab will he ever be considered a sinner.
Jazak Allah Khair
Answer:
Wa alaykumus salam wa rahmatuLlah
Each of the four madhahib regards the keeping of the beard as virtuous and exemplary. None of them discourage its keeping or encourage its removal. All of them furthermore look with disapproval at shortening or shaving the beard. The only area in which a difference exists is the level of censure incurred by the removal of the beard.
This is where the rajih view within the Shafi’i madhhab stops a little short from the other madhahib. Whereas the other madhahib (as well a marjuh view within the Shafi’i madhhab) deem it haram and sinful, the rajih view of the Shafi’is stop short at karahah. And karahah would by definition mean that the act, while frowned upon and disapproved, does not quite amount to sinfulness.
You are correct in saying that the beard is a sign of Islam. However, not every sign is necessarily wajib to observe or haram to remove. The general covering of the head for males would be a case in point. And then, not every sign of Islam requires enforcement through the threat of sinfulness. What ought rather to be done is to create love of the Sunnah of RasuluLlah sallaLlahu `alayhi wasallam so that people will willingly and with love adopt not just the sunnah of the beard but other sunnahs as well, both of external appearance and internal character.
With the highest of respect to the sunnah of the beard, one should not fall into the trap of becoming so focused upon its enforcement that sight of lost on the one hand of the good qualities possessed by those who fail in observing the sunnah of the beard, and on the other of some not-so-good qualities within those who do keep the beard. It is not just the beard with whose inculcation within the masses the ulama are tasked, but the entire Shari’ah. When the fuqaha have differed about the level of censure attached to non-observance of the sunnah of the beard, those who do happen to subscribe to that view should, in my humble opinion, should be afforded the latitude of their choice.
What may however be brought to their attention is that it is a misunderstanding to say that any particular madhhab displays apathy towards the beard. Apathy towards the beard is nowhere to be found in our entire Shari’ah. The Shafi’i madhhab does not say, “Don’t keep a beard,” or “You don’t have to keep a beard.” It says that the beard is a great sunnah whose observance is highly meritorious and whose removal caused distress to RasuluLlah sallaLlahu `alayhi wasallam, wherefore it is a loathsome act whose doer falls just short of being sinful. Someone who opts for this view of the Shafi’i madhhab and decides to remove his beard must therefore know that he has every reason short of sin to feel guilty for removing his beard.
Jazakallah for the clarification on the issue. Alhumdulillah we have more threads on the beard which can be found via the search option.
To all guests and members, please try to keep to the topic of the thread and that is stories about the beard, nice funny stories, stories where people have tried to put other off but the beard won, MashaAllah.
So please, see OP and let's all stick to the topic, including myself first. Jazakallah.
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Please stick to the current topic. Irrelevant posts, posts inciting a debate or disrespect towards another member will be removed without notice. Jazakumullah
Please only post relevant issues to the current topic, otherwise please start a new topic. Jazakumullah
Please maintain respect for each other and Ulamaa (if topic is about a scholar) by avoiding accusations and slanderous comments. Also remember that in order for criticism to be constructive, it must be channeled in the right direction. If there is any doubt in a matter, it is better to ask, clarify or to remain silent rather than to speak ill of another person.
Supreme Court unanimously upholds right for Muslim inmate to grow religious beard
The Supreme Court universally sided with a Muslim inmate over his right to grow a short beard in accordance with his religion. Arkansas prison officials were unable to prove his facial hair could be seen as a security risk, the high court ruled.
Gregory Holt ‒ also known as Abdul Maalik Muhammad ‒ wished to grow a half-inch beard for religious purposes, despite an Arkansas law that bans facial hair on all Arkansas Department of Correction prisoners. The only exception to the law concerns those inmates with diagnosed skin conditions. They are allowed to grow quarter-inch beards. He asked for a preliminary injunction against the rule while his case was heard in court.
After two appeals courts ruled against him, Holt handwrote a 15-page petition to the Supreme Court that claimed the law violated his First Amendment rights to practice Islam, as well as a federal law passed in 2000 called the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
"This is a matter of grave importance, pitting the rights of Muslim inmates against a system that is hostile to these views," he wrote. “The system should be forced to respect Islamic practices and Muslims should not be forced to make choices affecting their eternal future.”
Holt chose the half-inch length because California ‒ one of 41 states to allow Muslim inmates to grow beards ‒ proscribes that length, which he argued “would not be a security threat when inmates are allowed to grow large afros and thick head hair.” The Federal Bureau of Prisons also does not have a grooming policy that bans beards.
During an evidentiary hearing in January 2012, Respondent Warden Gaylon Lay “could not recall any escapes in recent memory that involved beards,” Holt noted, “and he further testified that contraband flow… had increased… while the current grooming policy was in place.”
The Obama administration, religious groups and atheists all backed Holt’s petition, the Guardian reported.
The choice in the poll that I DON'T LIKE BEARD (ma'azallah), is it alright with that. Doesn't it endanger Imaan. I hope that ulama may put light on it.
I listened to a scholar saying that some scholars have delivered the fatwa that if a bearded person shaves and then looking in the mirror says "This is much better", he becomes kafir. Because he disrespected and insulted the Sunnah by preferring shaved face over it.
Edit: please ignore my ignorance. Post not deleted or edited to show how easily we can go wrong :)
Quote:
The choice in the poll that I DON'T LIKE BEARD (ma'azallah), is it alright with that. Doesn't it endanger Imaan.[/quote]
There are things in life we don't like, but it is good for us and there are things in life that we like, but is bad for us. As Allah tells us in the Qur'an.
I don't see how not liking the beard but still accepting or having one can endanger the Imaan?
Many sisters don't like the beard, but they still accept it on the faces of the men. Allahu alum.
[quote]But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.
With all due respect my brother, you are absolutely wrong. It is essential and part of Imaan to love every sunnah act. To have dislike towards any confirmed sunnah act (beard, miswaak, sitting down to eat etc...) can endanger ones Imaan.
To dislike the beard is to dislike a noble sunnah of the Prophet . How can something like this NOT endanger ones imaan?
In Bahishti Zewar, under the chapter on Kufr and Shirk, one of the things listed is the following:
Quote:
4. To think ill of or find fault with any order of Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
The verse of the Qur'an has also been grossly miss-used.
Ya Allah! Make us love every act and order of Rasulullah . Ameen.
Jazakallah brother. Original post updated but not edited.
See if people like yourself were around more often, we could all benefit more and make lesser errors.
I didn't intend to say disliking the beard nor was that meant to sound like that, I actually mentioned "still accepting it" as a Sunnah. Many people do actually dislike the beard, especially the sisters, but Alhumdulillah the Sunnah prevails.
But doesn't the verse of the Quran talk about a fraidh which can be disliked, and its actually telling us that we might hate a thing, but we know not. Just a thought
I think Brother Abu Muhammad talked about tabi'i (i don't know what to call it in english) disliking not ikhtiyari.
For example someones tabiyat and nafs don't like pumpkins (as a vegetable), but he still loves it because Rasoolullah saww liked it.
And you are right that we should love and try to act on each and every sunnah of Beloved Rasoolullah saww, even if our nafs and tabiyat tries to go against it.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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. How can something like this NOT endanger ones imaan?
