[Q 261] The Obligation of Beard Length and Its Impact on Leading Prayers

Question

What is the Wajib for keeping a beard? is one allowed to trim and keep it less than one fistful in length? What do the respected scholars say regarding praying behind someone who keeps a beard less than a fistful? Please explain in light of Ahadith.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

It is proven from the Quran, Hadith, and statements of the jurists that at least a fistful of beard is Wajib (obligatory). And, a person who keeps his beard less than a fistful is a public sinner (Fasiq Mu’lin), as this sin of his is usually apparent to all (hence he is unworthy to be the Imam/leader of prayer).

Allah عزوجل has commanded us to follow the path of the noble Prophets علیہم السلام. Thus, Allah عزوجل says in the Holy Quran:

اُولٰٓىٕكَ الَّذِیْنَ هَدَى اللّٰهُ فَبِهُدٰىهُمُ اقْتَدِهْؕ

“Those are the ones whom Allah enabled for guidance; therefore, follow their path.”

(Part 07, Surah Al-An’am, Ayat 90)

And the way of the noble Prophets علیہم السلام is to grow the beard, as the Beloved Prophet صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ said:

…عشر من الفطرۃ قص الشارب واعفاء اللحیۃ

“Ten characteristics are from Fitrah (natural disposition): trimming the mustache, growing the beard…”— i.e., these ten characteristics have continuously been practiced among the noble Prophets علیہم السلام.

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Volume 01, Page 08, Aftab Alam Press Lahore)

Sheikh-ul-Islam wal Muslimeen, the great scholar, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَۃُاللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ (year of demise: 1340H/1921AD), writes:

“Mustafa صلی اللہ تعالیٰ علیہ وسلم stated that growing the beard is the age-old way of the noble Prophets علیہم الصلوۃ والتسلیم, and Allah عزوجل commanded to follow the path of the Prophets. This also expresses that the noble verse ‘لا تأخذ بلحيتي’ (Do not seize my beard) not only mentions the beard but also indicates towards growing it, as Harun علیہ الصلوۃ والسلام was among those noble eighteen Prophets whose names are explicitly mentioned in this Ruku’ and we are ordered to follow them*.”

(Fatawa Razwiyyah, Volume 22, Page 638, Raza Foundation, Lahore)

*(So, since Hazrat Harun عليه السلام had a beard long enough to be seized, we, too, must follow him in that practice of having a beard of fistful length according to the other verse that commands us to follow the Prophets عليهم السلام.)

Allah عزوجل has commanded to adopt the way of Muslims, and from the beginning, all Muslims such as the Sahabah, Ahlul Bayt, Awliya, all have kept beards. Allah عزوجل says:

وَ مَنْ یُّشَاقِقِ الرَّسُوْلَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَیَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدٰى وَ یَتَّبِـعْ غَیْرَ سَبِیْلِ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ نُوَلِّهٖ مَا تَوَلّٰى وَ نُصْلِهٖ جَهَنَّمَؕ-وَ سَآءَتْ مَصِیْرًا

“And whoever opposes the Messenger after the right path has been made clear to him, and follows a way other than the way of the Muslims, we shall leave him in his own condition and shall put him in hell; and what a despicable place of return.”

(Part 50, Surah An-Nisa, Ayat 115)

The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وسلم commanded us to grow the beard through the command conjugation (أمر), and (according to the Hanafis) the principle in Usul al-Fiqh is that ‘أمر’ (i.e. command conjugation) entails obligation (وجوب).’ As in Taysir Usul al Fiqh lilmubtadeen:

‘الأصل في الأمر الوجوب’

(كتاب تيسير أصول الفقه للمبتدئين، The Basis of the Command is Obligation, Volume 02, Page 09)

The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وسلم has commanded us to grow the beard without any exception, as he صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وسلم said:

“انهكوا الشوارب واعفوا اللحي”

“Shave the moustache and grow the beards.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Page 875, Hadith Number 5549, published in Karachi)

Abdullah bin Umar Farooq رضی اللہ تعالی عنهما, narrated from the Beloved Prophet صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وسلم, that he ﷺ said:

“خالفوا المشركين احفوا الشوارب واوفروا اللحية”

“Oppose the polytheists; trim the mustache and let the beard grow.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Page 875, published in Karachi) and (Sahih Muslim, Volume 1, Page 129, published in Karachi)

Similarly, another noble Hadith about growing the beard states:

ان رسول اللہ صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ امر باحفاء الشوارب واعفاء اللحی”

“Indeed, the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وآله وسلم commanded to trim the mustaches and grow the beards.”

(Sahih Muslim, Volume 01, Page 129, published in Karachi)

The Noble Beard of the Prophet صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وآله وسلم, was as described by Amir al-Mu’minin Ali كَرَّمَ اللهُ وَجْهَهُ الْكَرِیْم:

کان رسول اللہ صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ ضخم الھامۃ عظیم اللحیۃ

“The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وآله وسلم had a sizeable head and a large beard.”

(Dalail al-Nubuwwah for al-Bayhaqi, Volume 01, Page 216, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut)

There is no evidence from the blessed life of the Prophet عليه السلام that he ever reduced his beard to less than a fistful, which also serves as evidence of its obligatory nature.

As stated by Muhaqqiq alalitlaq Imam Kamal al-Din Ibn Humam رَحْمَۃُاللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ (Year of demise: 861H/1456AD) in Fath al-Qadir:

“Not abandoning [a practice] even once (by the Beloved Prophet ﷺ) is evidence of its obligation.”

(Fath al-Qadir, Book of Salah, Chapter on Adhan, Volume 01, Page 209, published by Nooriyah Rizwiya)

Sheikh al-Islam wal Muslimeen, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَۃُاللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ (Year of demise: 1340H/1921AD) wrote:

“And it was His ﷺ noble habit that no matter how appealing and likable an act would be, if not religiously obligatory, he would occasionally abandon it to demonstrate its permissibility, or he would demonstrate its permissibility verbally or through his tacit consent.
That’s why, scholars have added ‘sometimes abandoned’ in the definition of a Sunnah, meaning what the Prophet صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وآله وسلم frequently did but occasionally left undone. Hence, the researchers say that such constant adherence always signifies obligation.”

(Fatawa Razwiyyah, Volume 22, Page 634, Raza Foundation, Lahore)

Jurists also explicitly state that keeping at least a fistful of beard is obligatory, and reducing it is forbidden and sinful. As stated in various books like Durr al-Mukhtar, Fath al-Qadir, Bahr al-Raiq, Ghuniya Dhawil Ahkam, Maraqi al-Falah, in all these books under the Book of Fasting, it is mentioned (these specific words are from Al-Durr al-Mukhtar):

“Trimming the beard when it is less than a fistful, as some Westerners and effeminate men do, is not permitted by anyone, and shaving it entirely is the practice of Persian fire worshippers .”

(Durr al-Mukhtar and Radd al-Muhtar, Book of Fasting, Chapter on What Invalidates Fasting and What Does Not, Volume 03, Page 456, published in Quetta).

Sheikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlvi رحمه الله states:

“Keeping the beard to a fistful is obligatory (واجب), and those who call it Sunnah mean that it is the practice propagated in the religion by the Prophet صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وسلم or because its proof lies in the Sunnah, just as the Eid prayer is termed Sunnah (though it is obligatory (واجب)).”

(Ash’at al-Lam’at Sharh Mishkat, Volume 1, Page 212, Maktabah Nooriyyah Rizwiyya, Sukkur)

Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رحمه الله, the leader of the Ahl e Sunnat, stated:

“The actions and sayings of the most noble Prophet ﷺ, Abdullah bin Umar, Abu Hurairah, other Sahabah, Tabi’in, رضي الله تعالى عنهم أجمعين, the greatest Imam Abu Hanifah, the writer of the madhab Imam Muhammad رضی اللہ تعالی عنهما and most books of Fiqh and Hadith clarify that the limit is one fist, and I have passed over texts from scholars stating that reducing it less than this has not been deemed permissible by anyone.”

(Fatawa Razwiyyah, Volume 22, Page 655, Raza Foundation, Lahore)

Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رحمه الله stated:

“The length of the beard is one fist I.e. should be 4 fingers from below the chin, and reducing it is forbidden.”

(Fatawa Razwiyyah, Volume 22, Page 606, Raza Foundation, Lahore)

The 2 very high status Sahabah, Ibn Umar رضي الله تعالى عنهما and Abu Hurairah ,رضي الله تعالى عنه by trimming the beard exceeding one fist, clarified the ambiguity of the Hadith that the command regarding growing the beard in the Hadith means at least one fist, as stated in Sahih Bukhari:

عن ابن عمر عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال خالفوا المشركين وفروا اللحى وأحفواالشوارب وكان ابنعمر إذا حج أو اعتمر قبض على لحيته فما فضل أخذه

“From Ibn Umar رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنهما that The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: Oppose the polytheists, grow the beard, trim the moustache…”, and Ibn Umar رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنهما used to grab his beard with his fist during Hajj or Umrah, and trim whatever exceeded it.”

(Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Page 398, published in Lahore)

In Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, it is mentioned:

“Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنه would grab his beard with his fist and then trim whatever exceeded the fist.”

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Volume 8, Page 374, published by Idarat al-Qur’an, Karachi)

So according to details mentioned above, it is clear that a person who keeps his beard less than a fistful is a public sinner (Fasiq Mu’lin). And it is not permissible and Makruh Tahrimi (sinfully disliked) to make such a person the Imam/leader of prayer, as the Prophet صلی اللہ تعالیٰ علیہ وسلم stated:

لا يؤم فاجر مؤمناً الا ان يقهره بسلطان يخاف سيفه اوسوطه

“A public sinner should not lead a believer in prayer unless he is compelled by a ruler whose sword or whip he fears.”

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Page 77, published by Aftab Alam Press Lahore)

In another place He ﷺ stated:

“Make your Imams the best among you, for they represent you between you and your Lord عزوجل.”

(Sunan Dar Qutni, Volume 2, Page 88, published by Nashr al-Sunnah, Multan)

Ghuniya al-Mustamli Sharh Maniyya al-Musalli mentions:

“If they appoint a public sinner as Imam, they will be sinful, based on the fact that the dislike of appointing him is a prohibitive dislike(مكروه تحريمي)”

(Ghuniya al-Mustamli Sharh Maniyya al-Musalli, Page 448, published in Quetta)

Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رحمه الله was asked about the ruling on praying behind someone who always trims his beard shorter than the Shariah-prescribed length so he رحمه الله تعالى responded:
“He is a public sinner (فاسق معلن) and appointing him as an Imam is sinful, and praying behind him is Makruh Tahrimi.”

(Fatawa Razwiyyah, Volume 6, Page 544, published by Raza Foundation, Lahore)

Answered by: Mufti Sajid Attari 

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