Intermediate Ethics & Manners Surah: Ta-Ha (94)

Quranic evidence: Harun said to Musa: "O son of my mother, do not seize me by my beard or my head" (Ta-Ha 20:94) — some jurists cite this as evidence for the beard existence and against shaving it. Also: "The fitrah of Allah upon which He created people" (Ar-Rum 30:30) — the beard is part of this fitrah.

Prophetic evidence: "Trim the moustache and let the beard grow" (agreed upon); "Differ from the polytheists" (Muslim). The command to let it grow implies it is obligatory to keep and prohibits shaving.

Scholarly positions on shaving:

1. Hanafi, Maliki, Hanbali: Shaving the beard is forbidden — letting it grow is obligatory.
2. Shafi: Leaving it is preferable — shaving is strongly disliked (close to forbidden) according to some.
3. The recommended length: What exceeds a fistful may be trimmed according to the majority.

The beard and altering Allah creation: Allah describes the whispers of Satan: "I will command them to alter the creation of Allah" (An-Nisa 4:119) — and shaving the beard is considered altering Allah creation.

Source: Al-Mughni (1/64); Ibn Abidin, Hashiya (2/418); Ibn Taymiyyah, Fatawa (21/114); Al-Qurtubi, Tafsir (11/237)

Tags: اللحيةالفطرةطهالنساءفقه الزينة