The Shaykh Dubayyan’s opinion on trimming the beard and dyeing it
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Fatwa No. ( 21026 )
Q: Praise be to Allah alone, and blessings and peace be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. As for what follows: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta was presented by some of the well-wishers with a book titled: (Al-Inṣāf fī mā jā’a fī al-akhdh min al-lihyah, wa taghyīr al-shayb bi al-sawād min al-khilāf) [The Justification Regarding What Came About Trimming the Beard and Changing White Hair to Black from the Disagreement]. Authored by: Dubayyan ibn Muhammad al-Dubayyan . He concluded in it that it is permissible to trim what exceeds a fistful from the beard, and that changing white hair to black is disliked and not forbidden.
A: After study and reflection, the Committee responded as follows: What he said regarding these two issues is a clear error; because it is established in the pure Shari'ah that it is obligatory to let the beard grow, based on the evidence of fitrah (innate natural disposition) and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to let the beard grow, and the original ruling of a command is that it is for obligation, and the command to differ from the polytheists of the Majus and others, and the original ruling of a prohibition is that it is for prohibition, and that it is forbidden for a Muslim to expose his beard to shaving, trimming, or plucking, as this contradicts the aforementioned evidence. The evidence for this ruling is as follows: As for the evidence of fitrah: It is established from the hadith of A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 261a. It was narrated by Ahmad and Muslim and the compilers of the Sunan and others. As for the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): It is established from the description of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he was Sahih Muslim 2009b, and in another wording: . And his (peace and blessings be upon him) recitation in prayer was silent, and those behind him would know it by the movement of his beard, as in (Sahih al-Bukhari ) and others from the hadith of Abu Ma'mar (may Allah be pleased with him). As for the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Many authentic Sunan have been narrated regarding this, explicitly commanding it with the wording: , and the wording: "Arkhū" [Let it hang down], and the wording: "Wafarū" [Let it be abundant], and the wording: "Awwifū" [Complete it]. These words mean not exposing the beard to shaving, trimming, or plucking.
This command to let the beard grow is one on which consensus regarding its obligatory nature has been reported by Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him), as transmitted from him by Ibn Muflih (may Allah have mercy on him) in *al-Furu'* (1/131). Therefore, it is obligatory for every Muslim to let his beard grow; to preserve the fitrah (the innate natural disposition), to follow the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his action, and to comply with his command (peace and blessings be upon him) to let it grow. It is well known that a command implies obligation until there is a factor that diverts it from its original meaning, and we do not know of any such factor. It is not permissible for a Muslim to subject his beard to shaving, cutting, or plucking, for that is forbidden for a Muslim to do; it contradicts the aforementioned evidence and the prohibition by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) of imitating the polytheists among the Majus and others. The original ruling of a prohibition is that it is forbidden until there is a factor that diverts it from its original meaning, and we do not know of any evidence suitable for argumentation that would divert it from that original ruling. Based on what has been mentioned, the opinion that it is permissible to cut what exceeds a handful is a view that contradicts these clear evidences from the Prophetic Sunnah. And Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, says:[Al-Hashr 59:7], and He, Exalted is His status, says: [Al-Ahzab 33:21], and He, Exalted is He in His saying, says:
[Al-Ahzab 33:36]. Therefore, it is obligatory for the Muslim to obey Allah the Exalted and obey His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and to refrain from turning to what contradicts the Shari'ah evidences, for the obligatory is to follow the Infallible (peace and blessings be upon him). Also, what the author held regarding the dislike of dyeing with black is a statement that contradicts the truth; because the evidences from the Sunnah are authentic and explicit in the prohibition of it, and the original ruling of a prohibition is for prohibition, and no evidence has been found that diverts from it. Therefore, the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has seen fit to issue this fatwa; to clarify the Sunnah and support it, and to warn against being deceived by abandoned opinions that contradict the Sunnah, including what the author of the aforementioned book held. We advise him that he must review the truth and return to it, and cease from publishing such an opinion that contradicts the verbal and practical Sunnah, and what the majority of Muslims have followed from the first generation, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), to our time, and because of what is in publishing opinions that contradict the Shari'ah evidences of weakening the religion and emboldening people to contradict the Sunnah. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Q: Praise be to Allah alone, and blessings and peace be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. As for what follows: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta was presented by some of the well-wishers with a book titled: (Al-Inṣāf fī mā jā’a fī al-akhdh min al-lihyah, wa taghyīr al-shayb bi al-sawād min al-khilāf) [The Justification Regarding What Came About Trimming the Beard and Changing White Hair to Black from the Disagreement]. Authored by: Dubayyan ibn Muhammad al-Dubayyan . He concluded in it that it is permissible to trim what exceeds a fistful from the beard, and that changing white hair to black is disliked and not forbidden.
A: After study and reflection, the Committee responded as follows: What he said regarding these two issues is a clear error; because it is established in the pure Shari'ah that it is obligatory to let the beard grow, based on the evidence of fitrah (innate natural disposition) and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to let the beard grow, and the original ruling of a command is that it is for obligation, and the command to differ from the polytheists of the Majus and others, and the original ruling of a prohibition is that it is for prohibition, and that it is forbidden for a Muslim to expose his beard to shaving, trimming, or plucking, as this contradicts the aforementioned evidence. The evidence for this ruling is as follows: As for the evidence of fitrah: It is established from the hadith of A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Ten are the acts according to fitra: clipping the moustache, letting the beard grow, using the tooth-stick
عشر من الفطرة: قص الشارب، وإعفاء اللحية والسواكAl-Bara' reported: When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went forth from Mecca to Medina, Suraqa b. Malik b. Ju'shum pursued him. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) invoked curse upon him, and his horse sank (in the desert). He (Suraqa) said: (Allah's Messenger), invoke blessings for me and I will do no harm to you. He (the Holy Prophet) then supplicated Allah. (At that time) he (the Holy Prophet) felt thirsty, and they happened to pass by a shepherd. Abu Bakr Siddiq said: I took hold of a bowl and milked some milk into it for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and gave it to him. He drank it and I was pleased.
كان صلى الله عليه وسلم كَثَّ اللحيةHaving a thick beard
كثير شعر اللحيةLet the beards grow.
أعفوا اللحىThis command to let the beard grow is one on which consensus regarding its obligatory nature has been reported by Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him), as transmitted from him by Ibn Muflih (may Allah have mercy on him) in *al-Furu'* (1/131). Therefore, it is obligatory for every Muslim to let his beard grow; to preserve the fitrah (the innate natural disposition), to follow the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his action, and to comply with his command (peace and blessings be upon him) to let it grow. It is well known that a command implies obligation until there is a factor that diverts it from its original meaning, and we do not know of any such factor. It is not permissible for a Muslim to subject his beard to shaving, cutting, or plucking, for that is forbidden for a Muslim to do; it contradicts the aforementioned evidence and the prohibition by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) of imitating the polytheists among the Majus and others. The original ruling of a prohibition is that it is forbidden until there is a factor that diverts it from its original meaning, and we do not know of any evidence suitable for argumentation that would divert it from that original ruling. Based on what has been mentioned, the opinion that it is permissible to cut what exceeds a handful is a view that contradicts these clear evidences from the Prophetic Sunnah. And Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, says:
And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُواThere has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern
لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌIt is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلاَ مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.