The Ruling on Shaving or Trimming the Beard
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
We see some of the da'wah workers who call people to Allah contradicting the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) by shaving their beards. Is that permissible for da'wah workers?
The Shaykh:
It is obligatory for da'wah workers and for others to honor the beard, to honor it, to let it grow, to leave it uncut, to let it hang down, and not to shave it or trim it. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded. He said, "Trim the mustaches and let the beards grow, and differ from the polytheists." He also said, "Cut the mustaches and let the beards grow, and differ from the Magians." He (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded letting the beards grow and keeping them, and he forbade cutting them and shaving them. Shaving it is more severe and greater. The Qur'an has strengthened the prohibition of trimming it, and all of it is forbidden. It is more so for da'wah workers because they are da'wah workers, so their obligation is greater. A student of knowledge who is praised will have a greater sin than the common person, even though all of them are sinners by doing what Allah has forbidden. But taking the beard of a student of knowledge or trimming it makes his sin greater because he is a role model. Yes.
The questioner:
Shaykh, they say that the Sunnah is not punished for; they consider it a Sunnah.
The Shaykh:
We do not say that it is a Sunnah in the sense of a mistake, but it is obligatory. "Sunnah" here means the Muhammadan way, but it is obligatory, and whoever leaves it sins.
Then, even if we assumed it was only recommended, it would not be fitting for da'wah workers and students of knowledge to neglect a Sunnah for which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was angry, which he commanded, and to which he called. How much more so when the matter is the opposite, and that it is obligatory? The default for commands is obligation, and the default for prohibitions is prohibition, and there is no specific exception. It is not recorded of him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he shaved it or trimmed it, so that it could be said that the command is not for obligation, and that his action indicates a lack of obligation. When he commanded letting it grow and hanging it down, and he and his Companions let it grow, that indicates the obligation of doing so. Yes.
We see some of the da'wah workers who call people to Allah contradicting the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) by shaving their beards. Is that permissible for da'wah workers?
The Shaykh:
It is obligatory for da'wah workers and for others to honor the beard, to honor it, to let it grow, to leave it uncut, to let it hang down, and not to shave it or trim it. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded. He said, "Trim the mustaches and let the beards grow, and differ from the polytheists." He also said, "Cut the mustaches and let the beards grow, and differ from the Magians." He (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded letting the beards grow and keeping them, and he forbade cutting them and shaving them. Shaving it is more severe and greater. The Qur'an has strengthened the prohibition of trimming it, and all of it is forbidden. It is more so for da'wah workers because they are da'wah workers, so their obligation is greater. A student of knowledge who is praised will have a greater sin than the common person, even though all of them are sinners by doing what Allah has forbidden. But taking the beard of a student of knowledge or trimming it makes his sin greater because he is a role model. Yes.
The questioner:
Shaykh, they say that the Sunnah is not punished for; they consider it a Sunnah.
The Shaykh:
We do not say that it is a Sunnah in the sense of a mistake, but it is obligatory. "Sunnah" here means the Muhammadan way, but it is obligatory, and whoever leaves it sins.
Then, even if we assumed it was only recommended, it would not be fitting for da'wah workers and students of knowledge to neglect a Sunnah for which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was angry, which he commanded, and to which he called. How much more so when the matter is the opposite, and that it is obligatory? The default for commands is obligation, and the default for prohibitions is prohibition, and there is no specific exception. It is not recorded of him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he shaved it or trimmed it, so that it could be said that the command is not for obligation, and that his action indicates a lack of obligation. When he commanded letting it grow and hanging it down, and he and his Companions let it grow, that indicates the obligation of doing so. Yes.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ ابن باز Alsheikh Binbaz»، حكم حلق أو تقصير اللحية - بن باز - مشروع كبار العلماء — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.