Explaining the ruling on taking what exceeds a fistful from the beard and clarifying Ibn 'Umar's action in this regard.
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The Shaykh : Ibn 'Umar said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan an-Nasa'i 15Sahih (Darussalam) He narrated the word: Here the question arises:
Is it a general, absolute text such that a Muslim does not take from his beard, even if it grows long and reaches below his navel?!
If we take the hadith in this absolute sense, the meaning would be this: one does not take from it, because letting the beard grow is absolute.
Here comes the discussion regarding the previous question: Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who narrated this hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we must now observe the following reality, or the following two realities:
The first reality is that he saw the Messenger and heard from him, and he saw his beard. He knows with certainty whether he used to take from it or not. In other words, he knows with certainty whether the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) applied this hadith in its absolute sense and did not take anything from his beard, or whether he took something from it, without specifying the amount now. This is the first reality: that Ibn 'Umar heard this hadith and saw the Messenger who spoke this hadith.
The second reality is that Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was the most severe of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) overall, and the most eager of them all to follow the Messenger (peace be upon him) in his Sunnah, to a degree beyond what the scholars say is part of the Sunnah. That is, the scholars divide the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace be upon him) into the Sunnah of worship and the Sunnah of custom. The Sunnah of worship is that in which we are commanded to follow the Messenger (peace be upon him) and we are rewarded for this following. As for the Sunnah of custom, it is a custom, and nothing whatsoever results from doing it or leaving it.
Ibn 'Umar, who was eager to follow the Messenger (peace be upon him), used to follow him even in the Sunnahs of custom. Perhaps you know some examples narrated about him in *al-Targhib* by al-Mundhiri, and *Majma' al-Zawa'id* by al-Haythami, and others.
Now, is letting the beard grow from the Sunnahs of worship or from the Sunnahs of custom?!
There is no doubt that it is from the Sunnahs of worship. Why?
Because of the hadith mentioned earlier, and especially because it came in some authentic narrations:, in a narration: And the other hadith in *Sahih Muslim*: : So, letting the beard grow is a Sunnah of worship, not a Sunnah of custom.
Now we return to say: Do you think Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who is known for his exaggeration in following the Messenger (peace be upon him) even in the Sunnahs of custom: is it conceivable that he saw the Messenger (peace be upon him) did not take from his beard, not even "a single hair" as is said, and yet he takes from it what is less than a fistful?!
I consider the opinion that yes, this is possible, to be close to impossible, unless we attribute to Ibn 'Umar that he did not care about following the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace be upon him), and this is contrary to what is certain among all Muslim scholars.
Added to this is what I mentioned earlier that he did not act alone in taking from the beard, but Abu Hurayrah and Mujahid followed him in that, and this is narrated in *Tafsir Ibn Jarir al-Tabari*.
Add to this that it has not been transmitted from anyone of the Salaf—as far as I know—[Al-Baqarah 2:286] neither in word nor in deed, that it is not permissible to take from the beard, even if 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them both) did not take from it.
Once we know this explanation, the answer to the brother's question comes::
So we say: Yes, the trimming of the non-Arabs. The text of the Hanafi scholars in their jurisprudence is that it is not permissible to take from the beard as you do—I am doubtful now—they said: as the Maghrebis did at that time when they said this phrase, or they said: as the non-Arabs do, and they say: "The Sunnah is to take what is less than a fistful, arguing with the action of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that we mentioned".
So, as we say: letting the beard grow in the hadith is absolute and not intended, and trimming in the hadith is absolute and not intended. Rather, the intended meaning in both matters is the opposite of the absolute. The intended meaning of letting the beard grow is letting grow what is above a fistful or what is below a fistful, and not what is less than that. And the intended meaning of the prohibition of trimming and imitating the non-Arabs is: if it exceeds, to take the opposite of what Ibn 'Umar took, meaning taking more than what Ibn 'Umar took. This is what I have on this issue.
The questioner : I say, O Shaykh, if you permit what is after the beard, what prevents what is below the beard?
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you! It is as if you were not with me. What prevents it is his seeing the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), yes.
Trim the mustache and let the beard grow.
حُفُّوا الشوارب وأعفوا اللحىAnd let the beards grow
وأعفوا اللحىIs it a general, absolute text such that a Muslim does not take from his beard, even if it grows long and reaches below his navel?!
If we take the hadith in this absolute sense, the meaning would be this: one does not take from it, because letting the beard grow is absolute.
Here comes the discussion regarding the previous question: Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who narrated this hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we must now observe the following reality, or the following two realities:
The first reality is that he saw the Messenger and heard from him, and he saw his beard. He knows with certainty whether he used to take from it or not. In other words, he knows with certainty whether the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) applied this hadith in its absolute sense and did not take anything from his beard, or whether he took something from it, without specifying the amount now. This is the first reality: that Ibn 'Umar heard this hadith and saw the Messenger who spoke this hadith.
The second reality is that Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was the most severe of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) overall, and the most eager of them all to follow the Messenger (peace be upon him) in his Sunnah, to a degree beyond what the scholars say is part of the Sunnah. That is, the scholars divide the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace be upon him) into the Sunnah of worship and the Sunnah of custom. The Sunnah of worship is that in which we are commanded to follow the Messenger (peace be upon him) and we are rewarded for this following. As for the Sunnah of custom, it is a custom, and nothing whatsoever results from doing it or leaving it.
Ibn 'Umar, who was eager to follow the Messenger (peace be upon him), used to follow him even in the Sunnahs of custom. Perhaps you know some examples narrated about him in *al-Targhib* by al-Mundhiri, and *Majma' al-Zawa'id* by al-Haythami, and others.
Now, is letting the beard grow from the Sunnahs of worship or from the Sunnahs of custom?!
There is no doubt that it is from the Sunnahs of worship. Why?
Because of the hadith mentioned earlier, and especially because it came in some authentic narrations:
And differ from the Jews and the Christians
وخالفوا اليهود والنصارىand differ from the Magians
وخالفوا المجوسTen things are of the fitrah: -he mentioned among them- trimming the mustache and letting the beard grow
عشرٌ مِن الفطرة: -ذكر منها- قصُّ الشارب وإعفاء اللحيةNow we return to say: Do you think Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who is known for his exaggeration in following the Messenger (peace be upon him) even in the Sunnahs of custom: is it conceivable that he saw the Messenger (peace be upon him) did not take from his beard, not even "a single hair" as is said, and yet he takes from it what is less than a fistful?!
I consider the opinion that yes, this is possible, to be close to impossible, unless we attribute to Ibn 'Umar that he did not care about following the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace be upon him), and this is contrary to what is certain among all Muslim scholars.
Added to this is what I mentioned earlier that he did not act alone in taking from the beard, but Abu Hurayrah and Mujahid followed him in that, and this is narrated in *Tafsir Ibn Jarir al-Tabari*.
Add to this that it has not been transmitted from anyone of the Salaf—as far as I know—
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لا يكلف الله نفسًا إلا وسعهاOnce we know this explanation, the answer to the brother's question comes:
Indeed, the Messenger (peace be upon him) prohibited trimming the beard as the non-Arabs trim
إن الرسول عليه السلام نهى عن قص اللحية كما تقص الأعاجمSo we say: Yes, the trimming of the non-Arabs. The text of the Hanafi scholars in their jurisprudence is that it is not permissible to take from the beard as you do—I am doubtful now—they said: as the Maghrebis did at that time when they said this phrase, or they said: as the non-Arabs do, and they say: "The Sunnah is to take what is less than a fistful, arguing with the action of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that we mentioned".
So, as we say: letting the beard grow in the hadith is absolute and not intended, and trimming in the hadith is absolute and not intended. Rather, the intended meaning in both matters is the opposite of the absolute. The intended meaning of letting the beard grow is letting grow what is above a fistful or what is below a fistful, and not what is less than that. And the intended meaning of the prohibition of trimming and imitating the non-Arabs is: if it exceeds, to take the opposite of what Ibn 'Umar took, meaning taking more than what Ibn 'Umar took. This is what I have on this issue.
The questioner : I say, O Shaykh, if you permit what is after the beard, what prevents what is below the beard?
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you! It is as if you were not with me. What prevents it is his seeing the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), yes.