Is it permissible to trim the beard or define its edges? And what is the extent of that?

The questioner: Trimming it or defining its edges?

The Shaykh: Trimming the beard. In the hadith of Ibn 'Umar, who is one of the narrators of the previous hadith, it is stated: He used to take from his beard what was less than a handful, and this was also established from others of the Salaf, such as Abu Hurayrah and Mujahid, that they used to take from their beards. Personally, I see that this absolute text is restricted by the action of Ibn 'Umar. Now, the issue of the action of a Companion arises:
Ibn 'Umar is the narrator of the hadith, and he heard the hadith directly from his Prophet, from his mouth to his ear.

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh: Then we see in the authentic narration from him that he takes what is less than a handful; he cuts what exceeds it. There is no doubt that the action of Ibn 'Umar is either in accordance with the practical Sunnah of the Messenger (peace be upon him) or contrary to it. It is necessary now to prefer one of the two possibilities. I hold, without doubt or hesitation, that he did what is permissible, indeed, he did what he saw his Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) doing. Why? For the following reasons:
First: He was not unique among the Companions in this action.
Second: No contrary statement or action was transmitted from any of the Companions.
Third: Ibn 'Umar was unique among all the Companions in his extreme, intense manner to a degree that is not conceivable, or at least we do not conceive of this exaggeration in following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). He was the most rigorous of the Companions in following the Messenger (peace be upon him) to the extent that one could say: By Allah, may Allah reward him with good, but... not to this extent! Because, for example, he was seen with his shirt buttons undone and his chest exposed. Why? He said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with his shirt buttons undone. Well, the Messenger is not flawed, you are not flawed!! ... What are you mixing in? Following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and claiming affiliation to him. He was seen holding the reins of his camel and circling with it in the place. Why? I saw the Messenger do this... He had a need, perhaps, and came to urinate at a tree. Why? I saw the Messenger urinate here. I mean, following... These types of things we mentioned earlier, we cannot say are from the Sunnah. But let us leave these issues aside. The beard, which he narrated and transmitted to us the statement of his Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): , it is conceivable for this man who exaggerates in following the Messenger, even in matters of the type I mentioned to you partially, that he saw the Messenger (peace be upon him) with a long beard, more than a handful, several handfuls, because (peace be upon him) died after sixty-three years, seeing him like that, and then he contradicted him? Knowing that his hadith is absolute: , absolute with no limitation? And this is the argument of those who see that it is not permissible to take what grows long from the beard absolutely; because the hadith is absolute.
I have arrived, with what I have of mixed goods of knowledge, to a very important rule in my opinion; which is: "That absolute texts or general texts, if the practice of the Salaf did not proceed according to their absoluteness or their generality and comprehensiveness, even in some of their parts; then we have no right to take that absoluteness or that general text with all its parts."
So I acknowledge that his statement (peace be upon him): is absolute, and I say explicitly: Were it not for this report and that from Ibn 'Umar and Abu Hurayrah and Mujahid and others, I would have said with those who say to keep the text on its absoluteness; because that is what the science of usul al-fiqh says. But the witness of Ibn 'Umar and Abu Hurayrah and others indicates to us that this absoluteness was not acted upon. And I give a very clear example to understand this rule that I arrived at in my opinion, and recently I mentioned to some people on another occasion. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and so, the more the congregation increases, the more the reward increases. And he (peace be upon him) said: , two authentic, well-known hadiths. So if a group of people entered the mosque after the adhan of any time that has a preceding Sunnah, like Zuhr, for example, or Fajr, they entered the congregation to pray the Sunnah of Fajr, and one of them said: Oh people, why are we praying individually? Come, let us pray in congregation, and , and to the end of the hadith. And indeed, they prayed the preceding Sunnah of Fajr in congregation. What do you say about this congregation, is it prescribed or not prescribed?

Those present: Unlawful.

The Shaykh: Not prescribed. But if you do not pay attention to this rule, you will be overcome in your matter, and the people of innovation will argue against you in your denial of their innovations. If someone says to you: Why? Did the Messenger forbid this congregation?
Now, on the way of, I mean, adding a little moisture to the scientific research; because they say scientific research remains dry, I mean. Now we lengthen the topic a bit and say: Whoever knows the answer to the following question, let him raise his finger? I say - the question - : If someone says: Why do you deny this congregation, and it is a congregation of good, and it is the first hadith and the second hadith? Why do you say this congregation is not prescribed? Whoever knows the answer knows his hand?
Please proceed.

The questioner: We say, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and this action did not come from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he prayed the preceding Sunnah of Fajr in congregation, nor was it from his companions... from the righteous Salaf.

The Shaykh: Is this answer sufficient?

The questioner: This is enough for me, and Allah knows best.

The Shaykh: Okay; the one who raised his finger... .

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes?

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh: The brother says: The Messenger (peace be upon him) did not pray the preceding Sunnah... .

Another questioner: The practice of the Salaf was not on this.

The Shaykh : Yes?

Another questioner: The practice of the Salaf was not on this.

The Shaykh: ... No, you are saying what he says, I... who is it?
Please proceed.

The questioner: The Shari'ah. The practice in the Shari'ah is not except through the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). What the Messenger did not bring, no, everything is invalid except what was upon the Messenger.

The Shaykh: He says that everything that does not come through the Messenger (peace be upon him), this is correct in itself, but it is not the argument against the one who argues with us with what we mentioned earlier.
Who has something other than this?
Please proceed.

The questioner: The original in acts of worship... .

The Shaykh: Okay; others? Please.

The questioner: The hadith and the verse are general, the action of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is specific to him, and the prayer of the congregation and is based on the obligatory prayers, not in the voluntary ones.

The Shaykh: Good; this is the best answer we have heard, and it is the result of the following research. We say to this objecting innovator who wants to legislate for people the prayer of the Sunnahs in congregation for the two previous hadiths, we say: ... .