The discussion regarding the reason for the prohibition of shaving the beard?

The Shaykh : Now, has the reason ceased to exist?

The questioner : By Allah, it appears to us that it has ceased.

The Shaykh : Why?

The questioner : Because of the custom among the Zoroastrians, or the Christians, or the Jews, and some of these customs still exist, I mean!

The Shaykh : Well, if there are millions of people and millions of Muslims, and we have two customs: the custom of growing the beard and the custom of shaving the beard, yes, in terms of reality, in terms of numbers, are those who grow their beards more numerous, or are those who shave their beards more numerous?

The questioner : As for Muslims now?

The Shaykh : No, no. I am speaking of all humanity, because you mentioned the Jews, the Christians, and the Zoroastrians.

The questioner : Those who shave are more numerous.

The Shaykh : Well, then why did you make it a custom in the opposite direction, when it is the minority who shave? And why did you not reverse it, for the reverse is the correct one? The majority, since by your admission—and I hope you will confirm this with me—

The questioner : If Allah wills.

The Shaykh : Since the majority shave and the minority grow their beards, why did you not say the custom is shaving and not growing, because the criterion is the majority? That is, we ask people: is their custom truthfulness or their custom lying? We look at the few truthful people and say, no, their custom is truthfulness, and we disregard the custom of the others, who are the majority, in lying and lack of trustworthiness, and so on. May Allah reward you. I have drawn your attention to the fact that here there are two customs; we cannot say "the custom" now and define it, but rather we have two customs: the custom of growing and the custom of shaving. And the custom of shaving is the more numerous. So how do you rule on suspending the Shari'ah ruling simply because some disbelievers, who are the minority, do what the Muslims do, when it is supposed to be that they are the majority? So, may Allah reward you, it is not appropriate to say that this reason has now ceased and thus the ruling has ceased. The reason remains standing, by your own testimony, that most of the world is shaven. Moreover, the fashion—you see people on the occasion of festivals and celebrations entering in a completely clean-shaven state, which is very, very rare, especially among disbelievers, to find one who grooms himself by styling his beard and trimming his mustache, and so on. For this reason, I remind you, and the reminder benefits the believers, that the hadith, as I said, contains a command indicating obligation, and the clause which is an explanatory clause, as you mentioned, and we followed you in that, because there is another reason, as I will mention, that this reason has never ceased to exist.

The questioner : No, no, there is a group, O Shaykh, entirely who grow their beards, like the Sikhs, for example.

The Shaykh : O Shaykh, for example, this group is still within the minority. May Allah guide us and you. A group, according to your naming, you call it a group; this group, in relation to the whole world, is a minority. And therefore the hadith remains clear in its command, which indicates obligation, and in its explanation, which indicates the continuation of this obligation, because the reason remains standing.