Is there a peel and a kernel in the religion?

Al-Halabi: Our Shaykh, a follow-up to the topic may be needed. Satan may confuse some people, so they soften the wording by saying that this is one of the trivial matters or something similar. They say, "These are just peels," meaning that what matters to us is the kernel, and so on. We often hear this, and it may find a place in some hearts, especially since your speech was about two issues regarding the Islamic personality or the appearance of the Islamic personality. It would be desirable if you would clarify this principle.

The Shaykh : The truth is that we also sometimes hear this word mentioned by the brother. But all roads lead to the mill, whether one says, "This is one of the trivial matters," or "This is one of the peels." Both expressions are among the major sins. Why? Because it is not correct for us, as we said regarding those who say it is one of the trivial matters, to say, "This is a trivial matter." Likewise, it is not correct for us, after knowing the rulings and hadiths related to the issue of letting the beard grow, to say that this is one of the peels. However, if this expression is used instead of the other, another matter opens up to explain this word, if it were correct to utter it. They undoubtedly mean, when they say that this issue or that one is one of the peels, and let us leave the peels and focus on the kernel, that these are matters that a Muslim is permitted to leave. But if they mean that, they have made two mistakes. The first mistake is that they gave the ruling of a sunnah—whether a Muslim is permitted to leave it without sin—to what is a necessary obligation. This is the first mistake. The second mistake is: suppose the matter is a sunnah, but describing the sunnah with the word "peel" is also a mistake. Why? Because when they utter this word, they mean that we should not care about these sunnahs. We say, even arguing on the assumption that they mean only the sunnahs, that it is not permissible to apply the word "peels" to the sunnahs that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) practiced and through which he drew near to Allah. Why is it not permissible? For two reasons. The first reason is that these sunnahs have a weight in the Shari'ah, but they do not know their weight in the Shari'ah. That they are, in many cases, a means to make up for what is lacking in the obligatory duties. This is explicit in his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: And in another hadith, "And if it is deficient, Allah the Exalted said to His angels: 'Look, does My servant have any voluntary acts? Then complete his obligatory duty with them.'" Voluntary acts mean sunnahs, meaning non-obligatory acts—may Allah have mercy on you. So this hadith explicitly states that the sunnahs complete the obligatory duties. How is it fitting for a Muslim not to encourage Muslims to them, but rather to drive them away from them with a repulsive word: "These are peels, they have no value"? This is a double mistake. First, in terms of meaning, because they have value, as we mentioned an example regarding Second, in terms of them applying the word "peels," like trivial matters, to what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) legislated, even if by way of recommendation. At that point, we ask: Where did they take the word "peels" from? They took it from some fruits, from some fruits that have peels, whose kernels are eaten and whose peels are thrown away. Well, this usage was taken by analogizing the rulings of the Shari'ah to the peels that Allah created on some fruits. We return here to ask: Did Allah create this protective peel surrounding the kernel in vain? Without this peel, the kernel would not be safe. And this, my brothers, is very clear in this material example, meaning in fruits. These peels were not created in vain, and their benefit is known even to the proponents of the word "peels." This material benefit is known to them, but, glory be to Allah, If the peel of a fruit is beneficial to that fruit and protects the kernel, and this is known even to disbelievers, should it not be known to Muslims that what they call among the rulings of the Shari'ah "peels" is exactly the same as the peels in fruits? The peels in fruits were not a creation of Allah in vain. Exalted is Allah above what the wrongdoers say, greatly. Likewise, these "peels," in their terminology, which they apply to the sunnahs, were not a legislation of Allah in vain. Rather, this matter is very clear. The person who frequently engages in these acts of worship, even if they are at the level of sunnahs and recommended acts, undoubtedly draws closer to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, by them, and increases in good deeds and ranks with Allah. Especially the previous hadith that the Lord of the Worlds makes up for His servants who are deficient in some of the obligatory duties, completing those obligatory duties from these sunnahs and voluntary acts. So, the end of this discussion is that using the word "peels," like the word "trivial matters," is a mistake religiously from all aspects, whether from the religious aspect or the analogical aspect. It is very clear that the peel in a fruit is necessary for its existence, otherwise, without it, we would not eat the fruit. Likewise, these sunnahs, which they unjustly, oppressively, and transgressively call "peels," without these sunnahs, a person would not draw closer to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, by them, nor would they make up for a deficiency that occurred in their obligatory duty. This is a comment on the brother's question, may Allah reward him with good.

The questioner : We see some of our brothers letting their beards grow a little, so when they get longer, meaning they take from them and shorten them, so they are not long as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: