What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding shortening the beard and raising the hands for supplication after every prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your view, regarding shortening the beard and raising the hands after every prayer for supplication?
The Shaykh : Shortening the beard contradicts the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to let the beard grow. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded to let the beard grow, let it hang down, and leave it as it is. He (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that this is a way of differentiating from the Zoroastrians. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Therefore, one should not cut any of the hair of his beard, but rather leave it as it is. The more a person holds fast to the Shari'ah, the more his faith, certainty, and love for obeying Allah increase, and the easier it becomes for him to go against the customs that the people of his land and his time are accustomed to.
As for raising the hands for supplication after every prayer, this is not from the Sunnah. The Sunnah for a person who wants to supplicate to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is to supplicate to Him after completing the tashahhud and before the taslim, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded. He said, after mentioning the tashahhud:Sahih Ibn Hibban 10:238.
It is known that a person supplicating before he says the taslim is more preferable, in terms of reasoning, than supplicating after he says the taslim. Because if he is in his prayer, he is conversing with his Lord. When he turns away from his prayer, the conversation is cut off. A person supplicating to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) while in the state of conversation is more preferable than supplicating to Him after the conversation has ended. Thus, the evidence and reasoning indicate that supplication before the taslim is better than supplication after it.
Then we say: Was it the way of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that he would supplicate every time he said the taslim?
No, it was not his way, neither in the obligatory prayer nor in the voluntary prayer. We know with certainty that the best way is the way of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). So making this a regular practice, meaning that he supplicates every time he finishes a prayer, whether obligatory or voluntary, is considered one of the religious innovations that did not come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
But if a person supplicates occasionally, we hope that there is no harm in that, as long as the person is not a role model and example, like a scholar whom the common people see and might think that this is a regular, permanent Sunnah. In that case, he should not supplicate [after the prayer], but rather make his supplication before he says the taslim.
The Shaykh : Shortening the beard contradicts the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to let the beard grow. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded to let the beard grow, let it hang down, and leave it as it is. He (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that this is a way of differentiating from the Zoroastrians. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Differentiate yourselves from the Zoroastrians. Let the beards grow and trim the mustaches.
خالفوا المجوس ، أعفوا اللحى وحفوا الشواربAs for raising the hands for supplication after every prayer, this is not from the Sunnah. The Sunnah for a person who wants to supplicate to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is to supplicate to Him after completing the tashahhud and before the taslim, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded. He said, after mentioning the tashahhud:
Then let him choose whatever he wishes from supplication.
ثم ليتخير من الدعاء ما شاءIt is known that a person supplicating before he says the taslim is more preferable, in terms of reasoning, than supplicating after he says the taslim. Because if he is in his prayer, he is conversing with his Lord. When he turns away from his prayer, the conversation is cut off. A person supplicating to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) while in the state of conversation is more preferable than supplicating to Him after the conversation has ended. Thus, the evidence and reasoning indicate that supplication before the taslim is better than supplication after it.
Then we say: Was it the way of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that he would supplicate every time he said the taslim?
No, it was not his way, neither in the obligatory prayer nor in the voluntary prayer. We know with certainty that the best way is the way of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). So making this a regular practice, meaning that he supplicates every time he finishes a prayer, whether obligatory or voluntary, is considered one of the religious innovations that did not come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
But if a person supplicates occasionally, we hope that there is no harm in that, as long as the person is not a role model and example, like a scholar whom the common people see and might think that this is a regular, permanent Sunnah. In that case, he should not supplicate [after the prayer], but rather make his supplication before he says the taslim.