What is the ruling on shaving the beard?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on shaving the beard?
The Shaykh : Yes, shaving the beard is contrary to what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded, as he said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) designated shaving for the moustache and letting the beard grow for the beard. This hadith has been narrated in several wordings, including , and including , and including , and including . All of this indicates that taking anything from it is contrary to the command of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
If someone were to ask: What do you say about what Ibn 'Umar used to do, which was that when he performed Hajj, he would grasp his beard and cut off what exceeded a hand's width?
The answer is from two angles. The first angle is that when the action of a narrator conflicts with his narration, the narration takes precedence, because the narration is a report from an infallible person, whereas the opinion is the opinion of one who is not infallible. It is known that a report from an infallible person takes precedence over the opinion of one who is not infallible.
Second, Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) did not do this constantly; he only did it when he performed Hajj. It appears that he (may Allah be pleased with him) considered this part of the thoroughness that a pilgrim fulfills. In any case, the opinion of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) is subject to error, whereas the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the saying of an infallible person. On the Day of Resurrection, we will not be asked about the action of Ibn 'Umar, nor about anyone greater than Ibn 'Umar other than the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), nor about anyone lesser than him. We will only be asked about what we were commanded by the messengers:[Al-Qasas 28:65] Yes, Allah is the One to be sought for aid.
The Shaykh : Yes, shaving the beard is contrary to what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded, as he said:
Let the beards grow and trim the mustaches.
وفروا اللحى وحفوا الشواربLet the beards grow.
وفروا اللحىLet the beards grow.
أعفوا اللحىLet the beards hang down.
أرخوا اللحىLet the beards grow full.
أوفوا اللحىIf someone were to ask: What do you say about what Ibn 'Umar used to do, which was that when he performed Hajj, he would grasp his beard and cut off what exceeded a hand's width?
The answer is from two angles. The first angle is that when the action of a narrator conflicts with his narration, the narration takes precedence, because the narration is a report from an infallible person, whereas the opinion is the opinion of one who is not infallible. It is known that a report from an infallible person takes precedence over the opinion of one who is not infallible.
Second, Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) did not do this constantly; he only did it when he performed Hajj. It appears that he (may Allah be pleased with him) considered this part of the thoroughness that a pilgrim fulfills. In any case, the opinion of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) is subject to error, whereas the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the saying of an infallible person. On the Day of Resurrection, we will not be asked about the action of Ibn 'Umar, nor about anyone greater than Ibn 'Umar other than the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), nor about anyone lesser than him. We will only be asked about what we were commanded by the messengers: