Is there an excuse that obligates a man to shave his beard if he is harmed for keeping his beard when traveling to one of the Arab countries?
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The questioner : May Allah preserve you, O Shaykh. Many residents in this country, most of whom are teachers who go to their home country during the vacation, are from one of the Arab countries. They have beards, but when they want to travel, they shave them. When we advised them, they brought up a strong excuse, saying: "If we keep it, we are harmed. We may be thrown into detention, and sometimes we have children and wives with us, so a person falls into confusion with them. So what do you rule for them? May Allah reward you."
The Shaykh : If you think their excuse is strong, then the strong one is relied upon. But we see that it is not strong. This is because Allah the Exalted says in His Book:[Al-'Ankabut 29:10] So he turned back and left what he was upon for which he was harmed. This is one point.
So we say: Be patient and seek reward. Then we say: If you fear Allah, He will make a way out for you. How many people do we know who go to the countries you are referring to, and yet nothing is said to them? They go with their beards and return as they were, and nothing is said to them.
These oppressive, unjust governments—we ask Allah to replace the Muslims with something better than them—if they do not see a person speaking about them or having any movement, they do not care. Whether he is religious or not, what matters to them is that no one is feared to have a movement or a call. Therefore, they may arrest a person who does not have a beard, or a person who shaves his beard morning and evening. But we know that these people were given power over the Muslims because of their sins. Otherwise, who would imagine that someone would take charge of a Muslim nation and then force it to disobey the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)? Who would imagine this?
But sins and disobedience are what caused these people to dominate us. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-An'am 6:129] So these people were not given power over the Muslim nation except because the Muslim nation deviated from its correct path. Otherwise, its rulers would have been like it. It is reported about 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man from the Khawarij came to him and said: "O 'Ali, why do the people do this and that with you, while they were obedient and compliant with Abu Bakr and 'Umar? He said to him: 'Because the men of Abu Bakr and 'Umar are me and those like me, and my men are you and those like you.'" The man was left speechless, and this is authentic.
And it is said that I think 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan heard the people speaking about him and about his rule, so he gathered the nobles of the people and the notables of the land and spoke to them with eloquent words, saying to them: "You want us to be like Abu Bakr and 'Umar for you, so be you like the men of Abu Bakr and 'Umar, so that we may be like Abu Bakr and 'Umar."
If you think about these people over whom these governors were given power, you would find that they have a calamity and evil that only the Lord of creation knows. Until some of the trustworthy ones recently came from some of the Arab countries and said: "By Allah, last year in the middle of London, I did not see the display of women in London like their display in this country I came from, which is an Arab country. Who is more deserving of covering and hijab, us or the Christians?"
Yes, we are more deserving, and yet this is our country. If the people are like this, how can governors not be given power over them?
So we ask Allah the Exalted to reform our subjects and our rulers, and to protect us and you from the evil of trials. Yes.
The Shaykh : If you think their excuse is strong, then the strong one is relied upon. But we see that it is not strong. This is because Allah the Exalted says in His Book:
And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah," but when one [of them] is harmed for [the cause of] Allah, they consider the trial of the people as [if it were] the punishment of Allah.
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ فَإِذَا أُوذِيَ فِي اللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتْنَةَ النَّاسِ كَعَذَابِ اللَّهِSo we say: Be patient and seek reward. Then we say: If you fear Allah, He will make a way out for you. How many people do we know who go to the countries you are referring to, and yet nothing is said to them? They go with their beards and return as they were, and nothing is said to them.
These oppressive, unjust governments—we ask Allah to replace the Muslims with something better than them—if they do not see a person speaking about them or having any movement, they do not care. Whether he is religious or not, what matters to them is that no one is feared to have a movement or a call. Therefore, they may arrest a person who does not have a beard, or a person who shaves his beard morning and evening. But we know that these people were given power over the Muslims because of their sins. Otherwise, who would imagine that someone would take charge of a Muslim nation and then force it to disobey the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)? Who would imagine this?
But sins and disobedience are what caused these people to dominate us. Allah the Exalted said:
And thus will We make some of the wrongdoers allies of others for what they used to earn.
َكَذَلِكَ نُوَلِّي بَعْضَ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضاً بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَAnd it is said that I think 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan heard the people speaking about him and about his rule, so he gathered the nobles of the people and the notables of the land and spoke to them with eloquent words, saying to them: "You want us to be like Abu Bakr and 'Umar for you, so be you like the men of Abu Bakr and 'Umar, so that we may be like Abu Bakr and 'Umar."
If you think about these people over whom these governors were given power, you would find that they have a calamity and evil that only the Lord of creation knows. Until some of the trustworthy ones recently came from some of the Arab countries and said: "By Allah, last year in the middle of London, I did not see the display of women in London like their display in this country I came from, which is an Arab country. Who is more deserving of covering and hijab, us or the Christians?"
Yes, we are more deserving, and yet this is our country. If the people are like this, how can governors not be given power over them?
So we ask Allah the Exalted to reform our subjects and our rulers, and to protect us and you from the evil of trials. Yes.