Is it permissible for a Muslim to shorten his beard and conceal some of the Sunnahs if he fears for his life from pursuit and harm?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : We have a question from Libya, if you please?
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The questioner : Is it permissible for the brother to, meaning, shorten his beard and conceal some of the Sunnahs if he fears fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) for himself? And for the sister to uncover her face, meaning, not adhere to covering the face if she fears fitnah, meaning, from imprisonment or what?
The Shaykh : If I were to answer your question in its own wording, the answer is: it is permissible.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But I believe there is something in your question of incorrect expression, whether this error is verbal or scholarly.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You gave two examples: one concerning the man, which is his beard, and one concerning the woman, which is her face.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : O Shaykh, a question!
The Shaykh : And what am I speaking of? May Allah guide you. As for the woman’s face, uncovering it is permissible, but it is better that she cover it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But to avert what you mentioned, it is permissible for her to uncover it. As for the man shaving his beard, it is not merely contrary to the Sunnah.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Rather, it is contrary to many commands, for shaving the beard is a sin.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not the case that leaving it long is merely a recommended practice (sunnah), where the doer is rewarded and the leaver is not punished. No.
The questioner : As for shortening, which is lightening the beard.
Another questioner : Taking from it.
The Shaykh : Lightening the beard to less than a fistful is permissible, but as you are now.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Since you have taken from it, this is not permissible, and we ask Allah to bless your beards.
The questioner : Amen, O Allah, amen.
Another questioner : Shaykh, we have [a question].
The questioner : Pray for us, O Shaykh, that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The Shaykh : We ask Allah to relieve all the Muslims.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Not just the Libyans.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Islam as a whole is now afflicted.
The questioner: Yes, you are correct.
The Shaykh : It is one target, but some of the afflictions are more severe than others, and some are milder than others.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The questioner : Is it permissible for the brother to, meaning, shorten his beard and conceal some of the Sunnahs if he fears fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) for himself? And for the sister to uncover her face, meaning, not adhere to covering the face if she fears fitnah, meaning, from imprisonment or what?
The Shaykh : If I were to answer your question in its own wording, the answer is: it is permissible.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But I believe there is something in your question of incorrect expression, whether this error is verbal or scholarly.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You gave two examples: one concerning the man, which is his beard, and one concerning the woman, which is her face.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : O Shaykh, a question!
The Shaykh : And what am I speaking of? May Allah guide you. As for the woman’s face, uncovering it is permissible, but it is better that she cover it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But to avert what you mentioned, it is permissible for her to uncover it. As for the man shaving his beard, it is not merely contrary to the Sunnah.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Rather, it is contrary to many commands, for shaving the beard is a sin.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not the case that leaving it long is merely a recommended practice (sunnah), where the doer is rewarded and the leaver is not punished. No.
The questioner : As for shortening, which is lightening the beard.
Another questioner : Taking from it.
The Shaykh : Lightening the beard to less than a fistful is permissible, but as you are now.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Since you have taken from it, this is not permissible, and we ask Allah to bless your beards.
The questioner : Amen, O Allah, amen.
Another questioner : Shaykh, we have [a question].
The questioner : Pray for us, O Shaykh, that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The Shaykh : We ask Allah to relieve all the Muslims.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Not just the Libyans.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Islam as a whole is now afflicted.
The questioner: Yes, you are correct.
The Shaykh : It is one target, but some of the afflictions are more severe than others, and some are milder than others.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.