The Ruling on Shaving the Beard, or Part of It, or on the Pretext of Da'wah
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Question:
What is the ruling on shaving the beard or part of it? Please mention the limit of the beard hair.
And what is your opinion, Your Eminence the Shaykh, regarding one who shaves his beard or shortens it on the pretext that the interest of da'wah requires it, or so that people will accept me and not feel that I am being strict?
Answer:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith in "al-Sahihayn" from the hadith of Ibn 'Umar:, and in the other wording: , and in the other wording: Sahih Muslim 260.
So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded to trim the mustaches, and to let the beards grow, to maintain them, and to let them hang down. It is not permissible for a Muslim to remove them, nor to trim them, nor to shave them. It is also obligatory for him to trim the mustaches and shave them close, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded.
It is not permissible for him to say: "This is for the sake of da'wah." Da'wah is not approached through sins, nor are those being called to Islam approached through sins. Rather, displaying sin drives people away from his da'wah in the eyes of the people of truth, and it casts doubt on his faith and his da'wah in the eyes of the people of truth.
So it is obligatory for him to adorn himself with the Shari'ah. Just as it is not permissible for him to abandon prayer if he is calling people who do not pray, he should not say: "I will abandon prayer so that I resemble them, so that they do not turn away from me." He prays, and he has no concern about them; he prays and calls them to prayer. He fasts and calls them to fasting. He maintains his beard and calls them to maintain their beards, and to other things that Allah has prescribed. He does not make shaving it a means to his claim of calling them to the obedience of Allah and His Messenger. He does not approach Allah through sins, nor does he approach those being called to Islam by disobeying the command of Allah.
The limit of the beard: what grows on the cheeks and the chin. This is called the beard, as stated in "al-Qamus" and "Lisan al-'Arab." As for what grows on the throat, it is not part of the beard. Likewise, what is above the cheek, above the bone next to the ear, what is above that belongs to the head. The temples belong to the head. The beard is only what grows on the cheeks. This bone next to the ear is the limit between the beard and the head; it is the dividing line that is level with the ear, and it is at the level of the ear. The throat is likewise; the throat is not part of the beard. It is this bone and what grows on it or above it, above it under the lower lip. All of this is part of the beard, and so are the cheeks.
What is the ruling on shaving the beard or part of it? Please mention the limit of the beard hair.
And what is your opinion, Your Eminence the Shaykh, regarding one who shaves his beard or shortens it on the pretext that the interest of da'wah requires it, or so that people will accept me and not feel that I am being strict?
Answer:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith in "al-Sahihayn" from the hadith of Ibn 'Umar:
Trim your mustaches, let your beards grow, and differ from the Majus.
قصُّوا الشَّوارب، وأعفوا اللِّحَى، خالفوا المجوسTrim your mustaches, maintain your beards, and differ from the mushrikin.
قصُّوا الشَّوارب، ووفِّروا اللِّحَى، خالفوا المشركينTrim closely the moustache, and grow beard, and thus act against the fire-worshippers.
جزُّوا الشَّوارب، وأرخوا اللِّحَى، خالفوا المجوسSo the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded to trim the mustaches, and to let the beards grow, to maintain them, and to let them hang down. It is not permissible for a Muslim to remove them, nor to trim them, nor to shave them. It is also obligatory for him to trim the mustaches and shave them close, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded.
It is not permissible for him to say: "This is for the sake of da'wah." Da'wah is not approached through sins, nor are those being called to Islam approached through sins. Rather, displaying sin drives people away from his da'wah in the eyes of the people of truth, and it casts doubt on his faith and his da'wah in the eyes of the people of truth.
So it is obligatory for him to adorn himself with the Shari'ah. Just as it is not permissible for him to abandon prayer if he is calling people who do not pray, he should not say: "I will abandon prayer so that I resemble them, so that they do not turn away from me." He prays, and he has no concern about them; he prays and calls them to prayer. He fasts and calls them to fasting. He maintains his beard and calls them to maintain their beards, and to other things that Allah has prescribed. He does not make shaving it a means to his claim of calling them to the obedience of Allah and His Messenger. He does not approach Allah through sins, nor does he approach those being called to Islam by disobeying the command of Allah.
The limit of the beard: what grows on the cheeks and the chin. This is called the beard, as stated in "al-Qamus" and "Lisan al-'Arab." As for what grows on the throat, it is not part of the beard. Likewise, what is above the cheek, above the bone next to the ear, what is above that belongs to the head. The temples belong to the head. The beard is only what grows on the cheeks. This bone next to the ear is the limit between the beard and the head; it is the dividing line that is level with the ear, and it is at the level of the ear. The throat is likewise; the throat is not part of the beard. It is this bone and what grows on it or above it, above it under the lower lip. All of this is part of the beard, and so are the cheeks.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.