The Ruling on Letting the Beard Grow and Maintaining It

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I observe a difference of opinion regarding letting the beard grow and allowing it to hang down. Which style of beard care is in accordance with Islamic law and was practiced by the righteous predecessors?
Answer: It is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:

Cut your mustaches short and let your beards grow, and be distinct from the polytheists.

قصوا الشوارب وأعفوا اللحى، خالفوا المشركين

Imam al-Bukhari narrated it in his Sahih, and Imam Muslim narrated it in his Sahih, and other Imams (may Allah have mercy on them) also narrated it. It is an authentic hadith, established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) according to the scholars. Its meaning is that it is obligatory for the believer to trim his mustache, let his beard grow, and not remove it, neither by shaving nor by cutting it. He also said (peace and blessings be upon him):

Trim the mustaches and let the beards grow, and be unlike the polytheists

قصوا الشوارب ووفروا اللحى، خالفوا المشركين

al-Bukhari narrated it in his Sahih (may Allah have mercy on him). He also said, in what Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that he said:

Trim closely the moustache, and grow beard, and thus act against the fire-worshippers.

جزوا الشوارب وأرخوا اللحى خالفوا المجوس

Sahih Muslim 260

The Majus: worshippers of fire. These hadiths and what comes in their meaning indicate to us that it is obligatory for Muslims to trim their mustaches and not let them grow long. In the other wording:

Trim your mustaches

أحفواا الشوارب

It also indicates the obligation of letting the beards grow, maintaining them, and leaving them untrimmed. This is obligatory for Muslims in obedience to this noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:

Say, "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon him is only that [duty] with which he has been charged, and upon you is that with which you have been charged. And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided. And there is not upon the Messenger except the [responsibility for] clear notification."

قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ مَا حُمِّلَ وَعَلَيْكُمْ مَا حُمِّلْتُمْ وَإِنْ تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا وَمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلاغُ الْمُبِينُ

[An-Nur: 54] And He said (Glorified and Exalted is He):

He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah; but those who turn away - We have not sent you over them as a guardian.

مَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ وَمَنْ تَوَلَّى فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْْ حَفِيظًا

[An-Nisa: 80] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

All my followers will enter Paradise except those who refuse." They said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Who will refuse?" He said, "Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me is the one who refuses (to enter it)."

كل أمتي يدخلون الجنة إلا من أبى، قيل: يا رسول الله! ومن يأبى؟ قال: من أطاعني دخل الجنة ومن عصاني فقد أبى

Sahih al-Bukhari 7280

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Therefore, it is obligatory for the people of Islam to be careful to obey the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in everything: in prayer, zakah, fasting, Hajj, jihad, enjoining good and forbidding evil, letting the beard grow, trimming the mustache, not letting garments hang below the ankles, and so on. We must take up everything that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) brought; acting upon the commands and leaving off the prohibitions. This is the path to Paradise and the path to happiness. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says in His great Book:

These are the limits [set by] Allah, and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted by Him to gardens [in Paradise] under which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein; and that is the great attainment.

تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِِ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

[An-Nisa: 13]

And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits - He will put him into the Fire to abide eternally therein, and he will have a humiliating punishment.

وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهََ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَلَهُ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ

[An-Nisa: 14] And He said (Glorified and Exalted is He):

Say, [O Muhammad], "O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, [from Him] to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death." So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him that you may be guided.

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ النَّبِيِّ الأُمِّيِّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَكَلِمَاتِهِ وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

[Al-A'raf: 158] So guidance, safety, salvation, and success lie in following him (peace and blessings be upon him), obeying his commands, and leaving off his prohibitions.
And He (Exalted and Majestic is He) says in His great Book:

Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins

قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ

[Al-Imran: 31] So whoever loves Allah and loves His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he must follow this great Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Following him and holding fast to what he brought is the only way, and the path to forgiveness, entering Paradise, salvation from the Fire, and for Allah to love the servant. May Allah guide them all. Yes.

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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