The Length of the Islamic Beard

Question:

I request your Eminence to make clear the ruling on shaving the beard, or removing anything from it, and what is the legislated area of the beard?


Answer:

Shaving the beard is forbidden, because it is disobedience to the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), for the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Grow your beards and shorten your moustaches. [1] And because it is a departure for the guidance of the Messengers to the guidance of the Zoroastrians and the polytheists.

The legislated area of the beard is as defined by the scholars of the language, which is that it is the facial hair, the jaws and the cheeks, that is, the hair on the cheeks, jaws and chin - all of this is the beard. And removing anything from it is an act of disobedience and also, because the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Grow your beards. [2] and: Leave your beards. [3] and: Let your beards... [4] and: Expand your beards... [5] - and this proves that it is not permitted to remove anything from it, however, acts of disobedience differ, so shaving is worse then removing part of it, because it is a greater and clearer violation then removing part of it, because it is a greater and clearer violation then removing a part of it.


[1] Ahmad 2/52. [2] Ahmad 2/52. [3] Muslim no. 260. [4] Al-Bukhari no. 5892 [5] Muslim no. 259.

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen