Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Asalaumu alaykum

i have a very brief and simple question to ask but on a subject not too difficult or complicated to answer. this may seem very stupid to you but its something that effects my every day life, i am a good muslim but I am trying to gain more knowledge and increase my commitment to Allah (swt), i am beginning to pray more and read the quran more and also follow the life which is recommnded to us more consistently, however I have been told a few things by elders that has got me confused.

i have a "goatee" beard (small lined beard around chin) its something I keep because i like to keep it, i dont have any illicit reasons for keeping it and i dont see how in the eyes of god this could be a problem, i have been told that because keeping a full berad was the sunna of our great prophet pbuh me keeping a beard as such would be to disrespect the idea of a beard and that this is sinfull.

maybe i am naive in the thought i am doing now harm or mybe the elders are trying to discouraghe me because they assume it reflects bad in society (as people may think i am of bad intentions). i know this is propbably the most stupid and irrelervant question to you but sometimes the smallest questions are the ones with most relervance. please could you get back to me and tell me what the thought is on keeping such beards etc is it sinfull and is it viewed as i am disrespecting our prophet pbuh.

thankyou for your time hudahafiz

Brother

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Goatie beard

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah bless and reward you for your efforts in gaining knowledge and trying to be a good practicing muslim. May Allah increase yours and our knowledge in the deen, and make us all better practicing muslims, and take our lives when we are in the best of faith and imaan. Ameen.

There is absolutely no doubt that it is the Sunnah of the Noble Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar Rasool Allah (saws) that he had a long beard. Not only is keeping a beard a Sunnah of the Prophet Mohamed (saws), but it is considered a Sunnah of all the Prophets who came before him. Thus, if one keeps a beard to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws), he will, Insha Allah, be eligible for a reward from Allah Subhanah.

In and before the time of the Prophet (saws), and upto a couple of centuries ago, it was a normal practice and almost inconceivable that a man would not sport a full beard! Even the enemies of the Messenger of Allah (saws) like Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, Al Waleed ibn Mugeerah, etc. had long flowing beards! It was just something that men did naturally! The clean shaven culture is one that was adopted by the Western civilization a couple of centuries ago, and unfortunately has crept into the Islamic Ummah.

The beard today has become a symbol of Islamic culture. But just to keep things in perspective, some people have made the keeping of a beard a bigger issue than it should be. If one keeps a beard and his intention is to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws); it is expected that he will receive a huge reward from Allah. If one does not keep a beard for any reason, there is no sin. The most one can say that he has missed out on an opportunity to gain reward from Allah Subhanah.

Regarding one sporting a goatie beard… If someone keeps it to copy the pagan culture, or copy an actor or sportstar, etc. then it would not be considered right, and would be considered a sin! But if one keeps it just because he likes to do so, there is no harm. Obviously, it would be better and a source of earning a huge reward from Allah Subhanah, if he kept a full beard with the intention that he wants to follow the example and Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah (saws).

Allow us to cite a few narrations from the Messenger of Allah (saws), which would help you to Insha Allah, to follow this simple Sunnah and earn a huge reward from the Merciful Lord on the Day of Judgment, when all of us will be in desperate need of every good deed and its reward.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.780 Narrated by Nafi

Ibn Umar said: The Prophet (saws) said, "Do the opposite of what the pagans do. Keep the beards and cut the moustaches short."

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 145 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

Whenever the Messenger of Allah (saws) performed ablution, he took a handful of water, and, putting it under his chin, made it go through his beard, saying: Thus did my Lord command me.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 52 Narrated by Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin

The Apostle of Allah (saws) said: Ten are the acts according to fitrah (nature): clipping the moustache, letting the beard grow, using the tooth-stick, cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the hair under the arm-pits, shaving the pubes, and cleansing one's private parts (after easing or urinating) with water. The narrator said: I have forgotten the tenth, but it may have been rinsing the mouth.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 36 Narrated by Ruwayfi' ibn Thabit

The Apostle of Allah (saws) said: You may live for a long time after I am gone, Ruwayfi', so, tell people that if anyone ties his beard or wears round his neck a string to ward off the evil eye, or cleanses himself with animal dung or bone, Muhammad has nothing to do with him.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.651 Narrated by Abu Said Al Khudri

The Prophet (saws) said, "There will emerge from the East some people who will recite the Qur'an but it will not exceed their throats and who will go out of (renounce) the religion (Islam) as an arrow passes through the game, and they will never come back to it unless the arrow, comes back to the middle of the bow (by itself) (i.e., impossible). The people asked, "What will their signs be?" He said, "Their sign will be the habit of shaving (of their beards).

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan