Fatwa ID: 02769
Answered by: Maulana Tahsin Alam
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah
I Have A Doubt On A Topic Regarding Cutting Beard One Handful Because There Is a Hadith in Sahih Muslim Hadith # 600
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَعِيدٍ ح، وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنَ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، جَمِيعًا عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «أَحْفُوا الشَّوَارِبَ وَأَعْفُوا اللِّحَى»
And Whereas In Sunan Abu Dawood Sunnan e Abu Dawood Hadees # 2357
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ، أَخْبَرَنِي الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ وَاقِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَالِمٍ الْمُقَفَّعَ، قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ يَقْبِضُ عَلَى لِحْيَتِهِ فَيَقْطَعُ مَا زَادَ عَلَى الْكَفِّ، وَقَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا أَفْطَرَ، قَالَ: ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الْأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ
Which Says That Abdullah Bin Umar Cutted His Beard One Handful Without The Occasion Of Hajj And Umrah. Please Clarify What Should We Do.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The scholars have explained the second hadith of Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as his understanding of the first hadith, and that he did not go against the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) but rather clarify the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Uthmani quotes Hafiz ibn Hajar who writes: “It is apparent that he (Abdullah bin Umar) understood the matter of elongating the beard as not keeping the beard so long from the bottom and sides that it looks distorted.”
Imam Tabari writes: “If a man were to leave his beard not taking care of it until it becomes distorted from both the bottom and sides, he has presented himself to be made fun of.”
Qadi Iyad writes: “It is makruh (disliked) to shave the beard and trim it, as for cutting from the sides and bottom when it gets too big (that is) good.”
Imam Al-Haskafi writes: “There is no problem in taking from the sides of the beard, and it is sunnah to cut more than a handful.”[1]
Therefore, if a beard is too long whereby it looks distorted then it is permissible to cut it, however, it should not be less than a handful. As for the sides (the hair on the cheeks above the jawbones), it is permissible to trim them but not to shave them.
Only Allah Ta’ala knows best
Written by Maulana Imran Mughal
Checked and approved by Ustadha Sabrina
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] Maulana Shabbir Uthmani, Fath al-Mulhim (Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 2006). 1:335.
