“It is a ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ narration.” Imām Aḥmad likewise transmitted it through Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him), and al-Dāramī narrated it through Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him).

Al-Nawawī, commenting on this ḥadīth, said in summary: Sincere counsel for Allah Most High consists in obeying Him and avoiding His disobedience; sincere counsel for the Messenger ﷺ is to comply with his commands and prohibitions and to revive his way and sunnah. Sincere counsel for the leaders of the Muslims is to aid them upon the truth, urge them to it, and remind and advise them with kindness and gentleness; and sincere counsel for the general body of Muslims is to teach them what they are ignorant of concerning their religion and to enjoin them while forbidding them from evil. This is the gist of his remarks.

Bearing this in mind, one must also recognize that among the Prophet’s ﷺ practices—affirmed by both his words and deeds—is allowing the beard to grow and differing from the idolaters who shave theirs. Authentic reports attest that he ﷺ possessed a thick, full, and sizeable beard, and several sound ḥadīths state that he ﷺ commanded his community to grow their beards and to differ from those idolaters who shave. Thus it is obligatory to obey him in this matter and avoid disobedience, just as it is obligatory to emulate him and revive his way and sunnah. All of this falls under sincere counsel for Allah and for His Messenger ﷺ, for Allah has commanded obedience to the Messenger ﷺ in numerous verses of the Quran and has coupled obedience to him with obedience to Himself.