from the way of Abraham except one who has foolishly wronged his own soul.”

This noble verse shows that whoever shuns letting the beard grow possesses, to that same extent, a measure of self-inflicted folly for turning away from Abraham’s tradition.

Al-Bayhaqi records in his “Proofs of Prophethood” that Hisham ibn al-‘Āṣ al-Umayy said: “I and another man were dispatched to Heraclius, ruler of Byzantium, to invite him to Islam.” He narrated the incident at length, mentioning that Heraclius displayed to them images of the prophets on pieces of silk. Concerning Noah, peace be upon him, he remarked that he had a handsome beard; concerning Abraham, peace be upon him, that his beard was white; concerning Isaac, peace be upon him, that he had light side-whiskers; concerning Jacob, peace be upon him, that he resembled his father Isaac; and concerning Jesus, peace be upon him, that his beard was jet-black. Ibn Kathīr commented, “Its chain of transmission is acceptable.”

Abū Nu‘aym al-Aṣbahānī also narrated the report in his “Proofs of Prophethood” through another chain, adding that Moses, peace be upon him, was thick-bearded and that Aaron, peace be upon him, resembled Moses.

In some narrations of the Ḥadīth of the Night Journey it is related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw Aaron in the fifth heaven and described him thus: “Half of his beard was white and half black, and his beard almost reached his navel—”