their view that, for both the hair of the head and the moustache, close trimming is preferable to merely shortening it.” Ibn Khuwāz Mandād (1) reported that al-Shāfi‘ī’s position on shaving the moustache was the same as Abū Hanīfah’s. This is Abū ‘Umar’s statement (2).

As for Imam Ahmad, al-Athram said: “I saw Ahmad ibn Hanbal trim his moustache very closely. I heard him being asked about the sunnah regarding (3) closely trimming the moustache. He replied: ‘One should trim it closely, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Trim the moustaches closely” (4).’”

Hanbal said: “Abū ‘Abd Allāh was asked: ‘Do you consider it proper for a man to trim his moustache very closely? Or how should he trim it?’ He replied: ‘There is nothing wrong with trimming it closely, and there is nothing wrong with simply shortening it’ (5).”

Abū Muhammad said in al-Mughnī (6): “He has the choice of trimming it closely or shortening it without trimming it closely.”