Legal Rulings Concerning Shaving the Beard
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise belongs to Allah alone, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his Companions. To proceed:
Some of our brothers have put to me the following questions:
- Is growing the beard obligatory or merely permissible?
- Does shaving it constitute a sin or a shortcoming in one’s religion?
- Is it allowable to shave the beard while keeping the mustache?
The answer to these questions is as follows:
It is authentically reported from the Prophet—recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim in their Ṣaḥīḥs—from the narration of Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Clip the mustaches and leave the beards; differ from the polytheists.”
Muslim also relates, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Trim the mustaches and let the beards grow; oppose the Magians.”