Fiqh of the Beard

The Beard is a order of

Rasulullah [Wajib]

Narrated Nafi' (Radhiallaahu Án) "Ibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Án) said, The Prophet said, "Do the opposite of what the pagans do. Keep the beards and cut the moustaches short." [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 72, Hadith # 780]
Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Bakr ibn Nafi from his father Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Án) that the Messenger of Allah, ordered the moustache to be trimmed and the beard to be left. [Imaam malik's Muwatta Book 51, Hadith # 51.1.1]

It is clear from the stated ahadith that growing the beard is not only a practice (Sunnah) of Rasulullah but also a command for the Muslims in follow (Wajib).

Narrated Aisha (Radhiallaahu Ánha): Rasulullah said:

"Ten things are part of the fitrah: cutting the moustache, letting the beard grow, cleaning
the teeth with a siwak, rinsing the nose with water, cutting one's nails,
washing between the finger-joints, plucking the armpit hairs, shaving the pubic
hair and cleaning one's private parts with water." [Reported by
Imaam Muslims in his Sahih Book 2, Hadith # 0502, also reported by Imaam Ahmad,
Muslim and the four authors of Sunan ]

This hadith further emphasizes the importance of letting you beard grow for a man, as being
from the natural guidance (Fitrah) of the human being.

At Tabari reported in a hadith that Kaiser, the King of Persia, after having read the letter sent by the Rasulullah inviting him to accept the faith of Islam, ordered his sub-ordinate Bayon (Badhun), the governor of Yemen, to send two persons to bring the Prophet of Islam before him. Bayan accordingly sent two messengers who according to the fashion of those days were clean shaven and having long moustaches. When they appeared on the scene toward the Rasulullah , he very much disliked the unnatural appearances of those persons and said; "Woe to you, Woe to you. Who ordered you to adopt such appearances?" They said; "Our lord Kaiser". Rasulullah then told them "My Rabb COMMANDED me to lengthen my beard and clip my moustaches".

[Recorded by Ibn Jarir At-Tabari, and judged to be Hasan (good) by Shaikh
Albaani.]

SubhanAllah here Rasulullah disliked even looking at a man who has gone against the naturalways and shaved the Beard, while keeping a long mustache. Those of us who shave the beard and keep long mustaches while calling ourselves follower and lovers of Rasulullah should think, would we like Him to be disgusted with us due to this mutilation of the unnatural appearances (Fitrah)? This hadith also makes a point in showing that Rasulullah was ordered by Allah to trim his mustache and grow the beard. This hadith is a refutation for those who claim that growing the beard was a custom of the Arabs and indeed this is an order of Allah upon Rasulullah and an order upon the Muslims by Rasulullah .

Allah orders us in the Quran to obey the order of Rasulullah

"Make not the calling of the Messenger among you as your calling of one another. Allah knows those of you who slip away under shelter. And let those who oppose the Messenger's commandment (i.e. his Sunnah legal ways, orders, acts of worship,
statements, etc.) beware, lest some Fitnah (afflictions) befall them or apainful torment be inflicted on them." [Quran, Surah #24 Ayah #63]

Allah has made clear that those who oppose the Sunnah of Rasulullah are headed for the punishment of Allah.

"And whatever the Prophet gives you, accept it and whatever he forbids you, abstain (from it)"[Quran, Surah #59 Ayah #7]

"The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His messengers." And they say: "We hear ,and we obey: (we seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys." [Quran, Surah #2 Ayah #285]

"And obey Allah and the Messenger; that ye may obtain mercy." [Quran, Surah #3 Ayah #132]

" O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and make not vain your deeds!" [Quran,Surah #47 Ayah #33]

"Those are limits set by Allah. those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, to abide therein (for ever) and that will be the supreme achievement." [Quran, Surah #4;Ayah #13]

"In the Messenger of Allah is a good example for you to follow." [Quran Surah#33 Ayah #21]

"So set you (O Muhammad ) your face towards the religion of pure Islamic Monotheism Hanifa (worship none but Allah Alone) Allah's Fitrah (i.e. Allah's Islamic
Monotheism), with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in Khalq­illah
(creation of Allah) , that is the straight religion, but most of men know
not." [Quran, Surah #30Ayah #30] [Tafsir At­Tabarî, Vol 21, Page 41]

The Beard is from the Sunnah of Rasulullah

Narrated Ibn 'Umar (Radhiallaahu Án)"Rasulullah said, "Cut the moustaches short and leave the beard (as it is)." [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 72, Hadith #781]

Jaabir (Radhiallaahu Án) reported that Rasulullah used to have a large beard [Sahih Muslim].

Narrated AbuHurayrah (Radhiallaahu
Án) "Rasulullah said
"Trim closely the moustache, and grow beard, and thus act against the
fire-worshippers." [Sahih Muslim, Book 2, Hadith # 0501]

Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (Radhiallaahu Án): Rasulullah said, "There will emerge from the East some people who will recite the Quran but it will not exceed their throats and who will go out of (renounce) the religion (Islam) as an arrow passes through the game, and they will never come back to it unless the arrow, comes back to the middle of the bow (by
itself) (i.e., impossible)." The people asked, "What will their signs be?" He said, "Their sign will be the habit of shaving (of their beards)." [Sahih Al-Bukhari 9:651] [Fateh Al-Bari, Page 322, Vol. 17th]