Why Growing Your Beard Is Obligatory
Al-Wajeez: Growing the Beard - An Obligation Based on Fitra and Sunnah
Summary
This lecture continues the study of Al-Wajeez in the chapter on purification (kitab al-taharah), specifically discussing the sunan of al-fitra (natural practices). Sh. Ali Mashhour focuses on the practice of growing the beard, explaining that according to Islamic jurisprudence across all four madhabs, growing the beard is obligatory while completely shaving it is haram. Sh. Ali Mashhour references hadith narrations from Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim where the Prophet Muhammad commanded believers to grow their beards and trim their mustaches, partly to differentiate themselves from the Magians (Persian fire worshipers) and idolaters. However, Sh. Ali Mashhour clarifies that the primary reason for this practice is that it is part of al-fitra (natural human disposition), not merely for differentiation from other groups. The lecture explores the Islamic principle that commands in the Quran and Sunnah are generally obligatory unless otherwise specified, and addresses potential questions about whether these practices should change if others adopt them.
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
Continuing in al-wajeez in the chapter in the book of purification, the chapter regarding the sunan of al-fitra. We mentioned the narration that tells us about five things that are of the fitra. Also, another narration that mentions 10 altogether. Both of the narrations are in Bukhari Muslim. And then the author went into some detail. The first one that he mentions in detail is al-khitan, which is circumcision, and we discussed that in detail yesterday. The next that the author goes into is i'fa'ul lihya, growing out the beard. Growing out the beard.
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The author tells us that growing a person's beard is obligatory and completely shaving it off, shaving it. Halp means to shave it off with a razor entirely. This is haram and this is agreed upon amongst the four madhahib. This is agreed upon amongst the fuqaha. That shaving the beard is positively prohibited and growing the beard is obligatory. Where does the difference of opinion come in? The length of growth, what is considered to be shaving it, what are the parameters of the beard, are the cheeks part of the beard, is under the jawline part of the beard, etc. These are the details that the fuqaha discuss and debate. He says, "And in shaving a a man shaving his beard deliberately, there is an element of imitation of women in this practice." And that is correct. Many of the fuqaha have drawn that comparison and mentioned this as a ruling. He says, "And the messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam has cursed the men who imitate the women and the women who imitate the men." The beard in general, in general, if we were to look at the majority of humanity, we would say that the beard is something specific to men and not having a beard is something very specific to women in many cases, right? But deliberately going out of your way to shave your beard off completely and entirely. This is something which the scholars have agreed is impermissible. And The author then says.
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He says, "And the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam commanded in a number of narrations that a man grow his beard or lengthen his beard or allow his beard to grow, and the nature of a command is that it is obligatory, right?" And that's not just in the Quran and Sunnah, but in general in general life, when a superior commands an in an inferior or a subordinate, okay? That articulates obligation, that that's binding. It's not a suggestion. For instance, you say to your child, "Get me a glass of water. Go do this, clean your room, whatever it is." Is this something which is optional? Do you have to say, "This is binding upon you. This is wajib. Get me a glass of water." No. It is understood that this is not optional. And it is understood that this is something which is expected to be fulfilled as immediately as received. As immediately as the command is received, this is when it is expected to be fulfilled. And many, if not most of the Uṣūliyyīn, view that commands in the Quran and Sunnah articulate obligation unless otherwise specified. Unless exempted. Anytime Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala or his messenger say, "Do." It means that this is obligatory. "Do not do." This is prohibited. Unless there is some evidence that exempts this command from being obligatory. We say this is preferred, this is mustahabb, this is strongly suggested, this is strongly urged, or if there is an evidence to prove that this particular thing is exempt from that general rule. If we establish that, the author mentions to us the narration of Abu Hurairah in which the messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam says, "Juzzu.
[Arabic recitation]
Wal hadithu inda Muslim. Yaqulu an ibn Umar radiyallahu anhu ma'an an nabiyyi sallallahu alayhi wasallam qala, "Khaliful mushrikin,.
[Arabic recitation]
Hadithu indal Bukhari wa Muslim. He mentions the narration of Abu Hurairah and the narration of ibn Umar. They both narrate that the messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, "Cut down the mustache and and grow the beard and do so to deliberately differentiate yourselves from the Magians al-Majus. Al-Majus are Persian fire worshipers in the prophet was salaam's time. And in the narration of Omar the prophet was salaam was salaam says deliberately differentiate yourselves from the idolaters. Grow out your beards and trim your mustaches. And here in this narration he says what meaning and cut down the mustache. This narration is in Bukhari and Muslim. Now I want you to notice something here. Here the prophet was salaam mentions that growing the beard trimming the mustache this is in order to differentiate himself the Muslim to differentiate himself from the Magians to differentiate ourselves from the idolaters. So does this mean if the idolaters start to grow their beard and trim their mustache we should then start to grow our mustache and trim our and and cut off our beards? Why not? Now we all look the same.
[Arabic recitation]
They don't belong.
[Arabic recitation]
A cleaner answer which is correct in general, and that is that these are sunan al-fitra. This is the fitra. Right? Remember the chapter, sunan al-fitra? Which means that that's not the driving force behind growing the beard and trimming the mustache is just to differentiate ourselves from other groups of disbelievers. That isn't intended, and that's important, and that may have been very relevant in his time, but if those things were to change, it still remains to be part of al-fitra. Just the same if the mushrikin and the majus started to pluck their armpit hair, do we start to grow ours out? Do we start to braid ours to make sure that we differentiate ourselves from them? What about if they start to circumcise themselves and their children? Do we uncircumcise our kids? what about if they start to brush their teeth regularly, we see today? Should we stop brushing our teeth? These are parts of al-fitra. Which means that ideally all of humanity should be doing this. Right? That is the natural disposition. This is the natural way Allah created the human being to have these practices at every time and every place. An added benefit during his time is that the majus and the mushrikin, they had flipped it. They would grow out the mustache very often and trim and and completely cut off the beard. And so the prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said in another narration that one of the one of the things that you know, we grow our beards for is in order to differentiate ourselves from the mushrikin, from the majus. But, this is not the only singular driving force behind this practice, right? Remind me tomorrow, inshallah,.
[Arabic recitation]
Remind me to discuss the parameters of the beard. What is considered part of the beard and what isn't. We We ran out of time.