Is it permissible for a Muslim man to shave his beard?

Introduction:

According to the popular understanding of Sharia, it is considered impermissible for a Muslim man to shave his beard if he is capable of growing one. Some jurists believe it is recommended (mustaḥab) to shave the moustache and maintain a beard at least the length of a palm. Others argue that keeping a moustache is acceptable and that a Muslim may shave or trim his beard as long as the remaining hair is considered a beard according to the customs (ʿurf) of the society he lives in.

Despite these views, many Muslim men choose not to keep a beard for the following reasons:

• Personal preference: Some prefer the look and feel of a clean-shaven face as it aligns better with their style or provides greater comfort. They may also experience irritation or discomfort from shaving or maintaining a beard, influencing their choice.
• Professional appearance: Certain industries (e.g., corporate environments, hospitality, military) require or favour a clean-shaven, well-groomed look.
• Beard maintenance: Keeping a beard neat and tidy requires regular grooming, which some find tedious or time-consuming.
• Hygiene and medical concerns: Beards can trap food particles, dirt, and bacteria, making a clean-shaven face easier to maintain.
• Social norms and cultural expectations: Some communities or social circles favour or expect a clean-shaven look.
• Societal implications for Muslim men: In non-Muslim-majority societies, men with prominent beards may face stereotyping, harassment, bullying, or discrimination.

Given these considerations, it is essential to evaluate whether the mainstream opinion regarding the obligation to keep a beard aligns accurately with Sharia principles.

ICCI Opinion:

Majority Opinion - A Muslim man can choose whether to keep a beard or shave it based on his personal preference.

(Please note this is the majority opinion, the minority opinion is coming soon).

Justifications:

1. The Quran does not directly address the issue of a Muslim man keeping a beard. However, Muslim jurists normally take recourse to the apparent indication of the following verse of the Quran:

The unrestricted apparent indication (iṭlāq) of this verse suggests that altering any of God's creation is an act inspired by Satan. Consequently, proponents argue that shaving one's beard constitutes altering or changing God's creation, and since anything that changes God's creation is forbidden, shaving one's beard is forbidden (ḥarām).

However, it can be argued that interpreting the apparent indication of this verse in an unrestricted manner is inaccurate. According to scholars like Sayyid al-Khui (d. 1992), interpreting this verse unrestrictedly would imply that many daily activities that people engage in, such as making rivers, dams, planting new trees, gardening, cutting one's nails, shaving one's head, and so forth, would also have to be considered forbidden.² In addition to Sayyid al-Khui, many other prominent Muslim jurists have also claimed that this verse should not be interpreted in an unrestricted manner.

It is important to note that many renowned exegetes of the Quran such as Shaykh al-Ṭūsī (d. 1067), claim that the most suitable interpretation of ‘altering God’s creation’ is the destruction of Allah’s creation and not following the ordinances of Sharia.³ To include then, shaving one's beard within the scope of the aforementioned Quranic verse would be far-fetched and would require further evidence. This is because there is no direct or indirect verse in the Quran which indicates that shaving one’s beard is impermissible.

2. Despite the silence of the Quran on this matter, there are a few narrations that directly address the issue of shaving one’s beard, these include:

a. Muhamamd b. Ali b. Husayn reports that the Prophet said:

This narration is considered weak (ḍa'īf) from the perspective of its chain (sanad) of narrators. The narration, as reported by Shaykh al-Ṣadūq, is deemed weak because it has a disconnected chain (mursal), indicating that there are gaps in the sequence of narrators from one to the other. Furthermore, the fullnames of the narrators are not provided, leaving uncertainty as to the specific
individuals being referred to in the chain.

b. Husayn b. Ibrahimal-Maktab reports from Muhammad b. Jafar al-Asadi who reports from Musa b.
Imran al-Nakhi’I reporting from his uncle Husayn b. Yazid from Alī b. Ghorāb,from Jafar b. Muhammad, from his father, from his grandfather who said: The Holy Prophet (s) said:

This narration is also deemed weak by scholars of biography (rijāl), such as Sayyid al-Khui, due to the presence of a man named Muḥammad b. Ja’far al-Asadī in its chain.⁶ While some scholars of rijāl have considered him as trustworthy, many do not trust his narrations because he has narrated from weak sources, while others have remained silent about his status.⁷ Additionally, Hussain bin Yazīd, also known as Naufalī is present in the chain. Some scholars have accused him of committing exaggeration/extremism in belief (ghuluww) towards the end of his life, although this claim is not proven, and others have remained silent about him.⁸ Furthermore, Alī ibn Ghorāb is an unknown narrator. ⁹

Aside from the issue of questionable narrators, this narration as well as the first narration are singular narrations (akhbār al-aḥād) which contain a single chain of transmission, meaning they are not considered extensively narrated (mustafīḍ).¹⁰

c. There is a popular narration found in some works of jurisprudence which states that:

“The King of Iran dispatched two individuals to the Prophet. Upon their arrival, it was noticeable that they had shaved their beards and allowed their moustaches to grow. They claimed this was done in obedience to their Lord's command. The Prophet responded:

This narration is deemed weak by Sayyid al-Khui due to the unknown (majhūl) narrators mentioned in its chain of transmission.¹² Moreover, this narration cannot be sourced from the canon of hadith. Therefore, it cannot be relied upon.

d. It is reported by Abdullah from Muhammad who reports from Musa, who reports from his father, from his father who reports from his grandfather Jafar b. Muhammad from his father from his grandfather Ali b. Husayn from his father from Ali b.Abi Talib, who said that the Prophet said:

This narration poses numerous issues. Firstly, it is found in a book entitled al-Jʿafariyāt, which is believed to be authored by Mūsa ibn Ismāʿīl. However, this book does not possess an authentic chain of narrators. Secondly, some scholars have expressed concerns whether the book can in fact be attributed to Mūsa ibn Ismāʿīl.¹⁴ Thirdly, other scholars have even expressed that Mūsa ibn Ismāʿīl himself is an unknown narrator, and his credibility is not been established.¹⁵

From the perspective of the prohibition (ḥurma) mentioned in the narration, there are some considerations. The term ‘muthla’ refers to a situation where an individual intentionally inflicts a defect or disfigurement upon another person with the intent of insulting or harming them, such that the effects of the act become visible.¹⁶ Therefore, the narration indicates that the individual who shaves another person's beard with the intention of assault, crime, or insult is the one who is cursed. However, it does not apply to the case where an individual shaves their own beard or someone else's beard with their consent for the purposes of beautification, trimming, or other valid reasons.¹⁷

3. Some scholars like Sayyid al-Khui have claimed that there is consensus (ijma) amongst Muslim scholars that it is impermissible for a Muslim male to shave his beard. However, such a consensus cannot be proven prior to the 10th century amongst the Shia jurists. The impermissibility of shaving first seems to be appear in the works of al-Shahīd al-Awwal (d. 786/1333-4) and al-Miqdād b. Abd Allāh al-Ḥillī (al-Fāḍil al-Miqdād) (d. 826/1422-3).¹⁸

Moreover, scholars such as Fayḍ al-Kāshānī (d. 1091/1680) have also challenged the claim of a consensus on this issue. Kāshānī explicates that not all Shia scholars have claimed that shaving the beard is forbidden, merely a group of scholars have done this.¹⁹ This opinion is also held by Aḥmad b. Muḥammad Narāqī.²⁰

It is also important to note, that even if such a consensus were to be accepted, it would be questionable as it is based on the narrations above, which in themselves have many issues. Thus, it seems as if the non-permissibility of shaving only became popular (mashḥūr) amongst the Muslim community after the 10/11th century.²¹

4. Given the lack of reliable evidence from Sharia sources, one can take recourse to juristic maxim of the primacy of permissibility (aṣalat al-ibāha). According to such a principle, all actions are deemed permissible by the Sharia until they are proven to be impermissible. Due to the lack of reliable evidence, the primacy of permissibility would deem that shaving one’s beard is permissible. As such, one has the choice to either shave or keep their beard.

References

1. Quran (4:118-119)
2. Naraghi, Rasa'il and Masal,1, 264; Mousavi Khoei, Misbah al-Fiqahah, 1, 258.
3. Sheikh Tusi, al-Tabyan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, 3, 334; Tabarsi, Majma al-Bayan, 3, 173; Bahrani, Al-Hadaiq al-Nadirah, 5, 562; Tabatabayi, Al-Mizan, 5, 85; Mousavi Khoei, Misbah al-Fiqahah, 1, 258,; Tabrizi, Irshad al-Talib, 1, 145.
4. Wasa'il al-Shia Vol. 2, Section 2, Chapter 67, Hadith 1658.
5. Wasa'il al-Shia Vol. 2, Section 2, Chapter 67, Hadith 1660.
6. Mousavi Khoei, Misbah al-Fiqahah, 408.
7. Najashi, Rijal Najashi,1, 373; Allameh Hali, Kholasah al-Aqwal, 160.
8. Al-Fahrest, 1, 425; Ibn Dawud, Rijal Ibn Dawud, 1, 128; Allameh Hilli, Kholasah Al-Aqwal, 1, 216.
9. Sheikh Tusi, Al-Fahrst, 1, 280; Mousavi Khoui, Mujam Rijal al-Hadith, 12, 111.
10. The mustafīḍ is a report that has been narrated by more than two or three reporters on every level. The narrations mentioned here do not fulfil the criteria of an extensively narrated report/tradition.
11. Mousavi Khoei, Misbah al-Fiqahah, 1, 260.
12. Ibid.
13. Mustadrak 1:406.
14. Tabrizi, Irshad al-Talib, 1, 147.
15. Mousavi Khoei, Misbah al-Fiqahah,1, 259.
16. Tabrizi, Irshad al-Talib, 1, 147.
17. Mousavi Khoei, Misbah al-Fiqahah, 1, 260; Tabrizi, Irshad al-Talib, 1, 147.
18. Mousavi Khoei, Misbah al-Fiqahah, 1, 257.
19. Faiz Kashani, Al-Wafi, 6, 658; Bahrani, al-Hadaiq al-Nadrah, 5, 560.
20. Naraghi, Rasaila ve Masla, 1, 263.
21. Majlisi, Haliya al-Mutaqeen, 123; and Mousavi Khoei, Misbah al-Fiqahah, 1, 257. Both comment on the popularity (mashūr) view that is prevalent among the Muslims that it is obligatory to keep the beard.