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Do I have to follow one Imam and also keep a beard?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

I’m  a muslim boy of 15,I would me grateful if you could answer my questions according to hanafi madhab

  • Can we follow somethings from all madhabs and sects like hananfi,hanabali,sufi,salafi,ahl sunnah etc.?
  • I dont have a beard ,but I have facial hairs like other teens,my mother says that since I don’t have a beard I can cut these hairs of the neck,face,moustache area etc.and I can keep a beard if i want when I grow up.So should I follow her order ,or should I not cut my facial hairs.Beacause the Prophet  (PBUH)said”Lenghten your beards”
  • Thank you
Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

1) As a follower of the Hanafī madh`hab it is incumbent upon you to follow the madh`hab of Imam Abū Hanīfah (rahimahullāh)[1] and place your trust in the rulings he derived from the Qur’ān and Sunnah as he was a great Imam who lived amongst the companions of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and sought his knowledge from them.

For more information, you may refer to the following:

The Legal Status of Following a Madh`hab by Mufti Taqi Uthmani (rahimahullāh)

Differences of the Four Imams by Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyyah Kandhlawi (rahimahullāh)

Askimam Article – The Obligation of Adhering to a Single Madhhab in all its Rulings

Askimam Q&A Regarding Common Objections against Taqlīd

2) It is impermissible to cut the beard[2] even if it is very small in length.[3] However, it is permissible to trim the moustache[4] and remove the hair on the neck[5].

It is important to note that keeping a beard has been mentioned as an act related to fitrah or a natural feature bestowed to man by Allāh Ta`ālā. The Messenger of Allāh (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

عَشْرٌ مِنَ الْفِطْرَةِ: قَصُّ الشَّارِبِ، وَإِعْفَاءُ اللِّحْيَةِ، وَالسِّوَاكُ، وَاسْتِنْشَاقُ الْمَاءِ، وَقَصُّ الْأَظْفَارِ، وَغَسْلُ الْبَرَاجِمِ، وَنَتْفُ الْإِبِطِ، وَحَلْقُ الْعَانَةِ، وَانْتِقَاصُ الْمَاءِ

Ten acts are according to fitrah (natural disposition): clipping the moustache, letting the beard grow, using the tooth-stick, snuffing water in the nose, cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the hair under the armpits, shaving the pubes and cleaning one’s private parts with water.[6] 

Furthermore, during the time of our beloved prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam), it was prevalent among polytheists and those who did not follow a divine religion (i.e. a religion other than Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) to refrain from growing a beard. This is apparent from the following two ahādith:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «جُزُّوا الشَّوَارِبَ، وَأَرْخُوا اللِّحَى خَالِفُوا الْمَجُوسَ»

The Messenger of Allāh (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said: Trim closely the moustache, and grow the beard, and thus act against the fire-worshippers.[7]

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: ” خَالِفُوا المُشْرِكِينَ: وَفِّرُوا اللِّحَى، وَأَحْفُوا الشَّوَارِبَ ” وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ: «إِذَا حَجَّ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ قَبَضَ عَلَى لِحْيَتِهِ، فَمَا فَضَلَ أَخَذَهُ»

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn `Umar (radiyallāhu `anh) that the Messenger of Allāh (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Do the opposite of what the pagans do. Keep the beards and cut the moustaches short.’ (The narrator from Ibn `Umar radiyallāhu `anh says:) Whenever Ibn `Umar performed the Hajj or `Umra, he used to hold his beard with his hand and cut whatever remained.[8]

From the above one can see the significance of keeping a beard, especially when it is a direct command of our beloved Nabī ﷺ. We advise you to kindly explain the importance of keeping a beard to your parents so they may also understand your position on the matter.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Bilal Mohammad

Student Darul Iftaa
New Jersey, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net


[1] [قال الحصكفي] ارْتَحَلَ إلَى مَذْهَبِ الشَّافِعِيِّ يُعَزَّرُ سِرَاجِيَّةٌ.

[قال ابن عابدين] وَأَمَّا غَيْرُهُ مِمَّنْ قَالَ أَنَا حَنَفِيٌّ أَوْ شَافِعِيٌّ لَمْ يَصِرْ كَذَلِكَ بِمُجَرَّدِ الْقَوْلِ كَقَوْلِهِ أَنَا فَقِيهٌ أَوْ نَحْوِيٌّ اهـ وَتَقَدَّمَ تَمَامُ ذَلِكَ فِي الْمُقَدِّمَةِ أَوَّلَ هَذَا الشَّرْحِ، وَإِنَّمَا أَطَلْنَا فِي ذَلِكَ لِئَلَّا يَغْتَرَّ بَعْضُ الْجَهَلَةِ بِمَا يَقَعُ فِي الْكُتُبِ مِنْ إطْلَاقِ بَعْضِ الْعِبَارَاتِ الْمُوهِمَةِ خِلَافَ الْمُرَادِ فَيَحْمِلُهُمْ عَلَى تَنْقِيصِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْمُجْتَهِدِينَ، فَإِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ حَاشَاهُمْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَنْ يُرِيدُوا الِازْدِرَاءَ بِمَذْهَبِ الشَّافِعِيِّ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ، بَلْ يُطْلِقُونَ تِلْكَ الْعِبَارَاتِ بِالْمَنْعِ مِنْ الِانْتِقَالِ خَوْفًا مِنْ التَّلَاعُبِ بِمَذَاهِبِ الْمُجْتَهِدِينَ، نَفَعَنَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِمْ، وَأَمَاتَنَا عَلَى حُبِّهِمْ آمِينَ.

يَدُلُّ لِذَلِكَ مَا فِي الْقُنْيَةِ رَامِزًا لِبَعْضِ كُتُبِ الْمَذْهَبِ: لَيْسَ لِلْعَامِّيِّ أَنْ يَتَحَوَّلَ مِنْ مَذْهَبٍ إلَى مَذْهَبٍ

(رد المحتار علي الدر المختار، ج ٤، ص ٨٠، ايج ايم سعيد كمبني)

[2] وَفِيهِ: قَطَعَتْ شَعْرَ رَأْسِهَا أَثِمَتْ وَلُعِنَتْ زَادَ فِي الْبَزَّازِيَّةِ وَإِنْ بِإِذْنِ الزَّوْجِ لِأَنَّهُ لَا طَاعَةَ لِمَخْلُوقٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الْخَالِقِ، وَلِذَا يَحْرُمُ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ قَطْعُ لِحْيَتِهِ

(الدر المختار مع حاشية ابن عابدين، ج ٦، ص ٤٠٧، ايج ايم سعيد كمبني)

[3] Fatāwā Mahmūdiyyah, v. 27 p. 480, Maktabah Mahmūdiyyah;

Fatāwā Rahīmiyyah, v. 10 p. 118, Dārul Ishā`at;

(قَوْلُهُ: وَأَمَّا الْأَخْذُ مِنْهَا إلَخْ) بِهَذَا وَفَّقَ فِي الْفَتْحِ بَيْنَ مَا مَرَّ وَبَيْنَ مَا فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْهُ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – «أَحْفُوا الشَّوَارِبَ وَاعْفُوا اللِّحْيَةَ» قَالَ: لِأَنَّهُ صَحَّ عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَاوِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَأْخُذُ الْفَاضِلَ عَنْ الْقَبْضَةِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يُحْمَلْ عَلَى النَّسْخِ كَمَا هُوَ أَصْلُنَا فِي عَمَلِ الرَّاوِي عَلَى خِلَافِ مَرْوِيِّهِ مَعَ أَنَّهُ رُوِيَ عَنْ غَيْرِ الرَّاوِي وَعَنْ النَّبِيِّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – يُحْمَلُ الْإِعْفَاءُ عَلَى إعْفَائِهَا عَنْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ غَالِبَهَا أَوْ كُلَّهَا كَمَا هُوَ فِعْلُ مَجُوسِ الْأَعَاجِمِ مِنْ حَلْقِ لِحَاهُمْ، وَيُؤَيِّدُهُ مَا فِي مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْهُ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – «جُزُّوا الشَّوَارِبَ وَاعْفُوا اللِّحَى خَالِفُوا الْمَجُوسَ» فَهَذِهِ الْجُمْلَةُ وَاقِعَةٌ مَوْقِعَ التَّعْلِيلِ، وَأَمَّا الْأَخْذُ مِنْهَا وَهِيَ دُونَ ذَلِكَ كَمَا يَفْعَلُهُ بَعْضُ الْمَغَارِبَةِ، وَمُخَنَّثَةُ الرِّجَالِ فَلَمْ يُبِحْهُ أَحَدٌ اهـ مُلَخَّصًا. .

(رد المحتار علي الدر المختار، ج ٢، ص ٤١٨، ايج ايم سعيد كمبني)

[4] Imdādul Ahkām, v. 4 p. 334, Maktabah Dārul Uloom Karachi;

Fatāwā Mahmūdiyyah, v. 27 p. 504, Maktabah Mahmūdiyyah;

(وَالسُّنَّةُ: تَقْلِيمُ الْأَظْفَارِ، وَنَتْفُ الْإِبِطِ، وَحَلْقُ الْعَانَةِ وَالشَّارِبِ، وَقَصُّهُ أَحْسَنُ) وَهَذِهِ مِنْ سُنَنِ الْخَلِيلِ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْه، وَفَعَلَهَا نَبِيُّنَا – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – وَأَمَرَ بِهَا، وَقِيلَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ قَصَّ الشَّارِبَ وَاخْتَتَنَ وَقَلَّمَ الْأَظْفَارَ وَرَأَى الشَّيْبَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ – عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ -. قَالَ الطَّحَاوِيُّ فِي شَرْحِ الْآثَارِ: قَصُّ الشَّارِبِ حَسَنٌ، وَهُوَ أَنْ تَأْخُذَ حَتَّى يَنْتَقِصَ عَنِ الْإِطَارِ وَهُوَ الطَّرَفُ الْأَعْلَى مِنَ الشَّفَةِ الْعُلْيَا. قَالَ: وَالْحَلْقُ سُنَّةٌ وَهُوَ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ الْقَصِّ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَصْحَابِنَا. قَالَ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ -: «أَحْفُوا الشَّارِبَ وَأَعْفُوا اللِّحَى» ؛ وَالْإِحْفَاءُ الِاسْتِئْصَالُ

(الإختيار لتعليل المختار، ج ٤، ص ١٥٠، الرسالة العالمية)

[5] Imdādul Ahkām, v. 4 p. 334, Maktabah Dārul Uloom Karachi

[6] Muslim, 261, The Book of Purification

[7] Ibid., 260

[8] Bukhārī, 5892, The Book of Dress

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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