Q:
1. How long was the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam’s) beard?
2. Did the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) trim his beard if it was longer than a fist?
3. What is the Shariah ruling of keeping a beard longer than a fist?
4. Is the following information about the length of the beard correct? Please provide reference.
THE BEARD: Abū Zur’ah (one of Salaf) said: “Abū Hurayrah used to take a hand hold from his beard then cut what was more than a fistful.” [مصنف ٨٣٥٦]
Imām Abū Ḥaneefah رحمه الله: “It is said; ‘Whoever has a long beard (more than fistful), he has no intellect’.” [الثقات لابن حبان ٩١٦٢]
Imām ash-Shāfi’ī رحمه الله: “When the beard is lengthened (more than a fist-length), the intellect is shortened.” [الوافي بالوفيات ٢١٢٣]
al-Qāḍī ‘Iyyaḍ رحمه الله: “As for taking from (a beard longer than a fistful), its length and its width, it is good.” [إكمال المعلم ٢٣٦]
Shaykh al-Albānī: “It (trimming hair from beard that exceeds fist-length) is reported from Companions & no one opposed them.” [الهدى والنور]
A: 1 – 2. Great sahaabah had followed every way of Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and they kept their beard at one fist length.
3. It is permissible.
4. We have not come across the statements of Imaam Abu Hanifah and Imaam Shafi`ee regarding intellect.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)