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Islam permits, and in fact
requires, that the Muslim be careful about his appearance, dress decently, maintain his
dignity, and enjoy what Allah has created for the purpose of clothing and adornment.
From the Islamic point of view, clothing has two purposes: to cover the
body and to beautify the appearance. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala counts His bestowal of
clothing and adornment upon human beings as one of His favors to mankind: O children of Adam! Verily, We have bestowed upon
you clothing to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you.... (7:26) Whoever neglects either of these two aspects, covering or
adornment, has deviated from the way of Islam toward the path of Satan. Accordingly, Allah
warns people concerning both nakedness and neglect of good appearance, as these are snares
of Satan, in the following verses: O
children of Adam! Do not let Satan seduce in the same manner as he expelled your parents
(Adam and Eve) from the Garden, stripping them of their raiment in order to expose their
shame.... (7:27)
O children of Adam! Wear your
beautiful apparel at every place of worship, and eat and drink, but do not be wasteful.... (7:31)
Islam has made it obligatory on Muslims to cover their private parts,
which everyone naturally feels a sense of shame at exposing in order that they may be
distinguished from the naked animals; in fact, it instructs them to avoid uncovering these
parts of their bodies even when they are alone so that they may attain perfection in
morals and religion.
Bahaz ibn Hakim, on the authority of his grandfather, reported the
latter as saying: I asked, 'O
Messenger of Allah! What should we conceal and what can we show of our private parts?' He
replied, 'Let no one see them except your wife or your bondwoman.' I then asked, 'What if
some people live together (e.g., during travel, or camping)?' He replied, 'If you can
manage it, try not to let anyone see them ' I then said, 'And what if no one is present
(meaning if one is alone)?' He said, 'Allah Tabarak wa Ta'ala is most deserving of your
modesty.' (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Daoud,
al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah.)
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Before directing its attention
to the questions of adornment and good appearance, Islam addressed itself in considerable
depth to the question of cleanliness, for cleanliness is the essence of good appearance
and the beauty of every adornment.
It is reported that the Prophet (peace be on him) said:
"Cleanse yourself, for Islam is
cleanliness." (Reported by Ibn
Hayyan.) "Cleanliness invites toward faith, and faith leads its possessor
to the Garden. (Reported by
al-Tabarani.)" The Prophet (peace be on him) placed a great emphasis on keeping
the body, clothing, houses, and streets clean, and he laid special stress on cleaning the
teeth, hands, and hair. This emphasis on cleanliness is not to be wondered at in a
religion which makes cleanliness the key to its principle form of worship, salat, for
the Muslim's salat is not acceptable unless his body, clothing, and the place where
he performs his salat are all clean. In addition to this requirement' there are the
obligatory types of cleansing, either of the entire body in the form of ghusl (total
washing), or of those parts of the body which are exposed to dirt, in the form of wudu
(ablution for salat).
The desert environment of Arabia and the nomadic life of its people
were not very conducive to cleanliness and refinement, and most of them neglected these
aspects. The Prophet (peace be on him), with his lively instruction and to-the-point
admonition, gradually led them out of their uncouth habits and taught them refinement and
civil manners. Once a man approached the Prophet (peace be on him) with his hair and beard
disheveled. The Prophet (peace be on him) made some gestures as if asking the man to comb
his hair. He did so, and when he returned the Prophet (peace be on him) said to him,
"Is not this better than that one should
come with disheveled hair, looking like a devil?" (Reported by Malik in Al-Muwatta.)
On another occasion the Prophet (peace be on him)
saw a man with unkept hair and remarked, "Does he have nothing with which to comb his hair?" (Reported by Abu Daoud.) Upon seeing another man with dirty clothes he remarked,
"Cannot he find anything with which to wash
his clothes?" (Reported by Abu Daoud.)
A man came to the
Prophet (peace be on him) wearing cheap-looking garments. "Do you have
property?" the Prophet (peace be on him) asked him. "Yes," the man replied.
"What kind of property?" asked the Prophet (peace be on him). "Allah has
given me all kinds of wealth," he said. The Prophet (peace be on him) then said to
him, "Since Allah has given you wealth, let Him see the effects of His favor and
bounty upon you.'' (Reported by
al-Nisai.)
The Prophet insisted that people
come to general gatherings, such as the Friday and the 'Eid prayers, nicely dressed and
well-groomed. He said, If you can
afford it, it is befitting that you wear garments other than your working clothes to
Friday prayer. (Reported by Abu Daoud.)
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| Gold
and Pure Silk are Haram for Men
Beautification and elegance are not
merely permitted but are required by Islam, and in general it repudiates any attempts to
prohibit them. Say: Who has
forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants, and the good
things of His providing? (7:32)
Islam has, however, prohibited two kinds of adornment for men, while
permitting them to women. These are, first, gold ornaments and, second, clothing made of
pure silk. 'All reported that the Prophet (peace be on him) took some silk in his right
hand and some gold in his left, declaring, "These two are haram for the males among my
followers." (Reported by
Ahmad, Abu Daoud, al-Nisai, Ibn Hayyan, and lbn Majah, who reports the additional phrase,
"but halal for the females.") 'Umar
reported that he heard the Prophet (peace be on him) say, "Do not wear silk, for those who wear it in this life
shall not wear it in the Hereafter." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim. A Similar hadith is reported
by them on the authority of Anas.) On another occasion,
referring to a silken garment, he said, "This
is the dress of a man who has no character.'' (Reported by
al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
The Prophet (peace be on him) once saw
a gold ring on a man's hand. He immediately took it from him and threw it down saying,
'Does a person pick up a piece of burning coal
and hold it in his hand?' After the Prophet (peace be on him) had left the place, someone
asked the man, 'Why do you not pick it up and benefit from it?' He replied, 'No, by Allah!
I shall not pick it up after the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) has thrown it away.'
(Reported by
Muslim.)
The same prohibition which applies to
the gold ring likewise applies to what we observe among conspicuous spenders, i.e., the
gold pen, gold watch, gold cigarette case and lighter, gold teeth, etc.
The Prophet (peace be on him), however, permitted men to wear silver
rings. On the authority of Ibn'Umar, al-Bukhari reported the former saying, "The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him)
wore a silver ring. After him, Abu Bakr and then 'Umar and 'Uthman wore it, until it fell
off his finger into the well of Arees." (Reported by al-Bukhari in the chapter on "Clothing" (Al-Libas).) As for other metals such as iron, there are no sound texts
prohibiting them. On the contrary, in the Sahih of al-Bukhari we find that the
Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) advised a man who wanted to marry a woman to,
"Present her with a gift, even if it be ring
made of iron." On the basis of this hadith al-Bukhari
inferred the permissibility of iron rings.
The Prophet (peace be on him) made concessions in the wearing of silken
garments for medical reasons, as he gave 'Abd al-Rahman bin 'Auf and al-Zubayr bin
al-'Awwam, both of whom suffered from scabies, permission to wear silk. (Reported by
al-Bukhari.)
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| The
Wisdom of These Two Prohibitions Concerning Men
By means of these two
prohibitions which concern men, Islam's aim is to achieve certain noble educational and
moral objectives.
Since it is the relof jihad (striving) and strength, Islam must
safeguard the manly qualities of men from any show of weakness, passivity, and lethargy.
Allah has made the physique of the man different from that of the woman, and it does not
befit a man to wear clothes made of fine material or to adorn his body with costly
ornaments.
There is, however, a social aim underlying these prohibitions. The
prohibition of gold and silk to males is part of a broader Islamic program of combating
luxuriousness in living. From the Qur'anic point of view, luxurious living leads to
weakness among nations and to their eventual downfall; the existence of luxury is also an
expression of social injustice, as only a few can afford luxurious items at the expense of
the deprived masses of people.
In addition to this, luxurious living is an enemy of every call towards
truth, justice, and social reform. The Qur'an says: And when We intend that We should destroy a township, we permit its
luxury-loving people to commit wickedness therein. Then the word is proved true against
it, and We then destroy it utterly. (17:16) and
again, And We did not send a warner
to any township without its luxury-loving people saying, 'Assuredly we are disbelievers in
that with which you have been sent.' (34:34)
In keeping with the spirit of the Qur'an, the Prophet (peace be on him)
forbade Muslims any indulgence in conspicuous consumption. He not only forbade the use of
gold and silk to men but also forbade men and women alike the use of gold and silver
utensils.
Finally, economic considerations also carry some weight here. Since gold
is a universal medium of exchange, using it to make household utensils or ornaments for
men does not make sense in economic tenn6.
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| Why
Gold and Silk are Permitted to Women
Woman has been exempted from
this prohibition out of consideration for her feminine nature, as the love of jewelry and
ornaments is quite natural and becoming for a woman. However, she is not to use her
adornments to attract men and arouse their sexual desires. According to a hadith, When a woman puts on perfume and goes among
people so that its scent reaches them, she is an adulteress, and any eye which is
attracted to her is that of an adulterer. (Reported by al-Nisai, and also by Ibn Khazimah and
Ibn Hayyan in their respective Sahih's.)
And Allah Ta'ala warns women ...that they should not stamp their feet in order to make
apparent what is hidden of their adornment....
(24:31)
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| The
Dress of the Muslim Woman
Islam makes it haram for
women to wear clothes which fail to cover the body and which are transparent, revealing
what is underneath. It is likewise haram to wear tightly fitting clothes which
delineate the parts of the body, especially those parts which are sexually attractive. Abu
Hurairah narrated that the Messenger, of Allah (peace be on him) said, I will not be a witness for two types of people
who are destined for the Fire: people with whips, like the tails of cows, who beat the
people (i.e., tyrannical rulers who are the enemies of their own people), and women who,
although clothed, are yet naked, seducing and being seduced, their hair styled like the
tilted humps of camels. These will not enter the Garden nor will its fragrance even reach
them, although its fragrance reaches a very great distance. (Reported by Muslim.)
The Prophet (peace be on him)
described such women as being clothed, yet naked, since their clothing, being transparent
and fine, does not do the job of conceling the body but is rather intended to reveal it;
such is the dress of the women of our time. The Prophet (peace be on him) likened their
hair-style to the hump of a special breed of camel (bakht) which has very large
humps, because they put up their hair in a beehive shape from the middle of their heads.
It is as if the Prophet (peace be on him) were looking beyond the centuries to the present
age, when dressing the hair of women and styling it in variety of shapes has become a
profession dominated by men who charge top prices for their work. And this is not all.
Many women, not satisfied with what Allah gave them in the way of natural hair, buy wigs
made of artificial hair to add to their own in order to increase its body, beauty, and
luster, imagining that this renders them better looking and more sexually attractive.
The astonishing thing about this hadith is the connection of
political oppression with moral laxity. This connection is borne out by facts, since it is
the way of rulers to keep people preoccupied with their personal desires and lusts so that
they have no time to think about public affairs.
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| Concerning
Woman's Imitating Man and Vice Versa
The Prophet (peace be on him)
declared that a woman should not wear a man's clothing nor a man a woman's. He cursed men
who imitate women and women who imitate men. (Reported by al-Bukhari and others.)
Aspects of such imitation include the manner of speaking, walking, dressing, moving and so
on.
The evil of such conduct, which affects both the life of the individual
and of society, is that it constitutes a rebellion against the natural ordering of things.
According to this natural order, there are men and there are women, and each of the two
sexes has its own distinctive characteristics. However, if men become effeminate and women
masculinized, this natural order will be reversed and will disintegrate.
Among those who are cursed by Allah and His angels, both in this world and
in the Hereafter, the Prophet (peace be on him) has mentioned the man whom Allah has made
a male but who becomes effeminate by imitating women, and a woman whom Allah has made a
female but who becomes masculinized by imitating men. (Reported by
al-Tabarani.)
For this reason the Prophet (peace
be on him) forbade men to wear fabric decorated with large, loud, or bold designs. In his Sahih,
Muslim reported 'All as saying, The
Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) forbade me the wearing of a gold ring, a silken
garment, and clothing with bold designs.
Muslim also reports a hadith from Ibn 'Umar,
who said, "The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) saw me wearing two garments
having bold designs, and he said, "This
is what unbelievers wear. Do not wear such things."
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The general rule for the
enjoyment of the good things of life, such as food, drink, and clothing, is that their use
should be without extravagance or pride.
Extravagance consists of exceeding the limits of what is beneficial in
the use of the halal, while pride is something related to the intention and the
heart rather than to what is apparent. Pride is the intention to look superior and above
others, and Allah does not love any
proud boaster. (57:23) The Prophet (peace be on
him) said: "On the Day of
Resurrection, Allah will not look at the person who trails his robe behind him out of
pride." (Agreed upon by
Bukhari and Muslim.)
In order to avoid even the suspicion of
pride, the Prophet (peace be on him) forbade Muslims to wear garments of "fame"
that is, clothes which are worn in order to impress others and which generate competition
in vain and idle pursuits. According to a hadith, On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will clothe the one who
wears garments of fame with the garments of humiliation. (Reported by Ahmad, Abu
Daoud, al-Nisai, and Ibn Majah.)
A man asked Ibn 'Umar, "What kind of clothes shall I wear?" Ibn
'Umar replied, "Such as
would neither invite the scorn of the weak-minded (because of their being cheap and ugly)
nor the blame of the wise (because of their being immoderately expensive)."
(Reported by al-Tabarani.)
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Islam denounces such
excesses in beautifying oneself as require altering one's physical features as Allah
created them. The Qur'an considers such alterations as inspired by Satan, who
...will command them (his devotees) to change
what Allah has created... (4:119)
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Among such excesses are
tattooing and shortening the teeth. (A
beautification practice of the pre-IslaArabs. (Trans.)) The Messenger of Allah (peace beon him) cursed the tattooer and the one
who is tattooed, the shortener of teeth and the one whose teeth are shortened. (Reported by Muslim.)
As far as tattooing is concerned, it
permanently disfigures the face and other parts of the body with blue pigment and
repulsive designs. Some Arabs, especially women, were in the habit of tattooing large
portions of their bodies, while people of certain religious sects tattooed pictures of
their deities or religious rituals on their hands and chests. To all these abominations is
added the pain and agony which the person being tattooed must undergo from the pricking of
the needles. Because all of this, both the tattooer and the one who is tattooed have been
cursed.
As for cutting or shortening the teeth, the Prophet (peace be on him)
cursed both the men and the women who do it and the women who request it. If a man does
it, he merits an even greater curse. Similarly, the Prophet (peace be on him) prohibited
widening the spaces between the teeth, and he cursed ...Women who widen the gaps between their own or others' teeth for the
sake of beauty, changing what Allah has created.
Now, Allah obviously created
some women with gaps between their teeth and others without. Some women who have no such
gaps desire to create them artificially, either by filing or by cutting away parts of the
adjoining teeth. Islam considers this a form of deception and excessive involvement with
personal beauty, both of which it discourages.
From these ahadith of the Prophet (peace be on him), we also
know the ruling of the Islamic Shari'ah concerning plastic surgery. Surgeries for
beautification are in vogue today as the result of the materialistic outlook of Western
civilization, a civilization stressing the body and its desires. Men and women spend
hundreds and thousands of dollars to reshape their noses or breasts, or whatever they
consider misshapen. This behavior most certainly belongs in the category of excessive
beautification, unnecessarily changing what Allah has created, and it merits the curse of
Allah and His Prophet (peace be on him). It likewise involves torture, pain, and waste of
money merely for the sake of one's appearance; it is, moreover, an expression of an
individual's preoccupation with form rather than substance, with body rather than with
spirit.
It may happen that a person has an unusual physical defect which attracts the attention of
others to the point of inflicting physical and psychological pain every time he meets
people. In this case, he may treat the defect and thus alleviate the embarrassment which
made his life miserable. Allah the Most Merciful has imposed no hardship on us in
religion.... (Al Bahee al-Khooly, Al
Mar'ah Bain al-Bait wal-Mujtama', 2nd edition, p. 105.)
This statement is perhaps supported
by the hadith concerning widening the gap between the teeth for the sake of
beautification, for what is disapproved here is doing this merely for the sake of
achieving good looks and artificial beauty. However, if it is needed to eliminate pain or
distress, there is nothing wrong with it; but Allah knows best.
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Among the extremes of
beautification prohibited by Islam is al-nams, which denotes removing the hair of
the eyebrows by plucking in order to thin or shape them. The Prophet (peace be on him)
cursed both the women who do the plucking and those who seek to have it done. (Narrated by Abu Daoud on good authority.) This practice is particularly frowned upon because it is
customarily done by prostitutes.
According to some Hanbali scholars, if the husband approves it, the
removal of facial hair (other than that of the eyebrows) and the use of powder, creams,
and other beauty aids are permitted to women, as this is part of feminine adornment.
Al-Nawawi is somewhat more strict, considering the removal of facial hair to be al-nams
and hence forbidden. In contrast to his opinion, we may, however, mention Abu Daud's
statement in his Sunan that "al-nams is plucking the eyebrows in order
to thin them," from which we may conclude that al-nams does not include the
removal of facial hair.
Al-Tabari reports a narrative concerning the wife of Abu
Ishaq, who
loved to beautify herself. Once she visited 'Aisha and asked, "What if a woman
removes the hair from her forehead to please her husband?" 'Aisha replied,
"Remove what is harmful from yourselves whenever possible."(Fath al-Bari, under the explanation of the hadith
by Ibn Mas'ood in the chapter entitled "Pluckers of Eyebrows," in the book Clothing.)
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In the category of female
adornments, the addition of any other hair, real or artificial, to one's own
hair—that is, the wearing of wigs and hairpieces—is also prohibited.
It is reported by al-Bukhari on the authority of
'Aisha, her sister Asma, Ibn Mas'ood, Ibn 'Umar, and Abu Hurairah that "The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) cursed al-wasilah and
al-mustawsilah,"
al-mustawsilah,"
wasilah denoting a
woman whose profession is making wigs and hairpieces' and mustawsilah a woman who
uses them.
Men are prohibited such things to an even greater degree, whether they
are a wasil (coiffeur or hairdresser) or a mustawsil, like today's
effeminate, long-haired young men of the "hippie" mould.
The Prophet (peace be on him) was very strict in combating such
deceptions, so much so that if a woman lost her hair due to some illness, he did not
permit her to add other hair to that on her head, even if she were soon to be married.
Al-Bukhari reports 'Aisha's narrative concerning a girl of the Ansar who was married and
subsequently fell ill, losing her hair. Some people wanted to add other hair to her own,
but when they asked the Prophet (peace be on him) about this he replied, Allah has cursed the wasilah and the mustawsilah
(Reported by al-Bukhari, in his book Clothing, in the chapter entitled "Adding to the
Hair")
Al-Bukhari also reports Asma's
narrative concerning a woman who said to the Prophet (peace be on him), "O Messenger
of Allah, since my daughter has had measles, her hair has fallen out, and I am about to
give her in marriage. Shall I add some strands of hair to her hair?" and the Prophet
(peace be on him) replied, "Allah
has cursed the wasilah and the mustawsilah. (Reported by al-Bukhari.)"
Sa'id ibn al-Musayab narrated
that Mu'awiyah delivered a public address during his last visit to Madinah. In the course
of it he took out a strand of hair, saying, "I have not seen anyone using this
besides the Jews. Indeed, the Prophet (peace be on him), referring to the adding of hair
to one's own hair, called it forgery." According to another report, he said to the
people of Madinah, "Where are your scholars? I heard the Prophet (peace be on him)
prohibiting the use of this and saying, 'The
Children of Israel were destroyed when their women started using this.' "
The Prophet's terming the use of false hair "a forgery"
indicates the reason for its prohibition. It is, in fact, fraud, falsification, and
deception, and Islam condemns deception and dissociates itself from those who practice it
either by material or psychological means, for "The one who deceives us is not of us." (Reported by a number of sahabah (Companions
of the Prophet).)
Khattabi said, Harsh punishments are
promised (in the Hereafter for such practices because they involve deception and fraud. If
any of these is allowed, the door will be open for other types of forgeries. Moreover,
this involves the alteration of God-given features, as mentioned in the hadith of
Ibn Mas'ood concerning 'The alterers of Allah's creation. (Fath al-Bari, in the chapter entitled "Adding to
the Hair.")
What is prohibited in these ahadith
is the addition of other hair whether natural or artificial, to one's own, as this is
a form of deceit and fraud. What is not included in this prohibition is the use of
material other than hair, such as thread or cloth, which can be interwover with natural
hair. On the authority of Sa'id ibn Jubair, we have the saying of the Prophet (peace be on
him): There is nothing wrong with tawamil, (Mentioned in Fath al-Bari on the authority
of Abu Daoud.) meaning the use of wool or silk to make
braids. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal haalso commented on its permissibility.
(Fath al-Bari.)
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Another aspect of
beautification relates to dyeing the gray hair of the head or the beard. It was reported
that the Jews and Christians refrained from dyeing the hair, regarding such beautification
and adornment as contrary to piety and devotion, and not befitting rabbis, priests, and
ascetics. The Prophet (peace be on him) forbade Muslims to imitate these people or follow
their ways, in order that Muslims might develop their own distinctive and independent
characteristics in appearance and behavior.
Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Abu
Hurairah, reported the Messenger of
Allah (peace be on him) as saying, "The
Jews and Christians do not dye their hair, so be different from them." (Reported in al-Bukhari's chapter on "Dyeing
the Hair" in his book Clothing.) This is,
however, not a command but only a recommendation, as is evident from the actions of the sahabah,
such as Abu Bakr and 'Umar, who used to dye their hair, while others, such as 'All,
Ubay ibn Ka'b, and Anas did not.
The question now remains as to what type of dye is to be used. Should
its color be black or can there be other colors? Or should black be avoided? If a man is
of a very advanced age, with white hair and beard, it would hardly be appropriate for him
to use black dye. On the day of the conquest of Makkah, Abu Bakr brought his aged father,
Abu Qahafah, carrying him until he had seated him in front of the Prophet (peace be on
him). On seeing Abu Qahafah's snow-white hair, the Prophet (peace be on him) said,
"Change this, but avoid black."
(Fath
al-Bari, in explaining the above mentioned hadith (in the chapter on
"Dyeing) However, if a man is not of such advanced
age or feebleness as Abu Qahafah then was, there is no harm in his using black dye. In
this regard al-Zuhri said, "We dyed our hair black when the face looked young, but
discarded it when the face became wrinkled and the teeth decayed."(Reported by Ibn Abu
'Asim in the book on
"Dyeing the Hair.")
Some of the early Muslims, including
some sahabah such as Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, 'Uqbah ibn 'Amr, al-Hassan, al-Hussein,
Jarir, and others permitted the use of black dye. Some scholars, on the other hand, do not
consider the use of black hair dye as permissible except during time of war, when the
enemy might be impressed by the fact that all the soldiers of the Muslim army look young.
Abu Dharr narrated the hadith, The best thing with which to dye gray hair is henna and katm. (Mentioned in Fath al-Bari.) Henna makes the hair red, while katm, a plant from Yemen,
colors it black tinged with red. Said Anas, "Abu Bakr dyed his hair with henna and katm,
and 'Umar dyed it with henna only."
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The growing of beards is also related to our topic.
Al-Bukhari, on the
authority of Ibn 'Umar, reported the Prophet (peace be on him) as saying, "Be different from the polytheists (mushrikeen):
let the beard grow and trim the moustache." The purpose here, as the hadith states, is to be different from the polytheists,
who, in the particular instance cited, were Zoroastrians, the worshippers of fire, whose
practice was either to clip or shave their beards. The Prophet's command to be different
from them was intended to train the Muslims in developing an independent personality,
distinct in its inner reality as well as in outward appearance, in substance as well as in
form. At the same time, shaving the beard is an affront to the masculine nature, as it is
an attempt to resemble women, while the beard is an integral part of masculinity and a
distinctive feature of the male sex.
However, letting the beard grow does not mean letting it grow wild or so
long that it becomes a nuisance. One should certainly trim it in both length and breadth.
This has been recommended in a hadith reported by al-Tirmidhi; moreover, the
Muslims of the first generations did so. Said 'Ayyad, (The twelfth century author of a well known hook about the characteristics
of the Prophet. (Trans.)) "It is makruh to
shave the beard or to drastically cut or shorten it, but it is mustahab (commendable)
to remove something from its length and breadth if it grows big."
Abu Shamah voiced the complaint that "Some people have started
shaving their beards, and that is a step further than the Zoroastrians, who used only to
trim them." (Fath al-Bari, in
the chapter entitled "Growing Beards.") In my
view it is regrettable that at the present time the majority of Muslims shave their beards
in imitation of the foreign elements who have occupied their lands. It is an unfortunate
fact that the conquered always imitate their conquerors. Today's Muslims have ignored the
Prophet's command that they be different from non-believers and avoid imitating them.
Indeed, anyone who "imitates a
people is one of them." (A hadith
reported by Abu Daoud on the authority of Ibn 'Umar.)
A large number of jurists consider
shaving the beard to be haram on the basis of the Prophet's command. This command
to let the beard grow renders it an obligation, especially because it is for the purpose
of being different from non-Muslims, since maintenance of this distinction from those who
do not believe is obligatory for Muslims.
It has never been reported that any of the Muslims of the earliest
generations neglected this obligation. However, some modern scholars permit the shaving of
the beard under the impact of events in response to public opinion, arguing that the
growing of the beard was a personal preference of the Prophet (peace be on him) which was
not related to religious practice, and hence it need not be followed. But the truth of
this matter is that growing the beard is required not merely because the Prophet (peace be
on him) had one but because he explicitly commanded it in order to maintain the
distinction from non-believers. Ibn Taymiyyah has convincingly argued that to make the
Muslims different from non-believers was the aim of the Law-Giver, for resemblance in
appearance produces love, friendship, and affinity in feeling, just as love in the heart
produces resemblance in outward appearance. This psychological fact is borne out by
experience and observation. Says Ibn Taymiyyah:
The Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of Muslim scholars all teach Muslims to
be distinct from nonbelievers and in general to avoid resembling them. Anything which is
likely to cause corruption in a hidden and diffuse manner is related to this matter and is
likewise prohibited. The imitation of the appearance of the non-believers will lead to
imitation of their immoral behavior and evil qualities—indeed, even of their beliefs.
Such influences can neither be brought under control nor easily detected, and consequently
it becomes difficult or even impossible to eradicate them. Accordingly, whatever is a
cause of corruption has been prohibited by the Law-Giver. (Refer to Kitab Iqtida
al-Sirat al-Mustaqeem.)
Thus, we note that there are
three opinions with regard to the shaving of the beard: one, that it is haram, which
is the opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah and others; two, that it is makruh, the opinion of
'Ayyad as mentioned in Al-Fatah al-Bari but of no one else; and three, that it is
permitted, which is the opinion of some modern scholars. Perhaps the second opinion, that
it is makruh, is nearer to the truth and more moderate. As the stated reason for
growing the beard is to be different from the non-believers, it is similar to the matter
of dyeing gray hair in order to be distinct from the Jews and Christians; it is known that
some of the sahabah did not dye their gray hair, signifying that it was commendable
rather than obligatory. Similarly, growing the beard may be regarded as commendable but
not obligatory, and, accordingly, shaving it would be classified as makruh rather
than haram. It is true that none of the sahabah was known to have shaved his
beard. Perhaps there was no need to shave, and perhaps growing the beard was a custom
among them.
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