Length of Beard in Islam - Thought of the four Madhabs

This is the full hashiyah from the hashiya of Tuhfah:

قوله: (وكنفي المخنث) وهو المتشبه للنساء وقوله للمصلحة منها دفع من ينظر إليه حين التشبه أو من يريد التشبه بالنساء بأن يفعل مثل فعله اهلع ش قوله: (ثم التعزير الخ) أشار به إلى أن قول المصنف بحبس الخ متعلق بقوله المار يعزر الخ قوله: (وعليه) أي المعتمد المذكور قوله: (به) أي من الضرب فالباء بمعنى من قوله: (أعلى) أي من الضرب قوله: (لذلك) أي لعدم الإفادة قوله: (وعلى هذا) أي فعل الأعلى عند عدم إفادة الجميع يحمل ما مر عن الرافعي لا يخفي بعد هذا الحمل قوله: (ما يأتي قريباً، أي في شرح وقيل إن تعلق بآدمي الخ قوله: (وهو الضرب) إلى قوله انتهى في النهاية وكذا في المغني إلا قوله أو بسطها قوله: (أو تغريب) سيأتي بيان مدته قوله: (أو قيام) الأولى أو إقامة كما في الأسنى قوله: (أو تسويد وجه) أي أو الإعراض عنه اهـ مغني قوله: (وحلق رأس) أي لمن يكرهه في زمننا اهـ نهاية قوله: (لا لحية) أي لا يجوز التعزير بحلقها وإن أجزأ لو فعله الإمام اهـع ش وحلبي وسم على المنهج قوله: (على كراهته التي عليها الشيخان) وآخرون وهي الأصح اها نهاية أي إذا فعله بنفسه ع ش قوله: (فلا وجه للمنع الخ) خلافاً للنهاية والمغني وشرحي المنهج والروضا قوله: (أو المعزر عليه) أو بمعنى الواو قوله: (فيه) أي حلق اللحية قوله: (تمثيل) أي تغيير للخلقة قوله: (عن المثلة) بضم فسكون وبضمتين قوله: (ومع تسويد الوجه) لعل الواو بمعنى أو لأن في الحلق مع ملازمة البيت أمرين لا ثلاثة قوله: (إذ للإمام الخ) لعل الأولى والإمام الخ قوله: (وإركابه) إلى قوله ويصلي في النهاية وإلى قوله فإن قلت في المغني قوله: (الحمار) أي مثلاً اهـ

 

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حواشي الشرواني وابن قاسم العبادي على تحفة المحتاج في شرح المنهاج

 

* Tuhfat al-muhtaj bi Sharh al-minhaj

 

In the Hashiyah of Tuhfah of Ibn al-Qasim:
قوله: (على كراهته التي عليها الشيخان) وآخرون وهي الأصح اها نهاية أي إذا فعله بنفسه ع ش

https://islamweb.net/ar/library/index.php?page=bookcontents&ID=9754&bk_no=20&flag=1

Print version: Hashiya Tuhfa al-Minhaj of Ibn al-Qasim and Allamah al-Shirwani, 11:538, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya

 

P. 163 of the same book ---

عن المثلة، قلت ممنوع لإمكان ملازمته لبيته حتى تعود فغايته أنه كحبس دون سنة مع ضرب دون الحد ومع تسويد الوجه إذ للإمام الجمع بين أنواع منه كما يأتي وإركابه الحمار منكوسا والدوران به كذلك بين الناس وتهديده بأنواع العقوبات قال الماوردي أو صلبه حيا لخبر فيه ولا يجاوز ثلاثة أيام ولا يمنع طعاما وشرابا ووضوءا ويصلي بالإيماء واعترض تجويزه بأنه يؤدي إلى الصلاة بالإيماء من غير ضرورة إليه أي بالنسبة للإمام فلم يجز له التسبب فيه، فإن قلت ظاهر إطلاقهم أو صريحه أن له حبسه حتى عن الجمعة فقياسه هذا قلت قد يفرق بأن الإيماء أضيق عذرا منها فسومح فيها بما لم يسامح فيه، وبأن الخبر الذي ذكره غير معروف، ويتعين على الإمام أن يفعل من هذه الأنواع في حق كل معزر ما يراه لائقا به وبجنايته وأن يراعي في الترتيب والتدريج ما يراعيه في دفع الصائل فلا يرقى لرتبة وهو يرى ما دونها كافيا فأو هنا للتنويع ويصح كونها لمطلق الجمع إذ للإمام الجمع بين نوعين أو أكثر منها بحسب ما يراه، وقول ابن الرفعة إذا جمع بين الحبس والضرب ينبغي نقصه نقصا إذا عدل معه الحبس بضربات لا تبلغ ذلك أدنى الحدود نظر فيه الأذرعي بأنه لو نظر لتعديل مدة حبسه بالجلدات لما جاز حبسه قريب سنة وبأن الجلد والتغريب حد واحد وإن اختلف جنسه، "ويجتهد الإمام في جنسه وقدره" كما تقرر لأنه غير مقدر شرعا فوكل إلى رأيه واجتهاده لاختلافه باختلاف مراتب الناس والمعاصي، وأفهم لكلامه أنه ليس لغير الإمام استيفاؤه نعم للأب والجد تأديب ولده الصغير والمجنون والسفيه للتعلم وسوء الأدب، وقول جمع الأصح أنه ليس لهما ضرب البالغ ولو سفيها يحمل على السفيه المهمل الذي ينفذ تصرفه ومثلهما الأم ومن نحو الصبي في كفالته كما بحثه الرافعي وغيره وللسيد تأديب قنه ولو لحق الله تعالى وللمعلم تأديب المتعلم منه لكن بإذن ولي المحجور وللزوج تعزير زوجته لحقه كالنشوز لا لحق الله تعالى أي الذي لا يبطل أو ينقص شيئا من حقوقه كما هو ظاهر ومن ثم بحث بعضهم أن له تأديب صغيرة للتعلم أو اعتياد الصلاة واجتناب المساوئ وبحث ابن البزري بكسر الموحدة أنه يلزمه أمر زوجته بالصلاة في أوقاتها وضربها عليها وهو متجه حتى في وجوب ضرب المكلفة لكن لا مطلقا بل إن توقف الفعل عليه ولم يخش أن يترتب عليه مشوش للعشرة يعسر تداركه "وقيل إن تعلق بآدمي لم يكف توبيخ" لتأكد حقه، ومنع ابن دقيق العيد ضرب المستور بالدرة الآن، لأنه صار عارا في الذرية وهو حسن لكن لا يساعده النقل قاله الأذرعي وأفتى ابن عبد السلام بإدامة حبس من يكثر الجناية على الناس ولم ينفع فيه التعزير حتى يموت "فإن جلد وجب أن ينقص" عن أقل حدود المعزر فينقص "في عبد عن عشرين جلدة" ونصف سنة في الحبس والتغريب "وحر عن أربعين" جلدة وسنة فيهما "وقيل" يجب النقص فيهما "عن عشرين" لخبر: "من بلغ حدا في غير حد فهو من المعتدين" لكنه مرسل وقيل لا يزادان على عشر للخبر المتفق عليه: "لا يجلد فوق عشرة أسواط إلا في حد من حدود الله تعالى"، واختاره كثيرون قالوا ولو بلغ الشافعي لقال به لكن نقل الرافعي عن بعضهم أنه منسوخ، واحتج له

 

Respected brother Umar99, I looked up this quote from Tuhfah (4:162) -

وظاهره حرمة حلقها وهو إنما يجيء على حرمته التي عليها أكثر المتأخرين

It seems the next portion is necessary to understand the whole passage - أما على كراهته التي عليها الشيخان وآخرون فلا وجه للمنع إذا رآه الإمام لخصوص المعزر أو المعزر عليه، فإن قلت فيه تمثيل وقد نهينا

It seems the author of Tuhfat al-Muhtaj and its hashiya by Allamah Shirwani رحمة الله تعلى عليه seem to indicate that the strongest opinion is that of Imam al-Nawawi and Imam al-Rafi`i in the Shafi`i school. This, in spite of being a Hanafi who believes the fistful is wajib.

 

http://jamiaturraza.com/session/29Aug09/38.mp3

http://jamiaturraza.com/session/9Feb14/6.mp3

http://jamiaturraza.com/session/18May14/9.mp3

 

It is my research

 

@Umar99 he asked you whether it is your own research or copy-paste. if the latter, please mention the source.

 

Well we know that a minority of the later Shāfiýī Fuqahā did say that trimming and shaving the beard is Makrūh Tanzīhī, this is not being denied, however this is based upon the statement of Imām Nawawī, whenever the issue of the beard is mentioned in the Shāfiýī Madh’hab then it is always said that Imām Nawawī declared it as Makrūh, just as the quote of Haroon from Sunnipath states.

It is correct that Imām Nawawī declared it as Makrūh, however this Makrūh was not with the meaning of Makrūh Tanzīhī but rather Ĥarām, but this was misunderstood by a few of the Shāfiýī Fuqahā after Imām Nawawī to mean Makrūh Tanzīhī, this is why you will not be able to find any Shāfiýī Fuqahā prior to Imām Nawawī saying that it is not Ĥarām, even after Imām Nawawī the majority of Shāfiýī Fuqahā still held the position it is Ĥarām.

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Ĥāfiž Shihābuddīn Aĥmed ibn Ĥajar al-Haytamī al-Shāfiýī, 899–974 AH / 1493–1566 CE, though he was of the opinion that it is Makrūh Tanzīhī, he stated that the majority of Shāfiýī Fuqahā after Imām Nawawī were still upon the position of it being Ĥarām as the Fuqahā prior to him were:

وظاهره حرمة حلقها وهو إنما يجيء على حرمته التي عليها أكثر المتأخرين

“And it’s apparent meaning (referring to Mawardī's statement) is the prohibition of shaving it and this is based on its prohibition (the position) upon which are the majority of the later scholars.”

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Imām Abū al-Ĥasan al-Mawardī al-Shāfiýī, 364-450 AH / 974-1057 CE, states in al-Ĥāwī al-Kabīr:

ولا يجوز أن يحلق شعر لحيته

“It is not permissible to shave the hair of the beard.”

In another place in the same book he says:

ولذلك نتف اللحية من السفه الذي ترد به الشهادة، وكذلك خضاب اللحية من السفه التي ترد به الشهادة، لما فيها من تغيير خلق الله تعالى

“Plucking the beard is a foolishness which causes Testimony to be Mardūd (rejected), and similarly dyeing the beard (black) is a foolishness which causes Testimony to be Mardūd, due to what is in them of Taghyīr Khalq'illāh (changing the creation of Allah).”

This is mentioned just in regards to plucking the beard so what then of shaving it completely with a razor? It is clear that plucking and dyeing the hair of the beard are considered Ĥarām by Mawardī and it is evident that trimming it short and shaving are also considered Ĥarām by Mawardī.

And also stated:

قال: ” من مثل بالشعر فليس له خلاق عند الله يوم القيامة ” وفيه ثلاثة أوجه:
أحدها: أن مثلة الشعر تغييره بالسواد.
والثاني: أنه نتفه.
والثالث: أنه حلقه في الخدود وغيرها.


“He صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: “Whoever mutilates the hair, for him there will be no share with Allah on the Day of Judgement.” In this there are three aspects: The first is that mutilation is changing it with black dye. The second is plucking it. The third is shaving the cheeks and other than it.”

Further confirmation that mutilation of the hair is Ĥarām according to the Shāfiýī Fuqahā. Imām Nawawī considers dyeing the beard hair black and plucking white hair as Ĥarām though he describes them as Makrūh, this proves that Imām Nawawī also considers shaving the beard as Ĥarām even though he described them as Makrūh as mentioned in previous post.

 

I only just noticed this post.

brother absalih is a senior brother and I suppose he lives close to saqaafah and perhaps has studied there - he used to run a facebook page for shafi'is - I don't know if he still does.

This statement that the person who trims his beard habitually is fasiq according to some shaafi'i Imams merits further attention.

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I'll post some relevant pdfs later - in sha Allah ta'ala.

wa's salaam

 

the below quote seems to suggest that Alahazrat ('alahirraHmah) leaned toward the opinion that the Hurmat of trimming beards is common between the madhhabs - wa Allahu a'alam.

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In the link I posted here - huzur taaj al-shari'ah also seems to lean toward this opinion - as he says that Imam Ibn Hajar Makki rules it as haraam in his sharH Hamaziyyah.

 

This is what Alahazrat ('alayhhirraHmah) quotes from Shafi'i and Maliki Imams in his brilliant work on this subject, lam'atudh-dhuHaa:

 

@Umar99 these are interesting quotes. However, please clarify if this is your personal work or are you forwarding some other person's research. And if the latter, is this person a shafi'i and if yes then who did he study fiqh with?

I ask these questions because he seems to be disagreeing with the predominant opinion among south Indian Shafi'i scholars - that the opinions recorded by Imam Ibn Hajar in his TuHfat-ul-MuHtaaj and by Imam ramali in his niHaayat-ul-muHtaaj - are the one's which will be referred to while issuing fatwa - and any opinions of later or earlier Imams will be considered less-authentic is they contradict these.

You will see these people, from sa'diya and saqafah, summarily dismiss the opinions of Imam Nawawi - or even Ibn hajar himself (!) - if they appear to contradict those in the two above mentioned books.

I am aware that this is a bold claim - but that is what has been conveyed to me by at-least two south Indian shafi'i graduates (now issuing fatwa) of these institutes. Mufti rafeeq sa'di (whose book I have linked below) is one of them.

I don't blindly follow contemporary shuyookh and hence I am open to correction if the proofs are strong enough.

But we need to know the procedure and reasoning - and principles on which the interpretation is based - to fully establish the merit of these proofs - disjoint quotations are a starting point but not sufficient in and of themselves.

I'd like to see a detailed treatment of this topic in a paper/booklet format, if the person can manage it.

wa billaahit tawfeeq

 

It could be said that the use of Makrūh by early Fuqahā referred to Ĥarām, but as for Imām Nawawī then he was present 600 years or so after the Salaf, so how can it be claimed he too referred to Ĥarām by using Makrūh?

We previously saw one explanation of the Ĥadīth regarding mutilation of hair by Khaţţābī, he also provides two more explanations in addition to this:

وفي مثلة الشعر وجه آخر وهو أن يكون أريد به نتفه أو تغييره بالسواد

“And regarding mutilation of the hair there is another aspect, and that is by it being intended to mean by plucking it or changing it with black dye.”

It is evident that these acts are also considered mutilation and Ĥarām by Khaţţābī, however Imām Nawawī describes these as Makrūh, does this mean he considered them Makrūh Tanzīhī?

No. He makes clear that he considers them Ĥarām in his Sharĥ of Şaĥīĥ Muslim:

وَالْمُخْتَار التَّحْرِيم لِقَوْلِهِ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ( وَاجْتَنِبُوا السَّوَاد ) هَذَا مَذْهَبنَا

“And the chosen position is Taĥrīm (Ĥarām) due to his statement صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , 'Avoid black dye.' This is our Madh’hab.”

That was regarding dyeing the hair, as for plucking the hair, especially when it has become white, then Shaykh al-Islām Abu’l Fađl Aĥmad ibn Ĥajar al-Ásqalānī al-Shāfiýī, 773–852 AH / 1371–1448 CE, explains in his Fat’ĥ al-Bāri:

ورجح النووي تحريمه لثبوت الزجر عنه

“And Nawawī gave preference to its Taĥrīm (Ĥarām) because of the confirmation of rebuking against it.”

Therefore Imām Nawawī considers these acts he has described as Makrūh as Ĥarām. Alongside the plucking and dyeing of beard hair, he mentions that the most ugly of acts is shaving the beard even when it first begins to grow and it is not fully joined, this leaves no doubt that he considered shaving the beard to be Ĥarām and worse than plucking or dyeing the beard.

 

The opinion that it is merely Makrūh Tanzīhī to trim or shave the beard is not found within the Shāfiýī Madh’hab until the later centuries and this has been said based on the statement of Imām Nawawī.

It is evident from the statements of the Shāfiýī Fuqahā prior to Imām Nawawī and Imām Nawawī himself and those after him that trimming the beard and shaving the beard carry the same ruling, there is no difference in the Shāfiýī Madh’hab between shaving and trimming the beard, even if it be more than a fistful.

Let us now look to the statements of the Shāfiýī Fuqahā prior to Imām Nawawī and Imām Nawawī himself regarding the beard.

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Imām Shāfiýī رضي الله عنه ‎, 150-204 AH / 767-820 CE states explicitly in al-Umm that shaving the beard is not permissible:

وإن كان في اللحية لا يجوز

" and if it (shaving) is in regards to the beard it is not permissible"


This ruling was repeated by the Shāfiýī Fuqahā in the following centuries and we find no straying opinions from this until after 600 years or so.

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Imām Abū Bakr al-Qaffāl al-Shāshī al-Shāfiýī, 291–365 AH / 904–976 CE, states in Maĥāsin al-Sharīʻah that it is not permissible:

ولا يجوز حلق اللحية

“It is not permissible to shave the beard.”

The term Lā Yajūz is no different to Ĥarām.

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Qāđī Abū Ábdallāh al-Ĥalīmī al-Shāfiýī, 338-403 AH / 949-1012 CE, reaffirmed the statement of his teacher, Imām Abū Bakr al-Qaffāl al-Shāshī, and also of Imām Shāfiýī رضي الله عنه when he stated the impermissibility of shaving the beard in the following words in his book, al-Minhaaj:

لا يحل لأحد أن يحلق لحيته

“It is not permissible for anyone to shave his beard.”

The term Lā Yaĥillu is no different to Ĥarām.

The reasons are also provided for the impermissibility of shaving the beard:

فإنه هجنة وشهرة وتشبه بالنساء فهو كجب الذكر

“It is a deformity/defect, draws attention, and is imitation of women, therefore it is like cutting off the penis.”

Clearly it is not a light matter if it being compared to cutting off the penis, this shows that the beard is a sign of manhood, as is the penis, and the removal of both is Ĥarām, mutilation of manhood, and imitation of women.

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Abū Sulaymān al-Khaţţābī al-Shāfiýī, 319-388 AH / 931-988 CE, it is his statement that is transmitted by Imam Nawawī and hence is of importance here as it is his ruling of Makrūh which a minority of Shāfiýī Fuqahā of later times misunderstood to mean Makrūh Tanzīhī, in reality the intention behind Makrūh here was Ĥarām, that is why the majority of Shāfiýī Fuqahā of later times continued to say that shaving and trimming the beard is Ĥarām.

If someone claims that Khaţţābī intended Makrūh Tanzīhī in the statement transmitted by Imām Nawawī then this is indeed wrong as we see in his Gharīb al-Ĥadīth, he quotes a Ĥadīth and provides an explanation to it:

من مثل بالشعر فليس له خلاق عند الله يوم القيامة

“Whoever mutilates his hair, then there will be no share for him from Allah on the Day of Judgement.”

مثلة الشعر حلقه في الخدود

“Mutilation of the hair is shaving it from the cheeks.”


Thus it is completely incorrect to claim that the statement transmitted by Imām Nawawī means Makrūh Tanzīhī as Khaţţābī clearly does not consider shaving the hair of the cheeks as permissible, rather he considers it as mutilation which is Ĥarām according to all the 4 Madh’habs, and if this is his opinion regarding the hair that grows on the cheeks then what of the rest of the facial hair?

Here is the statement of Khaţţābī which has been transmitted by Imām Nawawī and has been misunderstood by a minority of later Shāfiýī Fuqahā and thus become the source of much confusion and error:

وأما إعفاء اللحية فهو إرسالها وتوفيرها , كـُره لنا أن نقصها كفعل بعض الأعاجم , وكان زي آل كسرى قص اللحى وتوفير الشوارب , فندب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أمته إلى مخالفتهم في الزي والهيئ

“As for I’fā al-Liĥyah, it is to release it and make it abundant, it has been made Makrūh for us that we trim it as is the practice of some of the non-Arabs. And it was the style of the family of Chosroes to trim the beards and grow the moustaches long, so the Nabī صلى الله عليه وسلم exhorted his Ummah to oppose them in dress and appearance.”

Based upon the preceding statement of Khaţţābī then the mention of كـُره here does not mean Makrūh Tanzīhī but rather Ĥarām. Furthermore, he states that the trimming of the beard is the practice of the Kuffār, and it is Ĥarām to imitate them and obligatory to oppose them.

Therefore it is without doubt that in this statement Khaţţābī intended to prove the impermissibility and Ĥarām nature of trimming the beard despite the use of the term كـُره.

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كـُره and other similar words denoting dislike do not always mean Makrūh Tanzīhī when used by the Fuqahā, this is famously known regarding the Ĥanafī Madh’hab however it is not restricted to this Madh’hab alone as
Tājuddīn al-Subkī al-Shāfiýī, 727-771 AH / 1327-1370, explains in al-Ibhāj:

فيقول الشافعي أكره كذا وكذا ويريد التحريم وهو غالب إطلاق المتقدمين

“So Shāfiýī says “I dislike such and such”, and he means it is Ĥarām, and this was the predominant use of it by the early scholars.”

Similarly Ĥāfiž Ímāduddīn Abu’l Fidā’a Ismāýīl Ibn Kathīr al-Shāfiýī, 701–774 AH / 1301–1372 CE, explained the meaning also in al-Aĥkām al-Kabīr:

وغالب مراد السلف بالكراهة التحريم

“The predominant intention of the Salaf by dislike (Karāhah) is Ĥarām (Taĥrīm).”

This is also mentioned regarding Imām Aĥmad ibn Ĥanbal, Imām Mālik and the early scholars in general رضي الله عنهم.

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Thus it is severely incorrect to state that Khaţţābī and therefore Imām Nawawī declared shaving and trimming the beard as nothing more than Makrūh Tanzīhī, rather both were of the opinion such acts are Ĥarām, this is why we see all Shāfiýī Fuqahā prior to Imām Nawawī and the majority of Shāfiýī Fuqahā after Imām Nawawī all agreed that shaving and trimming the beard is Ĥarām, only a minority of later Shāfiýī Fuqahā misunderstood the quotation of Imām Nawawī to mean Makrūh Tanzīhī, therefore the position of the Shāfiýī Madh’hab always was and still is that shaving and trimming beard is Ĥarām besides for a few mistaken later scholars.

 

Ĥāfiž Ábd ar-Raĥmān ibn Ismāýīl Abū Shāmah Shāfiýī, to whom Imām Nawawī was a student stated:

وقد حدث قوم يحلقون لحاهم، وهو أشد مما نقل عن المجوس من أنهم كانوا يقصونها

"A group of people have appeared who shave their beards, and this is worse than what was narrated about the Majoos that they used to trim it."

فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري

Fath al Bari Sharh Sahih al Bukhari


It is the Majoos whom RasoolAllah ﷺ specifically mentioned in the Hadith wherein he commands us to grow our beards in opposition to them:

جُزُّوا الشَّوَارِبَ وَأَرْخُوا اللِّحَى خَالِفُوا الْمَجُوسَ

"Trim the moustaches and lengthen the beards, oppose the Majoos."

صحيح مسلم

Sahih Muslim

It is trimming the beard which Muslims were commanded to refrain from and to oppose the Majoos regarding. The Shāfiýī scholars make clear trimming the beard is the practice of Majoos, Imām Nawawī states:

وكان من عادة الفرس قص اللحية فنهى الشرع عن ذلك

“It was the habit of the Persians to trim the beard , therefore the Shariah has prohibited it.”

Make note that this is regarding the Majoosi act of trimming the beard so what then regarding shaving the beard completely or close to shaven? This habit of the Majoos has become the habit of many so called Shāfiýī "scholars" and laymen unfortunately and is claimed to be allowed or just Makruh Tanzeehi in the Shāfiýī madhab, this is far from the truth.

 

@Aqib alQadri book posted here.

 

it is tanzeehi. this too has been discussed on pages 20 and 21 of the aforesaid booklet.

hazrat is out of town so it'll take a few days to get the pdf. I'll upload a scanned copy if I find time for it today, insha Allah ta'ala.

 

Thanks brother.

Also please clarify what exactly is meant by Makruh - when mentioned in general, in the Shafiyi fiqh - is it tanzeehi or tahreemi?