Beard in Islam: meaning. Why Muslims Bear a Beard

The beard has long been considered a symbol of masculinity. In some cultures, a clean-shaven face even disgusted and became the object of ridicule. But over time, the attitude towards the bearded men has changed, and now every person has the opportunity to choose independently what will be his appearance. However, in certain religious currents, there are special rules about how a truly faithful representative of a confession should look. A rather sharp topic for disputes, especially among young people, is a beard. In Islam, on this score there is no unity of opinion, so we will try to clarify this topic.

Islam: the traditional attitude to the beard

The importance of a beard in Islam is especially emphasized by many religious figures. They allude to the fact that the Prophet Muhammad commanded men to wear beards to be different from the Gentiles. Therefore, this recommendation is generally accepted, which must be followed in order to deserve the approval of Allah.

But it is not so easy and superficial to consider wearing a beard in Islam. In order to understand the question, it is necessary to have some knowledge about how this religious current was formed, and also in what time period it happened. The fact is that during the period of the Prophet Muhammad's life, accurate vegetation was considered an invariable attribute of a real man. Growing a beard was the kind of action that allowed a young man to feel like an adult and an independent man. Only in this case he was allowed to have a family and live his own home.

This attitude to vegetation on the face was not only among Muslims. For example, in Ancient Russia, a man should carefully monitor himself and in no case shave his beard and mustache. This was considered a great disgrace, although it had nothing to do with religious rites. Historians attribute this fact to cultural traditions.

But for a Muslim, vegetation on the face is a special attribute that proves his faith in Allah. That's only, despite the understanding of how important a beard is in Islam, is it necessary to wear it, no one will tell you. Is it a sin to be delivered from it? How to determine the line between the fulfillment of the covenants of the Prophet Muhammad and the rules that modern society dictates? Let's try to understand.

Hadith: what is this?

Hadiths can help to find out how important a beard is in Islam. Every orthodox Muslim knows what it is. But if you are not strong in religious terms, then we are ready to fill this gap.

The Hadiths refer to the traditions of the words of the prophet Muhammad, who regulate all aspects of the life of the orthodox Muslim. The hadiths conveyed the opinions and sayings of the prophet about those or things, and their authenticity was confirmed by the decency and piousness of the person conveying these words.

If a person did not evoke trust from the community, then the hadiths could not be considered reliable and thoroughly re-checked. Sometimes they were completely rejected as a source of information about the prophet Muhammad. Over time, even in Islam, there was such a flow as hadithology. It includes the study of the hadith and their transmitters. For this purpose, a special methodology has been worked out, which is especially used by Muslim scholars.

Since the Prophet Muhammad spoke about everything that an Orthodox Muslim should do in order to earn the approval of Allah, it is natural that the hadith also mentions vegetation on the face of men.

Hadiths about a beard

It is worth noting that the Prophet Muhammad quite often mentioned the personal hygiene of a Muslim. He argued that the faithful are an example for other people, so they should look neat and tidy. In one of the hadiths it is stated that the one who believes in Allah must shave his mustache and grow a beard. This will distinguish him from pagans and polytheists.

In another hadith, the Prophet Muhammad notes ten things that constitute the naturalness given by a Muslim nature. Among the usual recommendations on hygiene, beard growing is mentioned. It is also important to trim the mustache and take care of the oral cavity. Thus, we can conclude that the beard in Islam is an important and significant attribute. But, in addition, there are rules for wearing vegetation on the face, which must be strictly followed.

The culture of wearing a beard in Islam

Many Muslims think that the vegetation on the face should be as thick and longer as possible, but in fact it is fundamentally the wrong opinion. For example, cutting a beard in Islam is not an arbitrary action, but a clearly regulated process. The hadith says that the prophet Muhammad cut his beard in length and breadth to make it look neat. Since all the faithful should be likened to him, then they should be more careful about their vegetation on the face.

It is allowed and a beard without a mustache, this moment is left to the discretion of the man himself. Many Muslims do not let go of their mustaches, although they closely follow their beards. In the hadith, the Prophet Muhammad specified that only savages do not cut their beards. The most acceptable length is one that does not exceed the size of a clenched fist. However, and shorter than this length of vegetation on the face should not be.

Beard in Islam what does it mean?

So still, what is the true purpose of vegetation on the face of an orthodox Muslim? What information does a neat beard in Islam broadcast to society? These questions are not so easy to answer even theologians and Muslim scholars.

But if we summarize the statements of all of them, then we can conclude that the beard in Islam is a symbol that allows us to distinguish the orthodox Muslim from an unbelieving person. In addition, this attribute of appearance brings a person closer to Allah, because he fulfills the commands of the Prophet Muhammad, who transmits the will of the Most High to people.

Painting of the beard

Few people know that Muslims are allowed and even shown to color the vegetation on the face. Prophet Muhammad commanded the orthodox to paint beards in red and yellow shades. This they had to be different from Jews and Christians.

Black color in coloring is unacceptable, in this issue all theologians are unanimous. The only exception is the warrior leading the jihad. In this case, one color of the beard should speak eloquently about his intentions.

Beard in Islam: Sunnah or Farz

Despite the fact that the importance of the beard has been proven by theologians for a long time, the question of how binding it is is still very acute and discussed among Muslims.

The fact is that many hadiths form the basis of Sunnah - a recommendation that is desirable, but not mandatory. If a Muslim performs everything that the Sunnah contains, he will receive the additional approval of Allah. However, refusal to fulfill certain items will not lead to sin.

The situation is different when we say that the action turns into a fard. This means that a recommendation becomes mandatory. And in case of deviation from the rules, an orthodox Muslim commits a sin that will require repentance and redemption.

But until now no one of the theologians can accurately determine how to treat beards. Some argue that you should not shave it without a special reason. It should be trimmed and neat, but only in case of illness, a Muslim can tolerate the shaving of the vegetation on his face. Moreover, many of the Caliphs claimed that if a person simply does not grow a beard, he should not be upset because of this and consider himself somehow spoiled. After all, faith does not depend on the length of the beard, but is the result of the work of the heart and soul.

But other theologians raise a beard in the category of an obligatory condition for the orthodox Muslim. Its absence is perceived as a violation of the laws of Allah and requires immediate punishment. This tendency is especially pronounced among radical Islamists.

Sharia law: a beard as a symbol of true faith

Although there are disputes among Muslims about the meaning of the beard, this issue is solved extremely simply by Sharia law. It is known that in the countries of the Middle East, where these norms were introduced, men were subjected to a special examination for the presence of a beard. And it had to be strictly not less than the length of the clenched fist. Those who successfully passed the inspection, could be considered truly true believers. But those who did not comply with the rules, the fate was not so supportive. They were subjected to public beatings.

In some countries, controlled by the Taliban, the death penalty was imposed on the lack of a beard. This was announced publicly immediately after coming to power. In the edification of the Taliban, barbershop blew up and individual warnings were issued to barbies. In their statements, the Taliban referred to the fact that shaving the vegetation on the face contradicts the words of the Prophet Muhammad.

Muslim countries, where they tolerate the shaving of their beards

It should be noted that in many countries where the official religion is Islam, it is permissible for men to be in a society without a beard. For example, in Turkey a beard is considered as a sunna for adult men, but civil servants should be in the workplace with a clean-shaven face.

A similar situation develops in Lebanon. There, bearing a beard does not characterize a man as an orthodox Muslim, and in many cases, on the contrary, causes excessive interest on him from the forces of law and order.

In Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, they are equally treated of Muslims with and without a beard. But more and more often in society a person whose face is noticeably dense vegetation, causes suspicion. What is the reason for this?

Beard - a distinctive trait of the terrorist

Unfortunately, in the modern world, the attitude to the beard in Islam has changed significantly. It became associated with extremism and terrorism. After all, most radical Muslims who commit bloody terrorist acts and conduct military operations in the Middle East have thick and long beards. Now such people cause fear, although Islam categorically opposes the killing of innocent people.

In connection with the changes in the world, many Muslim leaders are extremely positive about looking at their beards. After all, this becomes a distinctive feature of those who have absolutely nothing to do with terrorism. In many countries an unofficial ban on wearing a beard is introduced, but it should be noted that this is just a temporary measure caused by the complex situation in the Islamic world.

Young Muslims and a Growing Beard

Many muftis notice that a beard without a mustache is becoming a very fashionable attribute of modern Muslim youth. And such an attitude is always blamed by theologians, because in this case young people follow the path of least resistance. They consider themselves to be faithful Muslims who fulfill the covenants of the prophet Muhammad, only through the beard. It seems to indicate a person's integrity, which in most cases is not confirmed.

Therefore, some muftis begin to talk about the right to wear a beard, which can only be earned. For example, the sermon of Ildar Zaganshin is known, which states that only with the acquisition of a family of thirty years (at least) can you afford to grow a small beard. But in sixty years, a man has the right to let go of a long beard, symbolizing his wisdom and willingness to share life experience.

To grow or shave: the eternal dilemma

Of course, it is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of whether a Muslim should let go of a beard. After all, we have already shown how multifaceted this problem is. But still many consider it right to keep the covenants of the prophet Muhammad and not to oppose himself to modern society. Therefore, men often allow themselves to wear a small and neat beard, which does not arouse suspicion among others. Perhaps, this is the most correct and wise decision of the orthodox Muslim.