['Aalim Network QR] Shaving one's beard

[sukaina panju <sukaina.panju@utoronto.ca>]

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|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
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The following answer was kindly provided by Shaikh Mavani.

Salaams,

Zahir Panju
moderator abdg-a


QUESTION:

 Someone mentioned to me that none of the modern day Mujtahideen have a fatwa
 that keeping a beard is wajib but most of them do say that it is Ihtiyaat
 Wujoobi.  Is this correct?

 Someone also brought it to my attention that Ayatullah Fudhlullah has in
 fact mentioned that it is not Wajib but it is encouraged since it is seen as
 a sign of a good muslim.

 If the above is indeed the case, If my Muqallad says that keeping a beard is
 Ihtiyat Wujoobi, is it allowable for me to do rujuu' to Ayatullah Fadhlullah
 in this fatwa and shave my beard?


 ANSWER:

 It is true that the ruling with respect to shaving the beard is
 based upon precaution (ihtiyaat).  The late Ayatullah Khu'i was asked
 if it is permissible to engage in back-biting (gheebat) of a person
 who does not keep a beard as this would constitute a public display
 of violating the shari'ah.  He replied that gossiping about such
 a person would not be permissible because he may be doing taqlid
 of a mujtahid who permits shaving the beard or the person may be
 forced to shave the beard for other pressing reasons.  ("Masa'ilah wa
 Rudud," p. 76)
 
 It is also true that Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Fadlullah's
 opinion is that the ruling on shaving the beard is
 based on precaution and he feels that there is a stronger proof
 to negate this precaution.  However, he does recommend the believers
 to keep a beard as it is a sign of iman.  Thus, you can do his
 taqlid on this issue of beard if you regard him as the next marja'
 in line after the marja' whose taqlid you are doing.
 ("Al-Masa'il-ul-Fiqhiyya," pp. 203-204)
 
 wa bi-l-laahi-t-tawfiq,
 
 Hamid Mavani