['Aalim Network QR] Shaving beard - Obstacle to Tabligh

[Mustafa Rawji <mrawji@sciborg.uwaterloo.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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Salaamun alaykum,

	The answer to the following question was kindly provided by 
Mullah Bashir Rahim.

Wasalaam,

Mustafa Rawji
Acting Moderator, 'Aalim Network


QUESTION:

Does absence of a beard indicate absence of taqwa and a'adal?

	I am a full time -clean shaven- student studying at a university.
I consider my secular education equally important as tabligh and da'wah
and have actively participated with the Muslim Student Asssociation and
the Ahl-ul-Bayt Association at our university, and have found it to be a
fulfiling experience. I have also complited a minors degree in Islamic
studies including Arabic.  Having acquired my early Islamic Education at a
Madresah back home, I have endavoured to learn more about Islam. For the
past four years I have been teaching Dinyat, Akhlaqiyyat and Islamic
History at a local Medrassah. Unfortunatly, ever since I first commenced
teaching with intention of Qurbatan illallah, I have been constantly
humiliated by the Moulana who strongly believes that shaving of beard is
haram and a sign of lack of iman. I am now faced with the moral dilema to
give up my tabligh or tolerate further humiliation and disgrace infront of
all the other teachers.  Please advice me further. 

	With salaams and du'aas from a humble servant of Ahlul Bayt and
their followers. 



ANSWER:

Please forgive me for the delay in responding to the above question.

I fully sympathize with you on the situation you find yourself.

First of all we have to be fully clear in our minds about the jurists'
views on beard. There have been numerous postings on the subject and I
reproduce below the very lucid explanation given by brother Hamid Mavani: 

			****************************

" The following are the rulings of the late Ayatullah Khu'i from his
book titled "Masa'ilan wa Rudud," pp. 75-6.

QUESTION: What is your opinion regarding shaving the beard?  Is it
permissible for one (to shave his beard) if his social status does not
allow him or one who fears harm upon himself?

ANSWER: If leaving the beard on causes a person disgrace or leads him
to fear harm upon himself, then shaving it is allowed, otherwise it is
not allowed based on precaution.  God knows best.

QUESTION: Is it permitted to shaved the sides or not?

ANSWER: Yes, it is allowed to shave the sides.  God knows best.

QUESTION: What is the punishment for shaving the beard?

ANSWER: There is no punishment in this world but as to the hereafter,
they will be deserving to enter the hell-fire.  God knows best.

QUESTION: Is the testimony of one who shaves his beard accepted under
all cases or under certain circumstances?

ANSWER: The testimony is not acceptable except in those cases where he
has a valid excuse for shaving his beard.  God knows best.

QUESTION: If the testimony is limited to two people and one of them or
both of them shave the beard.  In this case, is it allowed to rely
upon their testimony?

ANSWER: It is not allowed to rely upon them except if it produces
confidence.  God knows best.

QUESTION: If the father commands his son to shave his beard or else
threatens him that he would evict him from the house, for example.  In
such a case, is it permissible to oppose his father in shaving his
beard or not?

ANSWER: It is not permitted to shave the beard without a legal excuse
based on  precaution (ihtiyat) and it is allowed to oppose the father
if he commands to abandon an obligatory act or commit a forbidden act.
However, it is preferable to seek the father's pleasure.  God knows best."
  
			*******************

You are doing an excellent service to the community by teaching at the
madressah. I should think that one must assume that you have a good reason
for not keeping a beard within the context of the rules prescribed by the
fuqaha. Whether such an excuse exists or not is a matter for you to
decide. The service you render, and which you must continue to render, is
far too important for any one to question your ability on the ground of
your clean shaven face only. It is knowledge which you are disseminating
and not leading prayers or giving testimony. 

Having said all that, I would, respectfully, urge you to re-examine your
conscience and reconsider the reasons for not keeping a beard. If they do
not fall within the permissible excuses perhaps you may wish to minimize
the burden of the sins which you, as all of us do, carry. 

May Allah guide you to the right decision and reward you for the important
service you are performing. 


With salaams and du'aas from an humble servant of Ahlul Bayt and their
followers,

Bashir Rahim