Can One Shave If Someone Has a Patchy Beard?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
If someone has a patchy beard, is less bearded, hair is only on the chin, below the lips, and not on cheeks and jaws. Is it permissible for them to clean shave?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question. I empathize with your good self, as you would prefer having a normal beard to having only some hair on the chin.
It would not be permissible to shave off your beard. It is prohibited to shave one’s beard. All the schools of fiqh agree on this. However, the difference is whether it is sinful or disliked. [Ibn ’Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
Beard is a Religious Symbol
A beard symbolizes a Muslim man and is a sign of masculinity. And pointed out quite emphatically by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the following hadith:
‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet ( Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Ten practices are part of the innate nature (fitra): Trimming the mustache, letting the beard grow, using the tooth stick, rinsing the nose, trimming the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the armpit hairs, shaving the pubic hair, and washing the private parts with water (after answering the call of nature).” One of the narrators said: “I have forgotten the tenth, except if it was rinsing the mouth.” [Muslim]
Groom Your Beard and Find Ways for Other Parts to Grow
I advise you to find ways to groom yourself. Many scholars and religious men have a similar type of beard. Find ways to groom and methods for other areas to grow.
Check these links:
What Are the Rulings of Growing a Beard in the Hanafi School? (Video) – SeekersGuidance
beard Archives – SeekersGuidance
Should I Shave My Beard For Work? – SeekersGuidance
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org)
I pray this helps with your question.
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey.
He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan.
He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.
He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His personal interest is the love of books and gardening.
