Is It Wrong That a Clean-Shaven Beard Man Leads a Prayer?


Hanafi Fiqh

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question

Is it wrong that a clean-shaven beard man leads a prayer?

When choosing someone to lead the prayer, selecting the most fitting person is ideal based on various criteria. It is either obligatory or recommended (Sunna) for men to keep a beard. Having a beard is not the sole criterion.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, a distinguished scholar in the Islamic sciences, is the Founder and Executive Director of SeekersGuidance. He studied under renowned scholars globally for ten years, beginning in Damascus and continuing in Amman, Jordan. Notable mentors include Shaykh Adib al-Kallas and Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi. After completing his studies, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in 2007 and established SeekersGuidance, dedicated to spreading reliable, relevant, and inspiring Islamic knowledge online and on the ground.