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Would a person become sinful if he shaved his beard, unwillingly, in order to comply with the requirements of a career that he entered (not knowing, at the time, the ruling on beards). He may not be confident of finding another stable job to support the family at short notice. Is he allowed to keep the job until he finds another job which would allow him to retain his beard?

Please provide answers which reference hadiths and the Quaran, not simply opinions.

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    As Al Ummat explains, it would be good if you could take your employer into your confidence and let him know that it's a religious obligation. In any case, Sikhs are in practically all professions and they are very compulsive about keeping their beards (which we Muslims unfortunately aren't) and that hasn't stopped them from rising in their respective professions.
    – Najeeb
    Jun 29, 2013 at 14:39
  • I know many orthodox Jews who have all kinds of jobs and are able to keep their beards by explaining that it is a religious thing.
    – Daniel
    Jul 3, 2013 at 21:51

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If you didn't know at that time, but came to find out, then it would be sinful if you keep cutting your beard then it would be sinful, for it is Fard to let it grow. The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be Upon him) ordered:

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أَحْفُوا الشَّوَارِبَ وَأَعْفُوا اللِّحَى

Trim the mustache and let the beard grow

You should explain to your employer that you cannot cut/shave your beard, because it is part of your religion.

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    I did , but because it was clear stated clear shave appeal on the contract so even I won the suite.I will still got fire.bc of breach of.contract since I signed it n it bc legal
    – Adam
    Jun 29, 2013 at 14:47
  • In the 6 or 7 hadith books on sunnah.com the narration is only on the authorithy of Abudllah ibn 'Omar. Who is also known to have shortened his beard from time to time! And I don't know what is the basis for declaring this statement of our Prophet an order instead of calling it a recommendation or giving it any other meaning.
    – Medi1Saif ♦
    Oct 5, 2016 at 10:03
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It has been consulted with a knowledgeable Imam and a knowledge Muslim brother about the issue. What they concluded is that letting beard grow is 'CLOSE TO' fard in most opinion, but some consider its fard (as brother Al Ummat stated). I asked it again in here and in hope for a even more detailed and professional Islamic explanation on it so more brothers have similar situation can benefit from it, inshaAllah.

For my particular situation, both of them agree that I should stay in the job because that fact that I need to support the family and meanwhile looking for another job that comply with our Islamic standard on beard.

NOTE: I do NOT clearly remember what is the regulation stated that its ok for me to do so, so I will not take it as a final answer, but if you think its helpful for you anyway in determine it, I will be very happy.

I am still looking for a suitable job for my further development since the current career I am in is NOT of my profession, and inshaAllah, Allah will guide me to the career I so far deemed as halal and what my passion is (web development).

================Update=========================

I quit the job alhamdulaylah, inshaAllah, may Allah bless the act, ameen.

"Allah is the true and only provider for believers"

================Recent=========================

Alhamdulaylah, its so blessed to did Allah allowed me to achieve. Now, I am capable of paying off my loan without even worry about money and more. alhamdulaylah. Its amazing how Allah swt reward and bless one with so much mercy and surprisingly wonderful! Put your trust in Allah swt, he will reward you abundantly inshaAllah, ameen! Do what pleases Allah swt, and you will NEVER regret, inshaAllah! Lesson learned, again and again, alhamdulaylah!

Jazaklahir

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    May Allah Subhanatawala give you bounty for your good deeds, and give you the strength to overcome testing times. Please do not despair if more tests come.
    – Masroor
    Sep 10, 2013 at 3:02
  • @MMA Jazaklahir for the dua, ameen for all Muslims! and yes, Allah is the only sustainance provider, alhamdulaylah
    – Adam
    Sep 10, 2013 at 13:44
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https://seekersguidance.org/answers/shafii-fiqh/ruling-shaving-shortening-beard-shafii-school/ This is the answer according to one school of thought. This makes this an issue of ikhtilaf meaning you follow what you want. At the end of the day, some will say it is only voluntary sunnah not obligatory.

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  • Ikhtilaf doesn't mean you follow what you want. It means scholars have different opinions about a matter and one should seek the option that is far away from any doubt and gives us peace of mind. And if we are uncertain it is better to ask a scholar for a fatwa.
    – Sassir
    May 17, 2020 at 14:39
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For anything to be a sin, it has to part of the religion.

Source of Islamic rulings

The ONLY source of anything in Islam is the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He gave us two things from which we derive any religious ruling.

  1. Quran
  2. Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Quran mentions a number of sinful things but cutting your beard is not one of them, so we can leave it out. Now we have to check if it is a sunnah or not.

Firstly, when talking Sunnah, we should understand that Sunnah are a set of actions performed by a person. For anything to be categorized as a sunnah, it has to meet certain criteria. The first and the foremost is that it has to be an action that is addressed by religion. So what are the actions that are addressed by the religion (in this case Islam)? These are as follows.

  1. Acts of worship
  2. Anything related to cleanliness of our physical body.
  3. Anything related to purity of what goes inside the body (i.e. what we eat).
  4. Anything related to purity of our mind and soul.

These actions are either allowing something that increase the cleanliness and purity, or vice versa. All the orders in Quran and Sunnah can be related to at-least one of these categories.

Since growing a beard can not be categorized to any of these categories, it is not part of Sunnah of our prophet (PBUH). Leaving anything that is not part of Sunnah is not a sin.

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  • Asalamalaykumwarhamdulaiwabarakahtu,goto, jazaklahir for the answer. Could u inform me where u get the logic from InshaAllah ?
    – Adam
    Aug 11, 2013 at 3:34
  • Allah mentioned in quran (5:3) that "This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion". Thus Islam as a religion is completed by Quran and Sunnah
    – goto
    Aug 11, 2013 at 8:39
  • @goto, again, plz state your reference for the logic you state, will be really appreciated, inshaAllah, jazaklahir
    – Adam
    Aug 11, 2013 at 20:36

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