Running a razor over the face to make the beard grow

Question

Question: There is a man whose beard has not grown; at present his face is completely smooth. Several people have advised that he run a razor or a blade over the place of the beard, and then hair may grow in the place of the beard. Yet this man leads prayers as imam. In such a situation, when there is no hair at all on the face, may he have a razor or blade run over it for the purpose of beard hair appearing, or not?

Answer

The growth of hair on the face is from the Divine Power; it is not something within one’s own choice. If hair does not grow at all, the servant (of Allah) is not sinful. Therefore there is no need to run a razor or blade over the face in order to grow hair. However, after the hair has grown, shaving it is a sin.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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