Likening the Beard to the Hair Below the Navel

Question

Zayd said to Bakr, “Grow a beard.” Bakr replied, “Shall I grow the hair below my navel too?” In such a case, what punishment under the Sacred Law can be prescribed for Bakr, and what punishment or expiation can the biradari (a kinship or caste community) fix?

Answer

Bakr’s reply is very grave: he likens the beard to the hair below the navel and the face to the private parts. So, just as the hair below the navel is not left to grow but is removed, likewise the beard should not be kept but should be removed — keeping a beard being that ugly and distasteful.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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