Aslam

Praise be to Allah.

Letting the beard grow is obligatory according to sharee’ah,

and shaving it is haraam. In the answer to question no.

1189 we have stated the ruling on

shaving the beard, and that shaving it is a haraam action.

Ibn Hazm (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated that the

scholars are unanimously agreed that it is not permissible to shave the

beard.

Al-Muhalla, 2/189

With regard to shaving

it for fear of persecution or exposure to harm, this fear is not all of one

level.  In some cases it may be what is likely to happen, and in other cases

it may be imaginary, and in yet others it may be six of one and half a dozen

of the other.

It is not permissible for him to shave his beard or trim it

except in cases where harm is likely to result, and it is not permissible in

any other situation.

This comes under the heading of cases of necessity. Allaah

says (interpretation of the meaning):

“But if one is forced by necessity without willful

disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him.

Truly, Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”

[al-Baqarah 2:173]

Or in cases of compulsion. Allaah says (interpretation of the

meaning):

“Whoever disbelieved in Allaah after his belief, except

him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith; but such as

open their breasts to disbelief, on them is wrath from Allaah, and theirs

will be a great torment”

[al-Nahl 16:106]

Force or compulsion means that he will be harmed if he does

not shave it. As for simply experiencing some annoyance or questions or

investigation, these are things from which those who do shave their beards

are not necessarily safe, so that does not mean that a person is permitted

to fall into sin.

In cases of compulsion, there are conditions which must be

met in order for it to be permissible for a Muslim to be granted the

concession of doing or saying something that is haraam. Understanding what

these conditions are is very important, because many people are claiming

that they are forced to do things when that is not the case.

Ibn Qudaamah said:

The conditions of compulsion include three things:

1 – That the one who is trying to force you has power to

cause harm

2 – That he thinks it most likely that the threat will be

carried out if he does not do what is being demanded of him

3 – That the harm be severe, such as being killed, beaten

severely, tied up or imprisoned for a lengthy period. As for being insulted

or cursed, this is not compulsion, and neither is taking a small amount of

wealth.

If the person is of low status, a little harm may not be

compulsion in his case, unlike those of high position for whom a little harm

may be a humiliation and it is like a severe beating for someone else who is

of lower status.

If there is a threat of

torturing his child, this is not compulsion, because the harm is being

directed at someone else. But it is more likely that this is compulsion,

because that is worse for him than taking his wealth; that threat (to take

his wealth) is compulsion, so the same applies here.

Al-Mughni, 7/292

If the harm can be warded off by trimming the beard, then he

should not shave it off, rather it is sufficient to trim it, because shaving

is worse than trimming. It should be noted that a person should have the

need to undertake this journey to that country. But if there is no need for

that then it is not permissible to shave his beard for the sake of

travelling, because he is not being forced to do that.

And Allaah knows best.