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From: bro@eunomia.rice.edu (Douglas Monk)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Goats,Beards,and Action (Article from MuslimWise).
Message-ID: <1990Dec18.222122.13565@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Date: 18 Dec 90 22:21:22 GMT
Sender: bes@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Behnam Sadeghi)
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
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Approved: bes@tybalt.caltech.edu

In article <1990Dec12.154553.28131@wpi.WPI.EDU> khan@romulus.RUTGERS.EDU (Farrukh Shah Khan) writes:
>In article <1990Dec11.170212.372@wpi.WPI.EDU> zvs@bby.oz.au (Zev Sero) writes:
>> I would like to know more about this.  Is it a requirement of Islam
>> that Muslims wear beards?  Or is it perhaps only required of `clergy'?
>> Is trimming permitted?  ...

Technical note: in Islam properly there is no `clergy' as such, in the sense
that any Muslim may perform any rite, such as funerals, marriages, etc.
The Shi'a do have a form of clergy in some senses, but I am unfamiliar with
the details.

Since the hadith [* religious traditions *] indicate that wearing a
beard is sunnah [* the practice of the Prophet => good *], wearing a
beard and shaving the mustache *may* be associated with piety. Of
course, every pretender to false piety also will do likewise, so you
have to look at the individual as a whole. By the way, "sunnah" is
sometimes translated as "obligatory", but there is another word,
"fard.", which is *more* obligatory, so "sunnah" is sometimes
translated as "optional obligatory". Thus my "good practice" (which
may be too lukewarm).

>So the conclusion is that it not required at all infact it is
>preferable not to have one. "But they don't understand ..."

** WRONG **.

Note: I am using [] to indicate transliterations and my comments on
quoted material and [* *] to indicate glossary definitions.
Transliterations and definitions appear only the first time the word
is used.

>From the following, you will understand just why people who more aware
are reluctant to make any fatwa [* religious judgement *] based on
incomplete knowledge. Often we may have been convinced by a teacher
with imperfect knowledge that what we are being taught is completely
correct and excludes all other possibilities. This is *bad* and leads
to the very kind of division against which the Qur'an preaches.

The word "sahih" [s.ah.iih.] is translated variously as "sound",
"true", "verified", and is a most strictly researched class of hadith.
Sahih al-Bukhari is one of several collections of such sahih hadith.

Sahih al-Bukhari is divided into Books on related subjects, each
divided into Baabs [* Chapters *], each of which contains numbered
hadiths. The translation I am using leaves out the chains of
transmitters (used to determine the quality of hadith) mostly, except
for the head of the chain, but the Arabic version does contain it.
Where pious sayings appear (they have special typeset Arabic forms) I
use standard abbreviations for the Arabic which are explained where
they first appear.

The following excerpt is from Sahih al-Bukhari, [S.ah.iih. Al-Bukhaarii],
Arabic-English, Vol. VII, p.514-517 (tr. by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan
[Muh.ammad Muhsin Khaan]).

[This is Book LXXII [72], The Book of Dress, Chapters 63 to 65]

**BEGIN EXCERPT**
(63) Chapter [Baab]. To cut short the moustaches.

Ibn `Umar used to cut his moustache so short that the whiteness of his
skin (above the upper lip) was visible, and he used to cut (the hair)
between his moustaches and his beard.

776. Narrated Ibn `Umar (RAA) [Rad.ii Allahi `Anhum [* May Allah be
pleased with him *]] : The Prophet (SAAWS) [Sali Allahu `Alayhi Wa
Sallam [* The blessings of Allah be his and peace *]] said, "To get
the moustaches cut short is characteristic of the Fitra [Fit.ra]." (1)

([From footnote] (1) `Fitra' to the majority of Muslim scholars, means
the Islamic pattern and tradition of the Prophet (SAAWS). (Literally,
it means `human nature'.) Religion of pure Islamic nature (i.e.
worshipping none but Allah). Fitr as a verb also means ``to create''.
(See Qur'aan 30:30).)

[From The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, by Mohammed Marmaduke
Pickthall, Surah 30 (The Romans), Ayat 30: "So set thy purpose (O
Muhammad) for religion as a man by nature upright - the nature
(framed) of Allah, in which He hath created man. There is no altering
(the laws of) Allah's creation. That is the right religion, but most
men know not -".]

777. Narrated Abu Huraira (RAA) : Allah's Apostle (SAAWS) said, "Five
practices are characteristic of the Fitra: circumcision, shaving the
pubic region, clipping the nails and cutting the moustaches short."

[The translation here inadvertently left out depilating the hair of
the armpits, which should follow shaving the pubic region above.]

(64) Chapter. The clipping of nails.

778. Narrated Ibn `Umar (RAA) : Allah's Apostle (SAAWS) said, "To
shave the public [sic. should be pubic] hair, to clip the nails, and
to cut the moustaches short, are characteristic of the Fitra."

779. Narrated Abu Huraira (RAA) : I heard the Prophet (SAAWS) saying,
"Five practices are characteristic of the Fitra: Circumcision, shaving
the pubic hair, cutting the moustaches short, clipping the nails, and
depilating the hair of the armpits."

780. Narrated Naafi`: Ibn `Umar said, "The Prophet (SAAWS) said, `Do
the opposite of what the pagans do. Keep the beards and cut the
moustaches short.'" Whenever Ibn `Umar performed the Hajj [H.ajj 
[* pilgrimage to Mecca, required of every Muslim once in their life if
possible *]] or `Umra [* a lesser but similar pilgrimage to Mecca,
done once as part of Hajj or at will otherwise *], he used to hold his
beard with his hand and cut whatever remained outside his hold.

(65) Chapter. To leave the beard (i.e. not to cut it).

781 Narrated Ibn `Umar (RAA) : Allah's Apostle (SAAWS) said, "Cut the
moustaches short and leave the beard (as it is)."

**END EXCERPT**

I left this excerpt intact to show what English-speaking scholars have
to contend with. If I had relied on the translation, I would have
missed the errors I indicated. On the other hand, this is a monumental
effort at translation. I am glad to have it available, warts and all.

The moral: don't make absolute pronouncements without checking the
primary sources - Qur'an and hadith.

A side note: on postings of this type, is the in-line glossary and
commentary (as here) preferable, or would a preceding glossary and
footnote-type trailing comments be better?

Thanks,
Doug Monk (bro@rice.edu)

Disclaimer: These views are mine, not necessarily my organization's.