بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Friday Sermon
HAZRAT KHALIFATULLAH AL-MASSIH AL-MA’OUD
Munir Ahmad Azim
15 April 2011 ~
(11 Jamadal Awwal 1432 Hijri)
(Summary of Friday Sermon)
After having greeted everybody with the Salutations of Peace, the Messiah (Massih’ullah) read the Tashahhud, Taouz and Surah Al Fatiha and then he said:
For as long as I can remember, I was quite angry concerning the beard, which people neglect to conform to what Islam has to say about it, and especially when I personally noticed that many men and boys in several Jamaat and the Jamaat Ahmadiyya also, more specifically the Maulvis therein who preferred to follow fashion and do not keep the beard as it should be or they just shaved it, keeping no beard as if, they did not even want to preserve the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
I was angry every time I saw these Ahmadi Maulvis with their fashionable beards and there are even several amirs of the Jamaat and members of the central committee who knew nothing about the usefulness and value of the beard. If my feeling towards this Sunnah was so strong, it is because I noticed that many people neglect it and that till recently, the advices to preserve this Sunnah have diminished (only few people know of its importance and want to promote this Sunnah).
In a Hadith, Hazrat Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported that Rassoolullah (peace be upon him) said: “Ten things are of nature (Fitrat) in which shortening the moustache and growing a full beard are mentioned.” (Abu Dawood)
The 'Fitrat' means the way (Sunnah) of all prophets. These 10 things, among which the trimming of the moustache (to a reasonable size) and the wearing of a full beard are included, are the commandments which all prophets (peace upon them) had to put into practice, and thus, we too must follow their example.
Allah says in the Quran: “They are those whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance.” (6:91).
It is a verse of the 7th juz (part), where after mentioning the names of various prophets, Rassoolullah (peace be upon him) is commanded as thus: “These people were such as Allah has guided them, so you too (O Muhammad - peace be upon him), follow their example.”
In another Hadith reported by Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with him) Rassoolullah (peace be upon him) said: “Among the Fitrat (Deen) of Islam, there is the size of the moustache and the wearing of a full beard because the Majoos (Fire Worshippers) retain long moustaches and shave their beard. So distinguish yourselves from them by trimming your moustache and wearing a long beard.”
In this Hadith, Rassoolullah (peace be upon him) said that wearing a beard is a fundamental requirement of Islam and described the shaving of the beard as a characteristic of the Majoos (Fire Worshippers). In a famous Hadith it is reported that "Whoever imitates a people is regarded as belonging to these peoples.”
Therefore Rassoolullah commands us to differentiate ourselves from the Majoos. It is obvious that letting one’s beard grow is an Islamic commandment and all the prophets (upon them be peace) without exception agreed on this point. So, those who hold the false notion that it was a custom among the Arabs to let grow the beard before Rassoolullah (peace be upon him) has given the said command, are totally wrong and their argument is baseless.
May Allah, by His grace and mercy, guide us all to act according to the teachings of Rassoolullah (peace be upon him) and give us also the strength to keep us from committing evil deeds and protect us from the various warnings that were repeatedly emitted (concerning the beard).
Ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) also reported from Rassoolullah (peace be upon him) that Muslims must differentiate themselves from the Mushrikiin (Those who associate partners to Allah) by keeping a long beard and trimming their moustache. Zaid ibn Arqam (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that Rassoolullah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever does not trim his moustache is not one of us.” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi).
What a stern warning! People with long moustaches consider themselves as forming part of the elites and inscribe themselves as Muslims on official records, but Rassoolullah (peace be upon him) refused to accept them as members of his Ummah.
The healthy man abhors a long moustache as tea, water or other liquids pass through the moustache before entering the mouth. If someone tells you to wash your moustache and drink water, you will surely feel disgust. But when every sip of liquid invades the moustache before entering the mouth, it is swallowed without disgust.
A very important issue to which attention must be drawn is that many consider shaving the beard as bad and hence they do not shave.
However, they do not consider a small beard as incorrect, and allow themselves to trim it. While the Sharia commands to keep the beard, it also specifies its length. Thus, to grow a beard which is against what is already (divinely) established, is therefore incorrect. The Sharia has ordered that the length of the beard must be that of a fist (by taking it under the chin).
In “Abu Dawood” it is mentioned, “We used to let our beards grow in length and width, except during the Hajj or Umra.” (That is to say, after that they trimmed it to a reasonable size as allowed by the Sharia).
It is therefore clear that the Sahaba generally were used to let their beards grow during the year and after the Hajj or Umrah, the excess part was cut. It is also a fact that the beard of Rassoolullah (peace be upon him) was of the length of a fist or slightly longer.
That's why he made the Khilaal (combed his beard with his fingers), and he used a comb to straighten it. It was so thick and dense that it covered the top of his chest.
Rassoolullah (peace be upon him) ordered the Sahaba and the people of his Ummah, to let their beards grow and make it a symbol by which a Muslim is recognised. This will be the exclusive symbol and uniform of the believer. It is therefore not allowed to shave or to trim the beard or keep a small fashionable one as the Maulvis and amirs of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat do.
Now that the fact has been clearly established that the shortening (extreme one) or shaving of the beard is a sin and those who knowingly continue to do, who see the beard as a nuisance, who mock or scoff at those who keep the beard, for these, it is difficult for them to maintain their Iman (religious belief). It is imperative that they repent immediately and as they renew their Iman, they make their appearance in accordance with the teachings of Allah and His Rasul (peace be upon him).
Logically also, the beard is for men what the hair is for women, both being creations of beauty. If the act of shaving or cutting the hair of a woman makes her ugly, then if a man shaves his beard how then could it enhance his appearance? Verily, there is no other explanation for the fact that here men shave their beards; except that foreign customs have blinded our good senses and our reasoning, and they have sown confusion in common sense.
Those who shave (their beards) are disobedient, whatever their country of origin. Some shave to look younger and to hide their age, as if they thought that getting some qualifications at a certain age, could be embarrassing. This too is a completely meaningless concept. Age is a gift from Allah, the more you have lived for years, the more it is a great blessing. Trying to conceal this fact is in reality a kind of ingratitude to this favour (ni'mat) which you have been bestowed with. Obtaining some form of qualification whatsoever at a certain age is perfectly respectable and worthy of admiration.
Indeed, your zeal to achieve perfection in a matter at this age is even more worthy of envy. And if for some ignorant people wearing a beard is a cause of embarrassment, they should well remember that according to many unbelievers (Kuffar), being Muslim is also a cause of embarrassment and delay.
God forbid, should therefore Islam be abandoned? In the similar way that we do not abandon Islam under the pretext that the Kuffar consider it a failure and a delay (as waste of time), then why should we ignore the symbol and the appearance of Islam under the pretext that some disreputable irreligious people (fassiq) think it was an embarrassment and a dowdy appearance? All these are bad ideas instilled by Satan.
Insha-Allah, this sermon on the importance of the beard will be continued next week, May Allah grant us the 'Tawfiq' strength and courage to adhere to Islam and practice it as we were taught by Rassoolullah (peace be upon him). Ameen.
