QUESTION:
As Salaamu Alaikum,
I follow the Hanafi madhhab and seek clarification regarding the ruling of the beard.
From my understanding, the beard includes all hair that grows on the jawbone. However, I am unclear about where the jawbone is considered to begin. I have come across different views – for example, that it begins in line with the midpoint of the ear, the eye… Could you please clarify this?
Regarding length, I understand that the beard may be trimmed if it exceeds one fist. My confusion is about how this is measured in practice. If I grab my beard at the chin, some hair extends beyond my fist. However, if I grab the beard a few centimeters to the side, no hair extends beyond the fist unless I grab at an angle parallel to the surface. So is the one-fist ruling measured from a specific place, or should the same method be used across the whole beard? I’m not sure how this would practically work for sideburns, which are naturally short and would never reach a fist’s length.
On the topic of sideburns, since the bottom part is considered beard hair and the top part is head hair, is it permissible to straighten the sideburns so that they are straight throughout, and can I trim away any stray messy hairs?
So far, I have asked about the parts of the beard concerning sideburns and grabbing a fistful. What about remaining parts of the beard? For context, my beard does not grow evenly, and some hairs naturally extend beyond the general shape or boundary of the beard at the front, sides, or bottom. Is trimming such stray or protruding hairs permitted? This would also help practically because some hairs, when growing, curl inwards and can get caught in my mouth while eating.
Jazākum Allāhu khayran.
ANSWER:
Wa Alaikum As Salaam,
According to the Fuqaha (Jurist experts) of the Hanafi Madhhab, the beard refers to, ‘The hair growing on both cheeks from the side of the face, the sideburns and the chin’. (Radd Al Muhtar 1/215 Zakariyya; Mawsoo’ah Al Fiqhiiya 35/222 Anwarul Quran Peshawar; Kitab An Nawazil 15/552 Naieemiya)
The scholars have explained the above and stated, ‘The beard is the hair growing on the cheeks and the area between them and the side burns. It is the area adjacent to the ear, connecting above to the temple and below to the cheekbone. (Radd Al Muhtaar 1/215 Zakariyyah – Kitab An Nawazil 15/555 Naieemiya)
The scholars have identified that the sideburns are also part of the beard. In this regard, Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al Haithami, Ibn Qudama and Al Bahooti (A.R) have explained that the beard includes the hair which grows on the bone that is raised/prominent and adjacent to the ear canal. It connects from above to the temple and from below to the side of the face. Allamah Ibn Abideen Shami has also stated clearly that the sideburns are part of the beard, and therefore the same rulings apply to them. (Al Mawsoo’ah Al Fiqhiyya 35/222 Anwarul Quran Peshawar)
From the above explanation, it is understood that the beard begins from the bone which is prominent/raised at the side of the face and is in line with the ear canal, and includes the hair on the cheeks, side burns and below the chin. It is not only that which grows on the jawbone.
Regarding this, the celebrated Hanafi Jurist Allamah Ibn Abideen Shami wrote, ‘The beard is the hair growing on the cheeks, including the sideburns, and chin’. (Radd Al Muhtaar 1/215 Zakariyya)
The beard can be trimmed if it exceeds one fist. This is the position adopted by the scholars of the Madhhab of Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal. They have stated that when the length of the beard exceeds one fist, it is permissible to trim/cut the excess. This is based on the narration which states that the great Sahabi (companion) Abdullah bin Umar (R.A) used to trim the excess beyond one fist’s length of the beard whenever he performed Hajj and Umrah. (Bukhari Hadith No. 5892; Muwatta Malik – Mawsoo’ah Al Fiqhiyya 35/224)
While explaining this, Hafiz Ibn Hajr Al Asqalani states, ‘It is clear that this action of Abdullah bin Umar (R.A) was not specific to when he made Hajj or Umrah, but he did this, understanding that the command to ‘let the beard grow’ was in reference to a state where the beard’s length and width doesn’t distort one’s appearance’. (Fath Al Bari 10/350 – Mawsoo’ah Al Fiqhiyya 35/225)
Other great Tabi’een scholars like Imam Aamir Ash Shabi, Ibn Sireen and many others also held the above position. (Qamoos Al Fiqh 4/583 ZamZam)
It is narrated in Kitab Al Athaar by Imam Muhammad bin Hasan Ash Shaibani that Abdullah bin Umar (R.A) used to grasp his beard with his hand and cut off what was in excess of one fist.
After narrating this, Imam Muhammad writes, ‘And we take this and act upon it, and this is the opinion/statement of Imam Abu Hanifah’. (Kitab Al Athaar pg. 189 – Kitab An Nawazil 15/556 Na’eemiya)
Allama Ibn Abideen Shami, the great Hanafi Jurist has written, ‘The Sunnah in keeping the beard is one fist’s length, and it is that a man grasps his beard and whatever is in excess of one fist, he can trim/cut it’. (Hashiya Radd Al Muhtaar 9/583 Zakariyya – Kitab AnNawazil 15/560).
In Fatawa Al Hindiya, it is also mentioned, ‘There is no harm in grasping the beard, and if it exceeds the grasp (one fist), cut it off’. (Al Fatawa Al Hindiya 5/358 Zakariyya – Kitab An Nazwazil 15/556 – Na’eemiya Deoband India)
While on this topic of the beard, it must be understood that according to all scholars of the four Madhahib, shaving the beard is totally Haram.
In this regard, it is written, ‘The overwhelming majority of scholars, that is, the Hanafis, Malikis, the Hanbalis and one opinion of the Shafi’ Madhhab state that it is Haram to shave the beard, since it is failing to fulfill the command of the Prophet (S.A.S) to let the beard grow and let it increase, and it is opposing his instuction. The other opinion of Imam Ash Shafi’ is that it is prohibitively detested’. (Mawsoo’ah Al Fiqhiyya 35/225)
It is also prohibited to trim/cut the beard to less than a fist’s length. About this, Allama Ibn Abideen Shami wrote, ‘As for trimming/cutting the beard to less than a fist’s length, as some people do, no one (from among the Imams of Fiqh and scholars) has permitted it’. (Radd Al Muhtar 2/418 Karachi – Kitab An Nawazil 35/558).
The one-fist ruling should be measured across the beard, that is, what is at the side of the face (on the cheeks etc), and what is under the chin. This means that in growing the beard every direction and area of the beard must be grown to a minimum of one’s fist length. (Kitab An Nawazil 15/555, Na’eemiya)
It must also be understood that the hair that grows between the lower lip and the chin is also part of the beard, and must not be shaved/cut. (Qamoos Al Fiqh 4/584; Al Mawsoo’ah Al Fiqhiyya 35/223)
As such, the ‘trimming-off’ of the excess beyond one’s fist length will be applicable to all sides of the beard. In the case where the beard at the side or on the cheeks may be shorter than one fist, then it must be left alone to the length it is. That which is longer than a fist’s length from under the chin can be trimmed.
The Fuqaha (Jurist experts) have stated that the sideburns are part of the beard. In this regard, Ibn Abideen Shami (AR) writes, ‘The sideburns are part of the beard, and upon that, the ruling of the beard is applied’. (Al Mawsoo’ah Al Fiqhiyyah 35/222)
Based on this, the sideburns will not be regarded as head hair, it is regarded as part of the beard, and as such, once it is not longer than one fist’s length, it will not be permissible to cut, shave or trim.
With respect to the sideburns, it should be understood that the practice of some people to cut or mark the sideburns, where some of the hair of the cheeks are shaved/removed, is totally prohibited. The hair that grows from the raised bone at the side of the ear going down the face, as well as the hair on the cheeks are regarded as part of the beard, and shaving these is actually shaving the beard. Therefore, this must not be done. (Kitab An Nawazil 15/559).
In straightening the sideburns, you will be shaving the hair that is regarded as beard, hence it will not be permissible. It should be understood that the sideburns which are above the raised/prominent bone adjacent to the ear canal, are regarded as hair connected to the head, and are not from the face to be considered beard. As such, it can be cut/trimmed. (Kitab An Nawazil 15/558).
With respect to trimming what grows unevenly and that some hairs extend beyond the general shape of the beard in different areas of the face, then it is permissible to trim such stray and protruding hairs. In this regard, the scholars have written, ‘and others among the jurists held that one should not trim/cut anything from the beard except when it becomes long or wide, disturbing its appearance.’ (Al Mawsoo’ah Al Fiqhiyyah 35/225)
And Allah Knows best
Mufti Waseem Khan
6/3/2026