New Muslim Facing Pressure From Family and School to Shave Beard

Question

Praise be to Allah.

First of all we congratulate you on accepting Islam and grant you glad
tidings of goodness and blessings, and we see that your insistence to adhere
to your faith is a sign of your success, God willing. Your placing Allah’s
rights over the rights of His slaves is certainly the best attitude a
believer can have.

As for the issue of the beard, then it is compulsory according to the texts
of the honoured Sunnah (prophetic teachings). Ibn ‘Omar (may Allah be
pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Be
different from the mushrikeen (polytheists): let your beards grow and trim
your moustaches.” (al-Bukhari and Muslim)

See the
answer to question 1189 for
further details.

Leaving
the beard to grow is following the way of the Messenger of Allah (may the
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And Allah says (what means): “There
has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern
for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah
often.” (33:21)

As for
shaving it due to school regulations and the requests of the family, then
there are steps you need to take before giving in to such requests:

1.Try to
have the school waive the rule for you and allow you to grow your beard. If
there is a higher committee or an owner of the school, address them as well
to make an exception for you.

2.If this is
not successful, then look for a congressman in your area or a personality
who has weight so they may intercede on your behalf with the school
administration.

3.If that is
not possible, then look into lodging a complaint against the school for
violating your freedom of rights.

4.If all the
above is not successful, then search for an alternate school whose rules
will allow you to grow your beard.

If any of what has been mentioned above is possible, then do it so as to
free yourself of blame. It is not permissible to do that which is unlawful
while there is a possibility to avoid it.

If all your efforts to maintain your beard fail, or you do not have the time
to attempt all the steps and the only two choices before you are expulsion
or shaving, then Insha Allah (God willing), there is no blame on you to
follow the rules under pressure but only for the time being until you
complete your studies after which time you return to adhering to the
guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his
sunnah.

If it is possible to trim the beard rather than shave it, that would be
better. But if they do not allow trimming and insist on you shaving, then we
hope that you will be excused before Allah as you made every effort to avoid
it but were unsuccessful. Allah does not burden a soul with more than it can
bear. Allah says (what means): “So
fear Allah as much as you are able” (64:16).
And He says (what means): “Allah
does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.” (2:286). As
soon as the school year ends, return to growing the beard.

We ask
Allah to guide you to His pleasure and to make easy for you every good and
avert evil from you.

And
Allah knows best.