SX43@liverpool.ac.uk (12/09/90)
Salaam all;
I just got last month's MuslimWise.. although I should
be tucked up getting over this 'flu, I just _had_ to share this one
with you. Anyway it relieves the boredom. I would appreciate any
du'as for a swifter recovery; I should go and crawl back to bed after
posting this, gurgle, sniffle..
(BTW MuslimWise had plea for help this time round; they seem to be
having cash-flow problems unfortunately. I doubt any of us are million-
aires, though; you'll no doubt find out if they go under.)
With Peace, (and 'flu.. :-( )
Fazal-Rehman.
Title : Goats, Beards, and Action.
Source : MuslimWise magazine (Nov90) p11
Topic : Halal Fingers has a go at the Muslim Community.
(Get the pun ?! :-)
Lines : 116 inc.
Contact: BM MuslimWise,
London WC1N 3XX
England, UK.
Telephone : 081-902-5968/6074 (England)
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GOATS, BEARDS AND ACTION
========================
(By Halal Fingers)
It's amazing really, just how out of touch with reality our
community is. Muslims, apparently are unable to distinguish between
Right and Wrong any more : our priorities are so mixed up that we go
berserk over one man's book and the insults he heaps upon everything we
hold sacred and yet we are in the process of turning out potential
Rushdies every day of the week.
How ? Look at our behaviour. People are dying over an abandoned
mosque in India ! If it's so important a place for the local Muslims, how
come nobody has prayed there for the last forty years or so ? What are
we coming to when Muslims in Bangladesh start rioting and looting
against Hindus in 'defence' of that mosque, hundreds of miles away ?
Enough has been written about the Gulf to give the general idea that
Muslims are being made to look complete fools again, so I don't need to
add to that. Talking of Mosques, the community (that's a joke) in east
London are at it again, fighting each other over who runs east London
Mosque. Everywhere you look, there we are, the great Muslim Ummah,
fighting and squabbling with each other. Is it any wonder that 'young
Muslims' are watching in confused amazement ?
The behaviour of their elders (and supposed betters), is far from
Islamic. So is it reasonable to expect youngsters growing up in 'Muslim'
families to develop into sincere practising Muslims? The motto seems to
be 'do as we say, not as we do'. Looking at the Prophet, Peace be upon
him, and his companions, we can see that they led by example. Can we say
that? Maybe, but what an example !
We send our children off to the mosques to learn about prayer
and how to read the Qur'an but do we show them how to put the
teachings of Allah into practise in their lives? No way, that would be
fundamentalist, wouldn't it ? As long as they can read the Qur'an, we're
happy. Think about it : they might as well be learning Greek or Chinese
for all the effects the words of Allah have on their lifestyle.
Look around you in the mosque at Friday prayer. Count the
number of people without a beard. Easier still count the number with a
beard, it won't take you as long. I'm not saying that a beard
automatically signals a good, sincere Muslim; after all, there is a
Danish (honest!) proverb which reads : 'If the beard were everything,
then goats would preach'. But, the beard is the easiest of Sunnahs to
follow. To do so, you do nothing, not a sausage, zilch. To go against his
advice, you must make a conscious decision to shave; you are of your
own free will, going against the Sunnah. So our youngsters don't even see
the easiest of things being followed in their family and community. How
then, can we expect them to follow the more complex obligatory things ?
The beard is just one example. Many people take matters of Sunnah
very lightly indeed, saying they aren't compulsory therefore they aren't
important. But if we can't even get the small things right, what chance
have we of getting the big, really earth-shattering things right ? How
can we quote Qur'anic injunctions to people in efforts to correct their
actions when they aren't even following the easy parts of their Faith,
let alone the more serious issues ? Conferences, delegations and the
like which try to seek an Islamic solution, say to the Gulf problem are
a waste of valuable time. We're trying to talk to rulers of countries
(whether Iraqi, Saudi or Kuwaiti or wherever); if they really cared
about Islam, wouldn't their respective countries be ruled 100 percent
according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah ? In fact, wouldn't their respective
countries be just one Islamic State, not a myriad of nation-states
competing against each other over territory and wealth ?
Again, look at the Prophet, Peace be on him. He didn't go out
into the streets of Makkah following the early revelations from Allah,
calling for an Islamic revolution and the immediate implementation of
the Shari'ah. He called people to simply believe in La ilaaha illa Allah
for years, sowing the seeds of Faith, ready for the major injunctions
later on.
Despite our 'advanced' state of affairs, in terms of technology,
scientific knowledge etc, we are getting too far away from the
simplicity that was the Prophet's message, and the ultra effective
methods of his call to Islam. Perhaps we are just too ignorant to think
that such simplicity can teach us anything; that we actually know
better.
I think we need to look again at the little things in Islam, and
try to put them into practice; to build our Islamic State from the
foundations up, not from the roof down. If the goats can read this, I
hope they understand.
--Halal Fingers.zvs@bby.oz.au (Zev Sero) (12/12/90)
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? I ask because 99% of the pictures of Arabs and other Muslims that I see (in papers or whatever) do not have beards. I was not aware that Islam had an idea of beards being something important, until I noticed that all the Iranian Ayatollahs had them. I then thought perhaps it was only a Shi'ite practise, or perhaps it was just an Iranian fashion. Could somebody please tell me the story about Islam and beards? Thanks. Zev (a bearded Jew) -- Zev Sero - zvs@bby.oz.au Megalomaniacs are simply people who know damn well they can run the universe better then God or the present governors. - Abner Doon (Orson S. Card)
khan@romulus.RUTGERS.EDU (Farrukh Shah Khan) (12/12/90)
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? ... Islam gives a lot of importance to cleanleness. Mohammad PBUH said that cleanleness is half of your faith. Muslim has to be clean all the time (and specially at prayer time). Since muslim has to say prayer 5 times a day so he/she cleans him/her self 5 times a day (at least). Muslims should not eat pork because it is DIRTY (in what sense, that is not important in current context). Muslim has to be circumcised (sp?) because a lot of germs can devalop in the foreskin and specially in the hot places where people sweat a lot. In Islam a muslim has to clean (shave) all unwanted hair. That is because of the same reason as circumcision (and bad smells). Same is (almost) true for the hair on the face. But people like beards, so Mohammad PBUH put an upper bound on the size of the beard. It should not be more than the width of your knuckle. This so that you won't dip it in the gravy when you are eating and is easy to clean. So the conclusion is that it not required at all infact it is preferable not to have one. "But they don't understand ..." > Thanks. Zev (a bearded Jew) -- ^ ~ / * * ' _ __ w (_) Live long and prosper. ' _/ __/ Farrukh Shah Khan. (__, _/ khan@remus.rutgers.edu "MEN MUST CHANGE BEFORE THE KINGDOMS" (Jesus) "Peace is as much an art to learn as war" Sen. Matsunaga (Hawaii)
zama@midway.uchicago.edu (iftikhar uz zaman) (12/15/90)
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? ... > >Islam gives a lot of importance to cleanleness. Mohammad PBUH said >that cleanleness is half of your faith. Muslim has to be clean all the >time (and specially at prayer time). >In Islam a muslim has to clean (shave) all unwanted hair. That is >because of the same reason as circumcision (and bad smells). Same is >(almost) true for the hair on the face. But people like beards, so >Mohammad PBUH put an upper bound on the size of the beard. It should >not be more than the width of your knuckle. This so that you won't dip >it in the gravy when you are eating and is easy to clean. >So the conclusion is that it not required at all infact it is >preferable not to have one. "But they don't understand ..." >> Thanks. Zev (a bearded Jew) > ' _/ __/ Farrukh Shah Khan. EXCUSE ME!!!!???? Mr. Khan, you have *really* got this one wrong! Do you not realize that the Prophet himself always had a beard? And that `Umar's beard was rather large: the method he used to cut his beard was to grab a handful and then two (maybe three?) fingers and then cut the rest off? "Knuckles"? Where did you get that from? Was the Prophet and were his Companions fond of having beard while it is "preferable not to have one?" Who is it here that "doesn't understand?" Classical Islamic scholarship has always held that to have a beard is sunna (i.e. practice of the Prophet which should be followed). There a number of sayings of the Prophet on this issue. The most famous one (I am fairly sure it is in Abu Da'ud, Kitab al-Adab and is probably in most of the other six books also) is about a Persian who came to visit the Prophet and had a large moustache but no beard. When asked why he had "done this to his face" he said that his "master" commanded him to do this. The Prophet responded, in essence, that his Master (I believe the word used is "rabb") commanded him to cut his moustache and let his beard grow long (qass al-shawarib and ihya al-lihya: to shorten the moustache and ALLOW the beard to grow long). The key word is "commanded"--from this Islamic scholars have always argued that this is a sunna which *really should* be followed (as opposed to sunna regarding the specific way the Prophet dressed etc. which is commendable, but not really stressed). I don't have the books in front of me right now, but the range of opinion between the four classical schools of Islamic jurisprudence is somewhat like this: the Hanafis say that cutting one's beard until it has reached the length of a fistful and two fingers is "haram" -- absolutely forbidden. And while I am in the flaming mood: the classical view has been that someone who shaves his beard is a "fajir" i.e. someone who disobeys a major commandment of God publicly! (OK, modern scholars might not be so harsh: but this is how it was viewed from Abu Hanifah's time (d. about 150 A.H.--last part of eighth century) until at least about the nineteenth century. The one school of law (and I can't recall at this point which one) which allows for shaving one's beard does so in a peculiar manner: if someone already has a beard, it is "haram" for him to shave it. But if someone has already started shaving then the sin is only on the first time he does so, if he continues to shave he is not really shaving his "beard" (he has none!) so it is OK. I did not want to write on this topic at all--as I was sure there are plenty of "modernists" out there who will say it is not necessary at all; and then there would be plenty of "traditionalists" who would argue that it was necessary. But to find someone who actually tries to show that the beard is "slightly frowned upon but allowed"; this is really too much. The discussion among modern Muslims swings between the two types of attitudes depicted in the above paragraph: it is good to have a beard-- this much is agreed upon. The question is: is it necessary or just a "nice thing." Sorry to have gone on so long, but the great contrast between the confident tone of your article and its lack of correspondence to facts made me feel that I couldn't let this one go by... Iftikhar
SX43@liverpool.ac.uk (12/15/90)
In article <1990Dec11.170212.372@wpi.WPI.EDU>, zvs@bby.oz.au (Zev Sero) says: > >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'? >Thanks. Zev (a bearded Jew) Wearing a beard is the example of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be on him.) and as far as I am aware it was the practice of all the Prophets before him, all the way back to Adam (Peace on them all). As such it is a very strong Sunnah for Muslims to wear beards. There is supposed to be a hadith which says that we should trim our moustaches and let the beards grow, but I dont know its status (reliable or not..). Personally I dont let mine grow too long as I prefer it tidy; it helps to keep it clean too I find, when it gets longer its more difficult. I suppose its a fault but there are much greater faults I am invested with which would need sorting out before I worry about whether or not I should trim my beard. The Prophet (SAW) also said that the Beard contains the Beauty of a man. After I decided to grow mine (about three years ago) I was relieved to hear that people thought it suited me, so I wasnt tempted to doff it. Some people dont get on with their beard so they end up shaving it. Its a shame we are so self-conscious, but thats part of the test I suppose :-). Fazal.
ishakbey@dbl2.ces.cwru.edu (Naci Selim Ishakbeyoglu) (12/15/90)
In article <1990Dec12.154553.28131@wpi.WPI.EDU> khan@romulus.RUTGERS.EDU (Farrukh Shah Khan) writes: >In Islam a muslim has to clean (shave) all unwanted hair. That is >because of the same reason as circumcision (and bad smells). Same is >(almost) true for the hair on the face. But people like beards, so >Mohammad PBUH put an upper bound on the size of the beard. It should >not be more than the width of your knuckle. This so that you won't dip >it in the gravy when you are eating and is easy to clean. > It is "sunnah" to grow beard. In a saying of prophet PBUH, he told muslims to shorten their mustaches and to grow their beards long. There are several sayings of Prophet PBUH on this subject. >So the conclusion is that it not required at all infact it is >preferable not to have one. "But they don't understand ..." > The conclusion is wrong. Altough it may not be required, it is certainly preferred to have one, and strongly encouraged by the prophet PBUH. > > ^ ~ / * > * ' _ > __ w (_) Live long and prosper. > ' _/ __/ Farrukh Shah Khan. > (__, _/ khan@remus.rutgers.edu > > Najee.
ishakbey@alpha.ces.cwru.edu (Naci Selim Ishakbeyoglu) (12/18/90)
In article <1990Dec12.154553.28131@wpi.WPI.EDU> khan@romulus.RUTGERS.EDU (Farrukh Shah Khan) writes: > >In Islam a muslim has to clean (shave) all unwanted hair. That is >because of the same reason as circumcision (and bad smells). Same is >(almost) true for the hair on the face. But people like beards, so >Mohammad PBUH put an upper bound on the size of the beard. It should >not be more than the width of your knuckle. This so that you won't dip >it in the gravy when you are eating and is easy to clean. > It is "sunnah" to grow beard. In a saying of prophet PBUH, he told muslims to shorten their mustaches and to grow their beards long. There are several sayings of Prophet PBUH on this subject. >So the conclusion is that it not required at all infact it is >preferable not to have one. "But they don't understand ..." > The conclusion is wrong. Altough it may not be required, it is certainly preferred to have one, and strongly encouraged by the prophet PBUH. > > ^ ~ / * > * ' _ > __ w (_) Live long and prosper. > ' _/ __/ Farrukh Shah Khan. > (__, _/ khan@remus.rutgers.edu > > Najee.
bro@eunomia.rice.edu (Douglas Monk) (12/19/90)
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.
jnawaz@skat.usc.edu (Jemshed Nawaz) (12/22/90)
In article <1990Dec18.222122.13565@nntp-server.caltech.edu>, bro@eunomia.rice.edu (Douglas Monk) writes: |> |> |>([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).) |> |> What a coincidence....I just now happened to see this word among the Dictionary of Qur'anic Terms in the "Al'Furqan International" Magazine and the definition given: FITRAH: nature, true form of reality, a concept of great importance in the essentials of human nature which stimulate tenderness, qualities of love, compassion, benevolence and generosity without external interference. In a true sense, these qualities belong to Allah alone as being the Benevolent, the Merciful (Al-Rahman, Al-Rahim). Man, being a creation of Almighty Allah, is bestowed with such qualities which are essential for fulfilling the purpose of life in order to obey the commands of his Creator and Cherisher. FITRAH is deprived of freedom to make wrong and does not yield to the tendency of weakness in making sin at its accord. It connotes entirely positive and optimistic concept of life and completely submits to its actual and natural form. FITRAH is not destroyed but only with a deliberate act of forbearing transgression. It is perfect and absolute. The Holy Qur'an says: "This is He who knoweth what is out of our knowledge and what is within it, the Mighty, the Merciful, who hath made everything which He hath created most perfect."(Surah Sajda:6,7). The "perfect" here referred is FITRAH. Allah fashions every detail of His creation in accordance with the functions intended for it, irrespective of whether those functions can be conceived by man or they are beyond the reach of his perception. These creations are perfect and fair. There are many valid reasons that Al'Islam is the religion which coheres with the FITRAH of man. |> |>Thanks, |>Doug Monk (bro@rice.edu) |> |>Disclaimer: These views are mine, not necessarily my organization's. Jemshed Nawaz