A modern Muslim scholar is of the opinion that growing beards might be encouraged, but it is not mandatory in Islam. He argues 1 " that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had reasons for his time only, 1400 years ago, to address his companions to grow beards and this doesn't mean that these reasons have to exist today. Islam is a rational religion.
Growing beards can actually cause trouble to some of the Muslims who live in the West today. If growing beards was mandatory in the Noble Quran, then we would have nothing to argue about. But since it was mentioned in the Sayings of our beloved Prophet peace be upon him, then it is important to know whether this law should apply to all times and all places or not. Some of our Prophet's Sayings and laws were made only to solve situations that occurred 1400 years ago.
These few Sayings don't necessarily have to be applied today. Only the Noble Qur'an's laws are all 100% applicable for all times and all places. Prophet Muhammad's Sayings, yet most of them should be applied for all times and all places, but few of them shouldn't."
Afghan Diplomat
Haron Amin, a one-time anti-Soviet and anti-Taliban fighter in Afghanistan, who is now his country's top diplomat in Washington, said to CNN News " Well, I think -- remember that growing a beard in Islam is not dictated in the Holy Koran. It's a tradition by the Prophet. In other words, it's not one those mandatory things that one must do.
I don't grow a beard and I'm a -- and I'm a perfect Muslim here in the sense that, you know, I practice and I have my own convictions. So it's not a big thing."
SHAVED HEADS AND BEARDS 2
In Egypt, many centuries before Christ, barbers were prosperous and highly respected. The ancient monuments and papyrus show that the Egyptians shaved their beards and their heads. The Egyptian priests even went so far as to shave the entire body every third day. The Bible tells us that when Joseph was summoned to appear before Pharaoh, a barber was sent for to shave Joseph, so that Pharaoh's sight would not be offended by a dirty face.
In Greece, barbers came into prominence as early as the fifth century, BC. These wise men of Athens rivaled each other in the excellence of their beards. Beard trimming became an art and barbers became leading citizens. Statesmen, poets and philosophers, who came to have their hair cut or their beards trimmed or curled and scented with costly essences, frequented their shops. And, incidentally, they came to discuss the news of the day, because the barber shops of ancient Greece were the headquarters for social, political, and sporting news. The importance of the tonsorial art in Greece may be gathered from the fact that a certain prominent Greek was defeated for office because his opponent had a more neatly trimmed beard.
