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Fatwa CenterShaving the beard of the insane – a Sharee‘ah viewpoint
Question
What is the Sharee‘ah ruling on shaving the beard of the insane? Please advise. May Allaah Reward you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
It is proved that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:
"Let the beards grow and trim the mustaches…" [Al-Bukhari]
"Shave mustaches and let the beards grow…" [Muslim]
If others shaved the beard of an insane person, this is impermissible because it contradicts the command of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and involves help to do what is prohibited. Nevertheless, if keeping the beard of this insane person is harmful to him, as when there are impurities or insects in it, it is permissible to shave it for him in order to ward off harm.
On the other hand, if the insane person does this by himself while he is unaware, he is excused because he is not eligible for the Sharee‘ah address. It is narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "The pen is lifted from three (they are not held accountable): the sleeping person until he wakes up, the young person until he attains the age of puberty and the insane person until he regains his sanity." [Ahmad, Abu Daawood and Al-Bayhaqi]
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