Shaving is un-Islamic, says fatwa

Lucknow: Darul Uloom Deoband, a well-known Islamic seminary in Saharanpur has issued a fatwa against shaving saying shaving is against the tenets of Islam. The fatwa issued in response to a query by Mohd. Irshad and Mohd. Furqan, both of whom run a hair salon in Bajia-ul-Haq locality of the district.

The two have now stopped shaving or trimming beards of their customers. A panel of three Muftis — Faqrul Islam, Waqar Ali and Zain-ul-Qasmi — issued the fatwa, saying Islam does not allow us to cut the beard of a person of any religion.

The two brothers have now pasted a copy of the fatwa outside their shop, as it was getting difficult to explain why they stopped shaving or trimming beard. “It is true that shaving beard is not preferred in Islam, but it is not forbidden either in the religion,” said Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali, who heads a unit that issues fatwas in Lucknow.