Islamic Fiqh > Purification (Tahara) > The fitra and its practices
The practices of the fitra: rinsing the mouth and nose, trimming the nails, trimming the moustache, plucking the armpits and pubic hair, letting the beard grow: rulings and disagreements.
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Updated on 24 September 2026 at 1:14 PM
The sunan of the fitra gather the hygiene and grooming practices recommended by Islamic law: rinsing the mouth and the nose, circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, plucking the armpits, cutting the nails, trimming the mustache, caring for the beard and the use of the siwak. The following sheets set out, school by school, the positions of the jurists, their proofs from the Quran and the Sunna, with the references of the classical books cited in parentheses.
The jurists of the four schools agree on the legality of circumcision. Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) reports their agreement that whoever circumcises his son has acted rightly, and on the permissibility of female circumcision (Maratib al-Ijma', p. 157). Ibn Hubayra (may Allah have mercy on him) says: they agreed that circumcision for the male and khifad (female circumcision) for the female are legislated (Al-Ifsah 1/342). And Imam Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) states: the circumcision of the woman is legislated without any disagreement (Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, 1/372).
The jurists then differ: is circumcision obligatory for both the male and the female, obligatory for the male and recommended for the female, or simply recommended for all? Three views emerge.
First view: the Hanafis and the Malikis, an isolated report among the Shafi'is, and a narration from Imam Ahmad chosen by Ibn Abi Musa, hold that circumcision is an emphasized sunna for the male, and that the one who abandons it commits a sin; it is part of the fitra, one of the rites and distinctive marks of Islam. If the people of a town agreed to abandon it, the ruler would fight them, and it is not abandoned except out of necessity.
References: Al-Bahr ar-Ra'iq (8/554), Majma' al-Anhar (4/490), Hashiyat Ibn Abidin on Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar (6/751), Al-Ikhtiyar (4/178), Tabyin al-Haqa'iq (6/226), Adh-Dhakhirah (4/667), Hashiyat al-Adawi (2/444), Al-Qawanin al-Fiqhiyya (1/129), At-Taj wa-l-Iklil (3/258), Ath-Thamar ad-Dani (1/410 and 682), Al-Kafi (1/612), Al-Majmu' (2/314), Al-Insaf (1/123 and 124), Al-Ifsah (1/342), Al-Fath (10/353), Tuhfat al-Mawlud (p. 110 and 111), Al-Mughni (1/107).
As for the woman, it is a mark of honor (makruma) for her, that is, recommended. It was so described because it improves the complexion and makes intercourse more pleasant: improving the complexion meaning that it brings out its freshness, radiance and glow.
Among the Hanafis, another view holds it to be a sunna for women as well, that is, an emphasized sunna (same sources as above). Ibn Hubayra again recalls the agreement that circumcision for the male and khifad for the female are legislated. The scholars then differ on its obligation: Abu Hanifa and Malik hold that it is a sunna for her, not an obligation in the sense of a fard, but the one who leaves it commits a sin (Al-Ifsah 1/342).
They support this with the hadith of Abu Hurayra, raised to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
"Five things are part of the fitra: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, plucking the armpits, trimming the nails and trimming the mustache"Sahih hadith
They note that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) joined circumcision in the hadith with trimming the mustache, which is not obligatory. Then comes the hadith of Ibn Abbas:
"Circumcision is a sunna for the men and a mark of honor for the women"Weak hadith; its full reference is given below
Second view: Imam Ahmad, according to a narration chosen by Ibn Qudama, holds circumcision obligatory for men to the exclusion of women. Ibn Qudama (may Allah have mercy on him) reports that Imam Ahmad said: the man is more affected, for if he is not circumcised that skin remains a sign of disbelief and what is beneath it is not cleaned; the woman is less affected. Abu Abdillah (Ahmad) also said: Ibn Abbas was strict about this matter; it is reported from him: "no hajj and no prayer", meaning for one who is not circumcised (Al-Mughni 1/101, Al-Insaf 1/124).
Third view: the Shafi'is and the Hanbalis in the madhhab, as well as the view of Suhnun and Ibn al-Arabi among the Malikis (a view also reported from Abu Hanifa and Malik), hold circumcision obligatory for men and women alike.
References: Al-Majmu' (2/314), At-Tanbih (1/14), Mukhtasar Khilafiyat al-Bayhaqi (5/33), Ar-Rawda (10/180), Al-Ifsah (1/342), Al-Qawanin al-Fiqhiyya (1/129), Ahkam al-Qur'an by Ibn al-Arabi (1/56), Tarh at-Tathrib (2/71 and 72), Fath al-Bari (10/352 and 353), Tuhfat al-Mawlud (p. 110 and 111).
They bring the following proofs.
1. Circumcision belongs to the religion of Ibrahim. In the two authentic collections, Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Ibrahim circumcised himself at the age of 80 with an adze (qaddum)"Narrated by Bukhari (3178) and Muslim (2370)
The Most High says:
"Then We revealed to you to follow the religion of Ibrahim, upright in faith"
Surah An-Nahl, 123
and circumcision is part of his religion. Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) presents the objection: the verse would not prove the obligation, for we were commanded to follow his religion; what he did believing it obligatory we do believing it obligatory, what he did as a recommendation we do as a recommendation, and he is not known to have believed it obligatory. The answer: the verse explicitly commands following him in what he did, which entails obligating every act he performed, unless evidence establishes that it is for us a mere sunna, like the siwak and the like; al-Khattabi moreover reports that the traits of the fitra were obligatory upon Ibrahim (peace be upon him) (Al-Majmu' 2/313).
2. A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "I have embraced Islam". He answered:
"Cast off the hair of disbelief and be circumcised"Narrated by Abu Dawud (356) and al-Bayhaqi (1/172); graded hasan by al-Albani through its supporting chains (Irawa' al-Ghalil 1/79, Sahih al-Jami' 851 and 1251), but graded weak by an-Nawawi, ash-Shawkani, Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari (10/354)
The supporters of the obligation reply, with Tuhfat al-Mawlud (p. 111): the fact that he was encouraged to remove the hair does not require taking circumcision as a mere recommendation.
3. Ibn al-Qayyim said: circumcision is one of the most manifest symbols by which the Muslim is distinguished from the Christian; its obligation is more apparent than that of the witr prayer, of the zakat on horses, of the ablution required from the one who laughs out loud in his prayer, from the one who had blood cupped or vomited, of tayammum up to the elbows, of the two strikes on the ground, and other such cases. The obligation of circumcision is even stronger, to the point that the Muslims hardly count the uncircumcised among their own; this is why some jurists hold that the adult must be circumcised even if it should cost him his life (Tuhfat al-Mawlud p. 112).
4. If circumcision were not obligatory, the private part would not have been exposed for it, for exposing the private part is forbidden: its permitted exposure therefore proves the obligation (view of ash-Shirazi, see Al-Majmu' 2/313).
5. Nor could it be dispensed with if that entailed abandoning two obligations and committing two forbidden acts: exposing the private part on the side of the one circumcised, and looking at the private part of a stranger on the side of the circumciser. If it were not obligatory, two obligations would not have been abandoned and two forbidden acts committed (Tuhfat al-Mawlud p. 113).
6. Although many scholars classify it among the sunan, many hold it obligatory: it is the emblem of the religion by which the Muslim is distinguished from the disbeliever. If a circumcised body is found among a group of uncircumcised slain men, the funeral prayer is performed over him and he is buried in the graves of the Muslims (Tuhfat al-Mawlud p. 113). There is also no objection to combining different rulings under a single imperative, as in the word of Allah:
"Eat of its fruit when it bears fruit, and pay its due on the day of its harvest"
Surah Al-An'am, 141
for paying the due is obligatory while eating is permitted (Fath al-Bari 10/353).
7. The guardian inflicts pain on the child and exposes him to death through carelessness; he spends from his wealth the fee of the circumciser and the price of the remedy, without bearing liability in case of accidental death. If circumcision were not obligatory, none of this would be permitted: it is not allowed to squander a person's wealth, inflict intense pain on him or expose him to death by an act that is not obligatory (Tuhfat al-Mawlud p. 113; the author treats this question of liability in his book Al-Jami' li-ahkam al-kafala wa-d-damanat, in the chapters on hire and on torts).
8. If it were not obligatory, the circumciser could not venture upon it, even with the consent of the person or his guardian: it is not permitted to cut a limb that Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not command to cut nor made obligatory to cut, just as it would not be permitted to consent to cutting off an ear or a finger. Consent would not remove the sin, while the waiver of liability is disputed (Tuhfat al-Mawlud p. 113 and following).
9. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya (may Allah have mercy on him) said: the aim of the circumcision of the man is to purify him from the impurity that collects in the foreskin; the aim of the circumcision of the woman is to moderate her desire, for if she remains uncircumcised she becomes excessively lustful. This is why, as an insult, a person is called "the son of an uncircumcised woman": such a woman is more inclined to look at men; and this is why obscenities are found among the women of the Tatars and the Franks that are not found among the women of the Muslims (Majmu' al-Fatawa 21/114).
10. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) adds: circumcision involves purity, cleanliness, the improvement of character and the moderation of desire. This desire, when excessive, brings man close to the beast; when entirely absent, it brings him close to inanimate matter: circumcision sets it right. It is observed, in fact, that uncircumcised men and uncircumcised women are never satiated with intercourse. A man is also blamed by being called "the son of an uncircumcised woman", pointing to his mother's lustfulness. What adornment is better than cutting whatever has overstepped the limit: the skin of the foreskin, the hair of the pubis, the armpits and the mustache, and whatever of the nails has grown too long?
The devil hides beneath all of that, frequents it and dwells in it; he even breathes into the member of the uncircumcised and into the private part of the uncircumcised woman what he does not breathe into the circumcised, and he hides in the pubic hair and under the nails. The excess skin of the foreskin is uglier in its place than a long nail, a long mustache or pubic hair of excessive length; the ugliness of this excess and the improvement, cleansing and adornment in removing it are not lost on anyone of sound natural disposition. This is why, when Allah tested His intimate friend Ibrahim with the removal of these things and he completed them, He made him a leader for mankind. To this is added the beauty and radiance of the face it produces, and the gloom it removes from it.
Abu Dawud narrates from Umm Atiyya that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed a woman who performed circumcisions:
"When you circumcise, do not cut deeply; that is more pleasant for the woman and more beloved to the husband"Sahih through its supporting chains, narrated by Abu Dawud (5271)
The author explains: if the one who cuts deeply removes the entire skin, the woman's desire weakens and her pleasure with her husband diminishes; if she leaves it untouched, her lustfulness increases; taking part of it while leaving the rest sets both character and desire right. Nor is it far-fetched that this cutting should serve as a mark of belonging: among many slaves, the cutting of the tip of the ear or the mark on the forehead signals servitude. This cutting is therefore the sign of the servant's servitude to Allah, so that people may know that he belongs to the sincere servants of Allah; circumcision becomes the emblem of this sunna, than which there is none nobler, in addition to the purity, cleanliness, adornment and moderation of desire it involves (Tuhfat al-Mawlud p. 127 and 128).
The jurists then answer the arguments of those who deny the obligation. The first argument is the hadith of Ibn Abbas quoted above. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) replies: this hadith is narrated from Ibn Abbas with a weak chain, and the correct view is that it is his own statement; it is also reported from al-Hajjaj ibn Arta, through the chains of Abu al-Mulayh ibn Usama from his father, and of Makhul from Abu Ayyub raised to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Al-Bayhaqi mentions all these chains, then cites from Ibn Abbas that the slaughter of the uncircumcised is not to be eaten, that his prayer is not accepted and his testimony not admitted, and he comments: this shows that he held it obligatory. As for the words "circumcision is a sunna", they refer to the sunna of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who legislated it and commanded it: it is therefore obligatory. The sunna is the path: one says "I legislated such a thing for him" meaning "I instituted it". "Circumcision is a sunna for the men" therefore means that it is legislated for them, not that it would be a mere recommendation: the sunna is the followed path, whether obligatory or recommended, as in his words:
"Whoever turns away from my sunna is not of me"Words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), cited by Ibn al-Qayyim in Tuhfat al-Mawlud (p. 119)
"Hold fast to my sunna and the sunna of the rightly guided caliphs after me"Words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), cited by Ibn al-Qayyim in Tuhfat al-Mawlud (p. 119)
Ibn Abbas for his part said: "Whoever opposes the sunna commits disbelief". Restricting the word "sunna" to what may be abandoned is a recent convention: the sunna is everything the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) legislated for his community, obligatory or recommended, for the sunna is the path, the guide and the way (weak hadith: narrated by Imam Ahmad in Al-Musnad (20738) and al-Bayhaqi in As-Sunan al-Kubra (17343); Tuhfat al-Mawlud p. 119).
2. As for the argument that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) paired circumcision with the recommended practices: the indication of pairing cannot outweigh the proofs of obligation; moreover, among the mentioned traits some are obligatory, like rinsing the mouth, sniffing water into the nose and istinja, and some are recommended, like the siwak (Tuhfat al-Mawlud p. 119).
Linguistically, the pubic hair is the hair growing above the private parts (Al-Misbah al-Munir). The technical meaning of the term does not depart from its linguistic meaning. Al-Adawi and an-Nafrawi say: the pubis is what lies above the male member and the vulva, and between the buttocks and the private parts (Hashiyat al-Adawi on Sharh ar-Risala 2/353, Al-Fawakih ad-Dawani 2/401).
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) specifies: what is meant by the pubic hair is the hair above and around the male member, and likewise the hair around the woman's private part. It is transmitted from Abu al-Abbas ibn Surayj that the pubic hair would be the ring of hair around the anus; he comments: this statement is strange, but there is no objection to shaving the hair of the buttocks; as for its being recommended, I have seen nothing of the sort; if the aim is cleanliness and ease of istinja, it is good and approved (Al-Majmu' 2/304).
The jurists are therefore unanimous that shaving the pubic hair is a sunna. An-Nawawi says: shaving the pubic hair is agreed to be a sunna as well; does it become obligatory upon the wife if her husband orders it? Two famous views exist; the sounder is the obligation, provided it is not excessive in a way that repels the eager husband; if it is so excessive as to repel him, it becomes unconditionally obligatory (Al-Majmu' 2/303 and 304, Kifayat at-Talib ar-Rabbani 2/353, Hashiyat Ibn Abidin 5/261, Al-Furu' 1/130, Al-Mughni 1/108).
There is no disagreement among the jurists on the permissibility of removing the pubic hair by any means: shaving, trimming, plucking or a depilatory (nura), for the root of the sunna is fulfilled by removal by whatever means (Al-Majmu' 2/304, Al-Mughni 1/108, Kashshaf al-Qina' 1/76, Fath al-Bari 10/356). Nor do they disagree that shaving is the best means of removing the pubic hair for the man (Fath al-Bari 10/356, Al-Majmu' 2/304, Sharh Sahih Muslim 3/121, Al-Ikhtiyar 4/167, Hashiyat Ibn Abidin 5/261, Kifayat at-Talib ar-Rabbani 2/353, Al-Mughni 1/108). As for the woman, the Hanafis and the Shafi'is hold that plucking is preferable for her.
Al-Ghazali adds to these practices the removal of the dirt that collects in the folds of the ears and the depths of the ear canal, removed by wiping, as well as the secretions that cling to the inner walls of the nose, and likewise the dirt that collects elsewhere. He also says: the Arabs used not to wash their hands after eating, so dirt collected in the joints of the fingers; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) therefore ordered them washed (Fath al-Bari 10/350, Al-Majmu' 2/303). Imam an-Nawawi states: washing the gums is agreed to be recommended; it is an independent sunna, not restricted to the ablution (Fath al-Bari 10/350, Al-Majmu' 2/303).
7. Rinsing the mouth (madmada) and sniffing water into the nose (istinshaq): this will be treated, Allah willing, in the sunan of the ablution.
8. Istinja (cleansing after relieving oneself): the majority of the jurists hold it obligatory, while Abu Hanifa, Muhammad and Malik, in one view, hold it to be a sunna; this has already been set out in its chapter.
9. Shaving the beard: the Hanafis, the Malikis, the Hanbalis and Imam ash-Shafi'i himself, explicitly, hold shaving the beard forbidden, for it contradicts the prophetic command to let it grow and spare it.
Among these commands, Abdullah ibn Umar reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Be different from the polytheists: trim the mustaches and leave the beards full"Narrated by Bukhari (5892) and Muslim (259)
And according to the hadith of Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), raised to the Prophet:
"Cut the mustaches, let the beards grow, and differ from the Magians"Narrated by Muslim (260)
Ibn al-Humam the Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: as for taking from the beard less than a handful, as some Maghrebis and effeminate men do, no one has permitted it (Sharh Fath al-Qadir 2/348, see Hashiyat Ibn Abidin 2/418, Al-Bahr ar-Ra'iq 2/302). Ad-Dasuqi the Maliki says: it is forbidden for a man to shave his beard, and the one who does so is disciplined (Hashiyat ad-Dasuqi 1/348, Munh al-Jalil 1/82, Hashiyat al-Adawi 2/444). Al-Qurtubi says in Al-Mufhim: it is not permitted to shave it, pluck it or cut much of it (Tarh at-Tathrib 2/78). And Abu al-Hasan al-Maliki notes that the scholars' wording specified "the flesh" to the exclusion of the hair of the head and the beard, for shaving these is an innovation.
Al-Adawi comments: this innovation is a forbidden innovation regarding the beard for the man; as for the woman, it was stated earlier that shaving her beard (if one grows) is obligatory for her (Hashiyat al-Adawi on Kifayat at-Talib ar-Rabbani 2/580). Among the Hanbalis, Ibn Muflih, after quoting the hadiths, concludes: this wording entails, with our companions, the prohibition (Al-Furu' 1/10). Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya says: shaving the beard is forbidden (Al-Fatawa al-Kubra 4/388, Al-Ikhtiyarat 19, see Al-Insaf 1/121, Ar-Rawd al-Murbi' 1/45, Al-Mubdi' 1/105, Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat 1/44, Kashshaf al-Qina' 1/75).
Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) transmits a consensus on the prohibition of shaving the beard: they agreed that shaving the entire beard is a mutilation which is not permitted, whether for the caliph, the virtuous or the scholar (Maratib al-Ijma' p. 57, see Al-Furu' 1/10).
As for the Shafi'is, it is stated in I'anat at-Talibin: "shaving the beard is forbidden"; but the position adopted by al-Ghazali, shaykh al-Islam, Ibn Hajar in At-Tuhfa, ar-Ramli, al-Khatib and others is mere dislike (karaha). The same work adds: the two shaykhs said shaving the beard is disliked, and Ibn ar-Rif'a objected in Hashiyat al-Kafiyya that ash-Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with him) explicitly stated the prohibition in Al-Umm. He writes there: if the barber shaved it and the hair grew back as before or finer, nothing is held against him; shaving is not a tort since it involves little pain; and although in the beard it is not permitted, it involves neither great pain nor loss of hair since it grows back (Al-Umm 6/82 and 83, I'anat at-Talibin 2/340, Hawashi ash-Shirwani 9/376).
Az-Zarkashi reports the same from al-Halimi in Shu'ab al-Iman and from his teacher al-Qaffal ash-Shashi in Mahasin ash-Shari'a. Al-Adhra'i says: the correct view is the prohibition of shaving it altogether, without any specific cause (I'anat at-Talibin 2/340, Hawashi ash-Shirwani 9/376). Imam an-Nawawi says: the choice is to leave the beard as it is, without touching it with any shortening at all (Sharh Sahih Muslim 3/124, Al-Majmu' 2/304). Abu Shama, of the Shafi'is, adds: people have appeared who shave their beards, which is graver than what is reported of the Magians, who merely trimmed them (Fath al-Bari 10/363).
As for trimming the beard when it is long, the majority of the jurists (Hanafis, Malikis, Shafi'is and Hanbalis) explicitly state that it is not forbidden to cut what exceeds a handful; the Shafi'is say it is disliked. A hadith exists on this, not extremely weak: from Amr ibn Shu'ayb, from his father and his grandfather, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to take from his beard both in width and in length (hadith graded defective (mu'dal): narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2762)).
Imam al-Mawsili the Hanafi says, concerning letting the beards grow: Muhammad reports from Abu Hanifa that it means leaving them until they become dense and abundant; trimming them is a sunna: the man grasps his beard and cuts whatever exceeds his grasp, for the beard is an adornment, its abundance belongs to the perfection of adornment, and its excessive length contradicts the sunna (Al-Ikhtiyar 4/208). Imam Ibn Abidin confirms: "the sunna therein is the handful", that is, the man grasps his beard and cuts whatever exceeds a handful; this is what Muhammad mentioned in Kitab al-Athar from the Imam, and he adds: this is the view we follow.
Anecdote: at-Tabarani narrates from Ibn Abbas, as words raised to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Among the happiness of a man is the lightness (shortness) of his beard". It has become widespread that the length of the beard is a sign of weak intellect; some composed these verses: "No one saw his beard grow long and add to his appearance, without his intellect losing more than his beard gained."
Curiosity: it is transmitted from Hisham ibn al-Kalbi that he used to say: "I memorized what no one memorized and forgot what no one forgot: I memorized the Quran in three days; then I wanted to cut from my beard whatever exceeded the handful, and I forgot, and cut from its upper part" (Hashiyat Ibn Abidin 6/407, Durrar al-Hukam 4/27, Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya 5/358).
Among the Hanafis, one view goes further: cutting whatever exceeds "the handful" becomes obligatory, which entails the sin for whoever neglects it (Al-Bahr ar-Ra'iq 2/302, Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar 2/417). Ibn al-Qasim reports: I heard Malik say: there is no harm in cutting whatever of the beard grows long and strays; he was asked: and if it becomes very long? among beards are some that grow very long; he said: I see that it be cut and shortened (At-Tamhid 24/145).
Imam Ibn Rushd (may Allah have mercy on him) says: what Malik deemed good, namely taking from the beard when it becomes excessively long, is good and contains nothing that contradicts the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to let it grow; he commanded letting it grow because shaving or cutting it is a disfigurement and a mutilation; likewise its excessive length amounts to haughtiness and seeking notoriety: if some people stopped trimming their beards, it would end up reaching their chest or lower, which is unseemly. Success belongs to Allah (Al-Bayan wa-t-Tahsil 17/391).
Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Ibn Umar's taking from the end of his beard during the hajj is evidence for the permissibility of taking from the beard outside the hajj: were it not permitted, it would not be permitted during the hajj, for they were commanded to shave or shorten, upon entering ihram, what they had been forbidden during their pilgrimage. Yet Ibn Umar himself narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Let the beards grow", and he knows best the meaning of what he narrated; accordingly, in his view and that of the majority of the scholars, it is permitted to cut whatever strays from the beard. And Allah knows best.
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have cut from his beard whatever fell upon his face. Ibrahim said: they used to cut from the sides of their beards. Ibrahim himself cut from the side of his beard. Abu Hurayra is reported to have cut from his beard whatever exceeded the handful; the same is reported from Ibn Umar, and likewise from al-Hasan. Qatada said: they did not cut from its length except in hajj or umra; they cut from the two sides (Al-Istidhkar 4/317 and 318).
Qadi Iyad (may Allah have mercy on him) says: cutting from its length is good; notoriety is disliked in exaggerating its length just as in cutting or shaving it. The early generations differed on whether there is a limit: some set no limit, avoiding only notoriety, while still trimming it; Malik detested excessive length; others fixed the limit at whatever exceeds the handful, to be removed; others yet disliked cutting it except in hajj or umra (Tarh at-Tathrib 2/78).
An-Nafrawi the Maliki specifies: shaving the beard is forbidden for a man; trimming it while it is not long is likewise forbidden; but if it grows very long, Malik said: there is no harm in cutting from its length when it grows beyond the customary appearance of most people; the excess is cut, for keeping it makes the appearance repulsive; the basic ruling is recommendation, so there is no objection here to what is better; custom has no defined limit, and one should confine oneself to whatever improves the appearance. Al-Baji says: he cuts whatever exceeds the handful, as indicated by the practice of Umar and Abu Hurayra: both used to cut whatever exceeded the handful. The "length" refers to the length of the hair, which includes the sides of the beard; cutting from them is therefore permitted as well. Malik's statement is not unique: the recommendation of trimming the long beard preceded Malik, held by many Companions and many successors (Al-Fawakih ad-Dawani 2/307).
Among the Hanbalis: taking whatever exceeds the handful is not disliked. Imam Ibn Muflih (may Allah have mercy on him) says: there is no harm in taking what exceeds the handful and what is under the jaw, according to the practice of Ibn Umar; however he only did so in hajj or umra, narrated by Bukhari. In Al-Mustaw'ab: leaving it is preferable; others say it is disliked. Ahmad used to take from his eyebrows and his temples; transmitted by Ibn Hani (Al-Furu' 1/100, Al-Mubdi' 1/105, Al-Insaf 1/121, Kashshaf al-Qina' 1/78).
Ibn Hani relates: I asked Abu Abdillah (Ahmad) about a man taking from his temples. He said: he takes from the beard whatever exceeds the handful. I said: and the hadith of the Prophet "trim the mustaches and let the beards grow"? He said: he takes from its length and from under his jaw. And I saw Abu Abdillah take from its length and from under his jaw (Al-Jami' li-ulum al-Imam Ahmad 13/380).
As for the Shafi'is, Imam an-Nawawi says: in Bukhari's narration comes "spare the beards"; five wordings thus appear: "leave, spare, loosen, let hang and increase them"; all of them mean leaving the beard as it is: such is the apparent meaning of the hadiths, held by a group of our companions and other scholars (Sharh Sahih Muslim 3/151).
An-Nawawi also mentions that the scholars listed ten blameworthy practices regarding the beard, some uglier than others:
Linguistically, the siwak designates both the act of rubbing the teeth (istiyak) and the instrument used for it, also called miswak; one says: he rubbed his mouth; its plural is suwak. The word derives from the verb "to rub" (As-Sihah 4/1593, An-Nihaya fi gharib al-hadith 2/425, Tahdhib al-Asma' wa-l-Lughat 3/157, Al-Misbah al-Munir 2/350, Lisan al-Arab 10/446, Al-Qamus al-Muhit 3/318). In the jurists' terminology, it designates both the act and the instrument.
The jurists give closely related definitions: the Hanafis define it as the name of a particular stick designated for rubbing the teeth (Al-Inaya, commentary on Al-Hidaya, with Sharh Fath al-Qadir 1/24). The Malikis: the use of a stick or the like upon the teeth to remove yellowness and odor (Mawahib al-Jalil 1/264, Awjaz al-Masalik 1/368). The Shafi'is and the Hanbalis: the use of a stick or the like upon the teeth to remove discoloration and the like (Al-Majmu' 1/270, Sharh Sahih Muslim 3/177, Mughni al-Muhtaj 1/55, Al-Mubdi' 1/68, Kashshaf al-Qina' 1/70). The most comprehensive definition is that of the Shafi'is and the Hanbalis: it is broader than that of the Hanafis, who restricted it to the wood, and that of the Malikis, who restricted its purpose to removing yellowness and odor.
The jurists agree on its status as an emphasized sunna. They rely on the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
"Were it not that I would burden my community, I would have commanded them to use the siwak at every prayer"Narrated by Bukhari (887) and Muslim (252)
Imam ash-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) infers: had it been obligatory, he would have commanded them regardless of the burden (Al-Umm 1/20). Ibn Qudama adds: this means he would have commanded them with a binding command, for the burden attaches only to obligation, not to recommendation. The people of knowledge agree that the siwak is an emphasized sunna, given the Prophet's insistence and regular practice, his encouragement and his urging (Al-Mughni 1/119).
The jurists agree on the recommendation of the siwak in certain situations, and some mention others of their own. Here are the situations according to each school, from which the unanimously agreed times can be deduced.
Among the Hanafis, the siwak is confirmed as recommended: at the ablution; upon rising for prayer; during the recitation of the Quran; upon waking; upon entering one's home; at gatherings; when the mouth changes; when the teeth turn yellow (Bada'i' as-Sana'i' 1/81 and 83, Sharh Fath al-Qadir 1/24, Hashiyat Ibn Abidin 1/233).
Among the Malikis: at the ablution; for the prayer; during the recitation of the Quran; upon waking; when the mouth changes; after a long silence; after much talk; after eating anything with an odor (Al-Kafi 1/171, Mawahib al-Jalil 1/264, Balughat as-Salik 1/87 and 88, Tanwir al-Maqala 1/484).
Among the Shafi'is: at the ablution; for the prayer, whether one has purified himself with water, with dust or neither (like one who finds neither water nor dust); during the reading of the Quran, the hadith, religious knowledge or the remembrance of Allah; upon waking; when the mouth changes, after eating, in hunger, after a long silence or much talk and the like; at the approach of death; in the last part of the night; when eating; after the witr (Al-Hawi al-Kabir 1/85, Al-Muhadhdhab 1/13, Al-Majmu' 1/338, Sharh Sahih Muslim 3/117, Mughni al-Muhtaj 1/56).
Among the Hanbalis: at the ablution; for the prayer; upon entering the mosque; during the recitation of the Quran; upon waking; at the major ablution; upon entering the house; after a long silence; when the teeth turn yellow; when the stomach is empty (Al-Mughni 1/119, Al-Mubdi' 1/10, Al-Furu' 1/125 and 128, Ar-Rawd al-Murbi' 1/20, Manar as-Sabil 1/30, Al-Insaf 1/119).
From all this emerge the unanimously agreed situations:
1. At the ablution, according to the hadith of Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him):
"Were it not that I would burden my community, I would have commanded them to use the siwak at every ablution"Sahih hadith: narrated by Bukhari in suspended form with a decisive wording in Kitab as-Siyam (4/187), by an-Nasa'i in As-Sunan al-Kubra (3034) and by Ibn Khuzayma in his Sahih (1/73)
2. Upon rising for prayer, according to the same hadith quoted above ("the siwak at every prayer": Bukhari (887), Muslim (252)).
3. Upon waking, according to Hudhayfa (may Allah be pleased with him):
"When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rose at night, he rubbed his mouth with the siwak"Narrated by Bukhari (242) and Muslim (255)
4. Upon entering his home, according to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
"When he entered his house, he began with the siwak"Narrated by Muslim (253)
5. When the mouth changes and the teeth turn yellow, according to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
"The siwak purifies the mouth and is pleasing to the Lord"Sahih hadith: narrated by Bukhari in suspended form with a decisive wording in Kitab as-Siyam (4/187); an-Nawawi judges this suspension authentic; also narrated by ash-Shafi'i in his Musnad (1/14), Ahmad in Al-Musnad (24249), an-Nasa'i (5) and Ibn Khuzayma (135)
As for the siwak of the fasting person, the subject will be treated, Allah willing, in the chapter on fasting.
The Hanafis in the madhhab, as well as the Malikis, the Shafi'is and the Hanbalis according to one narration, hold it recommended to take the siwak with the right hand while rubbing the teeth, according to the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
"He liked to begin with the right in his sandals, his combing, his purification, and every affair of his"; in one version: "and his siwak"Narrated by Bukhari (168) and Muslim (268); the version mentioning the siwak by Abu Dawud (4140), sahih hadith
The jurists ranked it among the acts of perfuming (Al-Bahr ar-Ra'iq 1/21, Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar 1/234, Hashiyat at-Tahtawi 1/44, Umdat al-Qari 3/31, Ash-Sharh as-Saghir 1/87, Mawahib al-Jalil 1/65, Al-Khulasa al-Fiqhiyya 1/13, Kifayat al-Akhyar p. 62, Al-Iqna' by ash-Shirbini 1/35, I'anat at-Talibin 1/45, Al-Mughni 1/120, Al-Insaf 1/128, Awn al-Ma'bud 11/133).
But the Hanafis according to another view, al-Iraqi among the Shafi'is, and the Hanbalis according to a narration chosen by shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya (may Allah have mercy on him), hold that the teeth are rubbed with the left hand, ranking the siwak among the removal of impurities. Ibn Abidin (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: if the siwak belongs to purification, it is recommended with the right hand, like rinsing the mouth; if it belongs to the removal of a nuisance, it is done with the left; the apparent view is the second (Hashiyat Ibn Abidin 1/234, see Hashiyat at-Tahtawi 1/44).
Al-Iraqi (may Allah have mercy on him) exposes the debate: certain later Hanbalis whose writings he saw say that one rubs with the right hand, relying on one of the chains of the famous hadith of Aisha: "He liked to begin with the right in his combing, his sandals, his purification and his siwak". Shafi'i scholars he heard made it depend on the classification of the siwak: if it belongs to perfuming, the right hand is recommended; if it belongs to the removal of impurities, the left is, according to the hadith of Aisha:
"The right hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was for his purification and his food, and his left hand for his needs of nature and whatever causes harm"Narrated by Abu Dawud with an authentic chain (33), al-Bayhaqi in As-Sunan al-Kubra (1/113), Ahmad in Al-Musnad (6/265); graded sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Abu Dawud (26) and an-Nawawi in Al-Majmu' (1/445)
According to the hadith of Hafsa:
"He set his right hand for his food, his drink and his garments, and his left for everything else"Cited in the course of this discussion in Tarh at-Tathrib (2/67)
But the argument in favor of the right hand does not prove what is drawn from it: it is a matter of beginning with the right side in combing, in putting on the sandal, with the right limbs in purification and with the right side of the mouth in rubbing; that he performed these with his right hand would require a separate transmission. The apparent view is that the siwak belongs to the removal of a nuisance, like cleaning the nose; it would therefore be done with the left. Abu al-Abbas al-Qurtubi, of the Malikis, reports explicitly in Al-Mufhim Malik's statement: one does not rub the teeth in the mosques, for it belongs to the removal of filth. And Allah knows best (Tarh at-Tathrib 2/66 and 67).
Asked about the question, shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya (may Allah have mercy on him) answered that the best is to rub with the left hand: the siwak belongs to the removal of a nuisance, like cleaning the nose and the like, which is done with the left, just as the removal of impurities, obligatory or recommended, is done with the left. He then notes that the siwak does not belong to the honoring of the right hand (Majmu' al-Fatawa 21/108 and 109).
In I'anat at-Talibin it is said among its benefits: it purifies the mouth, pleases the Lord, whitens the teeth, sweetens the breath, straightens the spine, strengthens the gums, delays gray hair, refines the character, sharpens the intelligence, multiplies the reward, eases the death struggle and brings about the utterance of the testimony of faith at the moment of death.
Its regular use brings generosity and wealth, facilitates provision, sweetens the mouth, relieves headache, removes all harm and phlegm, strengthens the teeth, clears the sight, increases good deeds, delights the angels so that they shake his hand because of the light of his face and escort him when he goes out to prayer; he will be given his book in his right hand; the siwak wards off leprosy, makes wealth and children grow, keeps man company in his grave, and the angel of death comes to take his soul in a beautiful form (I'anat at-Talibin 1/45).
Shaykh Ahmad as-Sawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says, about the virtues of the siwak: they reach thirty-three. The hafiz Ibn Hajar versified them in a famous poem, whose meaning is: the siwak pleases the Most Merciful, it whitens the teeth, makes the hair grow, sharpens the intelligence, increases eloquence and beauty, strengthens the gums, removes bad breath, frightens the enemy, refines the character, stops secretions, helps digest food, delays gray hair and senility, eases digestion, recalls the testimony of faith and eases the death struggle at that moment, brings ease together with wealth, drives away pain of every kind down to sciatica, soothes headache, the veins of the head and toothache, increases wealth and makes children grow, purifies the heart and puts an end to ailments, brightens the face and sharpens the sight, removes phlegm and spittle, eases and expands provision, and delights the recording angels of good deeds (Balughat as-Salik 1/88).
Ibn Abidin (may Allah have mercy on him) enumerates: among its benefits, it delays gray hair and sharpens the sight; its greatest good is that it is a cure for everything short of death; it enables one to walk swiftly upon the bridge (as-sirat); it purifies the mouth, pleases the Lord, delights the angels, clears the sight, removes bad odor and phlegm, whitens the teeth, strengthens the gums, helps digest food, cuts phlegm, multiplies the reward of the prayer, purifies the pathway of the Quran (the mouth), increases eloquence, strengthens the stomach, angers the devil, increases good deeds, cuts bile, soothes the veins of the head and toothache, sweetens the breath and eases the departure of the soul. In An-Nahr it is said that its benefits exceed thirty-six, the lowest being the removal of harm and the highest the reminder of the testimony of faith at the moment of death; may Allah grant us that by His grace and generosity (Hashiyat Ibn Abidin 1/235 and 236, see At-Tibb an-Nabawi by Ibn al-Qayyim).
Three views are held by the jurists on rubbing the teeth with the finger:
First view: the finger suffices in all cases; this is the view of the Malikis, the Shafi'is and the Hanbalis. Second view: the finger suffices when nothing else is available; this is the Hanafi madhhab, and also a view of the Malikis and the Shafi'is.
Their proofs:
1. The hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): a man of the Ansar, of the clan of Banu Amr ibn Awf, said: "Messenger of Allah, you have encouraged us regarding the siwak; is there anything less than that?" He replied:
"Your two fingers are a siwak in your ablution: pass them over your teeth. Whoever has no intention has no deed, and whoever seeks no reward obtains none"Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in As-Sunan al-Kubra (179); al-Hafiz al-Iraqi says in Tarh at-Tathrib (2/63) that its narrators are trustworthy, except the narrator who received it from Anas among his household, unnamed
2. The hadith of Anas from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
"The fingers suffice in place of the siwak"Weak hadith: narrated by al-Bayhaqi in As-Sunan al-Kubra (180), graded weak by an-Nawawi in Al-Majmu' (1/348)
3. The fact that the purpose of the siwak is achieved (Al-Majmu' 1/348, Al-Mughni 1/121).
Third view: the finger does not suffice for rubbing the teeth; this is a third Shafi'i view, the soundest according to them, while the second view is that of the Hanbalis. Their argument: the finger was not prescribed by the Law; and it is not called siwak and does not achieve the cleansing the way the stick does.
An-Nawawi adopted the first view: if the finger is soft, the siwak is not achieved by it, without disagreement; if it is rough, three positions exist: the famous sound position is that it does not achieve it, for it is neither called siwak nor bears its meaning, unlike the vegetable soap (ushnan) and the like, which, without being called siwak, have its meaning: this is the position of the majority. The second: it achieves it, since the purpose is fulfilled; this is the choice of Qadi Husayn, of al-Mahamili in Al-Lubab, of al-Baghawi, and ar-Ruyani adopted it in his book Al-Bahr. The third: it achieves it if one cannot find a stick, otherwise not, reported by ar-Rafi'i. Those who hold it achieved rely on the fulfillment of the purpose; as for the hadith "the fingers suffice in place of the siwak", it is weak, graded so by al-Bayhaqi and others; the chosen position is that it is achieved, as mentioned, and al-Hafiz al-Iraqi supported it (Al-Majmu' 1/348).
Ibn Qudama says: the correct view is that one attains the goal to the measure of the cleansing obtained, and the little of the sunna is not abandoned for inability to do the more (Al-Mughni 1/121, see Hashiyat Ibn Abidin 1/236, Ash-Sharh al-Kabir 1/166, Ash-Sharh as-Saghir 1/87, Mawahib al-Jalil 1/265, Al-Majmu' 1/348, Sharh Sahih Muslim 3/117, Mughni al-Muhtaj 1/55, Kifayat al-Akhyar p. 63).