Beauty in the Beard

August 23, 2008 by Zainab (AnonyMouse) Creative writing
51 comments

This is a poem which I read a while ago and has made its way around the Islamosphere… I thought it'd be great for the MM crowd!

Beauty in the Beard by Tushar Imdad-ul-Haque Bhuiya (12th March 2001)

I came to eat dinner in my halls of residence one day last year when two sisters started laughing at me; I had some food stuck in my beard. They went on to innocently and honestly mock my beard saying it was messy, unnatural and unhygienic. Little did they know the rage that I felt as a result of this and I channeled this rage by unleashing my
anger through my pen and out came this poem.

I performed this poem in the Leicester University/DMU Islamic Societies and Eid Celebration and it was received with much laughter and acclaim – Alhamdulillah. Due to popular demand and many requests I have decided to type my poem up and email it to my friends in Islam.
Let me remind you all not to be offended as this is no fatwa or religious statement – just a funny poem that spontaneously was produced as a result of my unfortunate experience…

Glorified be He who beautifies women with long locks of hair
And Men with long beards
There is beauty in the beard
Aye, there is beauty in the beard!

When the lion roars all the animals submit
For the lion is the king of the jungle
The lion with its glorious mane
And a Muslim man grows his mane in pride
Showing the rest of humanity that he is to be respected
Can one imagine a lion without its mane?
Nay, thou canst not!
Then imagine a man without his beard

Woe to worldly women who mock the beards so!
Desiring husbands with clean shaven faces
Woe to women who mock the Prophet's Sunnah
In the name of hygiene, neatness and smooth texture
Indeed the women of this world cannot like the beard
But she who wants Paradise adores the beard!

A beard is a gift given to man
Something only he can grow; a woman never can!
When he ponders, he gently strokes it;
When he eats, it stores food;
When he is with kids, they play with it adoringly;
When he is with his wife, she fondles it lovingly;
When the enemy see it, fear is struck in their hearts!
Ah! there is indeed beauty in the beard!

All the Prophets had beards – yes they did!
Muhammad had a beard – so big! so big!
All the companions had beards – o yes! o yes!
All the sages had beards – I know! I know!
All the wise have beards – tis true! tis true!
All the pious have beards – you see! you see!
All the Muslims have beards?! – if only! if only!

Who did not have beards? The kafirun!
Who had clean shaven faces? The kafirun!
Who grew their moustaches? The kafirun!
“And what did our Prophet order?” I hear you ask
He ordered us to lengthen the beard and trim the moustache!
Lengthen the beard and trim the moustache!
What greater reason that this can there be
The fact that our Prophet told us to see
That we make ourselves appear to the world
As full bearded men with honour untold

O Muslim brother! Why do you desire to look like a woman
When your blessed facial hair is the differece between you and the opposite gender?
O poor Muslim brother! Why do you imitate the kafir
Instead of following the Prophet of Islam?
O silly Muslim sister! Why are you so blind?
Infatuated with Bollywood actors who have no mind!
O wretched sister! Are you not scared of your choice?
You would rather have a feminine monkey instead of an exalted manly ape!

So indeed I love my beard
And adore the curls and tangles
Which no oil, gel or superglue can ever straighten
My glorious long, curly, messy, fluffy beard!
The playhouse for kids;
And the beloved of Allah!
I maybe rejected by worldly women because of this hair on my face
But who care! For my Mum loves it and she puts all such sisters toÂ disgrace!
Be patient Muslim brothers, who shun the trendy look for a Prophetic pose
Paradise with the wide eyed Houris is our final abode!!!!!

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Sami

Tis True! Tis True!

deen

o yes o yes

http://reemosworld.wordpress.com Reem

nice poem….. very thoughtful
Ibn Qays

“When he eats, it stores food”

not so islamic!! Akhi, cleanliness is part of eemaan!
http://imuslim.wordpress.com/projects/ iMuslim

Loving it, masha’Allah. N’ big up the Leicester posse, innit!

I know many sisters who find a well groomed beard to be very handsome indeed. I am one of them! I am not a fan of ‘designer’ beards… like goatees and what not {shudders}. Bro, be lazy and let it grow!

Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. It is amazing how much my perception of beauty has changed with my emaan.

In my days of unglorified jahil, what I loved most was short, back and sides, clean shaven.

After Allah had revived my once dead heart, long, soft, wavy hair, and a decent beard is what the eyes find cooling. May Allah grant me a husband with these traits (i.e., a man who loves the Sunnah), ameen!
http://musafirfidunya.wordpress.com/ Ibnkhalil

mashAllah what a beautiful poem! I love the part of the mane. We are lions who do not shave our manes!
Qas

“When he eats, it stores food”

not so islamic!! Akhi, cleanliness is part of eemaan!

Verily, he is off all the minhajes for such a statement.
http://truevirtues.wordpress.com Ibn Masood

Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar.

And Ibn Qays, food gets stuck in the beard… momentarily lol ;).
Ibn Qays

bro there’s a difference between food getting stuck, and food getting stored. If someone wants to follow the sunnah they should ensure that they clean their bead and keep it free from collecting food particles.
Qas

Verily, Ibn Qays…verily.
Cinci Muslimah

You would rather have a feminine monkey instead of an exalted manly ape!

Ummm, maybe it’s just me… but I’d pass on both. I’m not feeling that analogy at all.
http://islamonmyside.com/ Shawna

definitely had me laughing, but I’m sad for the underrepresented brothers with “feminine” faces–those men with very little body hair that cannot grow beards? some Native Americans, and so on are genetically dispossessed to silky smooth features . . .

that said, my hubby has a very nice beard and i’m not a huge fan of him without it. it’s hard to look directly at him clean-shaven because it seems like something’s missing. :)
alooch

beard is a blessed sunnah. however, you can not judge men by their beards today, unfortunately. nor can u judge women by their hijabs. so to call one a “feminine monkey” isnt so islamic and part of the sunnah either.
mbana

Computer languages and facial hair; http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/tamir/archive/2008/04/28/computer-languages-and-facial-hair-take-two.aspx. And I just happen to be in computing :)

“There is a beard – there is a success. There is no beard – you are guilty.”
…
“Bjarne, throw your shaver out of window and fast to save C++!”
Anonymouse

Freakin’ awesome! I have a goatee! (and I am 15), Inshallah I will lengthen it into a “fluffy playground” when I go to college.
http://www.muslimmatters.org AnonyMouse

Ahem, brother Anonymouse… you might want to consider changing your name… I am the resident rodent of MuslimMatters.org!
http://www.muslimmatters.org AnonyMouse

My father has already informed my brothers that any one of them who dares to shave his beard will immediately be disowned; and lively debates about the colour, shape, size, and texture of their (currently nonexistent) beards continue to dominate our dinnertime discussions :D
Aminah mohammad

Salam alaykum,

I love the poem masha’Allah. May Allah reward you brother. I personally won’t marry or even consider if the brother doesn’t have a beard. Some of my friends think I am crazy because they don’t find brothers’ with beard attractive at all. For me it’s the other way around, I think brother’s with beard are very beautiful masha’Allah.

So brother’s grow your beards.
http://tradicionalista.wordpress.com Khadija

hey don’t really like the poem but its a good message
but i also HATE all the hijab poems and songs too corny and cheesy for me

but not all men can grow beards

and technically the command is for men not to shave their beards
not to grow them because not everyone can grow them… huge difference there aminah you should take note of that

hamdullah for maliki goatees :)
i’m half joking
Aminah mohammad

I know Khadija not everyone can grow but i prefer those that can grow, not that I have anything against those brother that can’t grow beards but I personally like those that can….And I am always taking notes sister.
muslimfamily

My husband can’t grow a beard. He really wishes he could.
Aminah mohammad

Many people from East Africa and Asia can’t grow them but it’s khair, it’s the intentions that count.
al andaleedsi

Correct me if I’m wrong but won’t Muslim men be beardless in Paradise??? So why all the fuss about the length of one’s facial hair if you will be beardless in Jannah?
Muslim Girl

Is that what some girls really do or are brought up to do? Judge a man by his facial hair? I bet Muslim women wouldn’t like to be judged by how they choose to wear the hijab… just a thought. Choosing a spouse is so much more than appearances.
http://www.muslimmatters.org AnonyMouse

I’m not a fan of judging anyone based on their physical appearance, but when it comes to things like the beard and hijaab – I think I speak for many of us when I say that to us, it’s simply a manifestation of emaan. To see someone dress (and more importantly, live!) upon the Sunnah is a beautiful thing :)
Appearances aren’t everthing, but they do mean something.
Aminah mohammad

Jazakalahu khair brother/sister AnonyMouse, that’s exactly what I am talking about. I know beards and hijab is not important for some people but for me it is. When i see a brother that shaves his beard I feel bad and i make dua for him that someday he grows it and follows the sunnah or our prophet. Beard and hijab are very important end of discussion…

Wassalam
Saleha

Salam Alaikum
I believe the beard was part of the sunnah also to make a brother look a bit older. (I have no source on that but I have always heard it. But if it’s not from a source then I just believe that it does make them look older). Thus, it makes them look more mature, and iono, I like it though. Even if a brother is trying to grow his beard and has some facial hair, I prefer that over no beard at all.

I’m not a girl who is to judge a man by his facial hair if I want to marry him. Hijab is fard, and the beard is sunnah but as sr.Anonymouse says, it is also a manifestation of your deen and your faith, therefore, just when you look at a person and he/she is doing that, it should be considered as a good. thing.

As for whatever comes in paradise, let’s try focusing on what sunnah we should be following today in this world, and what we should be doing right now. As Aisha once said to the kaffir women without hijab,”Enjoy it, for it is for you in the dunya, and for us in the akhira.”
Live up to what you can today, as for the little things of Jannah..you get my drift.
Abu H

Its funny how Shaytan is sending Gillette razor ads via Google :)

On serious note, lets not forget Br. Saqib post: Convertible Hijabi? Or Struggling Sister?

And also remember that although appearance is one reflection of piety, looks can be deceiving. There may be situation where brother cannot wear beard (maybe job hazard, maybe other significant difficulty), and similarly other situations where sister cannot wear hijab… even though they both want to. I think basing marriage decisions on one factor is superficial, esp in time where it is hard to find good spouses. At least, ask WHY? If the person says because he doesn’t think he needs to or doesn’t want to (for no good reason), then feel free to RUN!
http://strangersoasis.com Siraaj

My wife is loves me for my beard. She wrote her own poem about how we met and it gets mentioned quite often.

Growing the beard is part of the fitrah!

Siraaj
Amatullah101

That photo is insane.
Aminah mohammad

Masha’Allah I remember reading that poem yrs ago. I think that’s a also beautiful poem. May Allah bless you both.

Sometimes though some brothers take it to far and don’t take care of their beards. I think it’s gross when there is food inside your beard and you won’t clean it.
http://www.muslimmatters.org AnonyMouse

“Sometimes though some brothers take it to far and don’t take care of their beards. I think it’s gross when there is food inside your beard and you won’t clean it.”

Cue for IbnAbeeOmar to hurry up and present part 3 of the Muslim Man’s Guide to Style: Beard Grooming 101! ;)
Aminah mohammad

Haha I agree Anonymouse.
Saleha

Yeah, jus to add it, that picure is a bit ..scary…to say the least :O
http://www.muslimmatters.org AnonyMouse

The picture is awesome! How many people could get their beards to accomplish such a feat? :P
rizwan

Assalamualaikum, i really enjoyed the poem.
“But who care! For my Mum loves it and she puts all such sisters to disgrace!”……this is so very true with my mother
thanks brother
khawla

Nice poem, Allahuakbar.
Anyone read stories of Mr Twitt and his beard?
Anyways,
My own poor brothers, half chinese cannot grow beard. The most at a time we could count 17 hairs may be, here and there.
shahgul

Something only he can grow; a woman never can!

Dear son,

Here you totally missed the mark!
There are many a woman bestowed with the gift of a beard. Only they are past masters at concealment. How merciful is the Hijaab. Some women don’t have to shave daily!
http://www.prestigeacademy.org Olivia

GREAT POEM! I also feel sad when sisters prefer clean-shaven men because really a clean-shaven face on a man resembles a woman! I told my husband when we got married I wanted a beard long enough that our kids could swing from it. =)
whatsTHEbigDEAL

Beards are sunnah..we’ve all established that fact. Now why is it that everyone has to disagree over the length, texture, size, etc. I mean do what you can, its ultimately up to one’s own level of Iman how long their beard should be.

I personally am not a big fan of the overachiever who’s sole purpose in life is to grow the longest beard ever…its all about moderation in Islam…so why not here. Be moderate. Be practical. be clean.
http://muslimmatters.org Ahmad AlFarsi

Beards are sunnah..

Explain what you mean by “sunnah.” Do you mean it was a practice of the Prophet SAWS? If so, yes, there is ijma that the beard was a practice of the prophet SAWS. If you mean that it is not obligatory, but only recommended, this is only the opinion of the Shafi’i madhhab, but the other 3 madhhabs, and Imam Shafi’i himself, held that it is obligatory to not shave the beard.

As for the details about how long it must be, it is a question of fiqh first, and THEN a question of how far one wants to go beyond the requirements. We should be very careful in what we say so as not to just brush aside fiqh as though it is nothing. wa Allahu a’lam.
ilmsummitee

Came across this chart when reading an article:
http://www.dyers.org/blog/beards/beard-type-chart/

So, if its included, which beard do you have?
Nidaa

Hmm, had me laughing too, BUT, I didn’t appreciate the food getting STORED in the beard. To be honest, that’s disgusting (as it’s against the Sunnah). I know the brother didn’t mean it that way, though. He just wanted to create a funny picture of the incident he experienced. Also, the “ape” part. (And also, ummm, other things which, uhh,…I can’t quite remember right now…hmmm…) Oh well, Yahdeekallaah, Akhee!

By the way, I think bearded men are pretty handsome! I was watching this program on TV (just accidentally), and I heard this silly Kaafirah call her boyfriend a “caveman” because he had STARTED to grow a beard. Subhaanallaah! These Kaafir women can’t tolerate anything from the Sunnah! And even our own (Muslim) women; they don’t like to marry our bearded heroes. What kind of a woman would want her husband to look like another woman anyway?!
Subhaanallaah! Wa Billaahi-ttaufeeq!
Zuhra

MashaAllah NIdaa, that’s soo true. Men that shave their beard don’t attract me what so ever. I would never let me hubby shave his beard when I get married iA. I know some Muslim sisters that won’t even consider if the guy doesn’t have a beard. That is not right. Men that shave their beard look like another women to me.
Nidaa

Tell me about it, ukhtee! Oh, and I’ve also noticed something in these Hollywood movies (and in the west overall): Sometimes you just can’t point out if it’s an actor or actress (a man or woman) until you look closely! And I think “handsome” is the wrong word for a clean-shaved man. He should be called “Jameelah” (beautiful). Astaghfirullaah, sometimes they sooo clean-shaved in trying to look “gorgeous” that any man would get attracted!
Baarakallaahu Feeki.
Moe Ibrahim

I hope sisters can understand that some of us need to shave for work. I would hate to be looked down upon as a potential husband for that reason…..
abdilahi

i like beards they realy dignify the man and is pleasing to the observer
:)
Aisha

MashaAllah!
My husband sports, I would say, an average beard. Alhamdhlillah. He keeps it well oiled and perfumed. MashaAllah it smells soooo nice. :) It is true sometimes I have to remove bits of rice from his beard while eating…. But that applies for me too. I have to clean my hijab after eating as bits of food almost always find a way there. :D
Jalal

Beards are cool and the cool men in history had beards. Its better to be like the cool ones. We shouold read about them.
DD

From a 22 yr old muslim with a beard:

The poem was awesome!

Jazak Allah.
Morning Dew

lol Muslim girls love beards. As someone else said, unless it’s a natural thing where the guy just can’t grow one, a beard is THE most attractive thing about a guy. In fact, it was a joke between me and my girlfriends when we were all playfully lamenting the lack of muslim men who grew beards that: “Alhamdulillah, at least it’s so much easier to lower your gaze since most guys DON’T have beards- it’s so unattractive and a real turn-off.” It’s so true. I won’t consider a guy without a beard :P unless, of course, he can’t grow one.

Zainab (AnonyMouse)

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