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Shortening the beard due to work problems

Sheikh Khalid `Abdul-Mon`im Ar-Rifa`y

Published On: 18/1/2015 A.D. - 27/3/1436 H. Visited: 9647 times

Question

As-salamu `Alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh (May Allah's Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you!).

I am a young man in the early twentieth of my age. I live with my mother after the death of my father (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul). Thanks to Allah, my life changed to the better as if the death of my father was a gift to me and was a cause for guiding and changing my life to the better where I was a drug addict. However, I feel that Allah accepted my repentance and I started to perform Salah and do my religious obligations and became religious, thanks to Allah.

I decided to let my beard grow and stay away from all matters that bring about the wrath of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), and I became religious, thanks to Allah. However, the problem is I got an employment opportunity provided that I shorten my beard first.

My problem is that I did all they asked for: Shortening my beard and shaking hands with women at work. Only Allah knows that I did all those matters against my will as if I did it for my mother so that she would lead a good life. I say: O Lord, You know that I do not want to do so but I am forced to do it. During my Salah, I invoke my Lord (Glorified and Exalted be He) to forgive me but my psychological condition is confused where I am afraid to be a hypocrite despite my preservation to the five daily Salah. Nevertheless, my faith has become weaker day after another because of these Satanic thoughts which I have been fighting a while ago.

Could you kindly guide me to the right things to do? Perhaps your answer could rescue me from the psychological troubles I have been through.

Answer

All praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family, his Companions, and those who follow him.

Dear son, may Allah reward you for showing gratitude to your mother, and your desire to please her and easing her.

It is not hidden from you that Allah had predestined everything for His Creation fifty thousand years before He created heavens and earth including provisions. Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And in the heaven is your provision, and that which you are promised. * Then, by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, it is the truth (i.e. what has been promised to you), just as it is the truth that you can speak." [Surat Az-Zariyat: 22 - 23].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The Holy Spirit informed me that no soul shall die until it completes its appointed lifetime and accommodates its livelihood, so fear Allah and ask for sustenance moderately. Let not delayed gains push you to acquire such by disobeying Allah, for what Allah holds shall not be obtained save by obeying Him." [Reported by At-Tabarany on the authority of Abu Umamah].

Al Bukhari reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Allah's Hand is full, and (its fullness) is not affected by the continuous spending, day and night." He also said: "Do you see what He has spent since He created the Heavens and the Earth? Nevertheless, what is in His Hand is not decreased."

So, be confident of the good lawful sustenance which Allah prescribed for you and keep away from unlawful means of sustenance. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "You shall not leave something for fear of Allah but Allah replaces it with something better."

As was authentically proven in Musnad Ahmad.

So, repent to Allah of shaking hands with women or shortening your beard, for repentance erases poverty. A person who repents of sins is like the one who has no sin. Continue in your work without falling into unlawful matters and think well of Allah. However, if they insist that you commit something forbidden, leave work and search for another job that does not lead to the disobedience of Allah. Always remember that protecting religion takes priority and whoever circles around sanctity is about to fall into it, and whoever forsakes something for the sake of Allah, Allah shall compensate him with something better. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). * And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine." [Surat At-Talaq: 2 - 3].

May Allah facilitate matters for you and grant you lawful provision from where you do not know.

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