Darul Uloom issued fatwa to Muslim students: Warns them against shaving beard

A fatwa is a legal opinion on Islamic that is issued by a scholar or school. Different schools or scholars can issue a different fatwa on the same issue

The Darul Uloom Deoband, the largest seminary in India has issued a fatwa warning students against shaving or trimming their beards.

The seminary said that those shaving or trimming their beards would bee ostracised from the institution.

A report said that the fatwa or notice was issued by Maulana Hussain Ahmad Haridwari, who oversees the Darul Uloom's education wing. He said that shaving or trimming of beard is wrong practice as per Islam. He made it clear that students at their college shall never get their beard shaved.

The letter also said that any students who shaves will be dismissed from the university. Any student attempting to enter the university for the next semester by shaving their beard would not be allowed inside the premises, the fatwa added.

While making it clear that those shaving their beards will be ostracised, the notice added that he university shall not tolerate disobedience by the students.

The notice reminded that on February 6, four of the Darul Uloom Deoband students were dismissed for trimming their beards. The report said that the students had issued a letter of apology to the seminary, but that was not taken into consideration.

The fatwa has been welcomed by the Ulema of the Deoband, Maulala Mufti Assad Qasmi, who is a former students of the Darul Uloom. He said that everything that every Muslim should spend his life by following Sunnat and Shariat principles. It is the Sunnah to keep a handful of beards in Islam. If the beard growing more is cut, then there is no harm. But it should be maintained, he added.

The Ulema had earlier issued a fatwa against Muslim women and had barred them from taking, 'unnecessary photographs' and uploading them on the social media. A fatwa and also been issued against Muslim women from shaping their eyebrows or donning a haircut. The seminary said that any woman who shapes their eyebrows or gets a haircut indulges in un-Islamic behaviour.

What is a fatwa:

A fatwa is a legal opinion of ruling issued by a recognised Islamic authority on a specific question relating to Islamic law.

While fatwas are not legally binding, they are considered authoritative within the Muslim community. Fatwas can vary depending on the particular school of Islamic jurisprudence or the individual scholar issuing the ruling. Different scholars or schools may issue different fatwas on the same issue.