Typing the beard

[ahlhadith]

:salam2:

Baarak Allahu Feekum. Can a scholar explain the following translation of the hadith?

It is reported by Ahmad, on the authority of Ruwaifa' (ra) that he said: "Allah's Messenger (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said to me: "Oh, Ruwaifa'! It is probable that your life will be a long one, so inform the people that whoever tied his beard, or wore a bowstring, or cleaned his privates using animal dung or a bone (should know that) Muhammad is innocent of him."

a) What does it mean to tie his beard?
b) Is the tying of the beard without associating any superstitious belief to the act also included in the meaning?

I don't trim my beard but tie it in order for it to look neat.

 

[ahlhadith]

Tying the beard

:salam2:
Let me expand on my initial post. What I need to know is whether this translation is correct and conveys the meaning well, and what the original Arabic word is that is translated into "tied" ("whoever tied his beard"), and what does the phrase "Muhammad is innocent of him" mean?

I am asking because I tie a rubber band towards the end of my beard and then tuck it in the rest of the beard to hold the hair together instead of cutting the beard...and I do this because I do not want to oppose the commands of the Prophet to let-grow/lengthen/forgive/have-mercy-on the beard, and at the same time appear neat and tidy in the professional and social environments. When I read the translation of the hadith, I felt that my beard-styling may not be in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet "saw". I would like an 'aalim to tell me whether I can style my beard using the technique I described above. I know there are other styling techniques as well - gelling, oiling/conditioning, brushing frequently, but this in my experience is most practical and effective and serves me well when working out. However, if this technique was not approved by the Prophet I have no need for it.

. Baarak Allahu Feekum.

:salam2:

Baarak Allahu Feekum. Can a scholar explain the following translation of the hadith?

It is reported by Ahmad, on the authority of Ruwaifa' (ra) that he said: "Allah's Messenger (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said to me: "Oh, Ruwaifa'! It is probable that your life will be a long one, so inform the people that whoever tied his beard, or wore a bowstring, or cleaned his privates using animal dung or a bone (should know that) Muhammad is innocent of him."

a) What does it mean to tie his beard?
b) Is the tying of the beard without associating any superstitious belief to the act also included in the meaning?

I don't trim my beard but tie it in order for it to look neat.

 

[mufakkir]

Salaam 'Alaikum,

It was the practice of some of the pagan arabs to tie knots on their beards and/or wear bowstrings and other kinds of necklaces around their necks to ward off evil demons. The hadith would indicate that such practices are not part of Islam and therefore should be avoided. I have read this hadith in more than one place, so perhaps the translation is accurate.

Allahu A'lam, but "Muhammad is innocent of him" means (as is mentioned in many other ahadith) that He (peace be upon him) is free from the blame of not informing us about this evil practice. In other words, he has told us we should not do this act, but if we continue to do so, then we cannot say, 'oh the Prohet never informed us about such an act".

Admittedly my beard is not as long as you indicate yours to be, but i have never heard of needing to use rubber bands to tidy up the beard. Is it really needed? In any case, you should ask a knowledgeable imaam, or post your question on islamqa or similar for a detailed answer.

Hope this helps.

Was Salaam

 

[ahlhadith]

Brother, :jazak:, your post did help and increases my understanding of the Hadith, :mashallah:. I will post my question on islamqa or similar portal, as well, . I was hoping to get the Arabic of the original hadith, if possible.

, my beard is not 'that' long, it has a few hair hardly beyond a genuine fistful - a result of less than two years of not trimming it. The natural texture, the environmental factors and my constantly trimming it, in the past, has contributed to making it a little difficult to manage/hold together, so I need to use a rubberband for convenience - the alternative is to twist the ends to hold them together like a rope - and then flip the tied portion towards the neck and tuck it up and in the rest of the beard. The technique I use to manage my beard makes it look like it's a trimmed beard held together by gel or hairspray, and the rubber band is not visible.