Perhaps one of the symbols of a good Muslim is growing and nurturing of a beard in line with the practice of the best teacher of mankind, Prophet Muhammad SWS. Allah SWT admonishes mankind to follow in the footsteps of the prophet and live by his examples. Growing and nurturing beards is a highly (makuruh) recommended sunnah of the prophet. But across the lands in recent times, such has become a symbol of gangsters and social classification. In other words, not all bearded adults are Muslims or represent what the Sunnah suggests; rather, it has become a symbol of identification for different sets of people whose interests differ from the Sunnah. In some cases, it has become an occultist symbol for some and is now rampant among the youth, regardless of race, status, and education. Therefore, if suddenly a young man comes to the mosque with a weird-looking beard, it might not be out of place to put surveillance on such a person.
2023-10-04