Perhaps one of the symbols of a good Muslim is growing and nurturing of beard in line with the practice of the best teacher of mankind, prophet Muhammad SWS. Allah SWT admonishes mankind to follow the footsteps of the prophet and live by his examples. Growing and nurturing beard is a highly (makuruh) recommended sunnah of the prophet. But across the lands in recent times, such has become 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 symbol of identification for different sets of people whose interests differ from Sunnah. In some cases it has become a occultist symbol for some and now rampant among the youth regardless of race, status and education. Therefore, if suddenly a young man comes to the mosque with weird-looking beard, it might not be out of place to put surveillance on such person.
2020-03-16