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Fatwa CenterShaving beard for a necessity
Question
Assalaamu alaykum shaykh. I have a serious question and wish that you could answer me with a private answer, Allaah willing, instead of sending me the answer to other peoples questions. There is a muslim family who lives in Europe in a country of which it is known that the goverment steals families' children, especially muslim families' children. The man in the family has a beard but because of the beard he cannot get a job because nobody wants to hire a muslim man with a big beard in that country. They have a child which the goverment tried to make problems for. The child is four years old. So this family is living in this country in secret so that they would not have their child taken away. They want to move to another country to save their child but because the husband has a big beard and cannot get a job because of it, they do not have any money to move and they do not have any family who could help them with money. Is it allowed in this situation for the man to shave his beard in order to get a job and save his family from the disbelievers' harm by moving?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
It is an obligation in the sharee'ah to let the beard grow. Ibn ‘Umar 
narrated that the Prophet said, “Differ from the polytheists; keep your beards and trim your mustaches.” [Al-Bukhari, Muslim and others]
So it is not permissible to shave the beard except for a necessity. If the only way to obtain money and save that child is to shave the beard, then it becomes permissible due to the necessity; Allaah says (what means): {…while He has explained in detail to you what He has forbidden you, excepting that to which you are compelled.} [Quran 6:119]
According to the jurists, the necessity is valued according to its proper value. If what is required can be achieved by trimming the beard, then it is not permissible to totally shave it.
Finally, we advise this brother to seek the help of his Muslim brothers, especially those in charge of Islamic centers and institutions, to consult them about his matter in the hope that they would help him and suffice him from shaving his beard.
Allaah knows best.
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