Hanafi Fiqh: Beard Length, Jawbone Limit & Trimming Rules

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As-salāmu ʿalaykum, 

I follow the Hanafi madhhab and seek clarification regarding the ruling of the beard.  

From my understanding, the beard includes all hair that grows on the jawbone. However, I am unclear about where the jawbone is considered to begin. I have come across different views - for example, that it begins in line with the midpoint of the ear, the eye... Could you please clarify this? 

Regarding length, I understand that the beard may be trimmed if it exceeds one fist. My confusion is about how this is measured in practice. If I grab my beard at the chin, some hair extends beyond my fist. However, if I grab the beard a few centimetres to the side, no hair extends beyond the fist unless I grab at an angle parallel to the surface. So is the one-fist ruling measured from a specific place (such as the chin), or should the same method of measuring be used across the whole beard? I’m not sure how this would practically work for sideburns as they are naturally short and would never reach a fist’s length. 

On the topic of sideburns, since the bottom part is considered beard hair and the top part is head hair, is it permissible to straighten the entire sideburns (from the top of the head down to the beard) so that its geometrically straight throughout, and can I trim away any stray messy hairs? 

So far, I have asked about the parts of the beard concerning sideburns and grabbing a fistful. What about remaining parts of the beard? For context, my beard does not grow evenly, and some hairs naturally extend beyond the general shape or boundary of the beard at the front, sides, or bottom. Trimming these hairs would tidy the beard without reducing its main length. Is trimming such stray or protruding hairs permitted? This would also help practically because some hairs, when growing, curl inwards and can get caught in my mouth while eating. 

Jazākum Allāhu khayran.

AskMuftiOnline · Accepted Answer

Waalaykum as-salam(1) Jawbone boundaryIn the Hanafi madhhab, the beard includes all hair growing from below the earlobes down to the chin along the jawbone.Reference :مَا نَزَلَ عَنِ الأُذُنَيْنِ إِلَى الذَّقَنِ فَهُوَ مِنَ اللِّحْيَةِTranslation:Whatever grows below the ears until the chin is part...

Hanafi Fiqh: Beard Length, Jawbone Limit & Trimming Rules

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