Is growing a beard mandatory in Islam?

What the texts say

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Do the opposite of what the pagans do. Keep the beards and cut the moustaches short" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5892). Another report says: "Trim closely the moustache, and let the beard grow" (Sahih Muslim 259). The beard also appears in a list of ten acts of fitrah, the natural habits of hygiene: "clipping the moustache, letting the beard grow, using the tooth-stick..." (Sahih Muslim 261).

The main scholarly views

• Obligatory (wajib): the majority of scholars in the Hanafi, Maliki and Hanbali schools, and some Shafi'i scholars, say the command is binding, so shaving the beard is forbidden (haram).
• Disliked (makruh): many Shafi'i scholars classed shaving as disliked and not as a sin, although others in the same school say it is forbidden.
• Strongly recommended: some contemporary scholars see the beard as a sunnah of fitrah and the command as encouragement, not a strict obligation.

All the views agree that growing a beard is the Prophet's way, and none of them encourages shaving it. What differs is how serious it is to remove it.

Why scholars differ

The disagreement comes from how to read the command. Some scholars take the Arabic command "let it grow" as binding and the phrase "do the opposite of the pagans" as a sign of seriousness. Others note that the beard sits beside items on the fitrah list that are only recommended, such as trimming the nails, and so they read it as a recommendation too. Scholars also differ over trimming. Ibn Umar held his beard in his fist and cut what stuck out beyond it, so some schools allow trimming beyond a fist while others say to leave it untouched. See How long should a Muslim man's beard be?

What a convert can do

You don't have to have a beard to become Muslim, and your prayers are valid with or without one. Many converts grow it gradually while they learn their basic worship first. If you want to follow the majority view, you can start by leaving it untouched and keeping it neat. Whichever view you follow, don't look down on brothers who have chosen differently.

If your beard doesn't grow well, you aren't sinning. See What if I can't grow a beard as a Muslim?

If you're just starting out, see Do I have to grow a beard right away?. If your job requires a shave, there are accommodations to explore. See Can I shave my beard for a job as a Muslim?