Our reader states in his letter that he has asked several people on this but received no satisfactory answer. He also goes into a great length of describing the qualities of Ali, which, in His view, qualifies him as the best to assume the leadership of the Muslim community after the Prophet, peace be upon him.

The first thing I would like to say to this reader and others who dwell on such matters is that however much time we spend over past controversy, we cannot alter the facts of history. Nor can we truly find out the real intention behind an action done or a statement said by any one who lived in an earlier generation. Yet if we make judgments on people's characters on the basis of historical reports, God will ask us about these judgments and we expose ourselves to his punishment if our judgment is wrong. So what is the use of saying today who was better suited for this role or that role at any period of history?

The first Muslim community chose Abu Bakr to be the first Caliph after the Prophet. That choice was unanimous. Is it not enough for us to remember the Hadith: "My community cannot unanimously approve something wrong." This means that since the Muslims in Madinah, who were the Prophet's companions, unanimously chose Abu Bakr, then he was the right choice. But suppose he was not, then who are we to judge those companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and their actions? Besides, what purpose would it serve?

Having said that, I wish to add that all Sunni Muslims love Ali ibn Abu Talib dearly. How could a Muslim refrain from loving such a great servant of Islam, when he was also a member of the Prophet's household and praised by the Prophet, peace be upon him, greatly? But to love him does not mean to engage into argument about whether he should have been this or that. Such matters cannot be influenced now by any argument. Hence, we do not engage in them.

Appearance: Beard Recommended & the Reason for It

Is it obligatory to keep beard? What are the conditions involved according to the Sunnah?
In a discussion, several of my friends insisted that wearing a beard is obligatory for Muslim men. I looked at the Hadiths they have quoted, but I find the word Sunnah frequently occurs in them. Could you please explain whether it is obligatory?
What Is the Size Recommended For A Man's Beard In Islam?

To wear a beard is a Sunnah. The relevant order is one of several orders concerned with people's appearance. If we take these orders together, we realize that they are all meant as recommendations, not outlining obligations. There is no particular length one should have, but it should be reasonable and giving a pleasant appearance. I realize this is relative, and this is why the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not specify anything in this connection.
Wearing a beard is not obligatory, although it is mentioned in a few Hadiths. When we look at these, it clearly appears that they do not give an order, rather they state a recommendation. Moreover, the Prophet, peace be upon him, has made the reason clear in one of his Hadiths that mentions wearing a beard.
He wanted his community to be different in appearance from the idolaters. Therefore, he recommended them to trim their moustaches and wear their beards. The idolaters used to wear big moustaches, which the Prophet, peace be upon him, disliked to be associated with his community.
Muslim men are recommended to wear a beard and not to shave. The Prophet, peace be upon him, is reported to have said: "Trim your mustaches and keep your beards." This does not indicate any size that we may say has been recommended. However, most scholars agree that a beard should be of a reasonable length, which is neither too short so as to look like that of one who has not shaved for a few days, and not too long so as to be overgrown.
However, some people have recently come up with the idea that one should neither trim his beard or take off an overgrowth. This is insupportable, because the Hadith does not indicate that. Moreover, it is contrary to the Hadith, which tells us that we should take care of our hair. The Prophet, peace be upon him, has given us guidance which consistently indicates that we should always take care of our appearance, doing only what is suitable for a Muslim man with a serious approach to life. This means that a beard should always be of moderate length, as fits one's face. It should never be left to cover the larger part of one's face.

Appearance: Hair Transplant

Is it permissible to resort to hair transplant in order to cover one's baldness? Some people suggest that since the removal of gray hair is forbidden, then treating baldness is also forbidden. Please comment.

Baldness is still incurable. There are some medications, which help to reduce hair loss, but it is not possible yet to make a person's hair grow after he has gone bald. The only way to cover baldness is either by hair transplant or wearing a wig. The latter is forbidden because it is fraudulent. It gives a false impression. The Prophet, peace be upon him, spoke strongly against women who add hair to their own in order to give a false impression of themselves, considering this as an aspect of acquiring charm and changing God's creation.
Yet the intention is an important aspect in all this. If a man feels he needs to have a hair transplant, the reason is clearly important. If he wants to give a false impression of himself or his age before making a marriage proposal, then it is forbidden for him to do so, or to do what is involved in such deception. On the other hand, if one is by nature very shy and his baldness causes him much annoyance or embarrassment as he feels 'eyes stirring at him', then resorting to some means to reduce such embarrassment is permissible. If the only way is through hair transplant, then it is permissible.
As you see, we cannot give a blanket verdict to apply to each and every case. Intention behind an action is extremely important.

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