Maududi’s Belief on Beard Trimming and Keeping:

It is narrated from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Trim the moustaches and let the beards grow.” (Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2763)

Another hadith states: “It is natural for men to grow a beard.” (Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 53)

The Hadith encourages growing the beard. Nowhere does it instruct cutting or trimming it. Therefore, the practice of the Companions (Sahabah) is our only guide in this matter regarding the length of the beard.

According to Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to keep his beard one fist in length.

Thus, keeping a beard of at least a fist length is obligatory (wajib). Keeping less than that is no different from shaving it off entirely—just like praying only two rak’ahs for Zuhr instead of four, which would invalidate the prayer altogether. Similarly, a beard shorter than a fist is not considered a beard in the Islamic sense.

Maududi’s View (Contradictory to Sunnah):

“Trimming and shortening the beard is permissible. Even if it's shorter than a fist, it's not harmful. Calling the Prophet's (peace be upon him) beard length a Sunnah and insisting on following it is, in my opinion, a grave injustice.” (God forbid)→ (Rasa’il wa Masa’il, Vol. 1, Page 247)

On the Sunnah of the Prophet:

“Calling the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) habits and character Sunnah and insisting on following them is, in my opinion, a terrible innovation and a severe distortion of religion.” (God forbid)→ (Rasa’il wa Masa’il, Page 248)

Islam teaches that the habits, character, and natural behavior of the Prophet (peace be upon him) are ideal examples to be followed.

Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, says: “Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example to follow.” → (Surah Al-Ahzab, Ayah 21)→ (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith No. 1544)

On the Purpose of Religion (Deen):

“The primary goal of the religion is to establish an Islamic government. Prayers, fasting, Hajj, Zakah—these are only means to achieve that goal.”→ (Akaabir-e-Ummat Ki Nazr Mein, Page 64)

But Islam says that the core objective of religion is to establish prayers, fasting, Hajj, Zakah, etc., and Islamic governance is a means to support that objective, not the end itself.

→ (Sharh-ul-‘Aqaid, Page 304)

Despite holding such deviant beliefs, if someone still refers to Maududi as a “saintly person” (Allah-wala), then what can be said about such people?

May Allah Ta’ala protect the common Muslims of our country from:

The fitnah (trial) of Maududi

The fitnah of so-called Ahl-e-Hadith

The fitnah of false spiritual leaders (e.g., the Deowanbaghi sect)

And may Allah, the Lord of all worlds, grant us the ability to follow the straight and correct path—the path of:

His Messenger (peace be upon him)

The Noble Companions (Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them)

The Followers (Tabi'een)

The Rightly Guided Imams

The Pious Predecessors (Salaf-us-Saliheen)

And the true Awliya (friends of Allah, may Allah have mercy on them all)

Ameen.