Should I Shave My Beard for a Medical School Interview Due to Potential Bias?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

I am preparing for medical school interviews and have been advised to shave my beard due to potential bias, though I believe keeping it is wajib. Should I maintain my beard or shave it for the interview?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

Whether the beard is considered necessary or merely encouraged is a matter of difference for scholars. However, there is no difference regarding the Prophetic practice (sunna), encouragement, and importance of maintaining the beard. [al-Mawsu‘a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaytiyya]

That said, one should not take lightly the beard and should not abandon it without a strong reason. A potential bias does not seem to be a strong reason. One’s beard must be presentable and clean. This is part of the Prophet’s Sunna.

Having a wild, uncombed beard with stray hairs going in every direction is not the Prophetic way and would likely lead to a prospective employer turning down an applicant. But this is not due to the beard, it is due to not taking care of one’s appearance.

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies at Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

There, he completed the memorization of the Quran and his study of Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study, he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, Shaykh ‘Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others.

Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.