Picking up on comments made by
@redefined_cycles. There is a lot of myth about why Muslim men don’t cut their beards. I had issues with it when I was running company’s, so like any good engineer I decided I had to get to the bottom of it. Firstly I read Koran, and there is absolutely nothing to suggest or indicate that men should not cut their beard. The only mention about dress code is for both men and women to dress modestly. So, not being a Muslim and recognising that Im reading an English version and not having the background I consulted the local Imam on the subject. He confirmed that there is no requirement in the Koran for men to have a beard and they are fully compliant with Muslim beliefs if they are clean shaven. He highlighted that the passages that are used to justify not cutting the beard are from the Hadith, or sayings attributed to Allah. But, he also highlighted that the Koran is the ‘manual’ for life, and all answers are to be found in the Koran and the Koran is not for interpretation by man.
So the conclusion we arrived at was (confirmed and supported by the local Iman), that beards are not a religious requirement for Muslims. The Burka is not a religious requirement for women. We agreed that as a company I was not being Islamophobia to not provide PPE that met the needs of anyone who had a beard (there are some religions that this isn’t the case, eg Sikhs) or allow the covering of the face In the workplace.