The issue has touched the Muslims so much that India's leading Muslim organisation the Jamiat ul ulema e Hind has decided to hold a national conference for safeguarding shariat law.

The union government while defending an Indian Air Force policy that forbids Muslim personnel recruited after 2002 from keeping a beard has told the Supreme Court that keeping beards is not compulsory in Islam.

“It is submitted that all Muslims do not keep a beard. The practice of growing and keeping beard is optional and sporting a beard is not universally recognised in the religion of Islam,” the government told SC, adding Air Force personnel are permitted to grow hair or keep a beard, “whose religion specifically prohibits” getting their hair cut.

The president of Jamiat ul ulema e Hind Maulana Arshad Madani has termed the government interpretation of Islam in the apex court as unnecessary interference in the religion of Islam. He advised the government to backtrack from such observation and also not to indulge in any activity that leads to resentment among Muslims.

The rector of the Darul Uloom Deoband Maulana Marghoob ur rahman in a statement has also termed the government interpretation on the issue of beards as an interference in the shariah and Islamic religious matters. He said that such interference is against the basic postulates of the Constitution of India.

He said that growing beards in Islam is an important obligation. If somebody is not keeping beards he is answerable to Allah. “Prohibiting a Muslim from keeping beard is seen as restriction in his religious activities which is against Indian constitution” he said.

The former chairman of the national minority commission and presently a member of Law Commission Tahir Mahmood has also objected to the government decision. He said that government must have taken Ulema into confidence before going to Supreme Court in such matters. He said that he would take up the issue with Law minister Hans Raj Bhardwaj.#