The Taliban-led Afghanistan government has set out a decree across the troubled nation, urging barbers and barbershops to refrain from shaving or trimming customers’ beards as it forbidden in Islam.

This decree is contained in a copy of the instructions that the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, signed by the extremist minister Sheikh Muhammad Khalid Haqqani.

Mr Haqqani had been declared wanted for terrorism by the American government prior to Talibans taking over the Afghan government in August 2021.

“Growing a beard is a natural deed and the Sunnah [the way of life and legal precedent] of all Prophets and Islamic Sharia has repeatedly emphasised it,” the instructions said, “Shaving or trimming a beard is forbidden under a unanimous decision by the religious scholars. Companions of the Prophet Muhammad, their followers, their successors, Mujahideen [holy warriors] and other scholars do not agree on shaving or trimming the beard. So, it is understood that shaving or trimming a beard is against human nature and the action is against Islamic Sharia,” according to the order.

VOA reports that the instructions were issued in Pashto by a Taliban official but it’s authenticity is yet to be confirmed publicly. The VOA report notes that Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid did not dispute the order’s authenticity but said he was still “trying to get information” about the decree.

In the decree, several verses from the Quran and hadiths had been quoted, reminding residents of their duty to follow whatever the Prophet Muhammad has asked Muslims to do.

As such, barbers and barbershops have been instructed to consider the Islamic Sharia and Islamic injunctions while attending to their customers and cutting hair. 

In September, The extremist group had alerted barbers in the Helmand province of the country that they would be punished if they cut or shaved beards. Notices were put up outside salons that said “no one has a right to complain.”