I am a committed Muslim and I have a
beard. I own a barber shop for men. This is my profession, and it means that I shave my
customers’ beards and use dryers to style their hair. What is the Islamic ruling on
this?

Praise be to Allaah.

It is forbidden for a Muslim to shave his own beard because of the
saheeh reports that indicate that this is forbidden. It is also forbidden for another man
to shave a person’s beard, because this entails cooperating in sin, which is
forbidden in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “… do not help one
another in sin and transgression…” [al-Maa’idah 5:2]

It is permissible for you to comb and style men’s hair, and apply
oils and perfume to it, but it is not permissible for you to do this for women, except for
those who are your mahrams (close relatives to whom marriage is forbidden).