Jews and Muslims - why does God want men to have beards?

Answer 1

Maybe he wants us to keep our faces warm?

Interesting question. I'm not one to assume I know what G-d wants, however, unless he commanded it explicitly. G-d ordered the Jews not to destroy the corners of their beards (the "payos" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payos), or to shave their hair with a razor (which was a prevalent pagan custom in the biblical era). It was always permissible (albeit not necessarily popular) to trim one's facial hair with scissors, and the use of sulfur-based compounds made it possible for Jews to remove as much facial hair as a close shave. Nowadays we have electric shavers, which most poskim (Jewish legal authorities) rule is permissible (although some hold that "lift-and-cut" technology operates on a principle too similar to that of razors, and therefore, such a shaver has to be adjusted to correct for this).

The point I'm trying to get across here is that, though many have the custom to grow long beards (for some, this is just tradition, for others, they grow their facial hair in accordance with certain kabbalistic teachings), it is not actually a requirement of Jewish law to have a full beard. I know many pious, orthodox Jews who shave (again, not with a razor blade). So I don't think I can say with total confidence that G-d "wants" us to have beards. You could say he wants us to keep our payos, and not to mimic pagan custom by shaving with a razor blade, because those are commandments from the Torah.

As far as Muslims go, I'm sure they have their own reasons in shari'a (Islamic jurisprudence, the Muslim's equivalent of "Halakha," which is what we Jews call our body of laws, Torah-derived and rabbinic) to grow a beard (which I believe is supposed to be of at least a fist's length), but a great many Islamic customs that strike the outside observer as closely resembling those of Judaism, it's just as likely as not that the custom was copied from Judaism.

Answer 2

There is no Scriptural requirement that Jewish men have beards. (In fact, there are several instances where the Levitical purification laws require men to shave off their beards.) All God said was that Jewish men shouldn't cut the edges of their beards, like the pagans did (Lev. 19:27).

There is probably a Talmudic (i.e. oral tradition) requirement regarding beards, but I don't have my reference materials with me, so I can't look this up.

Answer 3

God doesn't require men to have beards. The only reason I can think of for Jewish and Muslim men to grow beards is a sign of respect to the Prophets(PBUT*).

Answer 4

No specific reason is given.

However, a couple of thoughts: 1) to make a distinction between adherents and the general population who tend to shave; and/or 2) it is a outward sign of humility as shaving can be considered a prideful act.

Answer 5

Why else would he give the ability to grow them?