Ihsan Khalq al-Insan

Ihsan Khalq al-Insan (The Perfection of Human Creation) is a theological and jurisprudential treatise written by the contemporary Saudi scholar Abd al-Karim ibn Salih al-Humayd (d. 1445 AH / 2023 CE), subtitled as reflections on the divine wisdom behind the diversity of human hair and the manifestation of God’s craftsmanship Ihsan Khalq al-Insan.

Context and Purpose

The treatise was composed in the form of a legal responsum (fatwa) answering an inquiry regarding the rationale behind the Islamic obligation to let the beard grow (i‘fa’ al-lihyah) and the prohibition of shaving or trimming it Ihsan Khalq al-Insan. The questioner raised whether such commands are purely arbitrary tests of obedience or if they carry an intrinsic wisdom linked to human nature (khilqah and tabi‘ah), particularly given the widespread practice of shaving among men seeking cosmetic improvement Ihsan Khalq al-Insan. In response, al-Humayd argues that divine law (shari‘ah) harmonizes perfectly with the innate physical constitution (fitrah) and aesthetic order created by God, and that altering physical creation by shaving the beard constitutes an implicit objection to the perfection of divine craftsmanship Ihsan Khalq al-Insan+1.

Structure and Arguments

The author organizes his exposition around concrete examples illustrating the divine wisdom and intentional differentiation in the growth, placement, and limits of bodily hair and physical traits Ihsan Khalq al-Insan+1:

• Withholding the beard from women: Al-Humayd highlights that facial hair is withheld from women to maintain their natural softness and beauty, whereas it is granted to men to reflect masculine gravity, dignity, and guardianship Ihsan Khalq al-Insan+1.
• Eyelashes: God fixed a distinct limit for the length and density of eyelashes; exceeding that boundary or lacking them altogether would result in disfigurement Ihsan Khalq al-Insan.
• Eyebrows and head hair: The treatise contrasts the varying growth patterns occurring on a single head—head hair begins growing before birth and continues throughout life, eyebrows begin before birth but stay short, and beards grow only upon maturity and stop at a natural limit Ihsan Khalq al-Insan+1.
• The cheeks, forehead, and nose: God kept these facial areas bare of hair to preserve human aesthetic harmony and distinguish humans from beasts Ihsan Khalq al-Insan.
• Nails and bodily hygiene: Outside the discussion of hair, al-Humayd cites the command to clip fingernails as further proof of the harmony between law and nature, explaining that unrestrained nail growth would disfigure humans and make them resemble predatory beasts Ihsan Khalq al-Insan.

Addressing potential objections regarding pubic hair—which is commanded to be removed by both men and women—al-Humayd explains that this mortal world (al-dunya) is designed as an imperfect abode of testing where physical pleasures and beauty are deliberately mingled with deficiencies to prevent humans from being deceived by worldly existence, contrasting it with the unblemished perfection of Paradise Ihsan Khalq al-Insan+1.

Sources and Method

Throughout the treatise, al-Humayd supports his theological and jurisprudential reasoning by citing Quranic verses on creation and reflection, alongside interpretations from Ibn Kathir Ihsan Khalq al-Insan+1. He also draws extensively upon passages from Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, including citations from Miftah Dar al-Sa'adah concerning the differentiation between men and women, as well as poetic verses on spiritual yearning from Madarij al-Salikin and Zad al-Ma'ad Ihsan Khalq al-Insan+1.