The Old Testament Agrees With the New In Leviticus chapters 19 and 21, God commands the both the Israelites and their priests not to “mar the corners of thy beards”. Why would God command this? Men having a beard was so important to God in Moses' day that they weren't even to partially shave.
The context suggests that these are specific pagan mourning practices of mutilation that God is prohibiting. And even if the word shachath in Leviticus 19:27 is referring to shaving as merely removing hair from one's face, it is prohibited only as an act of mourning.
Many Orthodox Jews, especially Haredi Orthodox Jews, refrain from cutting their beards altogether and never cut their facial hair, with the exception of occasionally trimming their mustaches with scissors when they interfere with eating.
Shaving the beard is muthla (mutilation). Verily the Prophet ﷺ has prohibited muthla. The great Imam of Madinah, Imam Mâlik is reported to have said: The sin of shaving the beard is not only a kabîra (major sin), but it is also bagi (open offence).
Lacking a beard was considered shameful: In 2 Samuel 10:3-5, the Bible tells of messengers who were humiliated by having half of their beards shaven. David's prescription for their “great shame” was to take them out of action until their beards could regrow.
Leviticus 19:27 Amplified Bible (AMP)
You shall not trim and round off the side-growth of [the hair on] your heads, nor mar the edges of your beard.
Sikhs consider the beard to be part of the nobility and dignity of their manhood. Sikhs also refrain from cutting their hair and beards out of respect for the God-given form. Keeping the hair uncut is kesh, one of the Five Ks, the compulsory articles of faith for a baptized Sikh.
In the Orthodox Christian tradition, beards are often seen as a symbol of masculinity and a reflection of the biblical commandment not to "mar the corners of thy beard" (Leviticus 19:27). Many Orthodox clergy members proudly wear long, flowing beards as a visible sign of their commitment to their faith.
The majority of Muslim scholars consider that it is forbidden (haram) to shave the beard as it would be neglecting the tradition and established practice of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who encouraged followers to strive to imitate him in every way.
Religions In Which Hair Is Sacred
These religions include Orthodox Judaism, Rastafarianism, and Sikhism. These religions prohibit haircuts and the removal of facial hair as they believe hair to be a gift from God.
Muslims learn about the Prophet's views on facial hair not from the Koran, but through hadith - or sayings - attributed to Muhammad. One such hadith, in a collection by Muslim scholar Muhammad al-Bukhari centuries ago, stipulates: "Cut the moustaches short and leave the beard."
Paul then addresses the issue of men wearing long hair: “For a man indeed ought not to cover his head [wear long hair], since he is the image and glory of God” (verse 7). The basic message is that a man who wears long hair is appropriating the identifying female marker in God's family structure.
Summary of answer
Trimming the beard is haram as the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicates that it is obligatory to let the beard grow and that it is haram to shave it or cut it.
Additionally, she reports that beards help prevent skin blemishing due to the reduction in shaving, which is known to irritate the skin and often times spread bacteria, unbeknownst to you.
So is Getting a Tattoo a Sin? It depends. Revisiting 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 is a great reminder when considering a tattoo: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Historical appearance
Scholars have also suggested that it is likely Jesus had short hair and a beard, in accordance with Jewish practices of the time and the appearance of philosophers. The earliest depictions of Jesus from the Roman catacombs depict him as free of facial hair.
Religions such as Orthodox Judaism, Rastafarianism, and Sikhism all prohibit haircuts, the removal of facial hair, or a combination of the two due to beliefs that hair is sacred or a gift from God.
Shaving one's beard and cutting one's hair for normal good grooming is something entirely different and not at all condemned in the Scriptures. In fact, the apostle Paul takes great pains to address proper grooming of one's hair in I Corinthians 11:2-15.
All Israelite men grew beards; God commanded it: “You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard” (Leviticus 19:27). Beards were a facial billboard for manhood, distinguishing men, at first glance, from boys and women.
The big ones are Sikhism, ultra-Orthodox or Haredi Judaism (as opposed to Modern Orthodox Judaism which allows men to shave), and Islam. It's a very strong tradition in Orthodox Christianity; some of our monks have even managed to become 100% beard because of their piety.
Beards in Religious and Spiritual Traditions: Beards hold deep significance in many religions. In Islam, growing a beard is considered a religious practice for men, symbolizing their devotion to their faith. In Sikhism, keeping a beard is a sign of respect for God's creation and a rejection of vanity.
14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
There is no specific ethnicity that can't grow facial hair, but East Asian individuals, such as Japanese and Chinese, tend to have less facial hair and slower growth rates compared to other ethnicities.
The Church Fathers were eager proponents of beards as a sign of manliness. The beard of a Christian signified his adherence to the natural order of things established by God. The patristic consensus seemed to be that a godly man was a bearded man, whether lay or clerical.
Simply put, your company or a company you are applying to cannot discriminate against you based on your wearing of religious based clothing such as a head covering or specific dress dictated by your religious beliefs, or require you to change grooming habits, i.e. shave your beard.