Just today, a person informed me that he is only twenty years old but ever since he is keeping a beard, even seventy-year-old women are addressing him as “uncle” and mocking him so that he may be frightened by this title and shave off his beard. I said to this youngster, “If a seventy year old woman addresses you as ‘uncle’, is there respect or disrespect for you by this title? You ought to be grateful to Allâh Ta’ala for this respect.” In like manner, if a seventeen or eighteen year old girl wears a burqa‘ (loose head and upper body covering), what do her family members tell her? [They mock at her and tell her]: “Mother, shift aside and give us way.” Now this young girl becomes agitated and thinks to herself that she has to bear being addressed as a “mother” because of this burqa‘. O you who are wrong in your thinking! Allâh Ta’ala is actually according respect to you in the sense that even elders are addressing you as “mother.” Be grateful that Allâh Ta’ala is giving you this respect. What, do you want people to address you as a “little girl”?

I had a friend who was a nephew of ‘Allâmah Shiblî. He was sixty years old and – mâshâ Allâh – he had a big beautiful beard. When he boarded a bus, some youngsters who were sitting stood up and said, “Uncle, you can sit in our place.” There was another person who was ten years elder than him, dressed up in modern clothing with a tie, clean-shaven, and was employed at an office. He asked my friend, “How old are you?” He replied that he was sixty years old. He addressed the boys and said, “I am ten years elder than him. Why do you not offer me a seat? Why do you not address me as ‘uncle’?” The boys replied, “You look like a nephew, you do not look like an uncle. You will only look like an uncle when you keep such a big beard.”