Saharanpur (UP), Feb 21 (IANS): Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband is in the news again, after the institution has issued an order asking its students not to shave beards.

Maulana Hussain Ahmed, the education department in-charge, said in an order on Monday that students studying in the institution shall not shave their beards.

"If he does so, he will be expelled. Apart from this, admission will not be given to the students coming to the institution after cutting their beards," the order stated.

The order came after four students were expelled for shaving their beards on February 6.

Darul Uloom Deoband had issued a fatwa three years ago that cutting a beard is "haram" (unacceptable) in Islam.

Senior cleric and member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, said: "Rasool Allah Muhammad used to keep a beard, so keeping a beard is 'Sunnah' (practice) in Islam. If a person has a beard once and later removes it, then that person will be considered guilty. Beard has a different significance in Islam."