Beard Brotherhood

Now that I’ve grown a thick beard, I look more Muslim than ever. One thing I have noticed though is that more people now automatically greet me with ‘assalamu alaikum’. Previously, when I was clean shaven, people wouldn’t automatically greet me with this Muslim greeting. Quite clearly, even if not consciously, at least at a sub-conscious level, many people in this part of the world are ascertaining your religion at first glance.