A beard does not make a Muslim

Jalees Rehman eloquently argues, in a Huffington Post article, that when it comes to religious matters one should not "judge the book by its cover." The Muslim societies and communities, more than any other group, puts greater emphasis on the individual looks rather then a person's actions. This is very common  in communities with historic links to tribal  traditions and cultures. For example South Asian and Arab societies, which had, and to some extent still consist of, tribal cultures and totemic norms. Those societies tend to lean towards religious dogmas rather than the practice prescribed in the religion.