Difference regarding letting the beard grow

A: The Sahih (authentic) Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) indicates that it is obligatory to leave the beard as it is and let it grow long and that it is prohibited to cut or shave it. It is narrated in the Two Sahih (authentic) Books of Hadith (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: (Part No. 2; Page No. 41)  “Cut the moustache and let the beard grow; be different from the Mushriks (those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity or worship).” It is also narrated in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Trim the moustache and let the beard grow; be different from the Magians.” These two and other Hadiths narrated to the same effect clearly indicate the obligation of both letting and keeping the beard growing and the prohibition to cut or shave it as mentioned earlier. It would be a violation of the authentic Hadiths to mistakenly claim that if men grow their beard, they will be rewarded for it, but they will not be punished if they do not. The reason is that the “imperative mood” in any of the Prophet’s Hadiths basically signals an obligation while the “prohibitive mood” basically signals a prohibition. Therefore, no one is allowed to hold an opinion that contradicts the apparent meaning of the authentic Hadiths unless there is circumstantial evidence to warrant otherwise. No such circumstantial evidence is known to exist in the Hadiths mentioned above.As for the Hadith narrated by Al-Tirmidhy on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to trim the length and width of his beard. , this is a Batil (false) Hadith which is not known to have been authentically narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) as its Sanad (chain of narrators) includes a narrator who is notorious for lying.As for making a mockery of the beard and likening the hair growing on one’s beard to pubic hair it is a great Munkar (that which is unacceptable or disapproved of by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect), the perpetration of which entails Riddah (apostasy) from Islam. (Part No. 2; Page No. 42) Mocking anything approved by the Qur’an or the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is considered an act of Kufr (disbelief) and Riddah (apostasy) from Islam. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says (what means): Say: "Was it at Allâh (عز وجل), and His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations) and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that you were mocking?" Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed. May Allah grant us and all Muslims true guidance, success and protection from misleading temptations!May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.