The ruling on shaving the beard and whether it is among the major sins

Question:
May Allah reward you, Your Excellency the Shaykh. The questioner asks: Is shaving the beard among the major sins?

Answer:
Shaving the beard is forbidden without a doubt, and it is a sin. However, it does not fall under the criteria for a major sin that the scholars have specified. Is every forbidden act a major sin? There are forbidden acts that are not major sins because the criteria for a major sin do not apply to them, such as the anger of Allah, a curse, the Fire, or a fixed punishment in this world. None of these are present in the case of shaving the beard. Although it is a forbidden sin, it remains a sin and does not reach the level of a major sin, except as they mentioned: if a person openly commits the sin and persists in it, it becomes a major sin. But initially, it is not a major sin; however, it may become a major sin through open defiance and a lack of modesty before Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).