The Ruling on Trimming the Beard and Taking What Exceeds a Handful

Question:
The questioner says: Negligence regarding the matter of the beard has become widespread among committed young men, so they have started trimming and shaping it, and some say it is permissible to take what exceeds a hand's grasp. What is your guidance on this?

Answer:
You know that Satan is eager to divert the Muslim from his religion and from acting upon the Sunnah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If he can divert him completely, he does so. If he cannot and sees that the person is earnest about acting upon the Sunnah, he comes to him through the door of laxity, through the door of dispensations, and through the door of mentioning opinions that contradict the evidence. The beard must be left as Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) created it. It is not to be touched, neither by cutting, nor plucking, nor shaving. As he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: All of these are hadiths in the authentic collections.
But Satan wants to resist this good Sunnah among the people, so beware of him. The beard, praise be to Allah, is beauty and adornment for a man on his face. Why are there these attempts to get rid of the beard or to get rid of part of it? Why is this? This is disfiguring the beauty in keeping it and letting it grow. This is the beauty. Yes.