Wajib to keep a beard and Sunnat to have it the amount of a fist length

الاستفتاء

My question is about keeping a beard: (1) Is keeping a beard Farz, Wajib, or Mustahab? (2) What is the status of the beard in Islam? (3) What effect does keeping a beard have on a believer? (4) Is there any book I can read from which I can learn about the importance and virtues of keeping a beard which will assist me in keeping one?

الجواب حامدا و مصلیا

It is Wajib to keep a beard and Sunnat to have it the amount of a fist length. Cutting or shaving it less than this is not permissible. For more information regarding this topic, one can refer to the following books:
(1) “داڑھی کی شیعی حیثیت” by Maulana Hifzurrahman Azmi Nadwi Saheb
(2) “داڑھی منڈانا گناہ کبیرہ ہے، اور اسکا مذاق اڑانا کفر ہے قرآن وحدیث کی روشنی میں” by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi رحمۃ اللہ علہ
(3) “داڑھی اورمونچھوں کا حکم” by Mufti Ahmad Mumtaz Saheb