Is it permissible for the ruler to punish one who shaves his beard or plucks the hair of his cheeks and neck? Was this reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or the Rightly Guided Caliphs? What is the evidence for the prohibition of shaving the beard, given the absence of an explicit text or warning?

There is no fixed disciplinary punishment (ta'zir) from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or the Rightly Guided Caliphs, for one who shaves his beard. This is because shaving it was not common in their era; rather, they considered it a form of mutilation and torment. Shaving the beard is a violation of the Prophet's command, peace and blessings be upon him, and an imitation of the polytheists. Some scholars have explicitly stated that one who shaves it should be disciplined.