What is the ruling on breaking the vow, "By Allah, if Allah saves me from this calamity, I will grow my beard and never touch it at all," if the one who made it finds that difficult for him? Is this vow considered an oath and a pledge (nadhir) or not? And what are the consequences if it is not?

A covenant with Allah is a vow and an oath, and it is obligatory to fulfill it. If someone covenanted with Allah to let his beard grow long if He saved him from a calamity, this is a vow of obedience that must be fulfilled. If he is compelled to trim more than a fistful, he must offer expiation for breaking an oath (kaffarat yameen). If he is not compelled and does so, he has sinned and must offer expiation for breaking an oath.