What is the Islamic ruling on one who claims that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, let his beard grow long due to the absence of barbers in his time, and that the beard disfigures one's appearance? And are there any pictures of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that prove he let his beard grow?

The statement that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, grew his beard because there were no barbers is incorrect, as shaving was present in his time, peace and blessings be upon him, as confirmed in the hadiths. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded the growing of the beard, and this is a command directed to every man until the Day of Judgment.

There are no pictures of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, due to his prohibition of imaging, but his description is found in the books of Sunnah and biography.

The statement that growing the beard is useless because it makes one's appearance unkempt is an abominable and grave assertion, for growing the beard is obligatory according to the evidence of authentic hadiths. Mocking the beard or disparaging it is mocking one of the rituals of Islam, and it may lead its perpetrator out of Islam. It is obligatory upon the Muslim to restrain his tongue from speaking ill of any matter of the religion.