Is it permissible to adopt the view of the Shafi'i and some Maliki jurists that shaving the beard is merely reprehensible (makruh) and not forbidden (haram), while inclining towards the Salafi opinion that it is forbidden, and is this inclination an indication of the correctness of the stricter view?

Salafism is a methodology that follows the understanding of the righteous predecessors (Salaf al-Salih) regarding Islam in all its aspects. Shaving the beard is forbidden according to the majority of scholars, and some have even reported a consensus on its prohibition, such as the view of Ibn Hazm and Ibn al-Qaṭṭan. The jurists have differed on this issue for reasons including considering the questioner's situation, relying on a less preferred opinion, misunderstanding the words of the imams, or following an unsound methodology in dealing with commands and prohibitions. The obligation, in case of dispute, is to follow the sound evidence and refer back to Allah and His Messenger. The criterion is conformity with the evidence, not whether an opinion is stricter or more lenient.