Is it permissible to trim the mustache so that it is not seen?

Scholars have agreed on the permissibility of trimming the mustache, but they differed on the extent of trimming. Some went as far as advocating for its complete removal and shaving, based on the apparent meaning of the hadiths. Others, however, prohibited shaving, among them Imam Malik, who considered it a form of mutilation (muthlah). However, the majority of scholars deem it permissible to shave or trim it. Imam Ahmad explicitly stated that thorough trimming (al-ihfa') is preferable, but he also said: "If one trims it thoroughly, there is no harm, and if one trims it short, there is no harm." The most preferable is to trim the mustache such that the lip becomes visible, as this is what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to do.