:sl:
'Sunnah' actually differs in meaning according to which type of scholar is using it or which context it's being used. For example, if scholars of theology use the word 'sunnah', they mean the Aqeedah of ahl al-Sunnah, whereas if the scholars of Usool use it they mean something else, and where scholars of Jurisprudence use it, they mean something else, and if I remember correctly, the earlier scholars of Fiqh used to use 'sunnah' along the same lines as Wajib, and
Makrooh used to be used as another word for Haram, so arguing over terminology doesn't make a difference until it's sorted what exactly one intends by using the term.
That being said, the bare minimum for a male is to have hair on his face and cheeks, something that shows that he isn't a woman. To keep it longer is obviously better and preferred and it is well known that the Prophet (saw) had a thick long beard.
And as a reminder, lets not turn this into an issue that causes rifts within ourselves, as the obligation of unity is greater than the obligation of a beard.
That said, to correct some views expressed in this thread, the beard is not merely a 'sunnah' that one may leave or keep at one's own will, rather the early Imaams all considered this to be mandatory.
Shaikh Ahmad an-Nafarawi al-Maliki said in the commentary of Imam Abu Zaid’s Risala,
“To shave the beard is without doubt haram according to all Imams”, it is also mentioned in ‘Tamhid’ which is a commentary of the Muwatta’ of Imam Malik that to shave the beard is haram and among males the only ones to resort to this (practice) are the hermaphrodites. (From the book “at-Tamhid”)
Applying the last line above is obviously erroneous in the context of today (i.e. not everyone that shaves is a hermaphrodite, there are multiple reasons why people choose to shave their beards), but I only wanted to show the importance the early Muslims placed upon the beard. Allaah knows best.
:w: