I have read two articles in which the authors claim that according to the Shaafi' math-hab it is permissible to shave the beard.

Answer

Our detailed comments demolishing the ghutha (rubbish) written in the articles is currently under print. Alhamdulillah, we have thoroughly refuted and negated the utterly baseless an stupid arguments of the modernist 'sheikhs' who have raised their falsehood in the names of the Shaafi' Fuqaha. What you have read in the essays is baseless. Shaving the beard is haraam in the unanimous ruling of all Four Math-habs. In fact, the Shaafi' Math-hab has taken the strongest stance on prohibition. Every Muslim knows and understands, even if he shaves his beard, that keeping a beard has been Waajib from the time of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). These liberal morons of this age are following in the footsteps of Shaitaan.