The Sayyid of Makkah, 'Allamah 'Alawi al-Saqqaf,comments upon Imam Zain al-Din al-Mallibari's saying," ويحرم حلق لحية" by mentioning that this view (namely that it is unlawful to shave the Lihyah)is related by the great Imam Ibn Rif'ah in his Kifayah(which is a commentary upon al-Shirazi's Tanbih)from al-Umm. al-Zarkashi mentions that this position was also related from al-Halimi and his teacher al-Qaffal al-Shashi, furthermore, al-Adhra'i mentioned that the correct view is that it is generally unlawful to shave the lihyah. Likewise, Imam Ibn Hajar mentions this position directly after narrating the view of dislikedness from the Imams al-Rafi'i and al-Nawawi in al-Iy'ab.
Now if we stop to examine this passage of al-Saqqaf's Tarshih al-Mustafidin Hashiyah Fath al-Mu'in, it is evident that some major Fuqaha of the Shafi'i school, not the mention the founder himself !, held that it is unlawful to shave the lihyah. Despite the fact that this is not the relied upon position, it should be noted that scholars after al-Rafi'i and al-Nawawi, such as Ibn Hajar according to his report in al-Iy'ab, still disputed the issue. As for the source of al-Mallibari's view, it is a known fact that al-Mallibari was a direct student of Ibn Hajar so it is possible that he relied upon what his teacher mentioned in al-Iy'ab. In fact, al-Mallibari says in the beginning of his Fath al-Mu'in,
" and this is a commentary based upon the relied upon works of our teacher, Khatam al-Muhaqqiqin, Shihab al-Din Ahmad bin Hajar al-Haitami and the remaining Mujtahids such as Wajih al-Din 'Abd al-Rahman bin Ziyad, the Sheikh of our teachers, Sheikh al-Islam Zakariyya al-Ansari and Imam Ahmad al-Muzajjad al-Zabidi...." (Tarshih al-Mustafidin, pg.9,204)
And Allah Ta'Ala knows best
