al-Shafi'i facts for kids

Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Idrīs al-Shāfiʿī (Arabic: أَبُو عَبْدِ ٱللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ ٱلشَّافِعِيُّ, 767–19 January 820 CE) was an important Arab Muslim scholar, writer, and thinker. He helped create the first rules for Islamic law (called Uṣūl al-fiqh). People often called him 'Shaykh al-Islām', which means 'Leader of Islam'.

Al-Shāfi‘ī was one of the four great Sunni Imams. His ideas and teachings about law led to the creation of the Shafi'i school of fiqh (a way of understanding Islamic law). He was a top student of Imam Malik ibn Anas. He also served as a governor for a short time. He was born in Gaza, Palestine, and lived in many cities like Mecca, Medina, Yemen, Egypt, and Baghdad.

Who was Al-Shafi'i?

It's a bit tricky to know everything about al-Shāfi‘i's life for sure. The first books about him were lost or mixed with old stories. The oldest surviving biography was written by Ahmad Bayhaqi (who died in 1066 CE). It contains many stories that people today might call legends. We'll focus on what seems most likely about his life.

His Family Background

Al-Shāfi‘ī came from the Banu Muttalib clan, which was related to the clan of Prophet Muhammad. This connection gave him a special status. Even with these important family ties, al-Shāfi‘ī grew up quite poor.

His Early Life and Learning

He was born in Gaza in 767 CE. His father passed away when he was very young. To make sure he was well cared for, his mother moved them to Mecca when he was about two years old.

Not much is known about his early life in Mecca, except that he was poor but loved to learn. One story says his mother couldn't afford paper, so he wrote his lessons on bones! He studied with Muslim ibn Khalid az-Zanji, who was the top legal scholar in Mecca at the time.

Al-Shāfi‘ī was very smart. By age seven, he had memorized the entire Quran. By ten, he knew Imam Malik's famous book, the Muwatta, by heart. His teacher even let him teach when he was away. By fifteen, al-Shāfi‘ī was allowed to give official legal opinions (called fatwas).

Studying with Imam Mālik

Al-Shāfi‘ī wanted to learn even more about law, so he moved to Medina. He studied for many years with the famous Imam Malik ibn Anas. Imam Mālik was very impressed by al-Shāfi‘ī's amazing memory and intelligence.

When Imam Mālik passed away in 795 CE, al-Shāfi‘ī was already known as a brilliant legal scholar. Even though he later had different ideas from Imam Mālik, he always respected him deeply, calling him "the Teacher."

Challenges in Yemen

When he was about thirty, al-Shāfi‘ī became a governor in the city of Najran in Yemen. He was a fair leader, but he soon faced problems with local rivalries. In 803 CE, he was accused of helping a revolt and was sent in chains to the Caliph Harun al-Rashid in Raqqa.

While others were punished, al-Shāfi‘ī's strong defense convinced the Caliph to let him go. Some stories say that the famous scholar Muhammad al-Shaybani also spoke up for him. This event likely made al-Shāfi‘ī decide to focus only on legal studies for the rest of his life, never working for the government again.

Learning in Baghdad

After this, al-Shāfi‘ī traveled to Baghdad to study with al-Shaybānī and other scholars. Here, he developed his first school of thought (or madh'hab), which combined ideas from both Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Malik. This early work is known as "al Madhhab al Qadim," or the Old School of al-Shafi'i.

In Baghdad, al-Shāfi‘ī often debated with other legal scholars, strongly defending the ideas of the Mālikī school. He later left Baghdad for Mecca in 804 CE.

In Mecca, al-Shāfi‘ī began teaching at the Sacred Mosque. Many students, including the famous Hanbali scholar Ahmad ibn Hanbal, were deeply impressed by him. Al-Shāfi‘ī's legal thinking continued to grow, and he started to see the strengths and weaknesses in different schools of thought.

Moving to Egypt

Imam Shafi'i Mausoleum in Cairo

Al-Shāfi‘ī returned to Baghdad in 810 CE, where he was offered a judge position, but he turned it down. In 814 CE, he decided to move to Egypt. The exact reasons for this move are not fully known.

In Egypt, he met another important teacher, Sayyida Nafisa, who was a descendant of Prophet Muhammad. She even helped him financially with his studies. It was in Egypt that al-Shāfi‘ī dictated his most important works to his students. His students would write down what he said, and then read it back to him so he could make corrections. All the books we have from him today are thanks to these sessions.

His Passing

Imam Shafi'i tomb in Cairo

Some accounts say al-Shāfi‘ī died from injuries after being attacked by supporters of a rival scholar. However, other scholars doubt this story. It is also known that al-Shāfi‘ī suffered from a serious stomach illness for many years, which made him weak. So, the exact cause of his death is not certain.

Al-Shāfi‘ī passed away at the age of 54 on January 19, 820 CE, in Al-Fustat, Egypt. He was buried near Mount al-Muqattam. A beautiful dome was built over his tomb in 1212 CE, and his mausoleum is still an important place to visit today.

What is Al-Shafi'i's Legacy?

Al-Shāfi‘ī is famous for setting up the main principles of fiqh, which is the system of Islamic law. He identified four key sources for understanding Islamic law, in order of importance:

• The Quran, which is the holy book of Islam.
• Hadith, which are collections of the sayings, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad. (The Quran and Hadith are considered "revealed sources").
• Ijma, which means the agreement or consensus of the Muslim community.
• Qiyas, which is a method of reasoning by comparing new situations to known ones.

Scholar John Burton says that Al-Shafi'i not only created the science of fiqh but also showed how important it was to Islam. He helped bring unity to Muslims by creating a clear system for Islamic law. The four main Sunni legal schools (or madhhabs) still follow the framework that Al-Shafi'i established. One of these schools, Shafi'i fiqh, is named after him. It is followed in many parts of the Islamic world, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, and parts of India and Sri Lanka.

Al-Shāfi‘ī strongly believed in the authority of a hadith from Prophet Muhammad. He taught that even the Quran should be understood in light of the Hadith, not the other way around. He argued that "the command of the Prophet is the command of Almighty Allah." His ideas helped make the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad the main focus for Muslims, more so than the sayings of his companions.

Al-Shāfi‘ī also changed the meaning of the word Sunnah. Before him, Sunnah could refer to general customs. But because of Al-Shāfi‘ī, Sunnah almost always means only the Sunnah (teachings and practices) of Prophet Muhammad.

Al-Shafi'i was against Kalam, which was a way of discussing religious ideas using deep philosophical reasoning. He believed that people should stick to the Quran and Sunnah instead of getting lost in complex arguments.

Buildings and Followers

Saladin built a school (called a madrassa) and a shrine at the site of Al-Shafi'i's tomb. Saladin's brother built a mausoleum for him in 1211. It is still a place where people go to seek blessings and justice.

Many important scholars followed Imam al-Shāfi‘ī's school of thought, including:

• Bayhaqi
• Al-Suyuti
• Al-Dhahabi
• Al-Ghazali
• Ibn Hajar Asqalani
• Ibn Kathir
• Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi
• Al-Mawardi
• Al Muzani

His Writings

Al-Shafi'i wrote over 100 books, though many have been lost. The books we still have today include:

• Al-Risala – This is his most famous book, where he explains the rules of Islamic law. It has been translated into English.
• Kitab al-Umm – This is his main book about Shafi'i fiqh.
• Musnad al-Shafi'i – A collection of Hadith.
• Ikhtilaf al Hadith
• Al sunan al Ma’thour
• Jma’ al ilm

Al-Shafi'i was also a talented poet. He wrote many short poems about good morals and behavior.

Interesting Stories About Him

Many stories are told about al-Shafi'i's life, and it's hard to know which ones are completely true.

• It's said he memorized the Quran by age seven and Imam Malik's Muwatta by age ten. He was allowed to give legal opinions at fifteen.
• He reportedly recited the Quran every day in prayer, and twice a day during Ramadan.
• Some stories say he was very handsome and had a neat, black beard.
• He was known for being very generous.
• He was also a skilled archer and a great poet. Some people would listen to him just to hear his beautiful use of the Arabic language. Even later, his speeches were used to teach Arabic grammar.
• He was given the title Nasir al-Sunnah, meaning 'Defender of the Sunnah'.
• Al-Shafi‘i deeply loved Prophet Muhammad. He believed that prayers should always end with blessings upon the Prophet.
• He reportedly divided his night into three parts: one for writing, one for praying, and one for sleeping.
• Some accounts say he had an amazing memory. One story says he would cover one side of a book while reading because just a quick look at the other page would make him memorize it!
• He believed that playing chess was like practicing for war tactics. He thought it was okay to play chess as a mental exercise, as long as it didn't make someone break other rules of life. He even played chess himself.

Famous Sayings

• "He who seeks pearls immerses himself in the sea."
• He believed that no true Islamic knowledge could be gained from books of Kalam (philosophical theology). He said it was better to spend one's whole life doing things Allah has forbidden (except for associating partners with Allah) than to spend it involved in Kalam.
• He taught that Hadith from Prophet Muhammad must be accepted without questioning or deep reasoning. He said, "If a hadith is proven to be from the Prophet, we must accept it, and your talk and the talk of others about why and how, is a mistake..."

See Also

In Spanish: Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i para niños

• Fiqh
• Mujaddid
• Shafi'i
• Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi'i

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