Imam Al-Shafi'i (rahmatullahi Alayh)

The beloved companions, the sahaba, learned, practiced, and taught Islam to the rest of humanity as taught by Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). The tabi’in, the next generation after the sahaba, witnessed and learned the religion from them, and instructed the next generation that came after themselves. The great Muslim scholars that we call “madhhab imams” today grew up in this period and organized and compiled the Islamic fiqh into perfectly structured doctrines. They were the pioneers and leaders of Islam with their knowledge, adab, and taqwa. Let’s remember and commemorate these distinguished, blessed people, starting with Imam al-Shafi’i.

Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) was the founder of the Shafi’i madhhab (Islamic schools of law), one of the four righteous madhhabs of Ahlu’s-Sunnah in practice, and a great awliya. His full name was Muhammad ibn Idris ibn Abbas ibn Uthman ibn Shafi’i ibn Saib al-Qurayshi. His kunya, the name used in Arab culture to indicate one’s lineage, is Abu Abdullah. His lineage from both his mother’s and father’s side is linked to Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). He became famous with the name Shafi’i in reference to his fourth grandfather whose name was Shafi’i.

He was born in Gaza in 767 (150 in the Hijri calendar). His father passed away when Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) was still an infant. His mother brought him to his original homeland, Makkah, when he was two years old. He started his Islamic education at the age of six. When he was seven years old, he memorized the entire Qur’an. After becoming a hafiz, his desire for ilm began to bloom. He attended the lectures of the great scholars of the time in Makkah. He spoke about those days as follows:

“After memorizing the Qur’an, I regularly went to Masjid al-Haram and benefited vastly from the scholars of fiqh and hadith there. But because we were very poor, we couldn’t even afford to buy a sheet of paper. I would take notes on pieces of bones.”

After this initial education in Makkah, Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) went to the Huzayl tribe living outside Makkah to learn the subtleties of Arabic and its literature. He related the following regarding his experience with the tribe: “I traveled out of Makkah. I learned the life and language of the Huzayl tribe in the desert. This tribe was the most prolific of the Arabs in terms of language. I stayed with them for a while. I learned to shoot arrows. When I returned to Makkah, I had learned a lot of narrations and acquired extensive knowledge of literature.”

Exceptional even as a child

When Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) was only ten years old, he memorized the hadith book called Muwatta, consisting of 1720 hadiths and authored by the famous scholar of the time Imam Malik (rahmatullahi alayh), in nine nights. In his early youth, he devoted himself entirely to ilm. He would say, “Ask me anything you want,” when he was only thirteen in the Haram al-Sharif. He was conversant enough in the area of fiqh to issue fatwas when he was only fifteen years old. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahmatullahi alayh) used to take lessons from him. When those around Imam Ahmad asked him why he would take lessons from someone of his son’s age while he is such a great scholar, he replied:

– He knows the meanings of what I memorize. If I had not met him, I would have remained at the doorstep of knowledge. The doors of fiqh were closed to me. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) opened this door again to His subjects with Imam al-Shafi’i. I do not know of anyone who serves Islam more than him today. He is the scholar reported in the hadith“Allah creates a scholar every century and teaches my religion to everyone with him.”

Let’s continue to listen to the words of Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh):

“When I was a child, I saw Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in my dream in Makkah. He was the imam at Masjid al-Haram with his full splendor. When the prayer was over, I walked up to him and said:

– “Please teach me ilm, too.” Thereupon, he took out a scale from under his caftan and said:

– “This is for you,” and he gave it to me. I had this dream interpreted. They said, “You will be the leader in ilm, and you will follow the sunnah. The meaning of the scales is that you will attain “Al-Haqiqah Al-Muhammadiyah.”

It is narrated that one night, Caliph Harun al-Rashid had an argument with his wife, Zubaidah, about an issue. Zubaidah said to Harun, “Oh, you deserve hell.” To that, Harun al-Rashid said:

“If I deserve hell, I divorce you,” and they separated from each other in this way.

Harun truly loved Zubaidah, so he was very upset. He called for and ordered the scholars of Baghdad to settle this matter. No one could find a solution. “Will Harun go to paradise or hell? Only Allah knows this!” they said. When a child standing up from the crowd said, “I can answer this,” people were stunned with amazement, and they said:

“This boy must be insane. What can he possibly say about an issue where such great scholars are at a loss?”

However, this boy was none other than Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh). He went to the palace, confronted the caliph and his wife, and said:

– “Answer me, o Harun! Do you need me, or do I need you?” he asked. The caliph said:

“I need you.” Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) said:

“Then come down from your throne because the rank of scholars is higher.” Thereupon, the caliph got up and gave him his seat. Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) remarked:

“First, I will ask you a question; if you answer me, I will answer your question.”

“Ask whatever your question is,” the Caliph said. Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) asked:

– Have you ever given up on sin when you had the opportunity to commit it?

– Yes, I swear by Allah, such an incident happened to me. In my youth, we were alone with a woman I liked; I could do whatever I wanted. I did not touch the woman because I feared Allah.

Upon this, Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) said:

“I decide that you will go to Heaven,” but the scholars raised their voices:

“What evidence are you relying on?” they asked. Imam Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) said:

– I rely on the Qur’an. Because Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says: “whereas for the one who feared to stand before his Lord and prevented the soul from (unlawful) inclination, Then indeed Paradise will be (his) refuge.” (An-Nazi’at, 40-41)

Upon this answer, all the scholars expressed their admiration and said: “He is at such a high level even as a child! Who knows what he will become when he grows up?”

“Your glory will be great”

The most important period in Imam al-Shafi’i’s (rahmatullahi alayh) education was when he became a student of Imam Malik (rahmatullahi alayh). Let’s listen to how this story unfolded from him:

“At first, I learned fiqh from Muslim ibn Khalid in Makkah. I heard about the greatness of Malik ibn Anas, who was in Medinah at that time, and that he was the imam of the Muslims. A desire arose in my heart to go to him and become his student. I went to Madinah and told him of my request. He looked at me and said:

– What is your name?

– Muhammad.

– O Muhammad! You will have great glory in the future. Allah has given a nur to your heart. Do not put it out with sins! Come with someone tomorrow, and he may read the Al-Muwatta to you. I said:

– I can memorize it. I can recite it by heart.

The next day I started reading it. Whenever I stopped reading with the fear of upsetting the imam, my beautiful recitation would astonish him, and he would say:

- Young man, keep reading.”

Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) was in his twenties when he first met Imam Malik (rahmatullahi alayh). Imam Malik (rahmatullahi alayh) took him under his responsibility and taught him ilm for nine years. When Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) reached a prodigious level of knowledge, he returned to Makkah. The governor of Yemen took him to Yemen and assigned him as the qadi, which was the title for the judge with the highest magisterial position in a region. After this duty, on which he held his tenure for about five years, he went to Baghdad and began to take lessons from Imam Muhammad (rahmatullahi alayh), a student of Imam Azam (rahmatullahi alayh). Imam Muhammad (rahmatullahi alayh) took him under his responsibility and taught him the ilm of fiqh, which was compiled in Iraq. Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) benefited greatly from his knowledge and books. Indeed, he stated:

– No one has been as helpful to me as Imam Muhammad in ilm and worldly affairs.

Abu Ubayd also narrates that he heard the following from Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh):

“I have written many books with the ilm I learned from Imam Muhammad. If it weren’t for him, I would be left with no way forward past the threshold of knowledge. All people are the children of Iraqi scholars in ilm, and Iraqi scholars are the children of Kufa scholars. And they are the children of Abu Hanifa.”

Like a sun among people

In Baghdad, Imam Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) wrote his work called Al-Kitabu'l-Baghdadiyah.He was the leader of the scholars of his time in knowledge, taqwa, ma’rifah, intelligence, and memory. Many great scholars have walked the path he opened and rendered great services to the Ahlu’s-Sunnah. Some of these are:

Imam Al-Nasa’i, a hadith scholar, Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari, a scholar of kalam (aqaid), and Al-Mawardi, Al-Ghazali, Al-Nawawi, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Suyuti and many others... (May Allah be pleased with all of them.)

Abdullah, son of Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahmatullahi alayh), saw that his father prayed a lot for Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) and asked him the reason. He replied:

– My son, Shafi’i’s place among people is like the sun in the sky. He is the cure for souls.

Despite only witnessing his childhood years, Sufyan al-Thawri (rahmatullahi alayh) (Born in 95 and died in 161 Hijri) said: “Imam al-Shafi’i’s intellect is more than the sum of the minds of half the people of his time.”

Haja Abdullah al-Ansari (quddisa sirruhu) also said: “I love Imam Shafi’i dearly because whenever I behold the maqam of an awliya, I see him in front of everyone.”

Imam al-Shafi’i narrates:

“One day in my dream, I saw our master Ali bin Abi Talib (radiyallahu anh). He took his ring off his finger and put it on my finger. This was a sign that his knowledge and that of Rasulullah would pass on to me.”

Imam al-Shafi’i attended the scholarly assemblies of Imam Malik ibn Anas and Imam Azam’s student, Imam Muhammad (rahmatullahi alayhim ajmain), where he learned the ijtihad ways of these two imams, combined them, and formed the Shafi’i madhhab. He classified the issues in the ilm of al-fiqh for the first time and collected them in his work named Al-Risalah.

A pillar of adab and generosity

Imam al-Shafi’i’s (rahmatullahi alayh) face was beautiful and radiant. He did not stray from the sunnah of our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) even by the breadth of a hair. He had an exemplary personality with his mild nature, modesty, generosity, and dignity. Those who listened to him while reciting the Qur’an would be enchanted and pass out. On his ring, it was written, “Barakah is contentment.”

He stood up ten times while teaching in a class once. When asked why, he said:

– A boy who is a sayyid is playing outside the room. When I see him, I stand up out of respect for him. It is not fitting to sit while a grandson of Rasulullah is standing.

One of his students narrates:

On one Eid day, I left the mosque with Imam Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh). We were discussing a subject. When he came to the door of his house, a servant handed him a bag of gold and asked him to accept it along with the greetings of his master. Imam Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) accepted the pouch. A short while later, someone came and said:

– I’ve just had a newborn child. I don’t have any money. Please, spare some for the sake of Allah.

He gave the pouch to that person without ever opening it. However, I knew that he had no money either.”

Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh) was very fond of the Qur’an. Until the end of his life, he would recite it everyday with utmost dedication. He passed away on a Friday night in Egypt in 820 CE, and in the year 204, according to the Hijri calendar.

One of the students of Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi alayh), Rabi ibn Sulayman recounted the following:

I saw my master in a dream after he died. I asked him:

– How did Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, treat you?

– He made me sit on a throne and sprinkled gold and jewels all over me. He gave me (a reward worth) seven hundred thousand times the world.

May Allah engulf him in His mercy. May He grant us his shafa’ah.

M. Ali Özkan