Imam Shafi
Imam Shafi
Imam Shafi
Imam Al-Shafi’ee, also known as 'Shaykh Al Islam', is one of the four great
Imams of Sunni schools of law. He is also the author of several prominen
t works in the field. He has been titled ‘Nasir al-Hadith’ which means “def
ender of hadith”.
Background
Imam’s full name is Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Idris Al-Shafi’ee ibn Al-
Abbas ibn Uthman ibn Syafie bin Ubaid ibn Abdu Yazid ibn Hasyim ibn Al
-Muttalib [father of Abdul Muttalib grandfather of the Prophet (S.A.W.)] bin
Abd Manaf. He is the Only Imam who is related to Prophet Mohammad (
S.A.W.) as he belonged to Qurayshi tribe of Banu Muttalib, which was the
sister tribe of the Banu Hashim [tribe of Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.)].
Imam Shafi'ee was born in the year 150 AH (767 AC) in Ghaza, Palestine. I
t was the same year in which the Great Imam Abu Hanifah had passed a
way. He lost his father during infancy and was raised by his mother under
very poor circumstances. Fearing the waste of his son’s lineage, his moth
er decided to move to Mecca where their relatives lived. Imam was very y
oung at that time. It is quoted by some scholars that he was two years ol
d when his mother migrated to Mecca. Therefore, he spent his formative y
ears acquiring religious education in the cities of Mecca and Medina. Acco
rding to some sources, he memorized the Quran by the age of seven or
nine.
His Persecution:
The governor of Yemen, while paying a visit to Makkah, met Al-Sh
ive post in Yemen but like his predecessor Imam Abu Hanifa, Ima
The last station for Al-Shafi’ee was Egypt where he remained until
his death. He was welcomed with great honor and respect by the
His Teachers:
His Students:
6. He also met Imam Ahmad bin HambaI and took mutual knowle
dge between the two. Imam Ahmad bin Hambal once said: "Had it
not been for Ash-Shafi'ee, we would not have known the underst
anding of Hadith."
1. Kitab al-Umm
2. Al-Risalah
3. Ikhtilaf Al-Hadith
4. Al-Imla
5. Ikhtilaf Al-Iraqiyani
6. Jima Al-Ilm
8. Kitab Al-Hujjah
orced him to retire and stop teaching. In his last days before his
"I feel that I am traveling away from this world, away from the br
others, drinking from the cup of death, and approaching Allah the
Then he went into crying. He became very sick at the end of his l
ife. Imam Al-Shafi’ee kept the company of learned people till the v
ery end of his life, and he is reported to have spent his last days
endar month of Rajab aged 54 in the year 204 AH (820 AC). The
nce by not only just attending his funeral but actually leading thos
e prayers. His two sons Abul Hasan Muhammad and Uthmaan wer
Imam Al-Shafi’ee was buried in the vault of the Banu Abd Al-Haka
May Allah bless the Imam Al-Shafi’ee’s soul and admit him into His wide paradises.