Tashreeh Al Asedi

IMAM SHAFI'I (رحمتہ اللہ علیہ)

BLESSED BIRTH

Imam Abu Abdullah Muḥammad ibn Idris Al-Shafi’i (اِمام أَبُو عَبْدِ ٱللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ ٱلشَّافِعِيُ) was one of the four Imams of Islamic Jurisprudence and founder of Shafi’i school of thought. He belonged to the tribe of Quraish which was a sister tribe of Banu Hashim. Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) belonged to Banu Hashim. His ancestral chain, as described by Imam Shafi’i is, (أبو عبد الله محمد بن إدريس بن العباس بن عثمان بن شافع بن السائب بن عبيد بن عبدِ يزيد بن هاشم بن المطلب بن عبد مناف المطلبيُّ) Abu Abdullah Muhammad, Ibn Idris, bin Al-Abbas, bin Uthman, Ibn Shafi, bin As-Sa’ib, bin Ubaid, bin Abd Yazid, bin Hashim, Al-Muttalib, bin Abd Manaf Al-Matlabi.

Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) was born in 150 AH (767 CE) in Ghaza, Palestine. This was the year in which Imam Abu Hanifa (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) died in Makka.

EARLY LIFE

It is reported that the father of Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ), Idris bin Al-Abbas died when he was 2 years old. His mother Umm al Hasan then moved to Makka where some of her relatives lived.

No account of his early life is available except that he grew up in extreme poverty in Makka. It is reported that his mother could not afford to buy paper for his education and the Imam used to write his lessons on bones.

EDUCATION

The Imam received his early education in Makka and Madina. His first teacher was the Mufti of Makka, Muslim Ibn Khalid Az-Zanji. He memorized the Quran when he was 9 years old. And by 10, it is reported that he memorized the Hadith book Muatta of Imam Malik (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ).

TEACHERS

Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) studied under many teachers in Makka, Madina, Kufa, Basra, Yemen, Syria, and Egypt. His teachers include, (i) Muslim bin Khalid Al-Zangi, (ii) Sufyaan bin Uyainah Al-Hilaali, (iii) Ibrahim bin Yahya, (iv) Imam Malik bin Anas, (v) Wakee bin Al-Jarrah bin Maleeh Al-Koofi, (vi) Hammaad bin Usama Al-Hashimi Al-Koofi, (vii) Muhammad bin Hasan Al-Shaibaani, the student of Imam Abu Hanifa, (viii) Abdul-Wahhab bin Abdul Majeed al-Basri, (ix) Haatim Ibn Ismail, (x) Ibrahim Ibn Muhammad Ibn Yahya, (xi) Hishaam Ibn Yusuf Sinani, (xii) Marwan Ibn Mu’aawiyah, (xiii) Muhammad Ibn Ismail, (xiv) Dawood Ibn Abdur Rahman, (xv) Ismail Ibn Ja’far, (xvi) Hisham Ibn Yusuf, etc.

Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) went to Madina at the age of 19 years and studied under Imam Malik (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) for 9 years until Imam Malik’s (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) death in 179 AH (795 CE). He was 28 years old when Imam Malik (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) died and by that time, he had already become a well-known in Madina.

Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) did not have the opportunity to meet Imam Abu Hanifa (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) as he was born in the year when Imam Abu Hanifa (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) died. However, he had great respect and considered Imam Abu Hanifa (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) as the pioneering Imam of the study of Islamic Jurisprudence.

After the death of Imam Malik (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ), Imam Al-Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) returned to Makkah where he married Hamidah bint Naafi who was the granddaughter of Khalifa-e-Rashid, Uthman bin Affan (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ). They had three children, two sons, whose names were Abu Uthman and Abul Hasan, and one daughter named Fatima.

Later, Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) travelled to Baghdad where he was fortunate to learn under eminent Hanafi scholar, Muhammad Ibn Al-Hasan Al-Shaibani who was a student of Imam Abu Hanifa (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ). This way he had an opportunity to study both Hanafi and Maliki fiqh. It is reported that in Baghdad he developed his independent school of thought. In Baghdad he was actively involved in legal arguments with Hanafi jurists by defending Maliki school of thought. The followers of Hanafi school complained to Al-Shaibani that Imam Shafii had become critical of some of his rulings. This resulted in Imam Shafii’s debate with Imam Shaibani. This debate created a resistance for Imam Shafi’i in Iraq and as a result, he left Baghdad for Makkah in 804 CE.

In Makkah, Imam Shafi’i began giving lectures at the sacred mosque which made him extremely popular. Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal wrote that here Shafii’s legal reasoning began to mature as he appreciated the legal reasoning of both Hanafi and Maliki jurists.

Imam Shafii again returned to Baghdad by which time he had grown into a stature which permitted him to establish an independent line of legal speculation. At that time Caliph Ma’mun offered him the position of Judge, but he declined.

In 814 CE, Imam Shafi’i left Baghdad for Egypt where he met another tutor Sayyida Nafisa bint Al-Hasan, a descendant of Imam Al-Hasan (ru), who was married to Ishaq Al-Mutamin, a descendant of Imam Ja’afar As-Sadiq (ru). She also supported him financially. Thus, he was able to dictate his life’s works to his students who would then read back to him that he has dictated. All scholars agree that writing down most of his works is the result of those sessions in Egypt with his students. It is here he wrote the second edition of his famous book Risala.

STUDENTS

Imam Shafi’i had many talented students who became important jurists of their times. These include, (i) Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal, (ii) Imam Abu Yaqub Al-Buwayti, (iii) Abu Ibrahim Isma'il ibn Yahya Al-Muzani, (iv) Rabi bin Sulayman Al-Muradi, (v) Abu Ali Al-Karabisi, (vi) Ibrahim bin Khalid Abu Thawrah, etc.

After the death of Imam Shafi’i in 204 AH (820 CE), his students codified his legal opinions in a book called ‘Kitab Al-Umm’ which became the basis of Shafi’i school of thought.

BOOKS

It is reported that Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) wrote many books. These include, (i) Risalah, (ii) Kitab al-Umm, (iii) Ikhtilaf Al-Hadith, (iv) Al-Imla (v) Ikhtilaf Al-Iraqiyani, (vi) Jima Al-Ilm, (vii) Ikhtilaf Malik wa Al-Shafi’i, (viii) Kitab Al-Hujjah, etc.

PERSECUTION AT THE HANDS OF THE RULERS OF HIS TIME

Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) also suffered and faced persecution under the rulers. During the rule of Haroon Al-Rashid, he was sent as Judge of Jazan in Yemen. This happened after the death of Imam Malik (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ). In Yemen, the Governor accused him of political collusion with the enemies of the State. The Governor arrested him and imprisoned. Later, he was taken to Baghdad the capital of Abbasid empire and produced before Haroon Al-Rashid. In the court of the ruler, he was questioned about the allegations, and it is reported that the Imam defended himself eloquently and proved all charges against him as baseless. Haroon Al-Rashid was convinced about his innocence and the Imam was released. After his release, he stayed back in Iraq. There he met with Imam Shaibani and learnt about the Hanafi School of thought.

DEATH OF IMAM SHAFI'I

Some accounts suggest that Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) died of injuries sustained by the attack of the followers of Maliki school of thought led by a person named Fityan. It is reported that Fityan lost a debate with Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) and resorted to public abuse and accuse of the Imam. At that time Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) was in Egypt. The episode was reported to authorities and Fityan was publicly lashed for his behavior. This enraged the followers of Fityan who attacked the Imam and as a result he died of injuries sustained in the attack. Other accounts suggest that the Imam suffered from serious intestinal illness which kept him frail, and bed ridden in the later years of his life, and he died because of this ailment.

Imam Shafi’i (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) died on 30 Rajab, 204 AH (January 23, 820 CE) in Al-Fustat, Egypt and was buried in the graveyard of Bani Abdul Hakam, near Mount al-Muqattam. Later a dome was built over his grave in 608 AH (1212 CE) by Ayyubid Sultan, Al-Kamil.