بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

14 Shawwal, 1444 AH (Friday, 5 May, 2023)

After discussing Imām Mālik (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him), the next Muḥaddith to discuss ought to be Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him). However, to fully understand and appreciate the discussion about Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, one would need to understand the principles of Al-Jarḥ wat-Ta’dīl specifically, and also the other general principles of ‘Ulūm al-Ḥadīth.

Likewise, the discussion about Imām Abū Ḥanīfah will definitely require much more time. There were those who were extreme in their love for him, whilst others were extreme in their hatred for him. To determine what is accurate and to dissect the various statements, much more time would be needed.

Thus, we will discuss him next year, in shā Allāh. For now, we move to the next Mūḥaddith and author, and he is Imām Muḥammad ibn Idrīs ash-Shāfiʿī (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him).

Of course, there is so much that can be mentioned about Imām Shāfiʿī. However, we are dedicating only this one session to the life of Imām Shāfiʿī, and the next session will be dedicated to the books of Imām Shāfiʿī, so that as students of Ḥadīth, we can know how to benefit from the Ḥadīth books that are attributed to him, and we can also have insight on his other books. Thereafter, in two weeks’ time, we will in shā Allāh, discuss Imām Aḥmad, and thereafter, the books of Imām Aḥmad.

In order not to spend hours discussing about him, we will quote the main points that ‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Abdil Barr mentioned in his book, Al-Intiqā fī Faḍāil al-A’immah ath-Thalātha al-Fuqahā’. The reason for choosing his book is that he confines himself to mentioning the basics that every student of ‘ilm should know. He writes:

ونقتصر من ذلك على ما يكفي ويدل ويشهد بتقدمه في علم الحلال والحرام، وإمامته عند جمهور أهل الإسلام، والله ‌المستعان وهو حسبي ونعم ‌الوكيل. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 115)

We suffice in this matter on that which is enough to indicate and bear witness to his advancement in the knowledge of permissible and prohibited matters, and his leadership according to the majority of the people of Islām. Allāh is the Helper, and He is sufficient for me. What an excellent guardian He is.

Lineage

‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Abdil Barr mentions that there are no differences of opinion amongst scholars that Imām Shāfiʿī is from the Quraysh:

لا خلاف علمته بين أهل العلم والمعرفة بأيام الناس، من أهل السير والعلم بالخبر والمعرفة بأنساب قريش وغيرها من العرب وأهل الحديث والفقه: أن الفقيه الشافعي رضي الله عنه هو: محمد بن إدريس بن العباس بن عثمان بن شافع بن السائب بن عبيد بن عبد يزيد بن هاشم بن المطلب ابن عبد مناف بن قصي بن كلاب بن مرة بن كعب بن لؤي بن غالب بن فهر بن مالك بن النضر بن كنانة. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 115 – 116)

There is no dispute that I know about amongst the people of knowledge and history, among the scholars of Siyar (History) and those familiar with the genealogy of the Quraysh and other Arabs, as well as the scholars of Hadīth and jurisprudence that: The jurist, Imām Shāfi’ī, is: Muḥammad ibn Idrīs ibn Al-Abbās ibn Uthmān ibn Shāfī’ ibn Al-Sā’ib ibn Ubayd ibn Abd Yazīd ibn Hāshim bin Al-Muṭṭtalib ibn Abd Manāf ibn Quṣay ibn Kilāb ibn Murrah bin Ka’b bin Lu’ayy bin Ghālib ibn Fihr ibn Mālik ibn Al-Nadhar ibn Kinānah.

‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Abdil Barr shows the point where his lineage meets with the ancestors of the Prophet ﷺ. He says:

ويجتمع مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فى عبد مناف بن قصي. والنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم محمد بن عبد الله بن عبد المطلب بن هاشم بن عبد مناف. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 116)

He is related to the Prophet ﷺ through Abd Manāf ibn Qusay. And the Prophet ﷺ is Muḥammad bin Abdullāh bin Abd Al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim ibn Abd Manāf.

Hence, Imām Shāfi’īs great grandfather’s great grandfather, ‘Ubayd, was the third cousin of the Prophet ﷺ. As for the son of ‘Ubayd, ‘Allāmah Dhahabī writes:

فأما جدهم السائب المطلبي، فكان من كبراء من حضر بدرا مع الجاهلية، فأسر يومئذ، وكان يشبه بالنبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم-. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 10 / 9)

As for their ancestor Al-Sa’ib Al-Muṭṭalibi, he was among the dignitaries who participated in the Battle of Badr during the era of ignorance. He was captured on that day, and he resembled the Prophet ﷺ.

Reason for being Attributed to Shāfi’ī

The reason why Imām Shāfi’ī is attributed to Shāfi’ī is because that was the name of his great grandfather’s father. ‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Abdil Barr said:

وإلى شافع ينتسب (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 116)

And he is attributed to Shāfi’.

His lineage is:

محمد بن إدريس بن العباس بن عثمان بن شافع… (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 116)

Muḥammad ibn Idrīs ibn Abbās ibn Uthmān ibn Shāfī’…

He is from the junior Ṣaḥābah:

وابنه شافع: له رؤية، وهو معدود في صغار الصحابة. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 10 / 9)

And his son Shāfi’: He had the honor of seeing (the Prophet ﷺ), and he is counted among the junior Companions.

Date of Birth

Scholars are unanimous that Imām Shāfi’ī was born in 150 AH. This was the year when Imām Abū Ḥanīfah passed away.

وكذلك لا خلاف أن الشافعي ولد سنة خمسين ومائة من الهجرة ، وهو العام الذي توفي فيه أبو حنيفة رحمه الله. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 116)

Likewise, there is no dispute that Al-Shāfi’ī was born in the year 150 AH , which is the same year in which Abū Ḥanīfah passed away.

‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Abdil Barr quotes with his chain to Muḥammad ibn ‘Abdillāh ibn ‘Abdil Ḥakam that he said:

قال قال لي الشافعي ولدت بغزة سنة خمسين ومائة وحملت إلى مكة وأنا ابن سنتين. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 118)

Al-Shāfi’ī told me: I was born in Gaza in the year 150 AH, and I was taken to Mecca when I was two years old.

Seeking Knowledge

Imām Shāfi’ī memorised the Qur ‘ān when he was seven years old. He then memorised the Muwaṭṭa when he was ten years old. Although he was an orphan, he was still a child, yet he was memorising.

From a very young age, he naturally had lots of love for ‘Ilm, and he was willing to undertake any sacrifice to attain knowledge. He mentions about himself:

لم يكن لي مال وكنت أطلب العلم في الحداثة وكنت أذهب إلى الديوان أستوهب الظهور فأكتب فيها. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 120)

I didn’t have money, and I used to seek knowledge in my youth. I would go to the assembly, hoping for recycled paper, and I would write in it.

This means that he would go in search of unused or recycled paper, and he would write on that.

On another occasion he mentions how as a child, he would look for bones and he would write on those bones. The scribe of Ḥumaydī, Abū Bakr ibn Idrīs quotes from Imām Shāfi’ī that he said:

كنت يتيما في حجر أمي ولم يكن معها ما تعطي المعلم، وكان المعلم قد رضي مني أخلفه إذا قام، فلما ختمت القرآن دخلت المسجد، فكنت أجالس العلماء، فأحفظ الحديث، أو المسألة، وكان منزلنا بمكة في شعب الخيف، فكنت أنظر إلى العظم يلوح فأكتب فيه الحديث والمسألة، وكانت لنا جرة قديمة فإذا امتلأ العظم طرحته في الجرة». (حلية الأولياء وطبقات الأصفياء – 9 / 73)

I was an orphan in my mother’s house, and she didn’t have anything to give to the teacher. The teacher was pleased with me and I would follow him whenever he stood. When I completed the Quran, I entered the mosque. I used to sit with the scholars, memorizing Ḥadīth or legal issues. Our residence in Mecca was in the area of Khayf, and I would look for bones and write Ḥadīth and legal issues on it. We had an old leather-bag, and when the bone was filled, I would put it in the leather-bag.

Zubayr ibn Sulaymān al-Qurashī quotes from Imām Shāfi’ī that he said:

طلبت هذا الأمر عن خفة ذات يد، كنت أجالس الناس، وأتحفظ، ثم اشتهيت أن أدون، وكان منزلنا بمكة بقرب شعب الخيف، فكنت أجمع العظام، والأكتاف فأكتب فيها حتى امتلأ من دارنا ذلك جباب». (حلية الأولياء – 9 / 73)

I pursued this endeavor (seeking knowledge) in a state of poverty. I would sit with people and memorize, then I desired to write. Our home in Mecca was near the area of Khayf, and I would gather bones and shoulder blades, and I would write on them until our house was filled with those pieces.

After memorizing the Muwaṭṭa, as a child, he became interested in poetry. He himself relates:

كنت امرأ أكتب الشعر فآتي البوادي فأسمع منهم، قال: فقدمت مكة فخرجت منها، وأنا أتمثل بشعر للبيد، وأضرب وحشي قدمي بالسوط ، فضربني رجل من ورائي من الحجبة، فقال: رجل من قريش، ثم ابن المطلب رضي من دينه ودنياه أن يكون معلما، ما الشعر؟ هل الشعر إذا استحكمت فيه إلا قصدت معلما؟ تفقه يعلمك الله. قال: فنفعني الله بكلام ذلك الحجبي، قال: ورجعت إلى مكة، وكتبت من ابن عيينة ما شاء الله أن أكتب ثم كنت أجالس مسلم بن خالد الزنجي، ثم قرأت على مالك بن أنس، فكتبت موطأه. )حلية الأولياء وطبقات الأصفياء – 9 / 70)

I was a person who wrote poetry and ventured into the deserts to listen to them. He said: I arrived in Mecca and when I left, I would recite the poetry of Labīd, striking the animals in front of me with a whip. Once, a man from Ḥajbah struck me and remarked: A man from Quraysh! then a son of Muṭṭalib! Content with his religious and worldly future to become a teacher. What is poetry? Isn’t poetry such that if you excel in it, you only become a teacher? Seek the knowledge of Fiqh, may Allāh teach you. He said: So the words of that man from Ḥajbah benefited me, and I returned to Mecca, and wrote from Ibn ‘Uyaynah whatever Allāh willed me to write. Then I sat with Muslim ibn Khālid al-Zanji and read to Malik ibn Anas, and I wrote his Muwaṭṭā.

He then went to Imām Mālik to acquire the Muwaṭṭa directly from Imām Mālik. Bear in mind, he already memorised the Muwaṭṭā when he went to Imām Mālik:

أتيت مالكا وقد حفظت الموطأ. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 118)

I went to Mālik having already memorised the Muwaṭṭa.

He went to Imām Mālik when he was only twelve years old. ‘Allāmah Abū Nu’aym quotes his chain to Rabī’

أتيت مالكا، وأنا ابن اثنتي عشرة سنة؛ لأقرأ عليه الموطأ فاستصغرني. (حلية الأولياء وطبقات الأصفياء – 9 / 69)

I came to Mālik when I was twelve years old to read the Muwaṭṭa to him, and he thought me to be extremely young.

(Despite this narration and other narration that mention that he was thirteen, ‘Allāmah Dhahabī says:

والظاهر أنه كان ابن ثلاث وعشرين سنة. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 10 / 12)

And it appears that he was twenty-three years old.

(However, the abundance of narrations that mention that he was around 12/13 cannot be ignored. And Allāh knows best.)

Imām Muzanī and Muḥammad ibn ‘Abdillāh ibn ‘Abdil Ḥakam both related what happened when he approached Imām Mālik:

جاء الشافعي إلى مالك بن أنس فقال له: إني أريد أن أسمع منك الموطأ فقال مالك: تمضي إلى حبيب كاتبي، فإنه الذي يتولى قراءته، فقال له الشافعي: تسمع مني رضي الله عنك صفحا، فإن استحسنت قراءتي قرأته عليك، وإلا تركت فقال له: اقرأ فقرأ صفحا ثم وقف فقال له: مالك هيه فقرأ صفحا ثم سكت فقال له: هيه فقرأ فاستحسن مالك قراءته فقرأه عليه أجمع قال المزني وابن عبد الحكم فلذلك يقول الشافعي أخبرنا مالك. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 118)

Shāfi’ī came to Mālik ibn Anas and said to him, ‘I want to hear the Muwaṭṭa from you.’ Malik said, ‘Go to my scribe, Ḥabib, he is the one responsible for its recitation.’ Shāfi’ī said to him, ‘Listen to me, may Allāh be pleased with you, recite a page. If you find my recitation good, I will recite it to you. Otherwise, I will leave it.’ Malik replied, ‘Read.’ So Ash-Shāfi’ī recited a page, then he paused. Imām Mālik said, ‘ Continue.’ He recited another page and then paused again, and Mālik said, ‘Continue.’ He recited once more, and Malik was pleased with his recitation, so Shāfi’ī recited the entire Muwaṭṭa to him. Muzanī and Ibn Abd al- Ḥakam narrated this incident. This is why Shāfi’ī would say, ‘Mālik informed us.’

Since he was only 12 years old when he went to Imām Mālik, ‘Allāmah Kawtharī explained an important point:

وكانت ملازمته لمالك في الأوائل، ومن ثم تجد الشافعي يروي عن مالك حتى بثلاث وسائط فيما هو خارج الموطأ، كقضاء عمر وعثمان بنصف الدية (تعليقة الانتقاء – ص: 119)

His close companionship with Malik began in the early years, thus you find Shāfi’ī narrating from Mālik through three intermediaries, in matters that are outside the Muwaṭṭa, such as the rulings of ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān regarding half of the blood money.”

When he was reading the Muwaṭṭa to Imām Mālik, he hardly completed the recital of the entire book, and Imām Mālik noticed that he will excel in Fiqh and advised him to study Fiqh. Imām Shāfi’ī recalls:

فقرأت عليه حتى بلغت كتاب السير فقال لي: اطوه يا ابن أخي، تفقه تعل. (حلية الأولياء – 9 / 71)

I recited to him until I reached the chapter of As-Siyar and he said to me, ‘Fold it up, O son of my brother. Seek the knowledge of Fiqh, you will succeed.’

Imām Shāfi’ī mentions his journey of ‘Ilm from that point:

فجئت إلى مصعب بن عبد الله فكلمته أن يكلم بعض أهلنا فيعطيني شيئا من الدنيا فإنه كان بي من الفقر والفاقة ما الله به عليم، فقال لي مصعب: أتيت فلانا، فكلمته فقال لي: تكلمني في رجل كان منا فخالفنا؟ قال: فأعطاني مائة دينار، وقال لي مصعب: إن هارون الرشيد كتب إلي أن أصير إلى اليمن قاضيا فتخرج معنا لعل الله أن يعوضك ما كان من هذا الرجل يقرضك؟ قال: فخرج قاضيا على اليمن وخرجت معه، فلما صرنا باليمن وجالسنا الناس، كتب مطرف بن مازن إلى هارون الرشيد: إن أردت اليمن لا يفسد عليك ولا يخرج من يديك فأخرج عنه محمد بن إدريس، وذكر أقواما من الطالبيين قال: فبعث إلي حمادا العزيزي، فأوثقت بالحديد، حتى قدمنا على هارون قال: فأدخلت على هارون. قال: فأخرجت من عنده. قال: وقدمت ومعي خمسون دينارا. قال: ومحمد بن الحسن يومئذ بالرقة، قال فأنفقت تلك الخمسين دينارا على كتبهم. (حلية الأولياء – 9 / 71)

So I went to Muṣ’ab ibn ‘Abdullāh and asked him to speak to some of my family to give me something from these worldly possessions, for I had been afflicted with poverty and need, about which Allāh knew well. Muṣ’ab said to me, “I spoke to so-and-so who said, ‘Do you speak to me regarding the one who was from us then opposed us?'”. He then gave me a hundred dinars and said to me, ‘Harūn ar-Rashīd wrote to me, asking me to become a judge in Yemen. Join us on this journey, and perhaps Allāh will compensate you for what you received as a loan from that man.’ He left as a judge for Yemen, and I accompanied him. When we arrived in Yemen and interacted with the people, Muṭarrif ibn Māzin wrote to Harūn ar-Rashīd, saying, ‘If you want to maintain control over Yemen and prevent any disturbances, remove Muḥammad ibn Idrīs from there.’ He mentioned certain Ṭālibī’s in the letter. Harūn al-Rashid then sent for me through Ḥammād al-Azīzī. They detained me with iron chains. Eventually, we reached Harūn al-Rashīd’s presence. I was brought in and then taken out. I had fifty dinars with me at that time. Muḥammad ibn al- Ḥasan was in Raqqa at that time. I spent those fifty dinars on their books.

Even thereafter, he continued to read the Muwaṭṭa. He used to love the Muwaṭṭa:

حدثنا محمد بن إبراهيم، ثنا يوسف بن عبد الواحد بن سفيان قال: سمعت يونس بن عبد الأعلى، يقول: سمعت الشافعي، يقول: «ما نظرت في موطأ مالك إلا ازددت فهما». (حلية الأولياء وطبقات الأصفياء – 9 / 70)

I heard Ash-Shāfi’ī say: ‘I did not look into the Muwaṭṭa’ of Mālik except that I gained more understanding.'”

Main Teachers

Imām Bukhārī names his very important teacher:

سمع مالك بن أنس. (التاريخ الكبير – 1 / 263)

He learned from Anas ibn Mālik.

‘Allāmah Khaṭīb mentions the names of his other main teachers:

وكان سمع من مالك بن أنس، وإبراهيم بن سعد، وسفيان بن عيينة، وداود بن عبد الرحمن، وعبد العزيز بن محمد الدراوردي، ومسلم بن خالد الزنجي، وإبراهيم بن أبي يحيى، وعبد الرحمن بن أبي بكر المليكي، وعبد الله بن المؤمل المخزومي، وإبراهيم بن عبد العزيز بن أبي محذورة، وعمه محمد بن علي بن شافع، وعبد الله بن الحارث المخزومي، ومحمد بن إسماعيل بن أبي فديك، وعبد المجيد بن عبد العزيز بن أبي رواد، ومحمد بن عثمان بن صفوان الجمحي، وسعيد بن سالم القداح، ويحيى بن سليم الطائفي، وحاتم بن إسماعيل، وعبد العزيز بن أبي سلمة الماجشون، وإسماعيل بن جعفر، ومطرف بن مازن، وهشام بن يوسف، ويحيى بن حسان التنيسي، ومحمد بن الحسن الشيباني، وعبد الوهاب بن عبد المجيد الثقفي، وإسماعيل ابن علية، وغير هؤلاء. (تاريخ بغداد 2 / 393)

He learned from Mālik ibn Anas, Ibrāhim ibn Sa’d, Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah, Dawūd ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān, ‘Abd al-‘Azīz ibn Muḥammad al-Darāwardi, Muslim ibn Khālid al-Zanjī, Ibrāhim ibn Abī Yaḥyā, ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Bakr al-Mulaykī, ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mu’mal al-Makhzūmī, Ibrāhim ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz ibn Abi Maḥdhurah, his uncle Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī ibn Shāfi’, ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Ḥārith al-Makhzūmī, Muḥammad ibn Ismā’il ibn Abī Fudayk, ‘Abd al-Majīd ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz ibn Abi Ruwayd, Muḥammad ibn ‘Uthmān ibn Safwān al-Jumaḥi, Sa’īd ibn Salīm al-Qaddāḥ, Yaḥya ibn Sulaym al- Ṭā’ifī, Hātim ibn Ismā’īl, ‘Abd al-‘Azīz ibn Abi Salamah al-Mājshūn, Ismā’īl ibn Ja’far, Muṭarrif ibn Māzin, Hishām ibn Yusuf, Yaḥyā ibn Ḥassan at-Tunīsī, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Shaybāni, ‘Abd al-Wahhāb ibn ‘Abd al-Majīd al-Thaqafi, Ismā’il ibn ‘Ulayyah, and others.

Students

‘Allāmah Khaṭib mentions the names of students of his:

حدث عنه سليمان بن داود الهاشمي، وأحمد بن حنبل، وأبو ثور إبراهيم بن خالد، والحسين بن علي الكرابيسي، والحسن بن محمد الصباح الزعفراني، وأبو يحيى محمد بن سعيد العطار، وغيرهم. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 393)

Sulaymān ibn Dawūd al-Hāshimī, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Abū Thawr Ibrāhim ibn Khālid, Ḥusayn ibn Ali al-Karābīsi, Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad al-Ṣabbāḥ al-Za’farānī, Abū Yaḥyā Muḥammad ibn Saīd al-Aṭṭār, and others relate from him.

‘Allāmah Dhahabī cites the following names:

حدث عنه: الحميدي، وأبو عبيد القاسم بن سلام، وأحمد بن حنبل، وسليمان بن داود الهاشمي، وأبو يعقوب يوسف البويطي، وأبو ثور إبراهيم بن خالد الكلبي، وحرملة بن يحيى، وموسى بن أبي الجارود المكي، وعبد العزيز المكي – صاحب الحيدة – وحسين بن علي الكرابيسي، وإبراهيم بن المنذر الحزامي، والحسن بن محمد الزعفراني، وأحمد بن محمد الأزرقي، وأحمد بن سعيد الهمداني، وأحمد بن أبي شريح الرازي، وأحمد بن يحيى بن وزير المصري، وأحمد بن عبد الرحمن الوهبي، وابن عمه؛ إبراهيم بن محمد الشافعي، وإسحاق بن راهويه، وإسحاق بن بهلول، وأبو عبد الرحمن أحمد بن يحيى الشافعي المتكلم، والحارث بن سريج النقال، وحامد بن يحيى البلخي، وسليمان بن داود المهري، وعبد العزيز بن عمران بن مقلاص، وعلي بن معبد الرقي، وعلي بن سلمة اللبقي، وعمرو بن سواد، وأبو حنيفة قحزم بن عبد الله الأسواني، ومحمد بن يحيى العدني، ومسعود بن سهل المصري، وهارون بن سعيد الأيلي، وأحمد بن سنان القطان، وأبو الطاهر أحمد بن عمرو بن السرح، ويونس بن عبد الأعلى، والربيع بن سليمان المرادي، والربيع بن سليمان الجيزي، ومحمد بن عبد الله بن عبد الحكم، وبحر بن نصر الخولاني، وخلق سواهم. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 10 / 8)

Many scholars reported from him, including: Al-Ḥumaydī, Abū Ubayd Qāsim ibn Sallām, Aḥmad ibn Ḥambal, Sulaymān ibn Dawūd al-Hāshimī, Abū Ya’qūb Yūsuf al-Buwayṭi, Abū Thawr Ibrāhim ibn Khālid al-Kalbī, Ḥarmalah ibn Yaḥyā, Mūsā ibn Abi al-Jārūd al-Makkī, Abdul Azīz al-Makkī (author of “Al-Ḥaydah”), Ḥusayn ibn Alī al-Karābīsi, Ibrāhim ibn Mundhir al-Hizāmī, Hassan ibn Muḥammad al-Zafarānī, Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Azraqī, Aḥmad ibn Saīd al-Ḥamdānī, Aḥmad ibn Abī Shurayḥ al-Rāzi, Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyā ibn Wazīr al-Miṣrī Aḥmad ibn Abd ar-Raḥmān al-Wahbi, his cousin Ibrāhim ibn Muḥammad Ash-Shāfi’ī, Isḥāq ibn Rāhūyah, Isḥāq ibn Bahlūl, Abu Abd al-Raḥmān Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyā Ash-Shāfi’ī al-Mutakallim, Ḥārith ibn Surayj an-Naqqāl, Ḥāmid ibn Yaḥyā al-Balkhi, Sulaymān ibn Dawūd al-Muhrī, Abd al-Azīz ibn Imrān ibn Miqlās, Ali ibn Ma’bad ar-Raqiyy, Ali ibn Salamah al-Labqi, Amr ibn Sawwād, Abū Ḥanīfah Qahzim ibn Abdullāh al-Aswānī, Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā al-Adnī, Mas’ūd ibn Sahl al-Misrī, Hārūn ibn Saīd al-Aylī, Aḥmad ibn Sinān al-Qaṭṭān, Abū aṭ-Ṭāhir Aḥmad ibn Amr ibn as-Sarḥ, Yūnus ibn Abd al-A’lā, Rabī ibn Sulaymān al-Murādī, Rabī ibn Sulaymān al-Jayzī, Muḥammad ibn Abdullāh ibn Abd al-Ḥakam, Baḥr ibn Naṣr al-Khawlān, and others.

These are just the names of a handful of students. Imām Dār Quṭnī gathered the names of all the students of Imām Shāfī’ī in two volumes:

وقد أفرد الدارقطني كتاب (من له رواية عن الشافعي) في جزأين. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 10 / 8)

The Dār Quṭnī dedicated a book titled “Who narrates from Shāfi’ī” in two volumes.

Travels

We mentioned that he went to Makkah, and then to Madīnah, and then to Yemen.

A year later, he then embarked on a journey to Iraq. Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn Ṣabāḥ az-Za’farānī said:

قدم علينا الشافعي بغداد سنة خمس وتسعين ومائة فأقام عندنا سنتين ثم رجع إلى مكة ثم قدم علينا سنة ثمان وتسعين فأقام عندنا أشهرا ثم خرج إلى مصر وبها مات. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 117)

Shāfi’ī arrived by us in Baghdad in the year 95 AH and stayed with us for two years. Then, he returned to Mecca, and in the year 98 AH, he came back to us and stayed for several months. After that, he left for Egypt, where he passed away.

Abū Nu’aym Istrābādhī says that Zafarānī was asked:

أي سنة قدم بغداد الشافعي؟ قال: قدم سنة خمس وتسعين ومائة، (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 409)

“In which year did Shāfi’ī arrive in Baghdad? He replied, “He arrived in the year 95 AH.”

When he came to Bagdad there were many gatherings of ‘Ilm. However, within a short period of time, his gathering swallowed up all of the other gatherings. Abū ‘l-Faḍl az-Zujāj says:

لما قدم الشافعي إلى بغداد وكان في الجامع إما نيف وأربعون حلقة أو خمسون حلقة، فلما دخل بغداد ما زال يقعد في حلقة حلقة ويقول لهم: قال الله وقال الرسول. وهم يقولون: قال أصحابنا. حتى ما بقي في المسجد حلقة غيره. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 409)

When Shāfiʿī arrived in Baghdad, there were about 44 or 50 circles of knowledge in the mosque. Upon entering Baghdad, he continued to sit in each circle, saying, “Allah says and the Messenger said,” while others in the circles would respond with, “Our companions said.” He did this until there was no circle left in the mosque except the one he established.

Thereafter, he returned back to Egypt. Imām Nawawī says:

وقال أبو عبد الله حرملة بن يحيى: ‌قدم ‌الشافعى ‌مصر سنة تسع وتسعين ومائة. وقال الربيع: سنة مائتين، ولعله قدم فى آخر سنة تسع جمعًا بين الروايتين، وصنف كتبه الجديدة كلها بمصر. (تهذيب الأسماء واللغات – 1 / 48)

Abū Abdillāh Ḥaramalah ibn Yaḥya said, “Shāfi’ī arrived in Egypt in the year 199 AH”, while Al-Rabī said that it was in the year 200 AH. It’s possible that he arrived in Egypt towards the end of the year 199 AH. This combines both accounts. It was in Egypt that he authored all of his new books.

Virtues

Suwayd ibn Sa’īd said:

كنا عند سفيان بن عيينة بمكة فجاء الشافعي فنظر إليه ابن عيينة فقال هذا أفضل فتيان أهل زمانه. الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 120)

We were with Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah in Mecca when Shāfi’ī came. Ibn ‘Uyaynah looked at him and said, ‘This is the best of the young men of his time.’

When he was only fifteen years old, the Faqīh of Makkah, Muslim ibn Khālid instructed him to issue Fatwā. This senior Faqīh of Makkah told Imām Shāfi’ī:

أفت با أبا عبد الله، قد آن لك أن تفتي، وهو ابن خمس عشرة سنة. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 121)

Issue fatāwā, O Abū Abdillāh! For It’s time for you to issue a fatwa. He was fifteen years old at that time.

His own teacher, Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah would recommend people to ask him. The grandson of Imām Shāfi’ī said about Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah:

وكان اذا جاءه شئ من التفسير والفتيا التفت إلى الشافعي وقال سلوا هذا. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 121)

Whenever a matter related to Tafsīr or legal rulings came to him, he would turn to Shāfi’ī and say, “Ask him about this.”

The teacher of Imām Bukhārī would refer to him as the leader of the Fuqahā. Aḥmad ibn ‘Alī al-Jurjānī said:

كان الحميدي إذا جرى عنده ذكر الشافعي، يقول: حدثنا سيد الفقهاء الشافعي. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 408)

When Ḥumaydī mentioned Shāfi’ī, he used to say, “The master of jurists, Shāfi’ī, informed us.”

‘Abdur Raḥmān ibn Mahdī was his elder and a very great scholar. Yet, he requested Imām Shāfi’ī to write his ar-Risālah. We discussed previously about this, and maybe we will touch on that again in the next lesson. When Imām Shāfi’ī completed writing ar-Risālah, ‘Abdur Raḥmān ibn Mahdī praised his work. ‘Umar ibn ‘Abbās ar-Rāzī mentioned:

كنت عند عبد الرحمن بن مهدي فجاءته رسالة الشافعي فلما قرأها قال هذا كلام شاب مفهم. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 123)

I was with Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi when the Risālah Shāfi’ī arrived. After reading it, he said, ‘This is the speech of a young man with understanding.’

Earlier scholars would love for the sake of Allāh. Therefore, many scholars would pray for Imām Shāfi’ī. Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad az-Za’farānī said:

إني لأدعو الله للشافعي في الصلاة وغيرها منذ أربع سنين لما أظهر من القول بما صح عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 122)

I have been supplicating to Allāh for Shāfi’ī in my prayers and otherwise for the past four years due to his clear affirmation of what is authentically attributed to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.

Imām Aḥmad would also pray a lot for him. Abdullāh, the son of Imām Aḥmad said to him:

قلت لأبي: يا أبة، أي رجل كان الشافعي، فإني أسمعك تكثر الدعاء له فقال يا بني كان الشافعى رحمه الله كالشمس للدنيا وكالعافية للناس فانظر هل لهذين من عوض أو خلف. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 125)

I said to my father, “O Father, who was Shāfi’ī? I often hear you pray for him.” He replied, “My son, Shāfi’ī was like the sun to the world and like a source of well-being for people. Look, do these two (qualities of his) have any equal or substitute?”

Muḥammad ibn Layth said that he heard Imām Aḥmad saying:

ما صليت صلاة منذ أربعين سنة إلا وأنا أدعو فيها للشافعي. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 129)

I have not prayed a prayer in the past forty years without supplicating for Shāfi’ī.

Imām Aḥmad continued to pray for him even after his demise. Faḍl ibn Ziyād said:

هذا الذى ترويه أو عامته مني هو عن الشافعي ومات منذ كذا كذا سنة وأنا أدعو الله للشافعي وأستغفر له. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 129)

All or most that you are narrating from me is from Shāfiʿī, and he passed away so many years ago, yet I continue to pray to Allāh for him and seek His forgiveness for him.

Imām Aḥmad had great regard for Imām Shāfi’ī. He truly considered Imām Shāfi’ī to be a Mujaddid. ‘Abdul Malik ibn ‘Abdil Ḥamīd al-Maymūnī mentioned:

كنت عند أبى عبد الله أحمد بن حنبل وجرى ذكر الشافعي، قال: فرأيت أحمد يرفعه ويرفع به، فقال: بلغني، أو قال: يروى عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: ((إن الله عز وجل يبعث لهذه الامة على رأس مائة سنة رجلا يقيم لها أمر دينها)) قال: فكان عمر بن عبد العزيز على رأس المائة وأرجو أن يكون الشافعي على رأس المائة الأخرى. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 126)

I was with Abū Abdillāh Aḥmad ibn Ḥambal, and the mention of Shāfi’ī came up. I saw Aḥmad raise him and praise him. He said, “It has reached me” or “It is narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that Allāh, the Almighty, sends to this Ummah at the beginning of every century a man who rectifies its religious affairs.” He continued, “Umar ibn Abd al-Azīz was at the end of one hundred years, and I hope that Shāfi’ī is the one at the end of the following hundred years.”

He went to study every book of Imām Shāfi’ī directly under him. Ya’qūb ibn Isḥāq said:

كنا نأتي الشافعي فنجد أحمد بن حنبل عنده قد سبقنا إليه وما زال معنا حتى سمع كتب الشافعي كلها. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 124)

We used to visit Shāfi’ī, and we would find Aḥmad ibn Ḥambal there, as he had arrived before us. He stayed with us until he heard all the books of Shāfi’ī.

As a student of Imām Shāfi’ī, Imām Aḥmad displayed utmost humility. Ṣāliḥ, the son of Imām Aḥmad, relates:

لقيني يحيى بن معين فقال لي: أما يستحي أبوك مما يفعل؟ فقلت: وما يفعل؟ قال: رأيته مع الشافعي والشافعي راكب وهو راجل، ورأيته قد أخذ بركابه، فقلت ذلك لأبي، فقال لي: قل له إذا لقيته: إن أردت أن تتفقه فتعال فخذ بركابه الآخر. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 126)

Yaḥya ibn Ma’īn met me and said, “Doesn’t your father feel ashamed of what he’s doing?” I asked, “What is he doing?” He replied, “I saw him with Shāfi’ī, and Shāfi’ī was riding while your father was walking.” I mentioned this to my father, and he told me to tell him when I meet him, “If you want to master the knowledge of jurisprudence, come and take hold of the other stirrup.”

Isḥāq ibn Rāhūyah said:

محمد بن إدريس الشافعي عندنا إمام. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 130)

Muḥammad ibn Idrīs Al-Shāfi’ī is considered an imām among us.

Of course, there are so many other scholars who praised him with sublime words. It is not possible for us to mention all, but the above should suffice. We mention the same as what ‘Allāmah Dhahabī said:

وهذه الأوراق تضيق عن مناقب هذا السيد. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 10 / 9)

These pages do not suffice to cover the virtues of this honorable scholar.

Knowledge in Other Sciences

Knowledge in Tafsīr

Imām Shāfi’ī relates:

أقمت في بطون العرب عشرين سنة آخذ أشعارها ولغاتها، وحفظت القرآن، فما علمت أنه مر بي حرف إلا وقد علمت المعنى فيه، والمراد ما خلا حرفين. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 401)

I lived among the Arab tribes for twenty years, learning their poetry and languages, and I memorized the Qur’ān. I came to understand the meaning of every letter/word (of the Qur‘ān) that I came across, except for two.

‘Allāmah Dhahabī continues:

أحدهما: دساها. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 10 / 13)

One of them was Dassāhā

Expertise in Arabic

Abdullāh, the son of Imām Aḥmad, quoted from his father that he said:

‌كان الشافعي ‌من ‌أفصح الناس، قلت: وكان له سن قال لم يكن بالكبير. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 127)

Shāfi’ī was one of the most eloquent people. I said, “And he had a sharp tongue.” He replied, “He didn’t use it against the elderly.”

Ibn Hishām who was an authority in history, said:

كان الشافعي حجة في اللغة. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 148)

Shāfi’ī was an authority in matters of language.

In poetic form, Imām Shāfi’ī mentioned poetry that ‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Abdil Barr described as the most authoritative statement on Taqdīr. He quotes from Za’farānī:

كان الشافعي يكره الكلام، ومن شعره الذى لايختلف فيه، وهو أصح شئ عنه:

وما شئتَ كان وإن لم أشأ وما شئتُ إن لم تشأ لم يكن

خلقت العباد على ما علمتَ وفي العلم يجري الفتى والمُسن

على ذا مننتَ وهذا خذلت وهذا أعنت وذا لم تُعِن

فمنهم شقي ومنهم سعيد ومنهم قبيح ومنهم حسن. (الانتقاء – ص: 134)

Shāfi’ī disliked the science of Kalām, and one of his famous poems, which is widely agreed upon, is as follows:

Whatever you wish will be , even if I do not wish it, and whatsoever I wish, if you do not wish it, will not be.

You created mankind upon what You know, and in your knowledge, both young and old live.

Upon this one, You bestowed Your grace, while You withheld from that one, and this one You granted your aid and that one you did not.

So among them are the wretched and the fortunate, and among them are the bad and good.

Aḥmad ibn Abī Surayj says:

ما رأيت أحدا أفوه ولا أنطق من الشافعي (آداب الشافعي ومناقبه – ص: 102)

I have not seen anyone more eloquent or articulate than Shāfi’ī.

History

Imām Shāfi’ī was an expert of history. Rabī’ said:

كان الشافعي إذا خلا في بيته كالسيل يهدر بأيام العرب. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 148)

When Shāfi’ī spoke in his home, it was as if a river flowed, narrating the stories of the important days of the Arabs.

Physiognomy

This refers to understanding a person through their facial features. Humaydī quotes from Imām Shāfi’ī:

خرجت إلى اليمن في طلب كتب الفراسة، حتى كتبتها وجمعتها. (آداب الشافعي ومناقبه – ص: 27)

I traveled to Yemen in search of books on physiognomy, and there I wrote them and compiled them.

Thus, many statements, remarks and comments of Imām Shāfi’ī are quoted in this regard.

Mastery in Archery

From a young age, Imām Shāfī’ī excelled in archery and he was very precise in his shots. ‘Amr ibn Sawwād said:

قال الشافعي: «كانت نهمتي في شيئين في الرمي وطلب العلم، فنلت من الرمي حتى كنت أصيب من العشرة عشرة»، وسكت عن العلم، فقلت: أنت والله في العلم أكثر منك في الرمي. (حلية الأولياء وطبقات الأصفياء – 9 / 77)

Shāfi’ī said, “My expertise was in two things: archery and seeking knowledge. I excelled in archery to the point that I could hit the target ten out of ten times.” However, he remained silent about knowledge, to which I replied, “By Allah, you are more accomplished in knowledge than you are in archery.”

Rabī’ mentioned:

سمعت الشافعي، يقول: كنت ألزم الرمي حتى كان الطبيب يقول لي: أخاف أن يصيبك السل من كثرة وقوفك في الحر. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 397)

I heard Shāfi’ī say, “I used to be so dedicated to archery that even the doctor told me, ‘I’m afraid you might become sick from standing in the heat for so long.’

Dislike For Philosophy

Imām Shāfi’ī disliked philosophy. He said:

لو علم الناس ‌ما ‌في ‌الكلام والأهواء لفروا منه كما يفرون من الأسد. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – 132)

If people knew what lies in the fields of philosophy (Kalām) and science, they would run away from it as they run away from a lion.”

He also mentioned:

حكمي في أصحاب الكلام أن يضربوا بالجريد، ويحملوا على الإبل، ويطاف بهم في ‌العشائر والقبائل، يقال: هذا جزاء من ترك الكتاب والسنة وأخذ في الكلام. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 134)

My judgment regarding those who engage in philosophy is that they should be struck with a palm branch, made to sit on the back of a camel, and paraded through the different clans and tribes, and it should be announced: “This is the consequence for those who forsake the Qur’ān and Sunnah and indulge in Kalām.”

In short, Imām Shāfi’ī excelled in many sciences. Abū Thawr said:

من زعم أنه رأى مثل محمد بن إدريس في علمه وفصاحته ومعرفته وثباته وتمكنه فقد كذب (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 407)

Whoever claims to have seen someone like Muḥammad ibn Idrīs in his knowledge, eloquence, understanding, steadfastness, and mastery has indeed lied.

Piety

Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī al-Karābīsī:

بت مع الشافعي غير ليلة فكان يصلي نحو ثلث الليل فما رايته يزيد على خمسين آية، فإذا أكثر فمائة، وكان لا يمر بآية رحمة إلا سأل الله لنفسه وللمؤمنين أجمعين، ولا يمر بآية عذاب إلا تعوذ منها، وسأل النجاة لنفسه ولجميع المسلمين.قال: فكأنما جمع له الرجاء والرهبة جميعا.(تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 402)

I spent more than one night with Shāfi’ī. He used to pray for approximately a third of the night. I never saw him recite more than fifty verses, but if he recited more, it would be a hundred. Whenever he came across a verse about mercy, he would pray to Allāh for himself and all the believers. And when he encountered a verse about punishment, he sought refuge from it and asked for salvation for himself and all Muslims. It was as if he combined hope and fear in his prayers.

‘Allāmah Khaṭīb mentions:

قلت: قد كان الشافعي بأخرة يديم التلاوة، ويدرج القراءة (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 402)

I said: Indeed, Imām Shāfi’ī used to maintain his recitation until the end of his life, and he would recite the Quran regularly.

Thereafter he quotes with his chain to Rabī’:

كان الشافعي يختم في كل ليلة ختمة فإذا كان شهر رمضان ختم في كل ليلة منها ختمة وفي كل يوم ختمة فكان يختم في شهر رمضان ستين ختمة. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 402)

Imām Shāfi’ī used to complete the recitation of the Qur’ān every night, and during the month of Ramadan, he would complete one recitation every night and one during the day. So, during Ramaḍān, he would complete the Qur’ān sixty times.

With another chain, ‘Allāmah Khaṭī narrates from Ibrāhim ibn Muḥammad that Rabī’ said:

كان الشافعي يختم القرآن ستين مرة. قلت: في صلاة رمضان؟ قال: نعم (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 402)

Imām Shāfi’ī used to complete the Qur’ān sixty times. I asked: “During the his ṣalāh in Ramaḍān?” He replied: “Yes.”

To illustrate the impact of Imām Shāfi’īs fear of Allāh, Baḥr ibn Naṣr said:

كنا إذا أردنا أن نبكي قلنا بعضنا لبعض: قوموا بنا إلى هذا الفتى المطلبي يقرأ القرآن فإذا أتيناه استفتح القرآن حتى يتساقط الناس بين يديه ويكثر عجيجهم بالبكاء، فإذا رأى ذلك أمسك عن القراءة، من حسن صوته. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 402)

When we wanted to cry, we would say to each other: “Let’s go to this young Muṭṭalibī boy so that he may recite the Qur’ān.” When we approached him, he would begin reciting the Qur’ān, and as he recited, people would start falling down before him, and their weeping would intensify. When he noticed this, he would stop reciting. This was because of the beauty of his voice.

Rabī’ ibn Sulaymān said:

كان الشافعي يفتي وله خمس عشرة سنة، وكان يحيي الليل إلى أن مات. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 403)

Imām Shāfi’ī used to issue religious rulings when he was only fifteen years old, and he would pray during the night until his demise.

Sicknesses

There are numerous incidents that discuss the illnesses of Imām Shāfi’ī. This gives us the idea that he did suffer with ill health during his life. Yūnus ibn ‘Abdil A’lā said:

ما رأينا أحدا لقي من السقم ما لقي الشافعي، فدخلت عليه، فقال لي: يا أبا موسى، اقرأ علي ما بعد العشرين والمائة من آل عمران، وأخف القراءة، ولا تثقل. فقرأت عليه، فلما أردت القيام، قال: لا تغفل عني، فإني مكروب. (آداب الشافعي ومناقبه – ص: 57)

We have never seen anyone endure illness as Imām Shāfi’ī did. I once visited him, and he said to me: “O Abū Mūsā, recite for me from after the one hundred and twenty verses of Al-Imrān, but recite lightly, and do not make it hard on me.” I recited for him, and when I was about to leave, he said: “Do not neglect me, for I am in distress.”

Imām Rabī’ explained his condition toward towards the end of his life:

وكان عليلاً شديد العلّة، فكان ربما يخرج الدم منه وهو راكب حتى تمتلئ سراويله ومركبه وخفّه. (مناقب الشافعي للبيهقي – 2 / 291)

He was often seriously ill, to the point where he would sometimes bleed while riding, filling his pants, conveyance and footwear with blood.

Qualities

Imām Shāfi’ī was blessed with numerous beautiful qualities. We will just mention a few:

1) Humility

Imām Shāfi’ī had so much humility that despite writing such brilliant books, he wished that no one would quote his name. Rabī’ ibn Sulaymān said that he heard Imām Shāfi’ī saying when he was ill:

وددت أن الخلق يعلمون ما في هذه الكتب، على أن لا ينسبوا إلي منها شيئا. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 138)

I wish people would know what is in these books without attributing anything to me from them.

Ḥarmalah ibn Yaḥyā quoted that Imām Shāfi’ī said:

«وددت أن كل علم أعلمه تعلمه الناس أوجر عليه، ولا يحمدوني». (آداب الشافعي ومناقبه – ص: 68)

I wish that every knowledge I possess would be learned by people, and I would receive its reward without being praised for it.

Imām Shāfi’ī would sit with the poor and he would say:

أهين لهم نفسي لأكرمها بهم ولن يكرم النفس الذي لا يهينها

(الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 147)

I humble myself to them in order to honor my soul, for a soul that is not humble will never be honored.

He would also dress in a very simple manner.

وكان رحمه الله يعتم بعمامة كبيرة كأنه أعرابي. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 92)

He, may Allāh have mercy on him, used to wear a large turban, resembling a bedouin in appearance.

Whilst he is popularly known for his debates, he would debate with an absolutely clean heart. He said:

ما ناظرت أحدا، فأحببت أن يخطئ، وما في قلبي من علم، إلا وددت أنه عند كل أحد، ولا ينسب إلي. (آداب الشافعي ومناقبه – ص: 68)

I did not debate with anyone, and I wished for him to make a mistake. Whatever knowledge I possessed, I wished it was with everyone, and no one would attribute it to me.

He took an oath and said:

ما ناظرت أحدا إلا على النصيحة. (آداب الشافعي ومناقبه – ص: 69)

I did not engage with anyone except for the purpose of advising him/wishing him well.

2) Generosity

There are so many examples in this regard. For example, ‘Allāmah Muzanī related:

كنت عند الشافعي يوما، ودخل عليه جار له خياط، فأمره بإصلاح أزراره فأصلحها، فأعطاه الشافعي دينارا ذهبا، فنظر إليه الخياط وضحك، فقال له الشافعي: خذه فلو حضرنا أكثر منه ما رضينا لك به، فقال له: أبقاك الله إنما دخلنا عليك لنسلم عليك قال الشافعي: فأنت إذا ضيف زائر وليس من المروءة الاستخدام بالضيف الزائر (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 139)

I was at Shāfi’ī’s place one day, and one of his neighbors, a tailor, entered. Shāfi’ī asked him to fix his buttons, and the tailor repaired them. Shāfi’ī then gave him a gold dinar, and the tailor looked at it and laughed. Shāfi’ī said to him, “Take it, for if we had more than this, we would have gladly given it to you.” The tailor replied, “May Allāh preserve you. We only came to greet you.” Shāfi’ī said, “If you are a visiting guest, then it is not a matter of honor to take service from a guest.”

From another incident, we can also learn a lesson from Imām Shāfi’ī. Rabī’ quotes from Ḥumaydī:

خرج الشافعي إلى اليمن مع بعض الولاة، ثم انصرف إلى مكة بعشرة آلاف درهم، فضرب خباء في موضع خارج من مكة، فكان الناس يأتونه، فما برح من موضعه ذلك حتى فرقها كلها (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 151)

Shāfi’ī left for Yemen with some governors, then returned to Mecca with ten thousand dirhams. He set up a tent outside Mecca, and people would come to him. He remained in that location until he distributed all of it.

Rabī also related how Imām Shāfi’ī assisted him financially when he got married. He said:

تزوجت، فسألني الشافعي: كم أصدقتها؟ فقلت: ثلاثين دينارا، فقال: كم أعطيتها؟ قلت: ستة دنانير، فصعد داره، وأرسل إلي بصرة، فيهم أربعة وعشرون دينارا. (آداب الشافعي ومناقبه – ص: 93)

I got married, and Shāfi’ī asked me, “How much did you set as the dowry?” I replied, “Thirty dinars.” He then asked, “How much did you give her?” I said, “Six dinars.” He went up to his house, and he sent me a bag with twenty-four dinars.

‘Allāmah Muzanī said:

خرجت مع الشافعي يوما إلى الأكوام فمر بهدف فاذا برجل يرمي بقوس عربية فوقف عليه الشافعي ينظر وكان حسن الرمي فأصاب بأسهم فقال له الشافعي أحسنت بارك الله فيك ثم قال لى أمعك شئ قلت معى ثلاثة دنانير قال أعطه اياها واعتذر عنى عنده انى لم يحضرنى غيرها. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 151)

I went out with Shāfi’ī one day to the outskirts, and we passed a target and a man who was shooting arrows with an Arabian bow. Shāfi’ī stopped to watch, and he himself was skilled at archery. The man hit his target with his arrows, and Shāfi’ī said to him, “You did well; may Allāh bless you.” He then asked me, “Do you have anything with you?” I said, “I have three dinars.” He told me to give them to the archer and apologized on my behalf, saying that I didn’t have anything else with me.

‘Amr ibn Sawwād said:

كان الشافعي أسخى الناس على الدينار والدرهم والطعام، فقال لي الشافعي: أفلست في عمري ثلاث إفلاسات، فكنت أبيع قليلي وكثيري، حتى حلي ابنتي وزوجتي، ولم أرهن قط “. (آداب الشافعي ومناقبه – ص: 94)

Shāfi’ī was the most generous person when it came to dinars, dirhams, and food. He said to me, “I have experienced total bankruptcy three times in my life. I used to sell what little I had and what I had in abundance, even the jewelry of my daughter and wife, and I never resorted to taking loans.”

3) Protected his Integrity

He would carry himself in a dignified manner. Imām Rabī’ quotes that he said:

لو علمت أن الماء ‌البارد إذا شربته أذهب مروءتي ما شربت الماء إلا حارا. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 150)

If I found out that drinking cold water would take away my honour, I would only drink hot water.

After listening to all of this, it becomes easy to understand that there was no exaggeration in the way ‘Allāmah Abū Nu‘aym described Imām Shāfi’ī:

ومنهم الإمام الكامل العالم العامل ذو الشرف المنيف، والخلق الظريف، له السخاء والكرم، وهو الضياء في الظلم، أوضح المشكلات، وأفصح عن المعضلات، المنتشر علمه شرقا وغربا، المستفيض مذهبه برا وبحرا، المتبع للسنن والآثار، والمقتدي بما اجتمع عليه المهاجرون والأنصار، اقتبس عن الأئمة الأخيار، فحدث عنه الأئمة الأحبار

الحجازي المطلبي أبو عبد الله محمد بن إدريس الشافعي رضي الله تعالى عنه وأرضاه. حاز المرتبة العالية، وفاز بالمنقبة السامية؛ إذ المناقب والمراتب يستحقها من له الدين والحسب. وقد ظفر الشافعي رحمه الله تعالى بهما جميعا، شرف العلم العمل به، وشرف الحسب قربه من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فشرفه في العلم ما خصه الله تعالى به من تصرفه في وجوه العلم، وتبسطه في فنون الحكم ، فاستنبط خفيات المعاني، وشرح بفهمه الأصول والمباني، ونال ذلك بما يخص الله تعالى به قريشا من نبل الرأي (حلية الأولياء وطبقات الأصفياء – 9 / 63)

Among them is the prestigious Imām, the knowledgeable who practices on his knowledge, the honorable and gracious, with sublime conduct. He is known for his generosity and kindness and is a light in times of darkness. He clarifies complex matters and explains intricate issues. His knowledge is widespread, both in the East and West. His school of thought flourishes on land and at sea. He follows the Sunnah (prophetic traditions) and the narrations of the Companions, and that which the Emigrants (Muhājirīn) and the Helpers (Anṣār) agreed upon. He attained his knowledge and qualities from the best of the predecessors and the greatest of scholars narrate from him

He is Al-Ḥijāzī Al-Muṭṭallibī, Abū Abdillāh Muḥammad ibn Idrīs Ash-Shāfi’ī, may Allāh be pleased with him and grant him His favor. He attained a high rank and achieved a sublime status, for lofty ranks and positions are deserved by those who possess piety and lineage. Ash-Shāfi’ī, may Allāh be pleased with him, excelled in both. The virtue of knowledge is acting upon it, and the virtue of lineage is the proximity to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.

In the realm of knowledge, Allāh honored him by enabling him to contribute to various facets of knowledge and its applications. He extracted from the depths of meanings and expounded on the basics and fundamentals through his understanding. He achieved this by his insight which Allāh had blessed to the tribe of Quraysh.

Date of Demise

Imām Shāfi’ī passed away in 204 AH. Imām Bukhārī said:

مات سنة أربع ومائتين. (التاريخ الكبير للبخاري – 1 / 263)

He passed away in the year 204 AH.

Rabī’ said:

مات الشافعي سنة أربع ومائتين. (حلية الأولياء وطبقات الأصفياء – 9 / 67)

Shāfi’ī passed away in the year 204 AH.

It was on the last day of Rajab:

ا الربيع بن سليمان قال: «توفي الشافعي ليلة الجمعة بعد العشاء الآخرة بعد ما صلى المغرب آخر يوم من رجب، ودفناه يوم الجمعة، فانصرفنا، فرأينا هلال شعبان سنة أربع ومائتين». (حلية الأولياء وطبقات الأصفياء – 9 / 68)

Rabī’ ibn Sulaymān said, “Shāfi’ī passed away on the night of Friday after the ‘Ishā prayer, after performing the Maghrib of the last day of Rajab. We buried him on Friday. We just finished and we saw the crescent of Sha’bān for the year 204 AH.”

Books of Imām Shāfi’ī

Imām Shāfi’ī was a prolific author and he dedicated the last few years of his life specifically to writing. ‘Allāmah Dhahabī writes:

وصنف التصانيف، ودون العلم، ورد على الأئمة متبعا الأثر، وصنف في أصول الفقه وفروعه (سير أعلام النبلاء – 10 / 7)

He authored many books, compiled various collections, recorded knowledge, visited other scholars collecting the prophetic traditions, and wrote on the principles and branches of Islamic jurisprudence

In Kashf aẓ-Ẓunūn, Ḥājī Khalīfah quotes from Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar that Imām Shāfi’ī wrote wrote more than 140 books:

قال ابن حجر في (مناقبه) : وعدة ‌كتب ‌الإمام: مائة ونيف وأربعون كتابا. (كشف الظنون عن أسامي الكتب والفنون (2/ 1397)

Ibn Ḥajar mentioned in ‘Manāqibihī’ (his exploits) that the number of books authored by Imām Shāfi’ī was about 143-149.

Although he lived for such a short period, he contributed and wrote a lot of books. His books got a lot of acceptance. ‘Allāmah Khaṭīb quotes:

وكتبوا تآليفه كما تكتب المصاحف. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 399)

The full statement is as follows:

قال عبد الملك بن محمد في قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” فإن عالمها يملأ الأرض علما، ويملأ طباق الأرض “، علامة بينة للمميز أن المراد بذلك رجل من علماء هذه الأمة من قريش قد ظهر علمه وانتشر في البلاد، وكتبوا تآليفه ‌كما ‌تكتب ‌المصاحف، استظهروا أقواله، وهذه صفة لا نعلمها قد أحاطت إلا بالشافعي، إذ كان كل واحد من قريش من علماء الصحابة والتابعين ومن بعدهم، وإن كان علمه قد ظهر وانتشر. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 399)

Abd al-Malik ibn Muḥammad stated regarding the saying of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: “For indeed, their scholar will fill the earth with knowledge and he will fill the earth’s surface (with knowledge)” that this is clear sign for the intelligent that this refers to a man among the scholars of this nation from the Quraysh, whose knowledge became apparent and widespread in the lands. The people recorded his works the way the Qur’ān is recorded and they memorised his words.

This description, to the best of our knowledge, can only encompass Shāfi’ī, as the Quraysh formed the scholars of the Companions, Succesors and those after them, though his knowledge surpassed and spread.

Imām Bayhaqī quotes:

وقال أبو نعيم: وفي قول رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم: «لا تسبوا قريشا؛ فإن عالمها ملأ الأرض علما، ويملأ طبق الأرض علما» – علامة بينة، إذا تأملها الناظر الفائق المميز علم أن المراد بذلك رجل من علماء هذه الأمة من قريش، قد ظهر علمه فانتشر في البلاد، وكتب كتبه وتآليفه ‌كما ‌تكتب ‌المصاحف، ودرستها المشايخ، والشبان، والأحداث، في مجالسهم وكتاتيبهم، وصيروها كالإمام، واستظهروا أقاويله، وأجروها في مجالس الحكام، والأمراء، والقراء، وأهل الآثار، وغيرهم. وهذه صفة لا نعلمها قد أحاطت بأحد إلا بالشافعي. (مناقب الشافعي للبيهقي – 1/ 29)

Abū Nu’aym mentioned: “In the saying of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ: ‘Do not insult the Quraysh, for their scholars will fill the earth with knowledge, and the earth’s surface with knowledge,’ is a clear sign. If the insightful observer deeply contemplates it, it becomes evident that this refers to a man among the scholars of this nation from the Quraysh. His knowledge became apparent and widespread in the lands, and his books and works were recorded like the Qur’ān is recorded. The elders, youth, and contemporaries studied them in their gatherings and schools. They took him as an Imām. They memorised his words and opinions and they discussed them in the assemblies of rulers, leaders, reciters, scholars of tradition, and others. This description, to our knowledge, encompasses no one but Shāfi’ī.”

The great scholar, Isḥāq ibn Rāhūyah (we will explain in Muqaddimah whether it is Rāhwayh or Rāhūya) married a widow simply because she had the books of Imām Shāfi’ī. Ibn Abī Ḥātim quotes:

أخبرنا أبو الحسن، أنا أبو محمد، أخبرنا أحمد بن سلمة بن عبد الله النيسابوري، قال: «تزوج إسحاق بن راهويه بمرو بامرأة رجل كان عنده كتب الشافعي وتوفي، لم يتزوج بها إلا لحال كتب الشافعي، فوضع جامعه الكبير على كتاب الشافعي، ووضع جامعه الصغير على جامع الثوري الصغير» (آداب الشافعي ومناقبه – ص: 48)

Aḥmad ibn Salamah ibn Abdullāh an-Naysābūrī said: “Isḥāq ibn Rāhūyah married in Marw with a woman whose husband had the books of Shāfi’ī and he passed away. Isḥāq married her solely to acquire the books of Shāfi’ī. He compiled his al-Jāmi al-Kabīr based on the book of Shāfi’ī and his al-Jāmi al-Kabīr based on the Jāmi of Thawrī.”

Many of the books of Imām Shāfi’ī were small treatises that were then included in Kitāb al-Umm.

Brief Description of His Books

As a student of Takhaṣṣuṣ, you need to know which books of Imām Shāfiʿī were written in the field of Ḥadīth. You also need to know which books are simply attributed to Imām Shāfiʿī, although they are not actually his. Finally, you need to know where you may find narrations of Imām Shāfiʿī. Thus, it is essential to learn all the information provided below:

Books that are attributed could be put into one of four categories:

Books that Imām Shāfiʿī authored and wrote himself
Book that Imām Shāfiʿī dictated and someone else wrote
Notes of others who gathered the knowledge from Imām Shāfiʿī
Books wherein later scholars gathered information from the books of Imām Shāfi’ī or that are quoted from him via a chain of transmission.

We will now discuss each separately:

1.Books that Imām Shāfi’ī authored and wrote himself

This means that Imām Shāfi’ī is the one who lifted the pen, wrote the words on the pages, and gathered all the leaves together. Examples of these types of books are:

1. Ar-Risālah

There are two different books that are titled Ar-Risālah:

1. Al-Qadīmah
2. Al-Jadīdah

Al-Qadīmah

Imām Shāfiʿī would simply refer to this book as: Al-Kitāb. He did not give it a formal name. Scholars then referred to it with different names, for example:

- ar-Risālah al-Qadīmah,
- or ar-Risālah al-‘Atīqah,
- or ar-Risālah al-Baghdādiyyah,
- or ‘Irāqiyyah.

The basis of this book is that ‘Abdur Raḥmān ibn Mahdī requested Imām Shāfiʿī to write a book. Abū Thawr relates:

كتب عبد الرحمن بن مهدي إلى الشافعي وهو شاب أن يضع له كتابا فيه معاني القرآن، ويجمع فنون الأخبار فيه، وحجة الإجماع، وبيان الناسخ والمنسوخ من القرآن والسنة. فوضع له كتاب الرسالة. قال: عبد الرحمن بن مهدي: ما أصلي صلاة إلا وأنا أدعو للشافعي فيها. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 404)

‘Abdur Raḥmān ibn Mahdī requested Imām Shāfiʿī, while he was still a young man, to compile a book for him that contained the meanings of the Qur’ān, gathering various Ḥadīth genres, providing evidence for consensus (ijmā’), and explaining the abrogating (nāsīkh) and abrogated (mansūkh) verses in the Qur’ān and Sunnah. Imām Shāfi’ī then composed the book “Risālah” for him. ‘Abdur Raḥmān ibn Mahdī remarked, “I do not perform a prayer without invoking blessings upon Imām Shāfi’ī during it.

Mūsā, the son of ‘Abdur Raḥmān ibn Mahdī relates what prompted his father to write to Imām Shāfi’ī:

كان أبي احتجم بالبصرة ، فصلى ولم يحدث وضوءا، فعابوه بالبصرة وأنكروا عليه ، وكان سبب كتابه إلى الشافعي بذلك، (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 123)

My father did cupping in Basra and performed ṣalāh without performing ablution. The people of Basra criticized and disapproved of him for doing so. This incident was the reason why he wrote to Imām Shāfiʿī.

‘Alī ibn al-Mahdī encouraged Imām Shāfi’ī to fulfil this request. He said:

قلت لمحمد بن إدريس الشافعي: أجب عبد الرحمن بن مهدي عن كتابه فقد كتب إليك يسألك وهو متشوق إلى جوابك قال فأجابه الشافعي، وهو كتاب الرسالة التي كتبت عنه بالعراق وإنما هي رسالته إلى عبد الرحمن ابن مهدي (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 123)

I said to Muḥammad ibn Idrīs Ash-Shāfi’ī: Respond to ‘Abdur Raḥmān ibn Mahdī’s letter regarding his inquiry, as he eagerly awaited a response. Imām Shāfi’ī then replied to him with the book “Risālah,” which he wrote while in Iraq. It was essentially his response to ‘Abdur Raḥmān ibn Mahdī.

Once this book was written, Imām Aḥmad had lots of regard for it. Imām Isḥāq ibn Rāhūyah relates:

«كتبت إلى أحمد بن حنبل، وسألته أن يوجه إلي من كتب الشافعي ما يدخل حاجتي، فوجه إلي بكتاب الرسالة».(آداب الشافعي ومناقبه- ص48)

I wrote to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and asked him to guide me to the books of Imām Shāfi’ī that would fulfill me needs, and he directed me to the book, ‘Risālah’.

This was the first initial Risālah that Imām Shāfi’ī wrote. It was a personal letter, and hence it was not meant to be circulated. Imām Shāfi’ī wrote it in Irāq. Two centuries later, ‘Allāmah Khaṭīb mentioned:

وكتاب الشافعي الذي يسمى القديم هو الذي عند البغداديين خاصة عنه. (تاريخ بغداد – 2 / 393)

The book by Imām Shāfi’ī that is often referred to as “Al-Qadīm” (The old version) is the one that is with the scholars in Baghdad, sent specially from him.

Ar-Risālah al-Jadīdah

In 199 AH, Imām Shāfiʿī now edited and transformed that informal letter into a formal book, and he dictated it. The astonishing thing is that Imām Shāfiʿī wrote this entire book from memory:

وقد تبين لنا من استقراء كتب الشافعي الموجودة التي ألف بمصر أنه ألف هذه الكتب من حفظه، ولم تكن كتبه كلها معه. (مقدمة الرسالة – ص: 11)

It has become clear to us, through thorough examination of the available books attributed to Imām Shāfiʿī that he authored these books from his memory, and not all of his books were with him.

Despite that, Imām Shāfi’ī gathered lots of useful points and important information in this book. ‘Allāmah Fakhr ar-Rāzī said:

اعلم أن الشافعي رضى الله عنه صنف كتاب الرسالة ببغداد، ولما رجع إلى مصر أعاد تصنيف كتاب الرسالة، وفي كل واحد منهما علم كثير (مناقب الشافعي – ص: 57)

Know that Imām Shāfi’ī authored the book Risālah in Baghdad. When he returned to Egypt, he rewrote the book Risālah. Both versions of the book contain a vast amount of knowledge

(This proves he had access to the initial letter as well, that is how he was able to comment.)

Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir claimed that the preferred opinion is that Imām Shāfi’ī dictated the book to Rabīʿ.

والراجح أنه أملى (كتاب الرسالة) على الربيع إملاء. (مقدمة الرسالة – ص: 12)

It is most likely that he dictated (Risālah) to Al-Rabī’.

This gives Imām Shāfī the merit and honour of being the first person to write the principles of Aḥādīth. Shaykh ‘Abd al-Fattāḥ Abu Ġuddah (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) says:

ويمكن أن يقال: أن الإمام الشافعي رضي الله عنه هو أول من دون بعض المباحث الحديثية في كتابه الرسالة …… (لمحات من تأريخ السنة وعلوم الحديث – ص: 206)

It can be said that Imām Shāfi’ī was the first to address some of the hadith-related discussions in his book “Risālah”.

You could probably say that Imām ash-Shāfi’ī (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) was the first to document a few principles in his book: ar-Risālah. (Lamḥāt min Tārīkh as-Sunnah, page: 206)

This is the Ar-Risālah that is in circulation today. Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir mentioned:

وليس في أيدي الناس الان إلا الرسالة الجديدة، وهي هذا الكتاب. (مقدمة الرسالة – ص: 11)

And currently, in the hands of people, there is only the latest version of Risālah, which is this book.

In this book, Imām Shāfi’ī covers the following crucial and important points (and we will most probably refer to this book of his, in shā Allāh, when we reach the relevant sections):

History of the Sunnah
Refutation on those who reject Aḥādīth
Conditions of an authentic narration
Conditions for a reliable narrator
Discussions on Mursal narrations
Missing links in the chains of transmission
The authority and status of a Khabr al-Wāḥid
Ruling on attaining a supporting chain
Various principles regarding transmission

Prints

Since ar-Risālah is such an important book, there are numerous prints. Eight prints of the book stand out, and it is worth it to get any of these prints:

Al-Maṭba’ah al-Ilmiyyah (1312 AH)
AL-Matba‘ah ash-Sharfiyyah (1314 AH). This is based on a manuscript that was transcribed from the copy of Rabī’.
Al-Maṭba‘ah al-Amīriyyah. (1321 AH). This is together with Kitāb al-Umm.
Muṣṭafā al-Bābī (1358 AH). This is Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir’s edition. It was then photocopied and published by Dār Dhakhāir. This will probably be the absolute best edition. Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir used two very valuable manuscripts. The first is before Rajab 204 AH, and it has the handwriting of Rabī’, and it was written in the life of Imām Shāfi‘ī.
Dār al-Kitāb al-‘Arabī (1421 AH). They relied on Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir’s edition, but corrected some quotations, and added footnotes.
Dār an-Nafāis (1429 AH). Also relied on the print of Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir, and simply added footnotes.
The edition of Rif’ah Fawzī, which is in the beginning of his research of Kitāb al-Umm. He used two manuscripts.
Dār ibn Jawzi (1439 AH). The editor of this is ‘Aliyy ibn Muḥammad. He used six manuscripts.

B) Jimā’ al-‘Ilm

In a later book of his, Imām Shāfi’ī referred to this book. He wrote:

وقد كتبت في كتاب ” ‌جماع ‌العلم ” الدليل على ما وصفت. (اختلاف الحديث – 8 / 588)

And I wrote in the book “Jimā al-Ilm” the evidence for what I have explained.

He wrote this book after ar-Risālah. In this book, he refutes those who denied and rejected the Aḥādīth in its entirety and those who partially rejected some Aḥādīth and he elaborates on how a Khabr al-Wāḥid may be used as a proof. He speaks about the obligations and pillars of Dīn and then concluded with that which the Prophet ﷺ prohibited.

There are several prints of this book. Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir researched the book and it may be downloaded here.

The Dār al-Āthār print is in 64 pages.

C) Ikhtilāf al-Hadīth

Imām Shāfi’ī was the first person to write on this topic of how to harmonize and reconcile between seemingly contradictory narrations.

الكتاب: أول مصنف في هذا النوع، لكنه لم يستوعب، وموضوع أحاديثه الفقه العملي. (المكتبة الإسلامية – ص: 139)

This book was the first work of its kind, but it wasn’t comprehensive, and its subject matter was practical jurisprudence.

He commences this book with an introduction in which he speaks about the status of a Ḥadīth. He then discusses the status of a Khabr al-Wāḥid. He refutes those who misinterpreted some Quranic verse. He then explains a few principles of harmonizing ostensibly contradictory reports.

He then brings 79 chapters.

Despite being so short, this book is the first point of reference to combine, harmonize or understand Aḥādīth that apparently seem to be contradictory. It formed the basis for those who wrote after him.

The book has been printed separately and it also has been printed in the marginal notes of some prints of Kitāb al-Umm. It was printed by Muassassah al-Kutub ath-Thaqāfiyyah in 1405. It was also published by Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah with the Taḥqīq of Muḥammad Aḥmad ‘Abdul ‘Azīz.

2) Books that Imām Shāfi’ī dictated

This could be considered as transcriptions of his lectures. Since Imām Shāfiʿī was aware of the copies of his students and he also supervised and guided them, these books are also directly attributed to Imām Shāfiʿī. Imām Shāfiʿī had the objective that what he is dictating should be formally written, and hence he dictated in a way that the students could write down everything. The contents, information and knowledge in the book was provided by Imām Shāfi’ī, but his students penned it down and put it in the form of a book. In classical times, this was one of the methods authors used to write books. Thus, the person dictating would be considered as the author. For example:

A) Aḥkām al-Qurān

(This is different to what Imām Bayhaqī gathered that will be discussed later.)

Imām Shāfi’ī taught the rulings of the Qur‘ān and these were put into notes. Rabī’ quoted from Shāfiʿī:

‌لما ‌أردت ‌إملاء تصنيف أحكام القرآن قرأت القرآن مائة مرة. (تاريخ دمشق لابن عساكر – 51 / 363)

When I decided to dictate the compilation of the rulings of the Qur’ān, I read the Qur’ān a hundred times.”

Muḥammad ibn ‘Abdillāh ibn ‘Abdil Ḥakam said:

‌سمعت ‌من ‌الشافعي كتاب ‌أحكام ‌القرآن في أربعين جزءا. (الانتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 133)

I heard from Imam Shāfiʿī the book ‘Aḥkām al-Qurān’, which is divided into forty parts.

B) Kitāb al-Umm

This is one of the most famous books attributed to Imām Shāfi’ī. It is famously known that Imām Shāfi’ī is the author of Kitāb al-Umm, and everyone accepts him as the author. However, his students are the ones who actually gathered all the information from him and put it all in order.

Imām Bayhaqī quotes with his chain:

قال الربيع بن سليمان: ‌أقام ‌الشافعي ‌هاهنا أربع سنين، فأملى ألفاً وخمسمائة ورقة.وخَرَّجَ «كتاب الأمّ» ألفي ورقة.وكتاب «السنن»، وأشياء كثيرة، كلّها في أربع سنين. (مناقب الشافعي للبيهقي – 2 / 291)

Rabī’ bin Sulaymān said: ‘Imām Shāfiʿī stayed here for four years, and he dictated 1500 pages. He composed the book ‘Kitāb al-Umm’ which was two thousand pages long. And the book ‘As-Sunan and many other things, all within four years.’

The information is from Imām Shāfi’ī, but the person who actually gathered everything and arranged Kitāb al-Umm into a formal book is Yūsuf ibn Yaḥyā al-Buwayṭī (d. 231). Although this student of Imām Shāfi’ī put all the information into a formal book, he did not take any credit and neither did he even write his name in the book. Rather, he gave full credit to Imām Shāfi’ī, since all the knowledge, contents and information within the book is from Imām Shāfi’ī. Ḥājī Khalīfah wrote:

جمعه البويطي ولم يذكر اسمه. (كشف الظنون عن أسامي الكتب والفنون – 2 / 1397)

Buwayṭī compiled it and didn’t mention his name.

Likewise, Imām Shāfi’īs other main student, Imām Rabī ibn Sulaymān al-Murādī categorized all the information and information into chapters. Ḥājī Khalīfah wrote:

بوَّبه الإمام أبو محمد الربيع بن سليمان المرادي، المؤذن بمصر. (كشف الظنون عن أسامي الكتب والفنون – 2 / 1397)

Imām Abū Muḥammad Rabī ibn Sulaymān al-Murādī, the Mu’adhdhin of Egypt divided the book into chapters.

He too, did not put his name on the book, nor did he want any credit. Yet, some people got to know that the Imām Rabī’ did this, and they started to attribute the book to him:

وقد نسب إلى ربيع بن سليمان. (كشف الظنون عن أسامي الكتب والفنون – 2 / 1397)

It (the book) was attributed to Rabī ibn Sulaymān.

However, most scholars and historians preferred to attribute the book to Imām Shāfi’ī since all the information, contents and knowledge in the book is his. Here is a random example showing how a great scholar and expert historian mentioned that Imām Shāfi’ī wrote al-Umm: ‘Allāmah Ibn Kathīr said:

وصنف بها ‌كتابه ‌الأم (البداية والنهاية – 10 / 252)

And he wrote his book, ‘Umm’ over there.

Today, everyone will say: Kitāb al-Umm of Imām Shāfiʿī.

The preferred view is that Kitāb al-Umm is from the Kutub al-Jadīdah of Imām Shāfiʿī, which in very simple terms means that everything has the potential of being Muftā bihī. ‘Allāmah Ibn Kathīr said:

وهو من كتبه الجديدة لأنها من رواية الربيع ابن سليمان، وهو مصري. وقد زعم إمام الحرمين وغيره أنها من القديم، وهذا بعيد وعجيب من مثله والله أعلم. (البداية والنهاية – 10 / 252)

This is among his later writings because it’s narrated by Rabī ibn Sulaymān, and he was Egyptian. Imām al-Ḥaramayn and others claimed that it’s from his older writings, which is strange and surprising coming from someone like him. Allāh knows best.

Many small treatises of Imām Shāfi’ī were added to Kitāb al-Umm. Hence, you will find one author attributing a book to Imām Shāfiʿī, but that book is in Kitāb al-Umm.

There are many different prints of the book. The most famous is the Bawlāq print. The Dār Ibn Hazam/Dār al-Wafā print with the Taḥqīq of Rif’at Fawzī is probably the best print of the book.

Text of Risālah al-Mustaṭrifah

Ar-Risālah al-Mustaṭrifah is taught in the Takhaṣṣuṣ course. We will hence mention the relevant text that pertains to what we mentioned, so that you get all the information of this book at one place. Being part of the syllabus, it is highly recommended for you to please locate the statements that we quote and read them directly in the book, in shā Allāh.

Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ja’far ibn Idrīs al-Kaṭṭānī mentioned:

‌‌ومنها: كتب مرتبة على الأبواب الفقهية…….

…..وكتاب الأم للإمام ‌الشافعي رضي الله عنه من رواية الربيع بن سليمان المرادى عنه في سبع مجلدات. (الرسالة المستطرفة لبيان مشهور كتب السنة المشرفة – ص: 42)

Among them: books organized according to the chapters of jurisprudence…

and the book ‘Al-Umm’ by Imām Shāfiʿī , as narrated by Rabī ibn Sulaymān al-Murādī from him, in seven volumes.

C) As-Sunan

This is a book wherein the student of Imām Shāf’ī, ‘Allāmah Muzanī gathered narrations pertaining to Fiqh, placed them in chapters of Fiqh and formally put these narrations into a book form.

Interestingly, the great Ḥanafī scholar, Imām Ṭaḥawī is the one who then narrated and transmitted this book from ‘Allāmah Muzanī. Thus, the narrations of this book commence with the words of Imām Ṭaḥāwī, mentioning that Muzanī narrated to him.

Most of the narrations in this book are found in Ṣaḥīḥayn, and therefore, it makes sense for a Shāfi’ī to commence with memorizing this book of Ḥadīth.

There are two prints of this that are printed:

As-Sunan al-Mathūrah

It was printed in 1986 by Dār al-Ma’rifah with the research of ‘Abdul Mu’ṭī Qal’ajī. He printed it using four manuscripts. This book contains 684 narrations.

The book may be downloaded here.

As-Sunan

This is printed with the title: As-Sunan. It was research by Khalīl Ibrāhīm Mullā Khāṭir and published by Dār al-Qiblah in 1989.

To illustrate how sure we can be that this is a book directly from Imām Shāfi’ī, the researcher writes:

كما أن هذا الكتاب من الكتب التي ألفها الشافعي رحمه الله تعالى ، خلافا لما فهمه بعض المعاصرين (ص: 8)

Additionally, this book is one of the books authored by Imām Shāfi’ī. This is contrary to the understanding of some contemporary scholars.

This print consists of 666 narrations. It may be downloaded from here.

Reminder: The whole reason why we discussed about Imām Shāfi’ī was so that you may know which books he wrote in Ḥadīth and how you can benefit from those books. Since this is a book that pertains to Ḥadīth and it is a direct book of Imām Shāfi’ī, it is essential for students of Takhaṣṣuṣ Fīl Ḥadīth to know about this book.

It is highly recommended that you download this book and browse through it, so that you may have a better acquaintance with the book.

A point that you learn: Just as we quote the Aḥādīth of the Muwaṭṭa directly from Imām Mālik – despite it being related by his students, we may quote this Sunan directly from Imām Shāfi’ī. It is thus correct to say: ‘Imām Shāfi’ī narrated in his Sunan’.

Text of ar-Risālah al-Mustaṭrifah

Again, to mention the relevant text of ar-Risālah al-Mustaṭrifah and present everything to you at one once place, ‘Allāmah Kattānī says:

‌‌ومنها: كتب تعرف بالسنن. وهي في اصطلاحهم الكتب المرتبة على الأبواب الفقهية من الإيمان والطهارة والصلاة والزكاة إلى آخرها وليس فيها شيء من الموقوف لأن الموقوف لايسمى في اصطلاحهم سنة ويسمى حديثا. ومن كتب السنن زيادة على ما تقدم من السنن الأربعة المشهورة: سنن الإمام ‌الشافعي رواية أبي إبراهيم إسماعيل بن يحيى المزني ثم رواية أبي جعفر أحمد بن محمد بن سلامة الأزدي الطحاوي في مجلد. (الرسالة المستطرفة لبيان مشهور كتب السنة المشرفة – ص: 32)

Among them: books known as ‘As-Sunan.’ In their terminology, these are books organized according to the chapters of jurisprudence, covering matters of faith, purification, prayer, zakāh, and so on. These books do not contain anything considered ‘mawqūf’ (stopped narration) because, according to their definition, mawquf isn’t referred to as ‘Sunnah’; it’s called a ‘ Ḥadīth.’ One of the books of Sunan, in addition to the four well-known Sunan mentioned previously, is the ‘Sunan’ by Imām Shāfiʿī, narrated by Abū Ibrāhim Ismā’il ibn Yaḥyā al-Muzanī and then narrated by Abū Ja’far Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Salamah al-Azdī at-Ṭahawi in a single volume.

3) Notes of others who gathered the knowledge from Imām Shāfi’ī

This is where all the information provided by Imām Shāfi’ī is gathered but Imām Shāfi’ī did not supervise and he was probably also unaware of the book.

In this case, although the main contents is from Imām Shāfi’ī, everything else is of his students. Since the students were the authors, they may have even taken the liberty to add notes and provide additional content from their own side. This is similar to the Muwaṭṭa of Imām Muḥammad in relation to Imām Mālik. Imām Muḥammad edited, added and changed what he heard from Imām Mālik. While Imām Mālik’s name features, the author is Imām Muḥammad, and hence we say: Muwaṭṭa Muḥammad.

Similarly, although all the contents are from Imām Shāfiʿī, since Imām Shāfiʿī did not read the book, the book cannot be attributed to Imām Shāfiʿī. The students will be considered as the authors.

The great benefit of these books is that it preserved the knowledge of Imām Shāfiʿī, placed relevant information at one place, and made the knowledge of Imām Shāfiʿī accessible. These books are an avenue and source for us to obtain the knowledge of Imām Shāfi’ī.

Examples of these are:

A) Mukhtaṣar al-Buwayṭī

This is a Mukhtaṣar of Kitāb al-Umm. It has been printed by Ayman Nāsīr, and it could be downloaded from here.

It has also been printed by ‘Alī Muḥyiddīn al-Qarra Dāghī, and this is published by Dār al-Minhāj.

B) Mukhtaṣar al-Muzanī

This has been added at the end of the Dār al-Fikr print of Kitāb al-Umm. The author, Ismā’īl ibn Yaḥyā al-Muzanī says:

اختصرت ‌هذا ‌الكتاب ‌من ‌علم ‌محمد ‌بن ‌إدريس ‌الشافعي – رحمه الله – ومن معنى قوله لأقربه على من أراده. (مختصر المزني – ط الفكر بآخر كتاب الأم – 8 / 93)

I have summarized this book from the knowledge of Muḥammad ibn Idrīs ash-Shāfiʿī and from the meaning of his statements to make it easier for those who wish to understand.

It has also been published separately by Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, with the Taḥqīq Muḥammad ‘Abdul Qādir Shāhīn and it can be downloaded here.

4) Books where later day scholars gathered information that are contained in the books of Imām Shāfi’ī or quoted from him via a chain of transmission

In this case again, all the information is from Imām Shāfiʿī. However, it is scholars who came later who researched what is transmitted from Imām Shāfiʿī, whether through a chain, or in other books, or directly in the books of the above three categories, and they then compiled it.

Of course, the great benefit of these book is that they also made available and accessible the knowledge of Imām Shāfi’ī.

A) Aḥkām al-Qur’ān of Imām Bayhaqī

This is different to the Aḥkām al-Qur’ān that Imām Shāfi’ī dictated. We know this, because we find that in his other books, Imām Bayhaqī quotes and attributed statements to the Aḥkām al-Qurān that Imām Shāfi’ī dictated, and none of these statements are in the Aḥkām al-Qurān that Imām Bayhaqī wrote. Examples of these are:

Al-Madkhal Ilā Kitāb as-Sunan (statements 841, 999 and 1007)
As-Sunan al-Kabīr (statements 1530 and 13801)
Risālah ilal Juwaynī (page 89)

As for this Aḥkām al-Qurān that Imām Bayhaqī wrote, he gathered the statements, verdicts, interpretations, explanations, comments and words of Imām Shāfi’ī from his different books. He explains:

فرأيت من ‌دلت ‌الدلالة على صحة قوله، أبا عبد الله محمد بن إدريس الشافعي المطلبي ابن عم محمد … رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – وعلى آله، قد أتى على بيان ما يجب علينا معرفته من أحكام القرآن.

وكان ذلك مفرقا في كتبه المصنفة في الأصول والأحكام، فميزته وجمعته في هذه الأجزاء على ترتيب المختصر، ليكون طلب ذلك منه على من أراد أيسر، واقتصرت في حكاية كلامه على ما يتبين منه المراد دون الإطناب، ونقلت من كلامه في أصول الفقه، واستشهاده بالآيات التي احتاج إليها من الكتاب، على غاية الاختصار، ما يليق بهذا الكتاب. (أحكام القرآن للشافعي – جمع البيهقي ت الشوامي – ص60)

I saw from among those whose whose statements were verified by proof, Abū Abdillāh Muḥammad ibn Idrīs ash-Shāfiʿī Al-Muṭṭalibī, the cousin of Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allāh SAW. He clarified all that is necessary for us to know about the rulings of the Qur’ān.

He discussed this extensively in his books on principles and rulings. I have distinguished and compiled his writings in these booklets in the usual order of summarized texts. This makes it easier for those who seek a simplified understanding. I have sufficed on conveying his words in a way that conveys the intended meaning without excessive elaboration. I have quoted him in matters regarding the principles of jurisprudence and his references to the verses from the Qur’ān, all while aiming to maintain conciseness, in a manner suitable for this book.

There are different prints of this book. The Dār Iḥyā at-Turāth print is with the research of ‘Abdul Ghanī ‘Abdul Khāliq whilst the Dhakhāir print is by Abū ‘Āṣim Shawwāmī.

B) Musnad ash-Shāfi’ī

This is a book that was written by Abūl ‘Abbās, Muḥammad ibn Ya’qūb al-Aṣam (247 AH – 346 AH). He was a student of Rabī’ ibn Sulaymān al-Murādī, who was the student of Imām Shāfi’ī (he was Imām Shāfī’s student’s student.) Abūl ‘Abbās Aṣam studied the entire Kitāb al-Umm under Imām Rabī’, who in turn obtained the entire book besides four narrations from Imām Shāfi’ī. Those four narrations he heard from Buwayṭī.

Some scholars attributed it to Abū ‘Amr ibn Maṭr (265 AH – 360 AH). It could be that Abū ‘Amr ibn Maṭr assisted Abūl ‘Abbās al-Aṣam with the book. ‘Allāmah Dhahabī said:

وقع لنا جملة من طريق ‌الأصم. من ذلك مسند الشافعي في مجلد. وهذا المسند لم يفرده الشافعي رحمه الله، بل خرجه أبو جعفر محمد بن جعفر ‌بن ‌مطر لأبي العباس ‌الأصم مما كان يروي عن الربيع، عن الشافعي، من كتاب الأم، وغيره. (تاريخ الإسلام – 7 / 844)

We have multiple narrations from the path of Al-Aṣam. Among them is “Musnad Ash-Shāfi’ī” in one volume. Imām Ash-Shāfi’ī did not compile this Musnad himself. Instead, it was compiled by Abū Ja’far Muḥammad ibn Ja’far ibn Maṭr on behalf of Abū Al-Abbās Al-Aṣam from what he narrated from Rabī from Ash-Shāfi’ī, from his book Kitāb al-Umm and others.

Irrespective whether it was Abū ‘Amr ibn Maṭr or Abūl ‘Abbās, Muḥammad ibn Ya’qūb al-Aṣam who gathered the book, the point for us to note is that Imām Shāfi’ī is NOT the author of this book.

Under the entry of Abūl ‘Abbās al-Aṣam, ‘Allāmah Ibn aṣ-Ṣalāḥ wrote:

و “مسند” الشافعي المعروف؛ ليس من جمع الشافعي وتأليفه، وإنما جمعه من سماعات الأصم بعض أصحابه، وكذلك لا يستوعب جميع حديث الشافعي، فإنه مقصور على ما كان عند الأصم من حديثه. (طبقات الفقهاء الشافعية – 1 / 292)

The famous Musnad attributed to Shāfi’ī wasn’t compiled and authored by Shāfi’ī himself. It was instead compiled based on the narrations heard by Aṣam from some of his companions. Also, this collection doesn’t encompass all of Shāfi’ī’s narrations; it is limited to what was available from the narrations of Aṣam.

‘Allāmah Dhahabī said:

انتقاه أبو العباس الأصم من كتاب (الأم) لينشط لروايته للرحالة، وإلا فالشافعي -رحمه الله- ‌لم ‌يؤلف ‌مسندا. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 12/ 589)

Abū Al-Abbās al-Aṣamm selected it from the book ‘Al-Umm’ to facilitate his narrating it for travelers. Otherwise, Shāfiʿī did not compile a musnad.

However, all the Aḥādīth are from Imām Shāfi’ī.

The author went through the books of Imām Shāfi’ī, searched for the Aḥādīth, and gathered all the Aḥādīth that Imām Shāfi’ī quotes that are scattered in his other book. ‘Allāmah Ibn al-Athīr mentioned the sources from where the author got all the narrations for this book:

نظرت في هذه الأحاديث التي اشتمل عليها المسند المذكور فرأيتها مخرجة من بعض كتب الشافعي -رحمه اللَّه- مثل كتاب “استقبال القبلة”، وكتاب “الأمالي” وكتاب “الإمامة” وكتاب “الصيام الكبير”، وكتاب “اختلاف الحديث” وكتاب “الرسالة”، وغيرها من الكتب وسيجيء تفصيل ما صنفه الشافعي من الكتب في ذكر مناقبه وفضائله مستوفاة مفصلة. (الشافي في شرح مسند الشافعي – 1 / 29)

I examined the hadiths included in the mentioned “Musnad,” and I found them cited from some of Shāfi’ī’s books, such as the book “Istiqbāl al-Qiblah,” the book “Al-Amālī,” the book “Al-Imāmah,” the book “Al-Ṣiyām al-Kabīr,” the book “Ikhtilāf al-Ḥadīth,” the book “Ar-Risālah,” and other books. A detailed account of what Shāfi’ī authored in terms of books will be discussed when mentioning his virtues and merits, meticulously covering the details.

This book contains 1675 pages. The narrations in these pages are the basis of Aḥkām. ‘Allāmah Ibn al-Athīr said:

وبالجملة فإن هذه الأحاديث التي تضمنها هذا المسند- وإن كانت قليلة العدد- فإنها من أمهات الأحاديث الفقهية، وظواهر الأدلة الشرعية. (الشافي في شرح مسند الشافعي – 1 / 30)

In summary, these Aḥādīth contained within this “Musnad,” although few in number, are among the foundational jurisprudential Aḥādīth and prominent pieces of evidence in Islāmic jurisprudence.

Although the book is huge, one point to note is that many of the Aḥādīth are repeated.

ثم هو على قلته كثير التكرار؛ لأن الشافعي -رحمه اللَّه- كان يستدل بالأحاديث في موضع من كتابه ثم يأتي ذلك المعنى أو غيره من المعاني يدل هذا الحديث أو بعضه عليها في موضوع آخر من كتابه أو في غيره من الكتب، فيعود يستدل بذلك الحديث فيتكرر ذكره لتكرر ذكر ذلك المعنى، إما لاختلاف الموضع أو لاشتماله على معنى آخر. (الشافي في شرح مسند الشافعي – 1 / 30)

Furthermore, although it being concise, contains multiple repetitions, because Shāfi’ī would use a Ḥadīth as evidence in one part of his book, and then that same ruling or a different would be proven by the same Ḥadīth in a different section of his book or in other books. This led to the repetition of mentioning the same Ḥadīth, either due to the difference in context or because it encompassed another meaning.

As for the greatness of this book, ‘Allāmah Ibn al-Atḥīr described this book saying:

وهو كتاب مشهور بينْ العلماء، مروي ثابت الإسناد متصل الطريق. (الشافي في شرح مسند الشافعي – 1 / 28)

It’s a well-known book among scholars, with a continuous chain of narrators and a connected transmission.

Even though scholars knew well that the author of this book is not Imām Shāfi’ī, but since the book gathered the narrations of Imām Shāfi’ī, they all had great regard for the book, and treated it as if it is Imām Shāfi’īs. Allāmah Ibn al-Athīr wrote:

هذا مع كون هذا المسند من أعلى المسانيد قدرًا وأبعدها ذكرًا، وصاَحبه أشرف العلماء وأجلهم، واحد الأئمة المجتهدين -بل واحدهم. (الشافي في شرح مسند الشافعي – 1 / 28)

This is in addition to the fact that this Musnad is one of the most esteemed chains of narration and among the most extensive in terms of content. Its author is one of the noblest scholars and most eminent among them. He is one of the leading jurist scholars, and even among the foremost.

Ibn Ḥajar had so much consideration for this book that he added to book: Itḥāf al-Maharah.

Likewise, this book was so accepted that Muḥaddithīn would travel to read it to teachers and until today, it is quoted with Muttaṣil chains right up until the author.

Scholars have also dedicated time to the book and they worked on the book in different ways; whether it is by changing the sequence or writing commentaries on it.

The point is that even thought it was not written by Imām Shāfiʿī, scholars had so much consideration for it.

Despite that, this book does not contain all the narrations that Imām Shāfi’ī narrated.

وليس هذه ‌الأحاديث ‌المودعة في هذا المسند جميع ما رواه الشافعي ولا جميع ما استدل به على الأحكام الفقهية وغير هؤلاء الأحاديث التي وردت في جميع كتبه بل ولا جميع الأحاديث التي وردت في الكتب التي سماها أبو العباس الأصم في المسند. (الشافي في شرح مسند الشافعي – 1 / 30)

The Aḥādīth mentioned in this Musnad do not encompass all that Shāfi’ī narrated, nor do they include all that he used as evidence for jurisprudential rulings. They also do not include all the Aḥādīth mentioned in his books, not even all the Aḥādīth found in the books that Abū Al-Abbās al-Aṣamm mentioned in the Musnad.

This book has been published with the research of Māhir Yāsīn al-Faḥl.

Text of Risālah al-Mustaṭrifah

‘Allāmah Kattānī writes:

ومسند عالم قريش ومجدد الدين على رأس المائتين أحد أقطاب الدنيا وأوتادها أبي عبد الله محمد بن إدريس بن عباس بن عثمان بن شافع الشافعي القرشي المطلبي المكي نزيل مصر المتوفى بها: سنة أربع ومائتين وليس هو من تصنيفه أيضا وإنما هو عبارة عن الأحاديث التي أسندها مرفوعها موقوفها ووقعت في مسموع أبي العباس محمد بن يعقوب بن يوسف بن معقل بن سنان الأصم الأموي مولاهم المعقلي النيسابوري عن الربيع بن سليمان بن عبد الجبار بن كامل المرادي مولاهم المؤذن المصري صاحب الشافعي وراوية كتبه من كتابي الأم والمبسوط للشافعي إلا أربعة أحاديث رواها الربيع عن البويطي عن الشافعي التقطها بعض النيسابوريين وهو أبو عمرو محمد بن جعفر بن محمد بن مطر المطري العدل النيسابوري الحافظ من شيوخ الحاكم من الأبواب لأبي العباس الأصم المذكور لحصول الرواية له بها عن الربيع وقيل جمعها الأصم لنفسه فسمى ذلك مسند الشافعي ولم يرتبه فلذا وقع التكرار فيه في غير ما موضع انظر فهرست الأمير وشرح الإحياء في كتاب آداب الأخوة والصحبة ووفاة الربيع هذا سنة سبعين ومائتين وأبي العباس الأصم سنة ست وأربعين وثلاثمائة وأبي عمرو المطري سنة ستين وثلاثمائة (الرسالة المستطرفة لبيان مشهور كتب السنة المشرفة – ص17)

And the Musnad of the scholar of the Quraysh, reviver of the religion at the end of the second century, one of the pillars and supports of the world, Abi Abdillāh Muḥammad ibn Idrīs ibn Abbās ibn Uthmān ibn Shafi’, Ash-Shāfi’ī’, al-Qurashī, al-Makkī, the resident of Egypt who passed away there in the year 204 AH, is not his own compilation; rather, it consists of what he narrated in a marfū’ (attributed) form or a mawquf (non-attributed) form, and was heard by Abū Al-Abbās Muḥammad ibn Ya’qūb ibn Yūsuf ibn Ma’qil ibn Sinān al-Aṣamm, mawlā of the Umayyads, al-Ma’qilī, an-Naysābūrī. He narrated from Rabī’ ibn Sulaymān ibn Abd al-Jabbār ibn Kāmil mawlā of the Murādī tribe,, the Muezzin, al-Miṣrī, who was a companion Shāfi’ī and a transmitter of his books, ‘al-Umm’ and ‘Mabsūṭ’, except for four Aḥādīth that Rabī narrated from Buwaytī who from Shāfi’ī, which some Naysābūrī scholars collected. In this text, he refers to Abū Amr Muḥammad ibn Ja’far ibn Muḥammad ibn Maṭr al-Maṭri, the trustworthy, an-Naysābūrī, the Ḥāfiẓ, one of the teachers of al-Ḥākim. These narrations are found in the chapters of Abū Abbās al-Aṣamm, (the one mentioned earlier), due to the transmission going through him to Rabī’.

Some say that al-Aṣamm compiled it for himself and called it ‘al-Musnad Al-Shāfi’ī,’ but he did not arrange it, thus repetition occurred in it in several places.

For more details, refer to the Fihrist al-Amīr and Sharḥ al-Ihya’ in the book ‘Ādāb al-Ikhuwwah w as-Suḥbah’. The demise of Rabī’ in the year 270 AH, and Abū Al-Abbās al-Aṣamm in the year 346 AH, and Abū Amr al-Maṭri in the year 360 AH.”

C)Ma’rifah as-Sunan wal Āthār

This book contains many more narrations of Imām Shāfi’ī. Taking the idea from Abūl ‘Abbās al-Aṣam, Imām al-Bayhaqī thoroughly went through each and every book of Imām Shāfi’ī and he gathered all the Aḥādīth that Imām Shāfi’ī quoted with his chain.

D) Muwaṭṭa Imām Shāfi’ī

Imām Shāfi’ī definitely transmitted the Muwaṭṭa. Imām Aḥmad heard the entire Muwaṭṭā from Imām Shāfi’ī. ‘Allāmah Khalīlī quotes that Imām Aḥmad said:

كنت سمعت الموطأ ‌من ‌بضعة ‌عشر ‌نفسا ‌من حفاظ أصحاب مالك ، فأعدته على الشافعي؛ لأني وجدته أقومهم به. (الإرشاد في معرفة علماء الحديث للخليلي – 1 / 231)

I had heard the Muwaṭṭa from a few dozen individuals among the memorizers of Imām Mālik’s companions. Then I presented it to Ash-Shāfi’ī because I found that he had the most comprehensive knowledge of it.

Likewise, Abū Manṣūr at-Tamīmī praised the chains where Imām Shāfi’ī narrates from Imām Mālik:

وبنى الإمام أبو منصور عبد القاهر بن طاهر ‌التميمي على ذلك: أن أجل الأسانيد: ” الشافعي عن مالك عن نافع عن ابن عمر “. (مقدمة ابن الصلاح – ص: 16)

Imām Abū Manṣūr Abdūl Qāhir ibn Ṭāhir at-Tamīmi built upon this, stating that the most esteemed chain of narration is: “Ash-Shāfi’ī from Mālik from Nafi’ from Ibn Umar.”

Unfortunately, we do not have any book with the recension of Imām Shāfi’ī of the Muwaṭṭa. Thus, some scholars searched through the books of Imām Shāfi’ī, looked for the narrations where he transmits from Imām Mālik, compared those with the chains and narrations of the other recensions of the Muwaṭṭa, gathered all those narrations and put them in the chapters according to others who transmitted the Muwaṭṭa. In this manner, they made up the Muwaṭṭa for Imām Shāf’ī. As such, we cannot consider Imām Shāfi’ī as the author, but the narrations are from Imām Shāfi’ī. The prints that we have of Muwaṭṭa of Imām Shāfi’ī falls under this category.

The following scholars two scholars made up a Muwaṭṭa for Imām Shāfi’ī in this manner:

Muḥammad Luṭfī ibn Muḥammad al-Banjarī

This was his research that he had to present to qualify from Takhaṣṣus Fīl Ḥadīth in Karachi. He gathered 709 narrations from 12 sources, arranged them in chapters of Fiqh, and compared them to the way they are in the recension of Yaḥyā al-Laythī. He also made Takhrīj of the narrations to show if any of the authors of Ṣiḥāḥ Sittah.

Since he gathered the narrations according to the books of Fiqh, the sequence does not conform with the other recensions of the Muwaṭṭa.

This was printed in 2017 by Dār al-Ulūm Karachi.

The researcher, Shaykh Muḥammad Bassān Ḥijāzī gathered over 851 narrations that he found in the various books of Imām Shāfi’ī where Imām Shāfi’ī narrates from Imām Mālik. He then placed all these narrations in the same sequence as the other Muwaṭṭas and he included many other beneficial points from the books of Imām Shāfi’ī. After quoting how Imām Aḥmad studied under Imām Shāfi’ī the Muwaṭṭa, the author writes:

ولأجل ذلك كله حدث بي الرغبة أن اتوجه لجمع شتات هذه المرويات من بطون مصنفات الإمام بمثل صنيع أبي العباس الأصم أومحمد بن جعفر بن مطر النيسابوري، ثم أرتبها على الأبواب كما فعل الأمير سنجر والعلامة السندي، وأطرزها بوضع تراجم مناسبة للكتب والأبواب على هدي الموطأ (مقدمة كتابه – ص: 9)

For all of these reasons, I was prompted with the desire to undertake the task of gathering these scattered narrations from within the volumes of the Imām’s writings, similar to the work of Abū Al-Abbās al-Aṣamm or Muḥammad ibn Ja’far ibn Maṭr an-Naysābūrī. I then intended to organize them into chapters, much like what Amīr Sinjar and the scholar As-Sindi did, and embellish them by providing appropriate introductions to the books and chapters, following the methodology of the Muwaṭṭa.

This was printed by Dār al-Lubāb in 2021.

E) Ḥadīth al-Imām Mālik Bi Riwāyah al-Imām ash-Shāfi’ī

This is similar to the above book that the scholars called ‘Muwaṭṭa’. The author, Rif’at Fawzī only gathered Aḥādīth of Aḥkām from a few limited books, like Kitāb al-Umm, ar-Risālah, Ikhtilāf al-Ḥadīth, the Musnad and as-Sunan al-Ma’thūrah. The number of narrations in this book total to 864 narration. Whilst the number of narrations are limited in that way, he did not restrict himself to the Aḥādīth of the Muwaṭṭa. Rather, he added narrations that Imām Shāfiʿī quoted from Imām Mālik that are not in any of the recensions of the Muwaṭṭa.

He put all these narrations in the sequence of a book of Fiqh.

There are many narrations that are repeated in this book. At times, he added narrations that are not via Imām Shāfi’ī from Imām Mālik.

This book has been printed by Dār al-Muqtabas.

Books That Are Makhṭūṭ

There are some books of Imām Shāfi’ī that are in manuscript form. For example:

Kitāb Fī ‘Ilm al-Qiyāfah. It is preserved in the Maktabah al-Awqāf of ‘Irāq

In Kashf aḍ-Ḍunūn, Ḥajī al-Khalīfah wrote:

‌‌‌التنقيح، ‌في ‌علم ‌القيافة رسالة. للإمام الشافعي. (كشف الظنون عن أسامي الكتب والفنون – 1 / 500)

Tanqīḥ, a booklet of Imām Shāfi’ī in the science of tracking (qiyāfah)

2.Masāil Sa’alahā al-Khalīfah Ḥārūn ar-Rashīd

This is preserved in Ma’had al-Makṭūṭāṭ al-‘Arabiyyah in Cairo.

Al-Gharām Bi Adilla al-Aḥkām

This is in Maktabah Sulaymaniyyah in Istanbul.

Books That Are Mafqūd

There are many books that earlier scholars have referred to, yet it is not known whether there are any copies of them in the world. Examples of these include:

Ar-Risālah al-Qadīmah
Kitāb as-Sunan bi Riwāyah al-Ḥarmalah
Ta’ḍīm Qadr aṣ-Ṣalāh

May Allāh Taʿālā have mercy on them all.

سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك ، أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت ، أستغفرك وأتوب إليك

Lesson 10- Life of Imām Shāfiʿī

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Lineage

Reason for being Attributed to Shāfi’ī

Date of Birth

Seeking Knowledge

Main Teachers

Students

Travels

Virtues

Knowledge in Other Sciences

Knowledge in Tafsīr

Expertise in Arabic

History

Physiognomy

Mastery in Archery

Dislike For Philosophy

Piety

Sicknesses

Qualities

Date of Demise

Books of Imām Shāfi’ī

Brief Description of His Books

Ar-Risālah

Al-Qadīmah

Ar-Risālah al-Jadīdah

Prints

B) Jimā’ al-‘Ilm

C) Ikhtilāf al-Hadīth

A) Aḥkām al-Qurān

B) Kitāb al-Umm

Text of Risālah al-Mustaṭrifah

C) As-Sunan

Text of ar-Risālah al-Mustaṭrifah

Text of Risālah al-Mustaṭrifah

Books That Are Makhṭūṭ

Books That Are Mafqūd

سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك ، أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت ، أستغفرك وأتوب إليك

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