Imam ash-shafi'i said: The life path of Imam Shafi'i. Madhab: brief description

Imam al-Shafi'i was a great scholar of his time. Already in early childhood he acquired a large amount of knowledge. Imam Sahib was highly regarded for his erudition and deep understanding of fiqh.

His lessons had such an impact that people came from even distant places especially for them. Imam Sahib treated his students with respect and great kindness.

Imam Sahib did not occupy himself with earthly vanities and was immersed in himself. He authored many important books and works, which, due to their usefulness, are very popular.

Pedigree

Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris ibn Abbas ibn Usman ibn Shafi'i ibn Saib ibn Ubayd ibn Abd Yazid ibn Hashim ibn Muttalib ibn Abd Munaf Quraishi Muttalib Hashimi.

Birth and childhood

Imam Sahib says: “I was born in the year 150 (Hijri) in the Syrian city of Gaza. When I was two years old, I was brought to Mecca."

Blessed Prediction

The mother of Imam Sahib narrated an incident that happened before the birth of Imam Shafi'i. Then in a dream she dreamed that a star similar to the planet Jupiter came out of her womb, and how this star went to Egypt. The radiant light emanating from this star illuminated the entire city. Imam Shafi'i's mother asked the city sages what this could mean. She was told that she would soon have a child who would become an outstanding scientist and whose knowledge would benefit many people.

Elementary education

Imam Sahib began receiving his primary religious education in Mecca. He then continued his studies in Medina. In Mecca, he lived with the Banu Huzayl tribe and, along with studying religion, learned archery and horse riding. Imam Shafi'i also acquired a high level of proficiency in Arabic poetry. Moreover, throughout this time, he listened to the hadith transmitted by his uncle, Muhammad ibn Shafi'i, and Muslim ibn Khalid Zanji.

Acquisition of knowledge

Imam Sahib says: “I was an orphan, and my mother helped me financially. I never had enough money to even pay for my education. When the teacher taught the children, I usually listened to him and memorized everything right away. Therefore, in the absence of the teacher, I taught the lessons, and therefore he was very pleased with me. In exchange, he agreed to teach me for free.

My mother found it very difficult to pay for the writing paper I needed, so I wrote on bones, stones and palm leaves. At the age of seven I knew the entire Quran, including its interpretation, and at the age of 10 I learned the Muwatta of Imam Malik.”

Some of Imam Shafi'i's teachers

1. Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Shafi'i, uncle of Imam Sahib. He narrated a hadith from Abdullah ibn Ali ibn Saib ibn Ubayd.
2. Sufyan ibn Uyayna Makki, teacher of Imam Sahib from Mecca.
3. Imam Malik ibn Anas, the eldest teacher of Imam Shafi'i of Medina.

Among the other teachers of Imam Shafi'i were also Muslim ibn Khalid Zanji Hatim ibn Ismail, Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Yahya, Hisham ibn Yusuf Sinani, Marwan ibn Mu'awiya, Muhammad ibn Ismail Daoud ibn Abdurrahman, Ismail ibn Jafar, Hisham ibn Yusuf and others.

Distinctive features

Imam Shafi'i diligently put into practice all the qualities that were praised in the Quran and Hadith, and had an impeccable character worthy of emulation. Many cases of his manifestation of these qualities have been reported.

Self-reliance and generosity

Imam Shafi'i led an aloof life, was an independent, generous and understanding person with a broad outlook.

When Imam Sahib left Yemen and arrived in Mecca, he had 10,000 dinars with him. There was a small camp on the outskirts of the city, and the people living there came out to meet the Imam Sahib. Among them was a group of poor and needy people. He gave them all his money, and upon entering Mecca, he asked for a loan.

Rabi narrates that Imam Sahib used to give alms daily, and during the holy month of Ramadan, he distributed clothes and large sums of money to the poor and beggars.

Erudition and eloquence

Abu Ubayd says: “I have never met a person equal in knowledge, talent and genius to Imam Shafi’i, and no one as impeccable as him.” Harun ibn Said Aili said that if Imam Sahib wanted to prove that a stone pillar was a stick, he could do it.

Appearance

Muzani says: “I have never seen anyone as handsome as Imam Shafi’i. His cheeks were fair, and when he covered his beard with his hand, it never exceeded the length of his fist. Imam Sahib used to dye his hair with henna. He liked fragrant aromas. No matter what column he leaned against while giving his lessons, the fragrance from him was sure to be transferred to this column.”

Ibadat

Every night Imam Sahib performed the khatm of the Quran, and in the month of Ramadan he did it twice a day. It is reported that during Ramadan he managed to recite the entire Quran seven times during prayers.

Date of death

Imam Shafi'i died at the age of 58 in Egypt, in the year 204 (Hijri), on a Friday in the month of Rajab.

Funeral

Imam Sahib spent the last days of his life with Abdullah ibn al-Hakam.

The ruler of Egypt led the Janaza prayers. His two sons, Abul Hassan Muhammad and Usman, attended the funeral. Imam Shafi'i, whose followers can be found all over the world today, was buried next to Mount Muqatram.

Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (767–820 Gregorian) - an outstanding theologian and muhaddith. Born in Gaza (Palestine) in 150 according to the Muslim calendar, the year of the death of Imam Abu Hanifa.

When Muhammad was two years old, his mother went with him to Mecca, the homeland of his ancestors. They settled near the main shrine of Islam - the al-Haram mosque. After some time, his mother enrolled him in school. Since the family’s material wealth was extremely low, it was not possible to pay for studies. This could have affected the teachers’ attitude towards him, but events turned out differently: from the very beginning, the child treated his studies with reverence and with indescribable enthusiasm. He sat next to the teacher and tried to remember all the explanations. During the absence of the teacher, little Muhammad turned to the other children and began to retell the lesson to them. Through this, his memory rapidly developed, he gained respect and authority among his peers, not to mention his teachers. Education was made free for him. By the age of seven, Muhammad ibn Idris became the bearer of the Holy Scriptures - he memorized the Koran.

Seeing that the school will not give O more than what had already been received, he left her and went to the al-Haram mosque, through which many people, including scholars, were passing. He began to attend the academic circles of the mosque and specialize in the grammatical subtleties of the Arabic language, as well as the dialects of various Arab tribes. When he achieved a lot in this area, he was advised: “Shouldn’t you take up a detailed study of Islamic theology (fiqh), the sciences related to the comprehension of the Koran and Sunnah?” This wish of the attentive and friendly people nearby became fateful for the future imam. Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i devoted all his attention, efforts, time, or rather, the entire rest of his life to the path of the Almighty, the path of the heirs of the prophets, the path of study and training.

Throughout his life, al-Shafi'i visited all the centers of theological thought of that time. I was, as I already mentioned, in Mecca, then in Medina, Yemen, Iraq (Kufa). In Medina, al-Shafi'i met one of the most important teachers of his life - Imam Malik ibn Anas, with whom he stayed for about eight months on his first visit. He also traveled extensively throughout the regions of Persia, Rome and other non-Arab territories. Then he stayed in Palestine for two years, increasing and strengthening his religious knowledge.

One day, after many years of travel and study, when al-Shafi'i was in Palestine, a caravan arrived from Medina. From people he learned about the well-being of Imam Malik and decided to visit him in joy and prosperity.

Twenty days later, Muhammad was already in Medina. The time of his arrival coincided with the time of the third prayer, so he immediately went to the Prophet's mosque. In the mosque, he saw a metal seat around which about four hundred notebooks were laid out.

After some time, accompanied by a large number of people, Imam Malik ibn Anas appeared at the door of the mosque. The pleasant aroma of incense spread throughout the mosque. The hem of his cape did not drag on the ground, but was held by those nearby. He sat down on a chair and began the lesson with questions. Having asked the first question, he received no answer. Al-Shafi'i, lost in the crowd sitting around the imam, whispered the answer into his neighbor's ear. He answered the teacher and turned out to be right. This went on for some time. Imam Malik, surprised by the clarity and correctness of the answers, asked the answerer: “Where did you get such knowledge?” He replied: “There is a young man sitting next to me who is telling me.” Imam Malik called the young man to him and, seeing that it was ash-Shafi'i, was delighted and hugged him, pressing him to his chest. Then he exclaimed: “Finish the lesson for me!”

Al-Shafi'i stayed in Medina next to Malik ibn Anas for more than four years. In 179 according to the Muslim calendar, Imam Malik died. Muhammad was then 29 years old, and he was left alone for some time.

Soon the head of Yemen visited Medina. A group of Quraish told him about a very gifted young man. Muhammad ibn Idris was offered to go to Yemen, to the city of San'a', to conduct free public activities in a government post. Al-Shafi'i agreed.

With his efforts, he very quickly earned recognition, veneration and trust of the people, as well as respect from the head of the region. The star of his popularity in Yemen shone brighter and brighter. At the same time, there were more and more envious people and ill-wishers.

The trial of Imam al-Shafi'i

At that time, unrest broke out and there was an uprising against the caliph. The envious people organized everything in such a way, weaving intrigues that in the report sent by the caliph's inspector to Baghdad, based on the assessment of the situation in the region, it was indicated that al-Shafi'i, who in fact had nothing to do with this turmoil, is almost the main instigator of the uprising. The report sent to the caliph said: “This man is incredibly strong and dangerous with his intelligence and eloquence. He can do what others cannot do with sword and teeth. If you, O ruler of the faithful, want to leave this region as part of your state, then it is necessary to urgently execute all the troublemakers.” The Caliph pronounced the sentence on the basis of this conclusion and ordered its immediate execution.

The ruler of Yemen could not fail to obey the head of state. All participants in the troubles were caught, shackled and sent to Baghdad to Harun ar-Rashid for execution. Among them was Imam al-Shafi'i.

The prisoners arrived at the Caliph in the darkness of the night. Harun al-Rashid sat behind the curtain. The troublemakers walked forward one at a time. Anyone who passed through the curtained space fell beheaded. The imam’s line gradually moved forward, and he tirelessly prayed to the Almighty with a prayer that had often come from his lips before: “Allaahumma, ya latyif! As'alukal-lutfa fii maa jarat bihil-makaadiir" (O Lord, O Merciful One! I ask You for Your mercy, gentleness, kindness in everything that is (almost) irreversible! [It will not be difficult for You to change what You yourself has already been finally determined]).

It was the imam's turn. He was brought in shackles to the Caliph. Those next to the leader raised their gaze to the one who was about to leave the worldly monastery. At these moments al-Shafi'i exclaimed:

Peace be upon you, O ruler of the faithful, and His grace,” omitting the words “the mercy of the Most High.”

The Caliph replied:

And to you - peace, the mercy of the Almighty and His grace.

And he continued:

During the Imam's stay in Egypt, a large number of theologians and linguists, both men and women, increased their knowledge.

Imam al-Shafi'i was very fond of a drink made from sugar cane and sometimes joked: “I stayed in Egypt because of the love of sugar cane.”

The life of the imam was very difficult, but its difficulties, including material ones, never distracted him from his chosen path:

Let them say that it rains like pearls there,

And there the wells are overflowing with gold ore.

As long as I live, I will have food,

And if I die, there will be a grave for me.

My concerns are equal (in importance) to the concerns of kings,

And the soul in me is the soul of a free man,

I believe that these words of the imam will be relevant and useful:

It turned out that the years of Imam al-Shafi'i's residence in Egypt were the last. He fell ill and his strength quickly began to leave him. On the last Friday night of the month of Rajab 204, after the fifth prayer, the soul of the great scientist left his body.

Shortly before his death, the imam bequeathed that his body after death be washed by the ruler of Egypt. The next morning on Friday, the relatives went to the ruler of the region, with whom Imam al-Shafi'i had close friendly relations, and retold his dying wish. Al-‘Abbas ibn Musa asked: “Does the Imam still owe anyone?” They answered him: “Yes.” The ruler ordered his subordinates to pay off all the scientist’s debts and, addressing his relatives, concluded: “The Imam, asking to wash his body, meant exactly this.”

My heart by Thy mercy, O Almighty,

full of attraction and love for You,

Both hidden and obvious.

Both in the early morning and in the pre-dawn twilight.

Even when I turn around

being in a state of sleep or drowsiness,

The mention of You is between my soul and my breath.

You have shown mercy by giving my heart the knowledge of You,

Understanding that You are the Only Creator,

the owner of endless blessings and holiness.

I have mistakes that You know about

However, You did not disgrace me through the actions of evildoers.

Show me

His mercy through the mention of the pious,

And let it not remain

There is nothing unclear or confusing for me in religion.

Be with me

throughout my worldly existence and eternity,

Especially on Judgment Day.

And I ask you this through the meaning that you brought down in “Abasa” .

The great theologian has many works on Islamic law, hadith studies and hadiths, among them: “Al-huja”, “Al-umm”, “Al-musnad”, “As-sunan”, “Ar-risala”, etc.

In the month of Rajab.

Imam al-Shafi'i's father died shortly after his birth.

Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi'i came from the family of the Quraysh-Hashimites, that is, the family of the Prophet Muhammad. Their genealogies intersect on the line of their common ancestor ‘Abdul-Manaf.

Some say at nine years old.

Prophet Muhammad (may the Creator bless him and greet him) said: “Whoever introduces himself to new knowledge (follows the path of life, striving to acquire knowledge), for him the Lord makes the path to the heavenly abode easier. Truly, the angels spread their wings, showing contentment and respect for them. All living things in heaven and earth, even fish in the sea, pray for a learned person [who has gone through more than one level of theory and practice of knowledge and does not change the chosen path]! The advantage of a pious scholar (‘alim) over a simply pious person (‘abid) is like the advantage of the moon over other luminaries (stars) [on a cloudless night]. Verily, scientists are the heirs of the prophets. The latter did not leave behind gold or silver, they bequeathed knowledge! And whoever can attach himself to them (take knowledge, acquire it), he will become the owner of enormous wealth (great inheritance)!

See, for example: Abu Dawud S. Sunan abi Dawud [Compendium of Hadiths of Abu Dawud]. Riyadh: al-Afkar ad-Dawliyya, 1999. P. 403, hadith No. 3641, “sahih”; al-Khattabi H. Ma'alim al-sunan. Sharh sunan abi dawud [Attractions of the sunn. Commentary on the collection of hadiths of Abu Dawud]. In 4 volumes. Beirut: al-Kutub al-‘ilmiya, 1995. Vol. 4. P. 169, hadith No. 1448; Nuzha al-muttakyn. Sharh Riyadh al-Salihin [Walk of the Righteous. Commentary on the book “Gardens of the Well-Behaved”]. In 2 volumes. Beirut: ar-Risala, 2000. T. 2. P. 194, Hadith No. 1389.

Already at the age of 15, the young al-Shafi'i was officially given the right to make theological opinions (fatwas) by the Mufti of Mecca. That is, by the age of fifteen, al-Shafi'i had grasped with his mind and memory b O most of the foundations of theology and theological thought of that time. Subsequently, he became one of the most significant scientists who developed and systematized the main scientific directions of Muslim theology.

His teachers in Mecca were such scholars as Isma'il ibn Kostantin, Sufyan ibn 'Uayna, Muslim ibn Khalid az-Zanji, Sa'id ibn Salim al-Qaddah, Dawud ibn 'Abdurrahman al-'Attar, 'Abdul-Mujid ibn 'Abdul-'Aziz ibn Abu Rawad.

Al-Shafi'i learned from them the subtleties of understanding and interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, and memorized hadiths.

In Medina, his teachers were Ibrahim ibn Sa'd al-Ansari, 'Abdul-'Aziz ibn Muhammad ad-Dararadi, 'Abdullah ibn Nafi' al-Saigh and others.

In Medina, al-Shafi'i was more involved in hadith and hadith studies.

There his teachers were Hisham ibn Yusuf (judge of the San'a region), 'Amru ibn Abu Salma, Yahya ibn Hassan and others. In Yemen, Muhammad ibn Idris devoted himself to hadith and fiqh.

When Imam al-Shafi'i heard about Kufa, he asked the travelers who came from there: “Who is the most literate among you in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the Sunnah of the Prophet?” They answered him: “Muhammad ibn al-Hasan and Abu Yusuf, students of Imam Abu Hanifa.”

Having learned about this, ash-Shafi'i went to Kufa and stayed with Imam Muhammad ibn Hassan for a long time. During this period, he acquired a lot of knowledge from the great scientist and copied by hand a large number of books on Muslim theology (the practical application of the Qur'an and Sunnah), which had already been written at that time.

From 172 to 174 according to the Muslim calendar.

Traveling on the path of the Almighty and visiting different lands, observing the life of pious people and studying local customs, cultures of different tribes and peoples served as an important basis for the skillful explanation and writing of both theological rules and various ways of practical application of the Holy Scriptures and the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad.

When al-Shafi'i left Medina for the last time, Imam Malik's financial situation was very difficult. But despite this, before the journey, Malik prepared about three kilograms of dates, the same amount of barley, cheese and water for the gifted student.

The next morning, seeing off a student who was continuing the path of knowledge, Malik suddenly exclaimed loudly: “Where is the transport leaving for Kufa?” Al-Shafi'i asked in surprise: “We have nothing to pay with?!” To which the teacher replied: “When you and I parted last night after the fifth prayer, ‘Abdurrahman ibn al-Qasim knocked on my house and asked me to accept a gift from him. I accepted. The gift turned out to be a wallet containing one hundred mithqals (almost half a kilogram of gold). I gave half to my family, and half I give to you.”

At the age of about 30, al-Shafi'i got married. His chosen one was the granddaughter of the third righteous caliph 'Uthman ibn 'Affan - Hamida, daughter of Nafi'a.

While working, Muhammad ibn Idris improved his religious knowledge, and also studied the science of physiognomy (‘ilmul-firasa) - the art of determining the internal state of a person by movements and facial expressions. It was common in the area. The Imam succeeded greatly in it.

اَللَّهُمَّ يَا لَطِيفُ أَسْأَلُكَ اللُّطْفَ فِيمَا جَرَتْ بِهِ الْمَقَادِيرُ

The Almighty has several names, which, when briefly translated from Arabic, mean “Merciful.” However, each of them has special shades. “Al-Latyif”, with a detailed translation, can be translated as “Merciful, Giver of benefits attentively, wisely. Knowing who and how much, what form of mercy needs. And this is all combined with the unlimited kindness of the Almighty.”

When using the word “latyif” in relation to a person or something else, it is translated as “friendly, amiable, sweet, soft, kind, gentle; graceful, thin; interesting, wonderful."

Greeting another person with words of peace is considered a desirable (sunnah) position. Replying to such a greeting is an obligatory action (fard).

See: Holy Quran, 24:55.

See: Holy Quran, 49:6.

Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i had many students. One of the first among them in terms of scholarship and fame is the greatest hadith theologian Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He said: “I did not understand the subtleties of mutual exclusion and cancellation (naskh) in hadith studies until I began to take lessons from Imam al-Shafi’i.”

His name is al-‘Abbas ibn Musa.

To this day, this huge mosque is fully functioning. It is one of the largest and most ancient temples. Located in Cairo.

That works out to about seven hours.

There is a high probability that they meant sleep after midday prayer, which fully restores intellectually and physically, especially for those who start their working day at 6–7 am. Modern science strongly recommends a nap after lunch (like a siesta), emphasizing its significant benefits for the human body.

Siesta is a midday (afternoon) rest in Spain, Latin America and some other warm countries.

Faqih is an expert in Islamic law and theology. That is, be one who knows what is right and what is wrong; what is allowed and what is forbidden.

A Sufi is a Muslim who adheres to the practical canons of faith, but does this not mechanically, but with spirituality and insight. Sufis are engaged in improving the soul through the instructions of the Creator and the rules laid down by Him in nature. In today's realities of information education of Russians through the media, Sufism in the minds of the common man is often associated with hermitism, with Hindu and Buddhist forms of alienation of oneself from the worldly, with meditation. This idea is erroneous; it does not correspond to historical and theoretical reality.

Know your business and don't pay attention to anything extraneous.

He lived in Egypt from 198 to 204, five years and nine months.

From Thursday to Friday.

Before burying a person, he is washed with water, then wrapped in a shroud and, after performing a funeral prayer over him, he is buried.

At the beginning of the 80th Quranic sura “Abasa”, the Almighty calls on the Prophet Muhammad not to frown at the blind Muslim who arrived at the wrong time and to distract himself from the conversation with the respected Quraysh. The blind man hurriedly came with an important question regarding faith. His heart was full of reverence and piety.

And through these meanings of the Koranic sura, Imam al-Shafi'i seems to turn to the Almighty with the words: “You, O All-Merciful Creator, told Your messenger not to frown, but to be distracted and pay attention to the blind man who came with a request. And I am like that blind man, but now I ask You, O Lord, despite my weakness before You and the fact that there are a huge number of people who O more deserving of Your mercy, have mercy on me too, forgive me too...”

For more information about the great scientist, see: al-Shafi'i M. Al-umm [Mother (base)]. In 8 volumes. Beirut: al-Ma'rifa, [b. g.], introduction to the book; al-Shafi'i M. Ar-risal [Research]. Beirut: al-Kutub al-‘ilmiya, [b. g.], introduction to the book; Hassan Ibrahim Hassan. Tarikh al-Islam [History of Islam]. In 4 volumes. Beirut: al-Jil, 1991. T. 2. P. 273; Divan al-Shafi'i [Collection of poems by Imam al-Shafi'i]. Beirut: Sadir, .

Most sources agree that the Imam Al-Shafi'i born in Ghazza in Sham (modern Palestine). The majority of historians who wrote about the life of fuqahas, as well as the compilers of their biographies, agree with this, according to chronological order. There is also an opinion that he was born in Askalyan, located 9 miles from Gazza.

The opinion of most biographers regarding his ancestry indicates that his father was from the tribe of Quraish from the clan Muttalibah. According to this opinion, his genealogical chain is as follows: he is Muhammad bin Idris bin Abbas bin Uthman bin Al-Shafi'i bin Saib bin Ubaid bin Abd Yazid bin Hashim bin Muttalib bin Abd Manaf. With the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family tree intersects with Abd Manaf.

All sources agree that he lived a poor life - the life of an orphan. When he began to study the Koran, his intelligence and power of memory showed. Having memorized the Holy Quran, he turned to studying the hadiths of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. He was very diligent in studying hadiths, often attending classes and listening to the muhaddiths of that time, memorizing everything he heard. He then wrote down some hadiths on pieces of baked clay or animal skins. Sometimes he went to the Divan (office) to collect papers, the reverse side of which was usually empty. He then wrote down on them what interested him.

He spent some time in the desert with the Huzail tribe. The Imam says regarding this: “I left Mecca and stayed with the Huzail tribe in the desert, studying their speech and adopting their culture. They were the most eloquent of the Arabs at that time. I wandered with them and stayed where they stopped. When I returned to Mecca, I freely began to read poetry and tell stories and poetry about them.” In the study of their poetry, Al-Shafi'i reached such heights that the Imam Asmai, with his recognized position in the sciences of the Arabic language, said: “I corrected the verses of Khudhail from a youth from the tribe of Quraysh, whose name is Muhammad bin Idris.”

The imam began to acquire knowledge from Meccan theologians and muhaddis (hadith experts) and reached such great heights in this field that Muslim bin Khalid az-Zanji allowed him to make fatwas, telling him: “Make fatwas, O Abu Abdullah. Verily, the time has come for you to pronounce fatwas.”

This was the time when the Imam was widely known and his name became widespread due to his great knowledge, especially in the science of Hadith. Enthusiasm and passion for knowledge prompted Imam Al-Shafi'i to move to Medina. However, he did not want to set out without having any knowledge about Malik and his works, so he borrowed the book “Muwatta” of Imam Malik from a person in Mecca and read it. Some legends indicate that he learned it by heart.

The imam went to Medina with a letter of recommendation from the governor of Mecca to the governor of Medina. This migration directed Al-Shafi'i's life entirely towards fiqh. As soon as he saw him, Malik, who had insight, said: “O Muhammad, fear Allah and beware of sins. Truly, Allah Almighty has illuminated your heart with light, so do not extinguish it with sins, and tomorrow come to my lesson and bring someone who will read to you.” Al-Shafi'i further says that the next day he went to Malik and began to recite his book by heart, although the book was in his hands. “Whenever I wanted to stop reading out of reverence and excitement for Malik, he would say to me, ‘Oh, young man, give me more,’ until I finished the book in a few days.”

After the death of Imam Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, Al-Shafi'i felt that he had reached a certain level of knowledge. He still had a poor financial situation, which pushed him to search for income that would cover his needs and bring him out of poverty.

At this time, the governor of Yemen and Quraysh arrived in Mecca - the imam’s relatives turned to him with a request to take Al-Shafi’i into his service. The governor agreed and took Ash-Shafi'i with him. The imam says about this: “My mother did not have money for my journey and I had to give the house as collateral, and then I went with him. After arriving in Yemen, I did some business with the governor.”

He was assigned to work in Najran, where he soon established the banner of justice and spread it. He himself spoke about this: “When I began to rule Najran I was there Haris bin Abd Al Mudan and people from Saqif. Their custom was to ingratiate themselves and fawn over the new governor, which they wanted to do with me. However, they didn’t succeed.”

When they did not find what they expected, they accused Al-Shafi'i of being with the Alawites. Then Ar-Rashid ordered that nine Alawites and Al-Shafi'i along with them be brought to him. Sources report that he killed nine, and Al-Shafi'i escaped thanks to his strong arguments and testimony Muhammad ibn al-Hasan in his favor.

In 184, the year of trial, Al-Shafi'i, who was 34 years old, arrived in Baghdad. And perhaps Allah tested him in such a way that he turned to knowledge and left serving the Sultan and managing his affairs.

Ibn Hajar said: The dominance of fiqh in Medina ended with Malik bin Anas, he went to him, stayed with him constantly and received knowledge from him. The primacy of fiqh in Iraq ended with . He received knowledge from his student Muhammad bin al-Hasan and adopted from him everything that he heard from his teacher. Having collected the fiqh of both schools, the school of hadith and the school of “opinion” (“ra’y”), the imam subsequently set about deducing the foundations and establishing the rules, reaching unprecedented heights, forcing both opponents and supporters to listen to him. After this, the Imam gained great popularity, and his name became exalted and spread everywhere.

Supporters of the "opinion" school were amazed by his knowledge and abilities after their first meeting in 184. About it al-Razi writes: “Thanks to Al-Shafi’i, the dominance of the school of “opinion” over the school of hadith ceased.”

Returning to Mecca, the Imam began teaching and learning. During the Hajj season, he met with the great scholars of the time, who attended his classes. During one of these seasons, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal met him.

Al-Shafi'i's second arrival in Iraq took place in 195 AH, where he wrote his book "Ar-Risala", in which he laid the foundations of the science of "Usul-ul-fiqh".

In “Manaqib al-ash-Shafi’i” al-Razi states: “They say that Abdulrahman bin Mahdi asked young Ash-Shafi'i to compile a book where he would mention the rules for drawing conclusions from the Koran, sunnah, ijma, qiyas, an explanation of the abrogated and abrogated verses, the degrees of the general and the particular (amm wa hass). In response, the imam wrote “Risal” and sent it to him. After reading it, Ibn Mahdi said: “I do not think that Allah created a person like him.” Then ar-Razi says: “Know, truly, Imam Ash-Shafi’i wrote the Risala while in Baghdad, and when he went to Egypt, he rewrote it and there is a lot of knowledge in each of them.”

Al-Shafi'i then went to Egypt. Said ar-Rabi' that he heard Al-Shafi'i say about it:

My soul began to long for Egypt
And the deserts separate me from her,
I swear to the Almighty, I don’t know if wealth awaits,
Either glory or my grave I strive

He said: “I swear by Allah, a little time passed and he received all this” (“Tarikh Baghdad”, 2/70, “Siyar a’lam an-nubalya”, 10/77). (Meaning: In this verse, Ash-Shafi'i wonders about his future, and what awaits him in Egypt, fame and wealth or death? And as we see, fate destined him to receive both in Egypt. He received wealth from the share of his loved ones relatives, which was due to representatives of the family of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. There he gained fame and universal recognition, thanks to the dissemination of his teachings, views and fiqh. And in Egypt he suffered death, and there he found his peace).

He died at the age of 54 on the last night of the month of Rajab 204 AH.

Daoud Ali al-Zahiri said: “Ash-Shafi’i possessed such virtues that were not combined in anyone else: a noble family, correct religion and beliefs, generosity, knowledge of the authenticity and weakness of hadiths, about canceled and canceled hadiths, knowledge of the Koran and Sunnah, the lives of caliphs, good books."

Ahmad bin Hanbal said about him: “From the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, it is reported that Allah Almighty sends to this community at the beginning of each century a person who renews the religion. Umar bin Abdulaziz was at the beginning of the first century, and I hope that Al-Shafi'i is the renovator of another century."

Also, Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Ash-Shafi’i was like the sun to this world, and like health to the body. Is there a replacement for them?

And Allah knows best.

[The article was prepared based on the fatwa of the respected sheikh Muhammad Salih al-Munajid from the site – islam-qa.info]

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Biography of Imam al-Shafi'i

The first part of the translation of the biography of Imam ash Shafi'i from "Hilyatul Awliya"

Said Hafiz Abu Nuaim al-Asbahani, may Allah have mercy on him

“From the awliya of Allah - a perfect imam, an alim, acting according to his knowledge, the owner of high nobility and a beautiful character, generosity and generosity, illuminating the darkness of ignorance with his light, clarifying the problematic, and perfectly explaining the puzzling things, the one whose knowledge has spread to West and East, and whose madhhab spread both on land and sea, following the Sunnah and the asars, and what the Muhajirs and Ansars gathered on, who took knowledge from the best imams, and from himself the wise scholars, the Hijazi, the Quraysh, transmitted it, Abu Abdullah, Muhammad Ibn Idris ash Shafi'i, may Allah be pleased with him and make him pleased.

He reached a high degree and achieved noble virtues, because degrees and dignity are deserved by those who have religion and origin, and Ash Shafi'i had both of these qualities, may Allah have mercy on him - the dignity of knowledge, and action on it, and dignity of origin, due to his proximity to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.

His dignity in knowledge is what Allah distinguished him with - mastery of different types of knowledge, and his deepening into sciences requiring wisdom. After all, he extracted hidden meanings, and clarified, thanks to his understanding, the foundations and foundations, and achieved this thanks to those noble opinions that Allah bestows on the Quraysh.

And this came in what was narrated from Jubeir Ibn Mut'im, from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, that he said: " The Quraysh have twice the strength of others". And they asked Az Zuhri: “What is meant by this?” He replied: “Nobility of opinions.”

From Buhain Ibn Ghazwan that he said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “ The strength of a Quraish is equal to the strength of two people from others"

From Anas Ibn Malik that he said: “The Prophet, peace be upon him, addressed us with a sermon on the day of Juma, and said: “ O people, put the Quraysh ahead and do not get ahead of them...", or " learn from the Quraysh, and do not teach them"For truly, the strength of one Quraysh is equal to the strength of two people from the others, and the amanat of one person from among them is equal to the amanat of two others."

From Ali that he said: “The Messenger of Allah addressed us with a khutbah in al-Juhfa, and said: “ O people, am I not more important to you than you are??" They replied: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "So know that I will precede you before the Reservoir, and I will ask about two things: about the Koran, and about my family. Do not get ahead of the Quraysh, because then you will perish, and do not lag behind them, and then you will get lost, and the strength of one Quraysh is equal to the strength of two people, do you want to surpass the Quraysh in fiqh? But they are more in it than you, and if I did not know that the Quraysh would become ungrateful for the mercies of Allah, I would tell them what is in store for them before Allah - after all, the best of the Quraysh are the best people, and the worst of the Quraysh are the best of the worst of people "

From Abdullah Ibn Mas "ud that he said: "The Messenger of Allah said: “Do not scold the Quraish, for the one who knows from among them will fill the earth with knowledge. O Allah, you rained down torment on the first of them, so pour out yours on the last of them gifts"

From Ibn Abbas that he said: The Messenger of Allah said: " Security of people from disagreements - they go to Quraysh, Quraysh are people of Allah" - and repeated this three times, " And when some Arab tribe contradicts them, they become the party of Iblis"

From Ibn Abbas, what he said: The Messenger of Allah said: “O Allah, guide the Quraish, for the knowledge of one of their scholars will fill the earth. O Allah, you rained down torment on the first of them, so rain down your gifts on the last of them.”

From Mujahid that he said in the tafsir verse: " Verily, this Qur'an is a good mention of you and your people." - "It will be said: "What nation is this man, Muhammad, from?" They will answer: “From the Arabs.” "Which Arabs?" "From Quraish"

Chapter on mentioning the proximity of his origin to the origin of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him

From Jubeir Ibn Mut'im that he said: “The Messenger of Allah divided the fifth share among his relatives from Banu Hashim, and Banu al-Muttalib. And Uthman Ibn Affan and I came to him and said: “O Messenger of Allah, we do not deny the dignity of Bani Hashim because of your place, because Allah made you from them. However, as for our brothers from Bani al-Muttalib, you gave them , but didn’t give it to us?” The Messenger of Allah replied: " We and they are one", and squeezed it between his fingers.

And the utmost nobility is that whose good origin will be connected with the best creation of Allah - Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him

Chapter on clarification of the origin of Ash Shafi'i, birth, and death

From Hasan Ibn Muhammad Ibn Sabbah az-Za'farani that he said: “Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Idris Ibn al-Abbas Ibn Uthman Ibn Shafi'i Ibn al-Sahib Ibn Ubayd Ibn Abdu Zeid Ibn Hashim Ibn al-Muttalib Ibn Abd- Manaf that he arrived in Baghdad in 158 AH, and stayed with us for two years, then went to Mecca, then returned to us in 198, and stayed with us for several months, then left. And he painted himself with henna, and had little hair on his cheeks."

From Rabbi Ibn Sulayman that he said: “Ash Shafi’i died in 204 AH.”

From Rabbi Ibn Sulayman that he said: “Ash Shafi’i was born in Ghazza or in Askalan.”

From Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul-Hakam that he said: “Ash Shafi’i told me: “I was born in Ghazza in the year 150, and I was taken to Mecca when I was 2 years old.”

From al-Zafarani that he said: “Muhammad Ibn Idris Abu Abdullah died in 204 AH.”

From the son of the daughter of Ash Shafi'i, he said: "My grandfather died in Misra, and he was over 50 years old. His mother was from Azd. He stayed in the lower part of Mecca. And his wife who bore him was Hamida Bint Nafi Ibn Anbasa Ibn Amr Ibn Uthman Ibn Affan"

From Yunus Ibn Abdul A"la that he said: “Ash Shafi’i died in 204 AH, and he was just over 50 years old.”

From Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Hakam that he said: “Ash Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, was born in the year 150, and died on the last day of the month of Rajab in the year 204, and lived for 54 years.”

From Rabbi Ibn Suleiman that he said: “Ash Shafi’i died on the night of Juma after Isha, after he read Maghrib, on the last day of the month of Rajab, and we buried him on the day of Juma, and went out and saw by the moon that the month of Sha had begun "ban, 204 years old"

From Rabbi Ibn Sulayman that he said: “When it was Maghrib on the day when Ash Shafi’i died, his nephew Ya’qub said to him: “Shall we go down to pray?” And Ash Shafii replied: “Are you going to sit and wait until my soul comes out?!” And we went down and prayed, then we got up and said to him: “Have you prayed that Allah will heal you?” He said, “Yes,” and asked for water. And it was winter, and his nephew said: “Mix the water with hot water.” And Ash Shafi'i said: "No, add quince syrup." And he died with the onset of the Isha prayer.

From Ahmad Ibn Sinan al-Wasita that he said: “I saw the color of the head and beard of ash Shafi’i turning red” - that is, meaning that he tinted with henna, following the Sunnah

From Yunus Ibn Abdul A"l that he said: "Ash Shafi'i died when he was over 50 years old, and he was touching up what he had of gray hair."

From Yusuf Ibn Yazid al-Karatysi that he said: “I sat with Muhammad Ibn Idris ash Shafi’i, and heard his words. And he tinted his beard a little. And I was only 17 years old then. And I was at the majlis of ash Shafi’i, and was at the Janazah of Abdullah Ibn Wahb"

From Abu Al-Walid Ibn al-Jarud that he said: "The age of my father and the age of Ash Shafi'i were the same, and we looked at his age and saw that when Ash Shafi'i died, he was 52 years old."

From Ibn Khuzaimah, from Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Hakam, that he said: “I heard ash Shafi’i say: “I memorized al-Muwatta before I came to Malik, and when I came to him, he said to me:” Look for someone who honors it for you." I told him: “No, listen to my reading, and either you will like it, or if not, then I will look for someone who will read it with me.” And he told me: “Read,” and I read it to him.

And from Rabiah Ibn Sulayman that he said: “I heard Ash Shafi’i say: “I came to Malik when I was 12 years old to read Al-Muwatta with him, and they considered me very small..” and mentioned this story with the same meaning

From Yunus Ibn Abdul-A"l that he said: “I heard Ash Shafi’i say: “Whenever I looked into Al-Muwatta, I gained understanding.”

From Harun Ibn Saeed that he said: “I heard Ash Shafi’i say: “There is no book after the Book of Allah more useful than the book Al-Muwatta by Malik Ibn Anas.”

From Yunus Ibn Abdul-A"l that he said: “I heard ash Shafi’i say: “If it were not for Malik and Sufyan Ibn Wain, the knowledge of Hijaz would have been lost.”

From Yunus Ibn Abdul-A"l that he said: "I heard Ash Shafi'i say: "If Malik comes, then he is like a star."

From Hussein al-Karabisi that he said: “I heard ash Shafi’i say: “I wrote down poems, and came to the Bedouins and heard from them. And I arrived in Mecca, stayed there, and when I left it, I recited the poems of Labid. And a man from the gatekeepers heard me, and hit me and said: “A man from Quraysh, and even from the family of Abdul Muttalib, is content to be a teacher of children for his religion and worldly life? What is poetry? When you completely master poetry, you will only be hired so that you teach children. Study fiqh, and Allah will grant you knowledge." And Allah gave me benefit through the words of this gatekeeper. And I returned to Mecca and began to take knowledge from Sufyan Ibn Weyna, as much as Allah wished, then I studied with Muslim Ibn Khalid az Zanji, then I began to read with Malik Ibn Anas. I wrote down Al-Muwatta and said to him: “O Abu Abdullah, may I read it with you?” He said: “O son of my brother, come with some adult who will read to me, and you will listen.” And I told him: “I myself will read it to you, and you listen.” He told me: "Read." And when he heard my reading, he allowed me to read with him, and I read to him until I reached the section “As-Siyar”, and he said to me: “Forget this, O son of my brother, study fiqh, and you will rise.” And then I came to Mus"ab Ibn Abdullah and talked to him so that he would talk to some of our relatives so that he would give me something from his property, since I had such poverty and need that only Allah knows it And Musab said to me: “I came to so-and-so, and he said: “Are you talking to me about a man who was one of us, and then began to contradict us?” And he gave me 100 dinars. And Mus “Ab said to me: “Harun ar Rashid wrote to me to go as a judge to Yemen, come with us, maybe Allah will compensate you for what this man borrowed from you?” And he went to Yemen as a judge, and I went out with him. And when we were in Yemen and began to communicate with people, Muttarif Ibn Mazin wrote to Harun ar Rashid: “If you want Yemen not to rebel against you and not get out of your power, then expel Muhammad Ibn Idris from it,” and He also mentioned a group of Quraysh from the clan of al-Muttalib. And Hammad al-Azizi sent for me, and they put me in shackles, and we arrived at Harun, and I was brought before him" - and mentioned the story of Harun. "Then, when I was taken out from him, I had 50 dinars left, and Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan was in Raqqa at that time. And I spent these 50 dinars on books by Abu Hanifa’s supporters, and I realized that the best example to compare with their books would be the man who lived with us, whose name was Farrukh. He sold oils from his wineskins. And when they asked him: “Do you have furshnan oil?” He said: “Yes.” They asked him: “Is there jasmine oil?” He said: “Yes.” If they asked: “Is there ink?” He said: “ Yes." And when they said to him: "Show me," he took out what he had in these wineskins, and there were many of them - and then they saw that they all contained the same oil. I also discovered the books of Abu Hanifa - he said: “The Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger,” while they contradicted it."

Imam Shafi'i (Rahmatullahi alaihi) was a great scholar of his time. Already in early childhood he acquired a large amount of knowledge. Imam Sahib (rahmatullahi alayhi) was highly regarded for his erudition and deep understanding of fiqh.

His lessons had such an impact that people came from even distant places especially for them. Imam Sahib ( rahmatullahi alayhi) treated his students with respect and great kindness.

Imam Sahib (rahmatullahi alayhi) did not occupy himself with earthly vanities and was immersed in himself. He authored many important books and works, which, due to their usefulness, are very popular.

Pedigree
Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris ibn Abbas ibn Usman ibn Shafi'i ibn Saib ibn Ubayd ibn Abd Yazid ibn Hashim ibn Muttalib ibn Abd Munaf Qurayshi Muttalibi Hashimi ( rahmatullahi alayhi m).

Birth and childhood
Imam Sahib says ( rahmatullahi alayhi): “I was born in the year 150 (Hijri) in the Syrian city of Gaza. When I was two years old, I was brought to Mecca."

Blessed Prediction
Mother of Imam Sahib ( rahmatullahi alayhi) spoke about one incident that occurred before the birth of Imam Shafi'i (rahmatullahi alayhi). Then in a dream she dreamed that a star similar to the planet Jupiter came out of her womb, and how this star went to Egypt. The radiant light emanating from this star illuminated the entire city. Mother of Imam Shafi'i (rahmatullahi alayhi) asked the city sages what this could mean. To which she was told that she would soon have a child who would become an outstanding scientist and whose knowledge would benefit many people.

Elementary education
Primary religious education Imam Sahib ( rahmatullahi alayhi) began to receive in Mecca. He then continued his studies in Medina. In Mecca, he lived with the Banu Huzayl tribe and, along with studying religion, learned archery and horse riding. Imam Shafi'i (rahmatullahi alayhi) also acquired a high level of proficiency in Arabic poetry. Moreover, throughout this time, he listened to the hadith transmitted by his uncle, Muhammad ibn Shafi'i, and Muslim ibn Khalid Zanji.

Acquisition of knowledge
Imam Sahib says ( rahmatullahi alayhi): “I was an orphan, and my mother helped me financially. I never had enough money to even pay for my education. When the teacher taught the children, I usually listened to him and memorized everything right away. Therefore, in the absence of the teacher, I taught the lessons, and therefore he was very pleased with me. In return, he agreed to teach me for free.

My mother found it very difficult to pay for the writing paper I needed, so I wrote on bones, stones and palm leaves. At the age of seven I knew the entire Quran, including its interpretation, and at the age of 10 I learned the Muwatta of Imam Malik ( rahmatullahi alayhi)».

Some of Imam Shafi'i's teachers ( rahmatullahi alayhi)
1. Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Shafi'i, uncle of Imam Sahib (rahmatullahi alayhi). He narrated a hadith from Abdullah ibn Ali ibn Saib ibn Ubayd.
2. Sufyan ibn Uyayna Makki, teacher of Imam Sahib (rahmatullahi alayhi) from Mecca.
3. Imam Malik ibn Anas (rahmatullahi alayhi), the most senior teacher of Imam Shafi'i (rahmatullahi alayhi) from Medina.

Among other teachers of Imam Shafi'i ( rahmatullahi alayhi) there were also Muslim ibn Khalid Zanji Hatim ibn Ismail, Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Yahya, Hisham ibn Yusuf Sinani, Marwan ibn Muawiya, Muhammad ibn Ismail Daoud ibn Abdurrahman, Ismail ibn Jafar, Hisham ibn Yusuf and others.

Distinctive features
Imam Shafi'i ( rahmatullahi alayhi) diligently put into practice all those qualities that were praised in the Koran and Hadith, and had an impeccable character worthy of emulation. Many cases of his manifestation of these qualities have been reported.

Self-reliance and generosity
Imam Shafi'i ( rahmatullahi alayhi) led an aloof life, was an independent, generous and understanding person with a broad outlook.

When Imam Sahib ( rahmatullahi alayhi) left Yemen and arrived in Mecca, he had 10,000 dinars with him. There was a small camp on the outskirts of the city, and the people living there came out to meet the Imam Sahib (rahmatullahi alayhi). Among them was a group of poor and needy people. He gave them all his money, and upon entering Mecca, he asked for a loan.

Rabi reports that Imam Sahib ( rahmatullahi alayhi) usually gave alms daily, and during the holy month of Ramadan he distributed clothing and large sums of money to the poor and beggars.

Erudition and eloquence
Abu Ubaid says: “I have never met a person equal in knowledge, talent and genius to Imam Shafi’i ( rahmatullahi alayhi), and no one as flawless as him." Harun ibn Said Aili said that if Imam Sahib (rahmatullahi alayhi) wanted to prove that the stone pillar is a stick, then he could do it.

Appearance
Muzani says: “I have never seen anyone as handsome as Imam Shafi’i ( rahmatullahi alayhi). His cheeks were fair, and when he covered his beard with his hand, it never exceeded the length of his fist. Imam Sahib (rahmatullahi alayhi) usually dyed his hair with henna. He liked fragrant aromas. No matter what column he leaned against while giving his lessons, the fragrance from him was sure to be transferred to this column.”

Ibadat
Every night Imam Sahib ( rahmatullahi alayhi) performed the khatm of the Quran, and in the month of Ramadan he did it twice a day. It is reported that during Ramadan he managed to recite the entire Quran seven times during prayers.

Date of death
Imam Shafi'i ( rahmatullahi alayhi) died at the age of 58 in Egypt, in 204 (Hijri), on a Friday in the month of Rajab.

Funeral
Imam Sahib ( rahmatullahi alayhi) spent the last days of his life with Abdullah ibnul-Hakam.

The ruler of Egypt led the Janaza prayers. His two sons, Abul Hassan Muhammad and Usman, attended the funeral. Imam Shafi'i ( rahmatullahi alayhi), whose followers can be found today all over the world, was buried next to Mount Muqatram.