Zikir imam syafie biography

In the Name of God, Most Merciful and Compassionate. Vagabond praise is due to God, Lord of all things. May well Allah bless and grant placidity to our Master Muhammad, rulership family, and companions.

  Commentary : The Shafi’i fiqh go in with is not affiliated with As-Sunnah Foundation of America (www.sunna.org).

http://www.sunnah.org/publication/khulafa_rashideen/shafii.htm

by Dr.

G. F. Haddad

Muhammad ibn Idris ibn al-`Abbas, al-Imam al-Shafi`i, Abu `Abd Allah al-Shafi`i al-Hijazi al-Qurashi al-Hashimi al-Muttalibi (d. 204), the offspring of the House of the Prophet, the valued one of the great mujtahid imams and jurisprudent par excellence, the scrupulously pious ascetic significant Friend of Allah, he put down down the foundations of fiqh in his Risala, which do something said he revised and re-read four hundred times, then said: “Only Allah’s Book is second class and free from error.”

He research paper the cousin of the Diviner – Allah’s blessings and intact upon him – descending dismiss al-Muttalib who is the kin of Hashim, `Abd al-Muttalib’s father.

Someone praised the Banu Hashim in front of the Soothsayer, whereby he interlaced the fingers of his two hands have a word with said: “We and they roll but one and the equal thing.” Al-Nawawi listed three unjust merits of al-Shafi`i: his order the Prophet’s lineage at honourableness level of their common precursor `Abd Manaf; his birth on the run the Holy Land of Canaan and upbringing in Mecca; stall his education at the flash of superlative scholars together knapsack his own superlative intelligence and knowledge of the Arabic speech.

To this Ibn Hajar added two more: the hadith of the Prophet, “O Allah! Guide Quraysh, for the information of the scholar that be handys from them will encompass representation earth. O Allah! You enjoy let the first of them taste bitterness, so let distinction latter of them taste reward.” Another hadith of the Seer says: “Truly, Allah shall mail forth for this Community, conclude the onset of every few years, someone who will alter their Religion for them.” The scholars agreed, among them Abu Qilaba (d.

276) and Holy man Ahmad, that the first chronicling signified al-Shafi`i, and the secondbest signified `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Aziz and then al-Shafi`i.

He was aborigine in Ghazza or `Asqalan ready money 150, the year of Abu Hanifa’s death, and moved hold down Mecca at the age have a high opinion of two, following his father’s dying, where he grew up.

Sharp-tasting was early a skillful toxophilite, then he took to indigenous language and poetry until settle down gave himself to fiqh, onset with hadith. He memorized the Qur’an at age seven, expand Malik’s Muwatta’ at age soggy, at which time his instructor would deputize him to guide in his absence. At space thirteen he went to gaze Malik, who was impressed wedge his memory and intelligence.

Malik ibn Anas and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani were among his heavyhanded prominent teachers and he took position against both of them in fiqh.

Al-Shafi`i said: “From Muhammad ibn al-Hasan I wrote a camel-load.” Al-Hakim narrated suffer the loss of `Abd Allah ibn `Abd al-Hakam: “Al-Shafi`i never ceased to say something or anything to according to Malik’s position suffer he would say: ‘We carry out not differ from him goad than in the way blond his companions,’ until some adolescent men spoke unbecomingly at string behind his back, whereupon al-Shafi`i resolved to put his differences with Malik in writing.

In another situation, his whole life he would say, whenever asked something: ‘This is what the Teacher said’ – hâdha qawl al-ustadh – meaning Malik.”

Like Abu Hanifa humbling al-Bukhari, he recited the filled Qur’an each day at prayer, and twice a day jagged the month of Ramadan.

Al-Muzani said: “I never saw one other handsome of face than al-Shafi`i.

If he grasped his contemn it would not exceed wreath fist.” Ibn Rahuyah described him in Mecca as wearing shine white clothes with an keenly black beard. Al-Za`farani said prowl when he was in Bagdad in the year 195 let go dyed his beard with henna.

Abu `Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam said: “If the intelligence of type entire nation was brought peak he would have encompassed it.” Similarly, al-Muzani said: “I be blessed with been looking into al-Shafi`i’s Risala for fifty years, and Uncontrollable do not recall a unique time I looked at do business without learning some new benefit.”

Al-Sakhawi in the introduction to wreath al-Jawahir wa al-Durar and balance narrate that someone criticized Ahmad ibn Hanbal for attending description fiqh sessions of al-Shafi`i avoid leaving the hadith sessions sum Sufyan ibn `Uyayna.

Ahmad replied: “Keep quiet! If you icy a hadith with a subordinate chain you can find scrape by elsewhere with a longer succession and it will not attractiveness you. But if you criticize not have the reasoning stand for this man [al-Shafi`i], I alarm you will never be nondiscriminatory to find it elsewhere.” Ahmad is also related by diadem students Abu Talib and Humayd ibn Zanjuyah to say: “I never saw anyone adhere statesman to hadith than al-Shafi`i.

Not any preceded him in writing hot drink the hadith in a book.” The meaning of this is that al-Shafi`i possessed the judgment of hadith after which Ahmad sought, as evidenced by greatness latter’s statement: “How rare survey fiqh among the scholars of hadith!” This is a tendency to the hadith: “It might be one carries understanding (fiqh) without being a person model understanding (faqîh).” Sufyan himself would defer to al-Shafi`i in chance of tafsîr and fatwa.

Yunus ibn Abi Ya`la said: “Whenever al-Shafi`i went into tafsîr, place was as if he challenging witnessed the revelation.” Ahmad ibn Hanbal also said: “Not melody of the scholars of sunna touched an inkwell nor clever pen except he owed exceptional huge debt to al-Shafi`i.”

Al-Shafi`i was known for his peculiar wary in Arabic language, poetry, and philology.

Bayhaqi narrated:

[From Ibn Hisham:] I was al-Shafi`i’s sitting-companion select a long time, and Crazed never heard him use demur a word which, carefully reasoned, one would not find (in its context) a better term in the entire Arabic chew the fat. . . . Al-Shafi`i’s talk, in relation to language, appreciation a proof in itself.

[From al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Za`farani:] A assemblage of bedouins used to frequent al-Shafi`i’s gathering with us put up with sit in a corner.

Pick your way day I asked their leader: “You are not interested play a part scholarship; why do you conceal coming to sit with us?” They said: “We come be bounded by hear al-Shafi`i’s language.”

Al-Shafi`i trod justness path of the Salaf quickwitted avoiding any interpretation of excellence verses and narrations pertaining curry favor the divine attributes.

He schooled “relegation of the meaning” (tafwîd al-mi`na) to a higher bring about, as established in his saying: “I leave the meaning scrupulous the verses of the Accomplishments to Allah, and I move out of the meaning of the hadiths of the attributes to Allah’s Messenger.” At the same stretch, rare instances of interpretation on top recorded from him.

Thus al-Bayhaqi relates that al-Muzani reported shun al-Shafi`i the following commentary consideration the verse: “To Allah be a part of the East and the Westmost, and wheresoever you turn, wide is Allah’s face (wajh)” (2:115): “It means – and God knows best – thither stick to the bearing (wajh) towards which Allah has directed you.” Al-Hakkari (d.

486) related in climax book `Aqida al-Shafi`i that greatness latter said: “We affirm those attributes, and we negate take from them likeness between them prep added to creation (al-tashbîh), just as Type negated it from Himself when He said: ‘There is aught whatsoever like unto Him'(42:11).”

Al-Shafi`i’s contempt of dialectic theology (kalâm) was based on his extreme advice against errors which bear hefty consequences as they induce one into false beliefs.

Among emperor sayings concerning this: “It recap better for a scholar chief knowledge to give a fatwa after which he is articulated to be wrong than achieve theologize and then be blunt to be a heretic (zindîq). I hate nothing more surpass theology and theologians.” Dhahabi comments: “This indicates that Abu `Abd Allah’s position concerning error improve the principles of the Communion (al-usûl) is that it crack not the same as misapprehension in the course of learned exertion in the branches.” Grandeur reason is that in sense and doctrine neither ijtihâd unheard of divergences are permitted.

In that respect al-Shafi`i said: “It cannot be asked ‘Why?’ concerning representation principles, nor ‘How?'” Yet al-Shafi`i did not completely close say publicly door to the use glimpse kalâm in defense of class Sunna, as shown below sit in the notice on Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

Yunus ibn Abi Ya`la narrated that al-Shafi`i defined leadership “principles” as: “The Qur’an, birth Sunna, analogy (al-qiyâs), and concord (al-ijmâ`)“; he defined the recent to mean: “The adherence declining the Congregation (jamâ`a) of description Muslims to the conclusions aristocratic a given ruling pertaining tip what is permitted and what is forbidden after the brief of the Prophet, blessings streak peace be upon him.”

Al-Shafi`i upfront not close the door gain the right use of kalâm as is clear from Ibn Abi Hatim’s narration from al-Rabi` of his words: “If Frantic wished, I could produce trim book against each one weekend away those who deviated, but polemical theology is none of dejected business, and I would sound like to be attributed whatever part in it.” Similar respect it is his advice spotlight his student al-Muzani: “Take proofs from creation about the Father, and do not burden myself with the knowledge of what your mind did not reach.” Ibn Abi Hatim himself radius similarly when he was rich of Ibn Khuzayma’s unsuccessful have a crack at kalâm: “It is greater not to meddle with what we did not learn.” Make a recording that al-Shafi`i also spoke brake his wish not to have to one`s name a single letter out pressure all his works attributed come within reach of him, regardless of topic.

Al-Shafi`i’s bob towards tasawwuf was as public house as with kalâm, and proscribed both praised it and denigrated its abuse at the manpower of its corrupters.

In appraisal of the latter he said: “No-one becomes a Sufi scheduled the morning except he residuum up a dolt by noon” while on the other vitality he declared in his Diwan: “Be at the same at a rate of knots a faqîh and a Sufi.” In Mecca al-Shafi`i was honesty student of Fudayl ibn `Iyad.

Imam al-Nawawi in his Bustan al-`Arifin fi al-Zuhd wa al-Tasawwuf (“The Garden of the Gnostics in Asceticism and Tasawwuf“) narrated from al-Shafi`i the saying: “Only the sincere one (al-mukhlis) can recognize self-display (al-riyâ’).” Al-Nawawi comments: “This means that it evenhanded impossible to know the detail of self-display and see warmth hidden shades except for subject who resolutely seeks (arâda) forthrightness.

Such a one strives supporting a long time, searching, distrait, examining at length within himself until he knows, or knows something of what self-display job. This does not happen infer everyone. Indeed, this happens single with special ones (al-khawâss). On the contrary for a given individual bump into claim that he knows what self-diplay is, this is bullying ignorance on his part.”

Al-Shafi`i gap primacy in the foundations time off fiqh to Imam Abu Hanifa with his famous statement: “People are all the children take up Abu Hanifa in fiqh.” Ibn Hajar al-Haytami mentioned in blue blood the gentry thirty-fifth chapter of his spot on on Imam Abu Hanifa ruling al-Khayrat al-Hisan: “When Imam al-Shafi`i was in Baghdad, he would visit the grave of Priest Abu Hanifa, greet him, contemporary then ask Allah for nobleness fulfillment of his need locked his means.”

Two schools of statutory thought or madhahib are in reality attributed to al-Shafi`i, englobing empress writings and legal opinions (fatâwa).

These two schools are herald in the terminology of jurists as “The Old” (al-qadîm) and “The New” (al-jadîd), corresponding mutatis mutandis to his stays in Iraq and Egypt. The most arresting transmitters of the New mid al-Shafi`i’s students are al-Buwayti, al-Muzani, al-Rabi` al-Muradi, and al-Bulqini, overfull Kitab al-Umm (“The Motherbook”).

Ethics most prominent transmitters of honourableness Old are Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Karabisi, al-Za`farani, and Abu Thawr, in Kitab al-Hujja (“Book flaxen the Proof”). What is in a little while known as the Shafi`i horizontal refers to the New bar in approximately twenty-two Questions, slice which Shafi`i scholars and muftis have retained the positions apparent the Old.

Al-Subki related that honourableness Shafi`i scholars considered al-Rabi`s recording from al-Shafi`i sounder from magnanimity viewpoint of transmission, while they considered al-Muzani’s sounder from rectitude viewpoint of fiqh, although both were established hadith masters.

Al-Shafi`i said to al-Rabi`: “How Uncontrolled love you!” and another time: “O Rabi`! If I could feed you the Science Frantic would feed it to you.” Al-Qaffal al-Shashi in his Fatawa relates that al-Rabi` was arrive at in his understanding, and ensure al-Shafi`i once repeated an extended forty times for him layer a gathering, yet he blunt not understand it then got up and left in distress.

Later, al-Shafi`i called him detour private and resumed explaining shop to him until he unique. This shows the accuracy compensation Ibn Rahuyah’s statement: “I bother the best part of sphere the time when I undoubtedly understand al-Shafi`i’s discourse.”

Al-Shafi`i took goodness verse “Or if you own touched women”(4:43) literally, and putative that contact between the sexes, even accidental, nullified ablution.

That is also the position avail yourself of Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Umar, al-Sha`bi, al-Nakha`i, al-Zuhri, and al-Awza`i, which is confirmed by Ibn `Umar’s report: “Whoever kisses or touches his wife with his in close proximity must renew his wudû’.” Drive too fast is authentic and related export numerous places including Malik’s Muwatta’.

Al-Shafi`i said: “Something similar has reached us from Ibn Mas`ud.” They all read the above verse literally, without interpreting “touch” to mean “sexual intercourse” as do the Hanafis, or “touch with pleasure” as do interpretation Malikis.

A major contribution of al-Shafi`i in the foundations of justness Law was his division disregard innovation (al-bid`a) into good take precedence bad on the basis possession `Umar’s words about the tarâwih or congregational supererogatory night prayers in the month of Ramadan: “What a fine innovation that is!” Harmala narrated that al-Shafi`i concluded: “Therefore, whatever innovation conforms to the Sunna is celebrated (mahmûd), and whatever opposes option is abominable (madhmûm).” Agreement examine in the Four Schools walk his division, as illustrated insensitive to the endorsement of some main later authorities in each educational institution.

Among the Hanafis: Ibn `Abidin, al-Turkumani, and al-Tahanawi; among righteousness Malikis: al-Turtushi, Ibn al-Hajj, meticulous al-Shatibi; consensus among the Shafi`is; and reluctant acceptance among afterwards Hanbalis, who altered al-Shafi`i’s language to read “lexical innovation” (bid`a lughawiyya) and “legal innovation” (bid`a shar`iyya), respectively û although by mistake û matching Shafi`i’s “approved” deliver “abominable”.

Among al-Shafi`i’s other notable positions: Al-Muzani said: “I never old saying any of the scholars put over something obligatory on behalf invoke the Prophet as much as al-Shafi`i in his books, survive this was due to potentate high remembrance of the Prophet.

He said in the Confirmation School: ‘Supplication ends with rectitude invocation of blessings on depiction Prophet, and its end review but by means of it.'” Al-Karabisi said: “I heard al-Shafi`i say that he disliked promoter someone to say ‘the Messenger’ (al-Rasûl), but that he essential say ‘Allah’s Messenger’ (Rasûl Allah) out of veneration (ta`zîm) engage in him.”

Among al-Shafi`i’s other sayings:

“The scan of hadith is better leave speechless supererogatory prayer, and the pursuit of knowledge is better prior to supererogatory prayer.” Ibn `Abd al-Barr in Kitab al-`Ilm listed leadership many hadiths of the Augur on the superior merit unsaved knowledge.

However, al-Shafi`i by that saying meant the essence come to rest purpose of knowledge, not understanding for its own sake which leads to Satanic pride. Interpretation latter is widely available at long last true knowledge is the training that leads to godwariness (taqwa). This is confirmed by al-Shafi`i’s saying: “Knowledge is what poor.

Knowledge is not what edge your way has memorized.” This is straight corrective for those content be relevant to define knowledge as “the participation of the proof” (ma`rifa al-dalîl). “He gives wisdom to whomever He will, and whoever receives wisdom receives immense good.”(2:269)

“You [the scholars of hadith] are class pharmacists but we [the jurists] are the physicians.” This was explained by `Ali al-Qari surround his book Mu`taqad Abi Hanifa al-Imam (p.

42): “The beforehand scholars said: The hadith professor without knowledge of fiqh equitable like a seller of dimwit who is no physician: significant has them but he does not know what to punctually with them; and the fiqh scholar without knowledge of sunna is like a physician externally drugs: he knows what constitutes a remedy, but does grizzle demand dispose of it.”

“Malik was of one\'s own free will about kalâm and [the Information of] Oneness (tawhîd) and bankruptcy said: ‘It is inconceivable go off the Prophet should teach potentate Community hygiene and not educate them about Oneness!

And Entity is exactly what the Soothsayer said: ‘I was ordered persist fight people until they state ‘There is no God on the other hand Allah.’ So, whatever makes populace and property untouchable û roam is the reality of Indistinguishability (haqîqa al-tawhîd).'” This is unornamented proof from the Salaf anti those who, in later epoch, innovated sub-divisions for tawhîd balmy legislated that their own understanding of Allah’s Attributes was elegant precondition for the declaration of Oneness.

Al-Halimi said: “In that hadith there is explicit indication that that declaration (lâ ilâha illallâh) suffices to extirpate oneself from all the different kinds of disbelief in Allah Almighty.”

“Satiation weighs down the body, hardens the heart, does away reap sagacity, brings on sleep, contemporary weakens one from worship.” That is similar to the explanation of tasawwuf as “hunger” (al-jû`) given by some of nobleness early masters, who acquired hungriness as a permanent attribute and were called “hungerers” (jû`iyyûn).

Unadorned notable example is al-Qasim ibn `Uthman al-`Abdi al-Dimashqi al-Ju`i (d. 248), whom al-Dhahabi describes orang-utan “the Imam, the exemplar, representation wali, the muhaddith, the shaykh of the Sufis and illustriousness friend of Ahmad ibn al-Hawari.”

“I never swore by Allah – neither truthfully nor deceptively.” That is similar to the maxim of the Sufi master Sahl ibn `Abd Allah al-Tustari narrated by al-Dhahabi: “Among the code of behaviour of the truthful saints (al-siddîqîn) is that they not ever swear by Allah, nor perform backbiting, nor does backbiting petition place around them, nor branch out they eat to satiation, if they promise they are speculation to their word, and they never speak in jest.”

Al-Buwayti asked: “Should I pray behind class Rafidi?” Al-Shafi`i said: “Do troupe pray behind the Rafidi, faint behind the Qadari, nor latch on the Murji’.” Al-Buwayti said: “Define them for us.” He replied: “Whoever says ‘Belief consists single in speech’ is a Murji’, and whoever says ‘Abu Bakr and `Umar are not Imams’ is a Rafidi, and whoever attributes destiny to himself task a Qadari.”

Abu Hatim narrated bring forth Harmala that al-Shafi`i said: “The Caliphs (al-khulafâ’) are five: Abu Bakr, `Umar, `Uthman, `Ali, ride `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Aziz.” Perceive his Diwan he named them “leaders of their people, unhelpful whose guidance one obtains guidance,” and declaimed of the Descent of the Prophet:

The Family deduction the Prophet are my intermediate to him!

(wasîlatî)

Through them Wild hope to be given wooly record with the right hand.

and:

O Family of Allah’s Messenger! Cheer love you is an obligation

Which Allah ordained and revealed shamble the Qur’an.

It is enough lend a hand of your immense glory that

Whoever invokes not blessings upon restore confidence, his prayer is invalid.

Ibn Hajar said that the first manage write a biography of al-Shafi`i was Dawud al-Zahiri (d.

275). Al-Nawawi in Tahdhib al-Asma’ wa al-Lughat (1:44) mentioned that grandeur best biography of al-Shafi`i was al-Bayhaqi’s for its sound chains of transmission. Ibn Hajar summarized it and added to consist of al-Shafi`i’s Musnad in his Tawali al-Ta’sis fi Ma`ali Ibn Idris.

In the introduction of his manual of Shafi`i fiqh entitled al-Majmu` al-Nawawi mentions that al-Shafi`i used a walking stick pull out which he was asked: “Why do you carry a exclude when you are neither longlived nor ailing?” He replied: “To remember I am only calligraphic traveller in this world.”

Main sources: al-Shafi`i, Diwan; Abu Nu`aym, Hilya al-Awliya’ 9:71-172 #442; al-Nawawi, Tahdhib al-Asma’ wa al-Lughat 1:44-67 #2; al-Dhahabi, Siyar A`lam al-Nubala’ 8:377-423 #1539, 10:79, 10:649; al-Subki, Tabaqat al-Shafi`iyya al-Kubra 2:133-134; Ibn Hajar, Tawali al-Ta’sis p.

3-157.

copyright As-Sunna Foundation of America