Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee: the grand jurist for the Sunnah

Everything was placid in the large valley except for the voice of a
two-year old child who was weeping. His motherembraced him, took him
close to her chest, and patted his shoulders withtenderness and
compassion. The youngster quickly went into sleep as his mother stared
at the far horizon saying in a low weakened voice : "May Allaah have
mercy on your soul: father of Mohammad (her husband); you took us with
you from Makkah toGaza in search of our daily bread and good life, yet
you died and were buried here. Here am I on my way to Makkah again to
have your son raised among his tribe and clan 'Banu Al-Muttalib'."
The poor mother went into a bitter fit of weeping and crying as she
remembered those few years she had spent in Palestine with her beloved
husband, who was the best husband, brother, and friend for her.
However, the happy and beautiful days passed as quickly as clouds, or
as a short but pretty dream.
In the honorable Makkah,the mother lived with herchild in the
protection of her husband's family. Sheraised her son by giving him a
good education and instructions, flowing on him her love and
compassion, so the youngster grew up with a well balanced psyche,
apeaceful nature, and great ethics. The virtuousmother took on her
shoulders the responsibility of teachingher son the Quran, reading,
and writing so that he may be well armed by both religion and
knowledge. Thus, she sent her son to one of the small schools (
Kuttaab , Pl : Kataateeb) despite her poverty and inability to save
the instructor's wage. Yet, Mohammad went to his first day at school
almost unable to walk properly, and when the instructor saw Mohammad,
he sort of belittled him and told him: "O my son, just sit next to me
and listen carefully to your elders sothat you may get used to reading
and memorization."
However, the young Mohammad Ibn Idrees Ash-Shaafi'ee was glittering
with intelligence and ingenuity. He used to incredibly quickly learn
by heart whatever he heard from what the teacher dictated to his
students. Every single dayin the small school his knowledge increased
along with his enthusiasm to learn more. His teacher then loved him
more and actively pushed him forward. The youngster naturally became
more and more distinguished, until his teacher told him one day, "My
son, you arehighly smart and intelligent to the extent that I hardly
make any effort with you that is worth any wage. All I need from you
is to teachon my behalf when I am not present." The youngster rushed
happilyto his mother to tell her the happy news that she would not
have to pay anymore for the teacher. The virtuous mother was glad for
her son's excellence and encouraged him even more to study. This led
him to embark actively on the completion of learning the Quran by
heart which he finally completed when he was only seven years old.
Being in great happiness for her son's completion of the memorization
of the Quran in that fast manner, she started thinking how could she
best direct this smart child towards more excellence. She sent him to
attend the lessons given around the sacred Mosque of Makkah. The boy
started to listen to prominent scholars; and as he did not have the
price for paper on which to write what he listenedto, he used
parchment, palm tree leaves, and camel shoulder bones. During this
early period of his quest for knowledge, Ash-Shaafi'ee intelligently
realized the importance of the learning the classical Arabic language
from its pure sources, in order to understand the Quran and the Sunnah
, (the Prophet Muhammad's ( ) sayings, acts, and approvals) in the
best possible way. He went tothe Huthayl tribe, which was among the
most eloquent Arab tribes, andstayed with them for long years in which
he learned their eloquence, memorized their poems, studied from them
the biographies of Arabs both pre-Islam and after Islam, and learned
knighthood and archery. He eventually became a brave unrivaled knight
and a skillful archer who rarely missed his target.
As years passed, Ash-Shaafi'ee returned to his beloved hometown
Makkah. No sooner had he quenched his longings to his mother, he
continued his quest for knowledge enthusiastically. He headed for the
Grand Mufti (Religious Jurist) of Makkah, the sacred Mosque, Muslim
Ibn Khaalid Az-Zinji who became the first teacher for him in Fiqh
(Islamic Jurisprudence). He also, started studying Hadeeth under the
supervision of Sufyaan Ibn 'Uyaynah, the narrator of the sacred
Mosque. In a shorttime, Ash-Shaafi'ee rose to prominence as
anexcellent Islamic scholar. His mentor, Muslim Ibn Khaalid gave him
permission to answer thereligious enquiries when Ash-Shaafi'ee was
only fifteen. He told him proudly, "O Mohammad! Give fatwa and answer
the questions of people. By Allaah! Now it is opportune for you to
give fatwa." His other mentor, Sufyaan Ibn 'Uyaynah, used to refer
enquirers to him while he turned towards him and pointed "ask this
boy."
While still studying in Makkah, Ash-Shaafi'ee heard of the renown
scholar of Madeenah, Imaam Maalik Ibn Anas . He wanted to become a
student of Imaam Maalik yet he saw with his sharp intellect that he
should not go to him unprepared and void. He memorized Maalik's famous
book "Al Muwatta" in only nine days. After that he went off to see
Imaam Maalik in his house in Madeenah. Ash-Shaafi'ee spoke eloquently
and politely with the Imaam and told him that he wished to become his
student. The Imaam looked at the boy for a long time as the boy was
telling his story of how he sought knowledge so far. The Imam had an
astonishing physiognomyand a penetrating insight; he told him: "My
son! By the Will of Allaah you will have a great future. Tomorrow come
to me and bring with yousomeone who could readthe Muwatta' well as I
fear you would not be able to read it by yourself." Ash-Shaafi'ee
responded with the same politeness "Imaam, I will read it myself from
memory without a book."
Ash-Shaafi'ee remained in the companyof Imaam Maalik for a long time.
The Imaam loved him a lot, and in 179 A.H after Imaam Maalik passed
away, Ash-Shaafi'ee returned to Makkah fromMadeenah armed with a great
load of knowledge which had influenced his life. In Makkah he was
wedded to Hameedah Bint Naafi', a grand daughter of Caliph 'Uthmaan
Ibn 'Afaan, MayAllaah be pleased with him, and had two sons and a
daughter from her.
In the courtyard of the well of Zamzam and next to Prophet Ibraaheem's
Maqaam (the stone on which he stepped up to put the bricks in the
Ka'bah), Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee sat down to teach people and around him
many students were gathered from everywhere. His circle became very
prominent in the sacred mosque of Makkah and even became well
knownoutside Makkah until it reached Iraq . Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Mahdi,
one of the scholars of Iraq sent him a letter requesting that he
authors a book on the evidences of legislation from Quran, Sunnah and
the consensus of the religious scholars, as wellas other issues upon
which the science of Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) isbuilt.
Ash-Shaafi'ee wrotethe book and named it Ar-Risaalah (The Treatise)
which became the first book that founded what came to be called: 'Ilm
Usul Al Fiqh (The science of the sources of Islamic Jurisprudence), of
which Ash-Shaafi'ee was the organizer, classifier, and the inventor of
its issues.
In 195 A.H the Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee traveledto Baghdad for the second
time and continued to teach therefor two years. Many studied under
his supervision including Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal who later said "Had
it not been for Ash-Shaafi'ee we would not have known the
understanding of Hadeeth ." Before he left Iraq he had finished
writing his large book Al Hujjah (the Proof), in which he put down
the essence of his new schoolof jurisprudence .
In 199 A.H the Imaam went to Egypt where he stared to spread his
knowledge between the Egyptians who loved him very much. More
studentscame to him from all overthe world. Towards the end of his
life, the Imaambecame very sick. This illness continued with him for
four years yet it did not stop him from teaching or lecturing. When he
came back to his house after teaching, he used to force himself to
ignore the pains of thesickness and get absorbed in writing, and
editing and proofreadingthe book of Hujjah which he wrote in Iraq .
After the proofreading and editing, he renamed the edited book: Al Umm
(the Mother). The Imaam remained to follow his daily routine until
illness forced him to retire and stop teaching. His students used to
visit himto console him in his sickness. One day one of his students
entered his room and asked him:"How do you feel this morning O Imaam?"
Ash-Shaafi'ee answered: "I feel that I am traveling away from this
world, away from the brothers, drinking from the cup of death, and
approaching Allaah the Glorious. By Allaah I do not know if my soul
will go to heavenso that I may congratulate it, or to hell so that I
may lament." He then went into crying. OnFriday, the last day of Rajab
the year 204 A.H, his pure soul went up to its Provider and Caretaker.
He was buried in the cemetery of Qurashiyyeen amidst the cemeteries of
Banu Al-Hakam in Egypt . May Allaah bless the Imaam's soul and admit
him into his wide paradises.