In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“And of men and beasts and cattle, in like manner, divers hues? The erudite among His bondmen fear Allah alone. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Forgiving.” (35:28)
Biographies of the Four Imams:
Four life stories brimming with beauty and majesty,
carefully abridged
from that peerless and monumental work,
*Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'*
by Imam al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him,
prepared by Shaykh Muhammad al-Muhanna,
may Allah preserve him.
Imam al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him:
He is Muhammad ibn Idris ibn al-'Abbas
ibn 'Uthman ibn Shafi' ibn al-Sa'ib
ibn 'Ubayd ibn 'Abd Yazid ibn Hisham
ibn al-Muttalib ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab
ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib;
the Imam, the scholar of the era,
the champion of hadith, the jurist of the religious community,
Abu 'Abdillah al-Qurashi,
al-Muttalibi, al-Shafi'i, al-Makki;
born in Gaza.
He was a relative of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his kinsman,
meaning that he shared lineage with the Prophet (peace be upon him);
for the third forefather of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
who was 'Abd Manaf,
is the ninth forefather of al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him.
For al-Muttalib was the brother of Hashim, the father of 'Abd al-Muttalib.
Imam al-Shafi'i was born in Gaza,
and his father, Idris, died young.
Thus Muhammad grew up an orphan in his mother's care,
and she feared he would be neglected and lost,
so she relocated with him to the land of his roots—
that is, to his ancestral home—
when he was just two years old.
He grew up in Mecca
and took devotedly to archery
until he surpassed all his peers in it,
hitting the mark nine times out of ten arrows.
Then he turned his attention to Arabic and the sacred law,
excelling in them and distinguishing himself,
after which fiqh was made beloved to him,
and he came to lead the people of his time.
He acquired knowledge in his hometown
from Muslim ibn Khalid al-Zanji,
the Mufti of Mecca,
and from his paternal uncle, Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Shafi'—
who was the cousin of al-'Abbas, al-Shafi'i's grandfather—
as well as Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah,
Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, and several others.
He then traveled to Medina
when he was in his early twenties,
having already issued legal rulings and qualified for leadership.
He received *al-Muwatta'* from Malik ibn Anas,
reciting it to him from memory.
In Yemen, he took knowledge from Mutarrif ibn Mazin,
Hisham ibn Yusuf the judge, and a group of others;
and in Baghdad, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan,
the jurist of Iraq,
studying closely under him, taking copious knowledge from him, and loading full burdens of it.
He authored major works, codified knowledge,
respectfully critiqued fellow imams while adhering strictly to prophetic reports,
and wrote extensively on both legal theory (usul al-fiqh) and its substantive branches.
His renown spread far and wide,
and students flocked to him in vast numbers.
Among those who transmitted from him were al-Humaydi,
Abu 'Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam,
Ahmad ibn Hanbal,
al-Buwayti, Abu Thawr,
'Abd al-'Aziz al-Makki, the author of *al-Haydah*,
Ishaq ibn Rahwayh,
al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman al-Muradi,
al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman al-Jizi,
Muhammad ibn 'Abdillah ibn 'Abd al-Hakam,
and countless others.
Al-Daraqutni dedicated a standalone book
to those who transmitted narrations from al-Shafi'i,
spanning two volumes.
Major scholars have composed works on the virtues of this Imam,
both in classical and modern times.
Some people sought to detract from him and disparage him,
yet that only elevated his rank and majesty;
and it is clear to the fair-minded that the criticisms of his contemporaries
were driven by personal bias.
Rarely has anyone risen to prominence in scholarship
and refuted those who differed with him
without facing animosity.
We seek refuge in Allah from following vain desires!
Indeed, these few pages fall short of encompassing the virtues of this master.
As for their ancestor al-Sa'ib al-Muttalibi,
he was among the notables who were present at Badr on the side of the pre-Islamic pagans,
and he was taken captive on that day.
He bore a striking resemblance to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
and it is said that after ransoming himself,
he embraced Islam.
His son, Shafi' ibn al-Sa'ib,
had the honor of seeing the Prophet
and is counted among the junior Companions,
while his son 'Uthman was of the Tabi'un,
though I know of no extensive narrations from him.
Al-Muzani said:
"I never saw a face more handsome than that of al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him."
He would sometimes grasp his beard,
and it would not exceed his fist.
Ibrahim ibn Buranah said:
"Al-Shafi'i was well-built, tall, and noble in stature."
Al-Rabi' the Mu'adhdhin said:
"I heard al-Shafi'i say:
'I used to practice archery so devotedly
that the physician would tell me:
"I fear you might contract consumption from standing so long in the scorching heat."'
He said:
'And I used to hit the mark nine times out of ten.'"
'Umar ibn Sawad said:
"Al-Shafi'i said to me:
'My passions were archery and seeking knowledge;
and I mastered archery
to the point where I would hit ten out of ten.'
He remained silent about his knowledge,
so I said:
'By Allah, your stature in knowledge is far greater than it is in archery!'"
Al-Humaydi said:
"I heard al-Shafi'i say:
'I was an orphan in the care of my mother,
and she had nothing to pay the teacher.
But the teacher agreed that I would supervise the boys whenever he was away,
thus lightening his burden.'"
It is narrated from al-Shafi'i that he said:
"I used to write upon shoulder blades and bones;
and I would go to the government offices,
asking for the blank backs of discarded sheets to write on."
Al-Humaydi said:
"Al-Shafi'i said:
'Our home in Mecca was in Shi'b al-Khayf,
and I would spot a bare bone,
write a hadith or a legal issue upon it,
and we had an old clay jar,
so whenever a bone was filled, I would toss it into the jar.'"
Al-Muzani said:
"I heard al-Shafi'i say:
'I memorized the Qur'an when I was seven years old,
and I memorized *al-Muwatta'* when I was ten.'"
Al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman said:
"Al-Shafi'i was born on the very day Abu Hanifah died,
may Allah Almighty have mercy on them both."
Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam said:
"I heard al-Shafi'i say:
'I recited the Qur'an to Isma'il ibn Qustantin.'"
Al-Humaydi said:
"Muslim ibn Khalid al-Zanji said to al-Shafi'i:
'Issue legal rulings, O Abu 'Abdillah!
For, by Allah, the time has truly come for you to give fatwas.'
And al-Shafi'i was only fifteen years old."
Al-Rabi' said:
"Al-Shafi'i said:
'That a servant meets Allah with every sin except polytheism
is far better than meeting Him with any form of heretical desires.'"
Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam said:
"I heard al-Shafi'i say:
'If people only knew what heretical whims theological rhetoric contains,
they would flee from it just as they flee from a lion'—
referring to speculative theology (*'ilm al-kalam*)."
Abu 'Ubayd said:
"I have never seen anyone more intelligent than al-Shafi'i."
Yunus al-Sadafi said:
"I have never seen anyone more sensible than al-Shafi'i.
I debated him one day on an issue,
and then we parted ways.
Later, he met me, took me by the hand, and said:
'O Abu Musa,
is it not right that we remain brothers,
even if we disagree on an issue?'"
I say:
"This demonstrates the consummate intellect of this Imam and the profound understanding of his soul;
for intellectual peers have never ceased to differ."
Ma'mar ibn Shabib said:
"I heard al-Ma'mun say:
'I tested Muhammad ibn Idris in everything,
and I found him completely consummate.'"
Ahmad ibn Muhammad,
the son of al-Shafi'i's daughter, said:
"I heard my father and my uncle say:
'Whenever Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah
was asked regarding Tafsir or legal rulings,
he would turn to al-Shafi'i
and say:
"Ask this man."'"
Suwayd ibn Sa'id said:
"I was in the company of Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah
when al-Shafi'i arrived, greeted him, and sat down.
Then Ibn 'Uyaynah narrated a heart-melting hadith,
causing al-Shafi'i to faint.
It was said to Sufyan:
'O Abu Muhammad,
Muhammad ibn Idris has died!'
Whereupon Sufyan said:
'If he has died,
then the finest person of his era has died.'"
Al-Rabi' said:
"I heard al-Shafi'i
He was asked about the Qur'an,
and he replied,
"Fie, fie!
The Qur'an is the speech of Allah.
Whoever says it is created has disbelieved."
This is an authentic chain of transmission.
Al-Rabi' said,
"I heard Al-Shafi'i say:
'Reciting hadith is better than voluntary prayer.'"
And he said,
"Seeking knowledge is superior to voluntary prayer."
Al-Muzani said,
"I heard Al-Shafi'i say:
'Whoever learns the Qur'an, his worth becomes great;
whoever speaks on fiqh, his standing grows;
whoever writes down hadith, his proof becomes strong;
whoever studies language, his nature becomes refined;
whoever studies arithmetic, his judgment becomes sound;
and whoever does not guard his own soul,
his knowledge will not benefit him.'"
Al-Rabi' said,
"I heard Al-Shafi'i say:
'Disputation in religion hardens the heart and breeds rancor.'"
Al-Rabi' also said,
"I heard Al-Shafi'i say:
'I wish that people would learn this knowledge'—
meaning his books—
'on the condition that nothing of it be attributed to me.'"
Harmalah said,
"I heard Al-Shafi'i say:
'I wish that all the knowledge I know
were learned by the people,
such that I would be rewarded for it without them praising me.'"
'Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said,
"I heard Muhammad ibn Dawud say:
'It was never recorded throughout Al-Shafi'i's entire era
that he spoke regarding any of the stray desires,
nor was any such thing attributed to him or known of him,
despite his intense hatred for the people of theological rhetoric (*kalam*) and innovation.'"
Al-Shafi'i said,
"My ruling regarding the people of speculative theology
is that they be beaten with palm branches,
mounted upon camels,
and paraded among the tribes,
with it being announced over them:
'This is the recompense of whoever abandons the Book and the Sunnah
and turns toward speculative theology!'"
Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Ash'ari,
the companion of Al-Shafi'i, reported that
Al-Shafi'i said:
"My position regarding the people of speculative theology
is that their heads be covered with whips
and that they be banished across the land."
I say: Perhaps this attitude is recurrently transmitted (*mutawatir*) from the Imam.
Al-Muzani said,
"Al-Shafi'i used to forbid delving into speculative theology."
Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Khuzaymah said,
"I heard Al-Rabi' say:
'When Al-Shafi'i debated Hafs al-Fard,
Hafs said:
"The Qur'an is created."
So Al-Shafi'i said to him:
"You have disbelieved in Allah the Almighty!"'"
Al-Buwayti said,
"I asked Al-Shafi'i:
'Should I pray behind a Rafidite?'
He said:
'Do not pray behind a Rafidite,
nor a Qadarite, nor a Murji'ite.'
I said, 'Describe them to us.'
He said:
'Whoever says that faith (*iman*) consists only of speech
is a Murji'ite;
whoever says that Abu Bakr and 'Umar were not Imams
is a Rafidite;
and whoever ascribes ultimate divine will to himself
is a Qadarite.'"
Al-Rabi' said,
"Al-Shafi'i said to me:
'If I wished to write a book against every opponent,
I could have done so,
but theological debate is not my concern,
and I do not like for any of it to be attributed to me.'"
I say:
This pure, pious disposition is widely corroborated (*mutawatir*) from Al-Shafi'i.
'Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said,
"I heard my father say:
'Al-Shafi'i said:
"You are more knowledgeable than us regarding authentic narrations;
so if there is an authentic report,
inform me of it so that I may adopt it."'"
Harmalah said,
"Al-Shafi'i said:
'Everything I have said—
if there is a report from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
contrary to my statement that is authentic,
then it takes precedence,
and do not blindly follow me.'"
A man said to him,
"Do you adopt this hadith, O Abu 'Abdullah?"
He replied,
"Whenever I narrate an authentic hadith from the Messenger of Allah
and do not adopt it,
I bear witness to you that my intellect has departed!"
Al-Humaydi said,
"Al-Shafi'i narrated a hadith one day,
so I asked,
'Do you adopt it?'
He replied,
'Have you seen me coming out of a church
or wearing the attire of the Zoroastrians,
such that if I hear a hadith from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
I would not hold by it?'"
And it is reported that he said,
"If the hadith is authentic, then it is my school of thought (*madhhab*)."
"And if the hadith is authentic,
cast my statement against the wall!"
Al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman said,
"Al-Shafi'i divided the night into three parts:
in the first third he would write,
in the second he would pray,
and in the third he would sleep."
I say:
All three of his actions were acts of worship through righteous intention.
Al-Karabisi said,
"I spent a night with Al-Shafi'i,
and he used to pray for about a third of the night.
I never saw him recite more than fifty verses;
and if he recited a lot, it would be a hundred verses.
He would not pass by a verse of mercy
without asking Allah for it,
nor by a verse of punishment
without seeking refuge with Him,
as though hope and fear were fully combined within him."
Al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman said,
reported via two chains of transmission from him,
or even more:
"Al-Shafi'i used to complete the recitation of the Qur'an
sixty times during the month of Ramadan."
'Umar ibn Sawad said,
"Al-Shafi'i was the most generous of people with gold coins, silver coins, and food."
Abu Thawr said,
"Rarely did Al-Shafi'i hold onto anything,
owing to his immense generosity."
Al-Rabi' said,
"A man held the stirrup for Al-Shafi'i,
so he said to me:
'Give him four dinars.'"
Al-Muzani said,
"I was with Al-Shafi'i one day,
and as we went out,
there was a man shooting with an Arabian bow.
Al-Shafi'i stood watching him,
for he was an excellent marksman,
hitting the mark with several arrows.
Al-Shafi'i said:
'Well done!'
and prayed for blessings upon him.
Then he said:
'Give him three dinars.'"
Al-Rabi' said,
"Al-Shafi'i was passing by the shoemakers
when his whip fell.
A young boy rushed forward,
wiped it with his sleeve, and handed it to him,
so he gave him seven dinars."
Al-Rabi' said,
"I got married,
so Al-Shafi'i asked me,
'How much dowry did you give her?'
I said,
'Thirty dinars,
six of which I paid upfront.'
So he gave me twenty-four dinars."
Al-Rabi' said,
"I was walking behind Al-Shafi'i
when a man handed him a note
in which he wrote:
'I am a grocer;
my capital is one dirham,
and I have gotten married,
so please assist me.'
He said, 'O Rabi',
give him thirty dinars.'
I said,
'Ten dirhams would be enough for him!'
He said, 'Woe to you!
What will thirty dinars do for him?
Will it cover this or that?'
And he began enumerating what he needed for his household setup.
Then he said,
'Give it to him.'"
Al-Zubayr ibn Sulayman al-Qurashi narrated
that Al-Shafi'i said:
"Harthamah came out
and conveyed to me the greetings of the Commander of the Faithful, Harun,
saying:
'He has ordered five thousand dinars for you.'"
Al-Qurashi said:
So the wealth was brought to him.
So he took some parchment scraps.
Tie up coin pouches.
And he distributed it among the Quraysh.
He did not even return to his home.
except for less than a hundred dinars.
Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam said,
Al-Shafi'i was the most generous of people with whatever he possessed.
He used to pass by us.
If he finds me, then so be it; otherwise, he will say:
Tell Muhammad that when he arrives, he should come to the house.
For I do not eat lunch until he comes.
And it is narrated from al-Shafi'i that he said
What a wretched provision for the journey to the Hereafter.
Transgression against the servants of Allah.
Yunus al-Sadafi said:
Al-Shafi'i said to me
There is no path to safety from the criticism of people.
Therefore, look to that which contains your well-being and adhere to it.
And regarding al-Shafi'i, he said:
If you fear that your deeds might lead you to self-admiration,
So, remember the pleasure of the One whom you seek.
And in what state of bliss do you dwell?
And from what punishment do you fear?
Whoever reflects upon that
His own deeds appeared insignificant in his eyes.
'Abd al-Rahman Ibn Mahdi wrote
to al-Shafi'i while he was still a young man.
That he should compile for him a book containing the meanings of the Qur'an.
It also encompasses the acceptance of reports.
And the proof of consensus (ijma').
And the clarification of the abrogating and the abrogated [verses].
Then, draft a written treatise for him.
'Abd al-Rahman Ibn Mahdi said:
I do not perform a prayer
There is not a single one in which I do not pray for al-Shafi'i.
And Al-Harith Ibn Surayj said:
I heard Yahya al-Qattan say:
I pray to Allah for al-Shafi'i.
I single him out for it.
And Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said
There are six people for whom I pray at dawn.
One of them is al-Shafi'i.
He said:
I truly pray for al-Shafi'i.
For forty years, I have been performing my prayer.
And Abdullah Ibn Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said:
I said to my father
What a remarkable man al-Shafi'i was.
For I have heard you frequently supplicating on his behalf.
He said, "O my son."
He was like the sun to the world.
And it is like well-being for the people.
Do these two have any successors?
Or a substitute for either of them.
Abu Dawud said:
I have never seen Abu 'Abdullah.
This refers to Ahmad Ibn Hanbal.
He leans toward one of them.
His inclination toward the school of al-Shafi'i.
Qutaybah Ibn Sa'id said:
With the passing of al-Thawri, piety itself has passed away.
Al-Shafi'i passed away, and with him, many of the Sunnah died out.
And Ahmad Ibn Hanbal passed away.
And innovations in religion begin to appear.
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said:
Indeed, Allah appoints for the people
At the beginning of every century.
Who will teach them the Sunnah?
And he refutes [the false attributions made] against the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, [who warned against] lying.
Then Ahmad said
So we looked.
And so, at the turn of the century,
Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz
And at the turn of the second century
Al-Shafi'i
Al-Shafi'i said:
It is as if I saw a man from among the scholars of hadith.
It is as if I saw a man from among the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
May Allah reward them with goodness.
They preserved the original source for us.
They possess a merit over us.
Abu Zur'ah said:
What is held by al-Shafi'i.
A hadith that contains an error.
Abu Dawud al-Sijistani said:
I am not aware of any [opinion] for al-Shafi'i
A mistaken hadith.
I said
There is nothing that serves as a clearer indication that it is
He is a trustworthy authority and a master memorizer.
And suffice it for you to consider the statement of
Like these.
The Hafiz Abu Bakr has authored
The orator authored a book regarding the establishment of
Citing Imam al-Shafi'i as an authority.
And that which he spoke about.
Except for the envious or the ignorant.
in his state, and thus it was.
The false speech coming from them
which necessitates the elevation of his status.
And the loftiness of his status.
Such is the way of Allah with His servants.
O you who have believed
Believe, and do not be
Like those who caused harm
Musa, so they were righteous toward Allah.
Among what they said:
And he was in the presence of
Allah has made him a person of high standing.
Ahmad said
Ibn Hanbal was
Al-Shafi'i was among the most eloquent of people.
And Yunus Ibn 'Abd al-A'la said:
The highest [state] is what was.
Al-Shafi'i said, "He is nothing but a sorcerer."
It is as if its very words were sugar.
He had been endowed with a sweetness of speech.
Logic and eloquent expression.
And his exceptional intelligence.
And a fluidity of mind.
And the perfection of eloquence
And the attendance of the Hajj
Ahmad Ibn Salih said:
Whenever al-Shafi'i spoke,
It was as if his voice were the voice of
A cymbal and a bell.
From the beauty of his voice
Abu Nu'aym ibn 'Adi said:
The Hafiz
I heard al-Rabi‘ say repeatedly:
Al-Shafi'i, and the excellence of his exposition.
And one would truly marvel at his eloquence.
Even if he were to write a thousand
These books are in their original Arabic.
which he used to speak about
with us in the debate.
We were unable to read his books.
Due to his eloquence.
And the rare and unusual expressions found within it.
However, in his compilation, he was
He clarifies matters for the common people.
Al-Rabi' Ibn Sulayman said:
The tongue of al-Shafi'i was like a sharp sword.
The greatest of those who recorded it.
Had you seen him, you would have said:
Indeed, these are not his books.
And ‘Abd al-Malik said
Ibn Hisham, the linguist.
Our sitting together has become long.
Regarding al-Shafi'i, I have never heard
He never once spoke with a grammatical error.
I said, "How can this be?"
That, and the like of it.
He is cited as the proverbial example of eloquence.
He was the most eloquent of the Quraysh.
during his time
And among the things that were taken from him
Regarding the language, Ahmad said:
Abu Surayj al-Razi
I have never seen anyone more eloquent than him.
And there is no one more articulate than al-Shafi'i.
Al-Asma'i said:
I took a lock of his hair.
On the authority of al-Shafi'i
Al-Zubayr Ibn Bakkar said:
I took a lock of his hair.
And its events, as narrated by my uncle.
Mus'ab ibn 'Abdullah
And he said, "I have taken it."
From the memorization of al-Shafi'i.
Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam said:
I have never seen al-Shafi'i engage in a debate.
except for His mercy.
If you were to see al-Shafi'i debating you
I would have thought that he
Seven things will consume you.
He is the One who taught people the proofs.
And on the authority of Harun Ibn Sa'id
Al-Ayli said:
If al-Shafi'i were to debate
On the basis that this pillar
The stone is wood, for the most part.
Due to his aptitude for scholarly debate.
Ibn Wara said:
I have arrived from Egypt.
So I came to Ahmad Ibn Hanbal.
He then said to me
The books of al-Shafi'i were written.
I said, "No."
He said, "I am your predecessor."
We did not distinguish between the general and the specific.
And the abrogating hadith from the abrogated one.
Until we sat in the company of al-Shafi'i.
He said
This compelled me to return.
to Egypt, and I wrote it down.
Muhammad ibn [name] said:
Ya'qub al-Faraji
I heard ‘Ali Ibn al-Madini say:
He says: "I enjoin upon you..."
Regarding al-Shafi'i.
I said, and among some of the disciplines
This Imam, the physician of the hearts, is the one who...
For he used to teach it to him.
Al-Rabi' said:
I heard al-Shafi'i say:
I do not know of any knowledge
Beyond the matters of the lawful and the prohibited.
More complete than medicine.
However, the People of the Book have surpassed us.
upon him.
Mus'ab Ibn 'Abdullah said:
I have never seen anyone more knowledgeable.
regarding the history and annals of the people, as narrated by al-Shafi'i.
Yunus al-Sadafi said:
Al-Shafi'i used to
When he begins during the days of the people.
I said, this is his craft.
And Imam Ibn [al-Jawzi/Kathir/etc.] transmitted
Surayj, citing some of the genealogists.
He said, "It was..."
Al-Shafi'i was among those most knowledgeable regarding lineages.
They have gathered together.
with him that night
So remind them of the lineages of the women.
until the morning
And he spoke regarding the lineages of men.
Everyone is familiar with it.
And regarding al-Shafi'i, he said:
That was not my intention.
This refers to the Arabic language and the reports of the hadiths.
Except for seeking help from Allah.
regarding fiqh
Yunus Ibn 'Abd al-A'la said:
I have never seen anyone who has met...
Among the afflictions was what al-Shafi'i endured.
So I entered upon him.
He then said, "Recite what follows."
The one hundred and twentieth verse of Surah Al 'Imran.
So I read it.
So when I stood up
He said, "Do not be heedless of me."
For I am in distress.
Yunus said:
We were concerned with my recitation of what the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had encountered.
Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
and his Companions
Al-Muzani said:
I visited al-Shafi'i during his final illness.
In which he passed away.
So I said, "O Abu 'Abd Allah."
How have you fared this morning?
He raised his head and said:
I have become one who is departing from this world.
And for my brothers, there is separation.
And due to my evil deeds, I shall meet Him.
And may he arrive before Allah.
I do not know.
My soul shall depart unto Paradise.
So I congratulate her.
Or to a fire, so I may offer my condolences for it.
Then he wept.
And he began to recite:
And when my heart hardened
And my schools of thought became constrained.
I have placed my hope in none other than You.
Your pardon is a means of peace.
My sin has become too great for me to bear.
Then, when I coupled it with it.
By Your pardon, my Lord.
I seek Your pardon, for it is the greatest of things.
I have remained one who pardons.
Regarding the sin, it does not cease to remain.
He is generous and pardons.
A favor and a manifestation of generosity.
Abu al-'Abbas al-Asamm said:
He narrated to us
Al-Rabi' Ibn Sulayman
I visited al-Shafi'i while he was ill.
He said to me
I wish that all of creation
Study these books.
This refers to the scribes.
On the condition that nothing of it be attributed to me.
He said, "This is Sunday."
And he passed away on Thursday.
And we departed from his funeral.
The night of Jumu'ah
We sighted the crescent moon of Sha'ban.
The year two hundred and four.
And he was over fifty years of age.
Sunnah
The Shaykh al-Islam said:
'Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Hakkari
In the book of creed
Al-Shafi'i has
Yunus Ibn 'Abd al-A'la said:
I heard Abu 'Abdullah say:
Al-Shafi'i says
He was asked regarding the attributes of Allah.
He, the Exalted, said:
To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names.
And the characteristics that he brought with him.
His Book, and he informed [the people] of them.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
His Ummah is not broad enough to encompass [the entirety of the matter].
Someone against whom the proof has been established.
ردها لأن القرآن
This was revealed by him, and it is authentic.
From the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
This refers to the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, regarding it.
If that contradicts it
After the proof has been established against him
He is a disbeliever.
As for before the proof was established
Therefore, he is excused due to ignorance.
Because knowledge of that
It cannot be grasped by intellect alone.
nor by contemplation and thought
We do not declare someone an unbeliever due to ignorance of them.
...until the end of it.
The report reached him with it.
and we affirm these attributes
and we negate anthropomorphism from Him.
As he negated it from himself
He said, "There is nothing like Him."
something
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
Al-Mubarrad said
Al-Shafi'i was among the most eloquent.
People and the etiquette of dealing with people.
And I know them by their recitations.
And Yunus ibn Abd [al-A'la] said
The Most High
When Al-Shafi'i began to engage in
The Tafsir is as if he witnessed it.
The revelation
Al-Za'farani said
Al-Shafi'i came to us.
Baghdad in the year 95 [AH].
We have a month, then he went out.
He used to dye his hair with henna.
He had a light complexion.
Ibn Majah said
Yahya ibn Ma'in came.
to Ahmad ibn Hanbal
While he was with him
When Al-Shafi'i passed by
upon his mule
Ahmad then jumped up to greet him.
He followed him, but he was slow.
And Yahya was sitting
When he came
Yahya said, "O Abu Abdullah,"
What is this?
He said, "Leave aside..."
This is if you intend
Fiqh, therefore, became obligatory with its consequences.
This man
Ahmad ibn al-'Abbas al-Nasa'i said
I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal
I cannot count them, and he was saying
Abu Abdullah said
Al-Shafi'i
Then he said, "What did I see..."
No one follows the tradition more closely than
Al-Shafi'i
Yunus ibn 'Abd al-A'la said
I heard Al-Shafi'i say
O Yunus
Withdrawing from people is a means of acquiring [spiritual strength].
for enmity
And being cheerful with them is a means of attracting them.
For evil companions
So be somewhere between being reserved and being open.
Al-Shafi'i said
Knowledge is what benefits.
True knowledge is not merely what one memorizes.
And he said
The intelligent, discerning person
He is the discerning one who pretends to be unaware.
He said
If I knew that cold water
What I drank diminishes my manliness.
He said
Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Shafi'i
I have not seen anyone
The best prayer, according to Al-Shafi'i.
And that is because
He took from Muslim ibn Khalid.
And Muslim took from Ibn Jurayj
And Ibn Jurayj took
from the giving
and 'Ata' took from Ibn al-Zubayr
and Ibn al-Zubayr took from
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq
and Abu Bakr took from the Prophet
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him
and he enumerated
al-Khatib al-Baghdadi's knowledge
of Imam al-Shafi'i and his virtues
and the reverence of the Imams for him
and he said
Allah willed nothing but to elevate him
and his loftiness
and there is no downfall for him whom the Lord of the Throne has raised
placing him down
I say we are not to be blamed
by Allah for loving this
Imam because he is
one of the men of perfection in his time
may Allah have mercy on him
The biographies of the four Imams