WEBVTT

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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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“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)

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Biographies of the Four Imams:

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Four life stories brimming with beauty and majesty,

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carefully abridged

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from that peerless and monumental work,

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*Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'*

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by Imam al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him,

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prepared by Shaykh Muhammad al-Muhanna,

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may Allah preserve him.

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Imam al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him:

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He is Muhammad ibn Idris ibn al-'Abbas

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ibn 'Uthman ibn Shafi' ibn al-Sa'ib

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ibn 'Ubayd ibn 'Abd Yazid ibn Hisham

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ibn al-Muttalib ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab

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ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib;

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the Imam, the scholar of the era,

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the champion of hadith, the jurist of the religious community,

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Abu 'Abdillah al-Qurashi,

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al-Muttalibi, al-Shafi'i, al-Makki;

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born in Gaza.

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He was a relative of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his kinsman,

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meaning that he shared lineage with the Prophet (peace be upon him);

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for the third forefather of the Prophet (peace be upon him),

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who was 'Abd Manaf,

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is the ninth forefather of al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him.

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For al-Muttalib was the brother of Hashim, the father of 'Abd al-Muttalib.

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Imam al-Shafi'i was born in Gaza,

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and his father, Idris, died young.

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Thus Muhammad grew up an orphan in his mother's care,

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and she feared he would be neglected and lost,

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so she relocated with him to the land of his roots—

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that is, to his ancestral home—

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when he was just two years old.

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He grew up in Mecca

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and took devotedly to archery

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until he surpassed all his peers in it,

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hitting the mark nine times out of ten arrows.

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Then he turned his attention to Arabic and the sacred law,

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excelling in them and distinguishing himself,

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after which fiqh was made beloved to him,

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and he came to lead the people of his time.

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He acquired knowledge in his hometown

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from Muslim ibn Khalid al-Zanji,

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the Mufti of Mecca,

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and from his paternal uncle, Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Shafi'—

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who was the cousin of al-'Abbas, al-Shafi'i's grandfather—

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as well as Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah,

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Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, and several others.

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He then traveled to Medina

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when he was in his early twenties,

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having already issued legal rulings and qualified for leadership.

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He received *al-Muwatta'* from Malik ibn Anas,

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reciting it to him from memory.

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In Yemen, he took knowledge from Mutarrif ibn Mazin,

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Hisham ibn Yusuf the judge, and a group of others;

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and in Baghdad, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan,

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the jurist of Iraq,

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studying closely under him, taking copious knowledge from him, and loading full burdens of it.

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He authored major works, codified knowledge,

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respectfully critiqued fellow imams while adhering strictly to prophetic reports,

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and wrote extensively on both legal theory (usul al-fiqh) and its substantive branches.

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His renown spread far and wide,

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and students flocked to him in vast numbers.

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Among those who transmitted from him were al-Humaydi,

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Abu 'Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam,

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Ahmad ibn Hanbal,

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al-Buwayti, Abu Thawr,

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'Abd al-'Aziz al-Makki, the author of *al-Haydah*,

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Ishaq ibn Rahwayh,

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al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman al-Muradi,

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al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman al-Jizi,

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Muhammad ibn 'Abdillah ibn 'Abd al-Hakam,

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and countless others.

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Al-Daraqutni dedicated a standalone book

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to those who transmitted narrations from al-Shafi'i,

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spanning two volumes.

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Major scholars have composed works on the virtues of this Imam,

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both in classical and modern times.

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Some people sought to detract from him and disparage him,

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yet that only elevated his rank and majesty;

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and it is clear to the fair-minded that the criticisms of his contemporaries

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were driven by personal bias.

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Rarely has anyone risen to prominence in scholarship

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and refuted those who differed with him

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without facing animosity.

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We seek refuge in Allah from following vain desires!

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Indeed, these few pages fall short of encompassing the virtues of this master.

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As for their ancestor al-Sa'ib al-Muttalibi,

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he was among the notables who were present at Badr on the side of the pre-Islamic pagans,

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and he was taken captive on that day.

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He bore a striking resemblance to the Prophet (peace be upon him),

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and it is said that after ransoming himself,

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he embraced Islam.

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His son, Shafi' ibn al-Sa'ib,

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had the honor of seeing the Prophet

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and is counted among the junior Companions,

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while his son 'Uthman was of the Tabi'un,

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though I know of no extensive narrations from him.

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Al-Muzani said:

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"I never saw a face more handsome than that of al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him."

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He would sometimes grasp his beard,

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and it would not exceed his fist.

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Ibrahim ibn Buranah said:

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"Al-Shafi'i was well-built, tall, and noble in stature."

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Al-Rabi' the Mu'adhdhin said:

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"I heard al-Shafi'i say:

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'I used to practice archery so devotedly

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that the physician would tell me:

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"I fear you might contract consumption from standing so long in the scorching heat."'

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He said:

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'And I used to hit the mark nine times out of ten.'"

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'Umar ibn Sawad said:

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"Al-Shafi'i said to me:

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'My passions were archery and seeking knowledge;

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and I mastered archery

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to the point where I would hit ten out of ten.'

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He remained silent about his knowledge,

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so I said:

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'By Allah, your stature in knowledge is far greater than it is in archery!'"

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Al-Humaydi said:

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"I heard al-Shafi'i say:

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'I was an orphan in the care of my mother,

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and she had nothing to pay the teacher.

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But the teacher agreed that I would supervise the boys whenever he was away,

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thus lightening his burden.'"

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It is narrated from al-Shafi'i that he said:

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"I used to write upon shoulder blades and bones;

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and I would go to the government offices,

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asking for the blank backs of discarded sheets to write on."

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Al-Humaydi said:

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"Al-Shafi'i said:

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'Our home in Mecca was in Shi'b al-Khayf,

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and I would spot a bare bone,

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write a hadith or a legal issue upon it,

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and we had an old clay jar,

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so whenever a bone was filled, I would toss it into the jar.'"

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Al-Muzani said:

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"I heard al-Shafi'i say:

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'I memorized the Qur'an when I was seven years old,

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and I memorized *al-Muwatta'* when I was ten.'"

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Al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman said:

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"Al-Shafi'i was born on the very day Abu Hanifah died,

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may Allah Almighty have mercy on them both."

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Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam said:

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"I heard al-Shafi'i say:

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'I recited the Qur'an to Isma'il ibn Qustantin.'"

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Al-Humaydi said:

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"Muslim ibn Khalid al-Zanji said to al-Shafi'i:

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'Issue legal rulings, O Abu 'Abdillah!

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For, by Allah, the time has truly come for you to give fatwas.'

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And al-Shafi'i was only fifteen years old."

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Al-Rabi' said:

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"Al-Shafi'i said:

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'That a servant meets Allah with every sin except polytheism

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is far better than meeting Him with any form of heretical desires.'"

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Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam said:

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"I heard al-Shafi'i say:

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'If people only knew what heretical whims theological rhetoric contains,

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they would flee from it just as they flee from a lion'—

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referring to speculative theology (*'ilm al-kalam*)."

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Abu 'Ubayd said:

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"I have never seen anyone more intelligent than al-Shafi'i."

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Yunus al-Sadafi said:

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"I have never seen anyone more sensible than al-Shafi'i.

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I debated him one day on an issue,

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and then we parted ways.

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Later, he met me, took me by the hand, and said:

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'O Abu Musa,

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is it not right that we remain brothers,

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even if we disagree on an issue?'"

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I say:

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"This demonstrates the consummate intellect of this Imam and the profound understanding of his soul;

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for intellectual peers have never ceased to differ."

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Ma'mar ibn Shabib said:

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"I heard al-Ma'mun say:

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'I tested Muhammad ibn Idris in everything,

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and I found him completely consummate.'"

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Ahmad ibn Muhammad,

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the son of al-Shafi'i's daughter, said:

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"I heard my father and my uncle say:

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'Whenever Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah

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was asked regarding Tafsir or legal rulings,

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he would turn to al-Shafi'i

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and say:

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"Ask this man."'"

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Suwayd ibn Sa'id said:

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"I was in the company of Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah

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when al-Shafi'i arrived, greeted him, and sat down.

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Then Ibn 'Uyaynah narrated a heart-melting hadith,

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causing al-Shafi'i to faint.

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It was said to Sufyan:

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'O Abu Muhammad,

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Muhammad ibn Idris has died!'

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Whereupon Sufyan said:

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'If he has died,

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then the finest person of his era has died.'"

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Al-Rabi' said:

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"I heard al-Shafi'i

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He was asked about the Qur'an,

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and he replied,

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"Fie, fie!

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The Qur'an is the speech of Allah.

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Whoever says it is created has disbelieved."

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This is an authentic chain of transmission.

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Al-Rabi' said,

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"I heard Al-Shafi'i say:

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'Reciting hadith is better than voluntary prayer.'"

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And he said,

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"Seeking knowledge is superior to voluntary prayer."

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Al-Muzani said,

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"I heard Al-Shafi'i say:

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'Whoever learns the Qur'an, his worth becomes great;

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whoever speaks on fiqh, his standing grows;

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whoever writes down hadith, his proof becomes strong;

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whoever studies language, his nature becomes refined;

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whoever studies arithmetic, his judgment becomes sound;

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and whoever does not guard his own soul,

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his knowledge will not benefit him.'"

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Al-Rabi' said,

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"I heard Al-Shafi'i say:

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'Disputation in religion hardens the heart and breeds rancor.'"

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Al-Rabi' also said,

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"I heard Al-Shafi'i say:

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'I wish that people would learn this knowledge'—

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meaning his books—

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'on the condition that nothing of it be attributed to me.'"

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Harmalah said,

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"I heard Al-Shafi'i say:

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'I wish that all the knowledge I know

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were learned by the people,

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such that I would be rewarded for it without them praising me.'"

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'Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said,

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"I heard Muhammad ibn Dawud say:

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'It was never recorded throughout Al-Shafi'i's entire era

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that he spoke regarding any of the stray desires,

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nor was any such thing attributed to him or known of him,

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despite his intense hatred for the people of theological rhetoric (*kalam*) and innovation.'"

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Al-Shafi'i said,

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"My ruling regarding the people of speculative theology

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is that they be beaten with palm branches,

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mounted upon camels,

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and paraded among the tribes,

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with it being announced over them:

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'This is the recompense of whoever abandons the Book and the Sunnah

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and turns toward speculative theology!'"

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Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Ash'ari,

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the companion of Al-Shafi'i, reported that

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Al-Shafi'i said:

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"My position regarding the people of speculative theology

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is that their heads be covered with whips

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and that they be banished across the land."

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I say: Perhaps this attitude is recurrently transmitted (*mutawatir*) from the Imam.

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Al-Muzani said,

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"Al-Shafi'i used to forbid delving into speculative theology."

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Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Khuzaymah said,

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"I heard Al-Rabi' say:

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'When Al-Shafi'i debated Hafs al-Fard,

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Hafs said:

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"The Qur'an is created."

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So Al-Shafi'i said to him:

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"You have disbelieved in Allah the Almighty!"'"

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Al-Buwayti said,

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"I asked Al-Shafi'i:

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'Should I pray behind a Rafidite?'

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He said:

00:12:15.419 --> 00:12:17.419
'Do not pray behind a Rafidite,

00:12:17.419 --> 00:12:19.419
nor a Qadarite, nor a Murji'ite.'

00:12:19.419 --> 00:12:21.419
I said, 'Describe them to us.'

00:12:21.419 --> 00:12:23.419
He said:

00:12:23.419 --> 00:12:25.419
'Whoever says that faith (*iman*) consists only of speech

00:12:25.419 --> 00:12:26.419
is a Murji'ite;

00:12:26.419 --> 00:12:30.419
whoever says that Abu Bakr and 'Umar were not Imams

00:12:30.419 --> 00:12:32.419
is a Rafidite;

00:12:32.419 --> 00:12:35.419
and whoever ascribes ultimate divine will to himself

00:12:35.419 --> 00:12:37.450
is a Qadarite.'"

00:12:37.450 --> 00:12:38.450
Al-Rabi' said,

00:12:38.450 --> 00:12:40.450
"Al-Shafi'i said to me:

00:12:40.450 --> 00:12:44.450
'If I wished to write a book against every opponent,

00:12:44.450 --> 00:12:45.450
I could have done so,

00:12:45.450 --> 00:12:48.450
but theological debate is not my concern,

00:12:48.450 --> 00:12:52.450
and I do not like for any of it to be attributed to me.'"

00:12:52.450 --> 00:12:53.450
I say:

00:12:53.450 --> 00:12:57.450
This pure, pious disposition is widely corroborated (*mutawatir*) from Al-Shafi'i.

00:12:57.450 --> 00:13:00.480
'Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said,

00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:02.480
"I heard my father say:

00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:04.480
'Al-Shafi'i said:

00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:07.480
"You are more knowledgeable than us regarding authentic narrations;

00:13:07.480 --> 00:13:10.480
so if there is an authentic report,

00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:13.610
inform me of it so that I may adopt it."'"

00:13:13.610 --> 00:13:15.610
Harmalah said,

00:13:15.610 --> 00:13:16.610
"Al-Shafi'i said:

00:13:16.610 --> 00:13:18.610
'Everything I have said—

00:13:18.610 --> 00:13:21.610
if there is a report from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

00:13:21.610 --> 00:13:24.610
contrary to my statement that is authentic,

00:13:24.610 --> 00:13:25.610
then it takes precedence,

00:13:25.610 --> 00:13:27.610
and do not blindly follow me.'"

00:13:27.610 --> 00:13:29.610
A man said to him,

00:13:29.610 --> 00:13:32.610
"Do you adopt this hadith, O Abu 'Abdullah?"

00:13:32.610 --> 00:13:34.610
He replied,

00:13:34.610 --> 00:13:37.610
"Whenever I narrate an authentic hadith from the Messenger of Allah

00:13:37.610 --> 00:13:39.610
and do not adopt it,

00:13:39.610 --> 00:13:42.669
I bear witness to you that my intellect has departed!"

00:13:42.669 --> 00:13:44.669
Al-Humaydi said,

00:13:44.669 --> 00:13:47.669
"Al-Shafi'i narrated a hadith one day,

00:13:47.669 --> 00:13:48.669
so I asked,

00:13:48.669 --> 00:13:49.669
'Do you adopt it?'

00:13:49.669 --> 00:13:50.669
He replied,

00:13:50.669 --> 00:13:53.669
'Have you seen me coming out of a church

00:13:53.669 --> 00:13:55.669
or wearing the attire of the Zoroastrians,

00:13:55.669 --> 00:13:59.669
such that if I hear a hadith from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

00:13:59.669 --> 00:14:02.669
I would not hold by it?'"

00:14:02.669 --> 00:14:04.669
And it is reported that he said,

00:14:04.669 --> 00:14:07.669
"If the hadith is authentic, then it is my school of thought (*madhhab*)."

00:14:07.669 --> 00:14:09.669
"And if the hadith is authentic,

00:14:09.669 --> 00:14:11.669
cast my statement against the wall!"

00:14:12.830 --> 00:14:14.830
Al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman said,

00:14:14.830 --> 00:14:17.830
"Al-Shafi'i divided the night into three parts:

00:14:17.830 --> 00:14:19.830
in the first third he would write,

00:14:19.830 --> 00:14:21.830
in the second he would pray,

00:14:21.830 --> 00:14:23.830
and in the third he would sleep."

00:14:23.830 --> 00:14:24.830
I say:

00:14:24.830 --> 00:14:28.899
All three of his actions were acts of worship through righteous intention.

00:14:28.899 --> 00:14:30.899
Al-Karabisi said,

00:14:30.899 --> 00:14:33.899
"I spent a night with Al-Shafi'i,

00:14:33.899 --> 00:14:36.899
and he used to pray for about a third of the night.

00:14:36.899 --> 00:14:39.899
I never saw him recite more than fifty verses;

00:14:39.899 --> 00:14:42.899
and if he recited a lot, it would be a hundred verses.

00:14:42.899 --> 00:14:45.899
He would not pass by a verse of mercy

00:14:45.899 --> 00:14:47.899
without asking Allah for it,

00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:49.899
nor by a verse of punishment

00:14:49.899 --> 00:14:51.899
without seeking refuge with Him,

00:14:51.899 --> 00:14:55.899
as though hope and fear were fully combined within him."

00:14:55.899 --> 00:14:57.899
Al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman said,

00:14:57.899 --> 00:14:58.899
reported via two chains of transmission from him,

00:14:58.899 --> 00:15:00.899
or even more:

00:15:00.899 --> 00:15:02.899
"Al-Shafi'i used to complete the recitation of the Qur'an

00:15:02.899 --> 00:15:05.929
sixty times during the month of Ramadan."

00:15:05.929 --> 00:15:07.929
'Umar ibn Sawad said,

00:15:07.929 --> 00:15:12.929
"Al-Shafi'i was the most generous of people with gold coins, silver coins, and food."

00:15:12.929 --> 00:15:14.929
Abu Thawr said,

00:15:14.929 --> 00:15:17.929
"Rarely did Al-Shafi'i hold onto anything,

00:15:17.929 --> 00:15:19.929
owing to his immense generosity."

00:15:19.929 --> 00:15:21.929
Al-Rabi' said,

00:15:21.929 --> 00:15:24.929
"A man held the stirrup for Al-Shafi'i,

00:15:24.929 --> 00:15:25.929
so he said to me:

00:15:25.929 --> 00:15:28.929
'Give him four dinars.'"

00:15:28.929 --> 00:15:30.960
Al-Muzani said,

00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:32.960
"I was with Al-Shafi'i one day,

00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:33.960
and as we went out,

00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:36.960
there was a man shooting with an Arabian bow.

00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:39.960
Al-Shafi'i stood watching him,

00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:41.960
for he was an excellent marksman,

00:15:41.960 --> 00:15:43.960
hitting the mark with several arrows.

00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:45.960
Al-Shafi'i said:

00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:46.960
'Well done!'

00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:48.960
and prayed for blessings upon him.

00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:49.960
Then he said:

00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:52.960
'Give him three dinars.'"

00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:55.059
Al-Rabi' said,

00:15:55.059 --> 00:15:58.059
"Al-Shafi'i was passing by the shoemakers

00:15:58.059 --> 00:16:00.059
when his whip fell.

00:16:00.059 --> 00:16:01.059
A young boy rushed forward,

00:16:01.059 --> 00:16:04.059
wiped it with his sleeve, and handed it to him,

00:16:04.059 --> 00:16:07.059
so he gave him seven dinars."

00:16:07.059 --> 00:16:09.059
Al-Rabi' said,

00:16:09.059 --> 00:16:10.059
"I got married,

00:16:10.059 --> 00:16:12.059
so Al-Shafi'i asked me,

00:16:12.059 --> 00:16:13.059
'How much dowry did you give her?'

00:16:13.059 --> 00:16:14.059
I said,

00:16:14.059 --> 00:16:16.059
'Thirty dinars,

00:16:16.059 --> 00:16:18.059
six of which I paid upfront.'

00:16:18.059 --> 00:16:22.059
So he gave me twenty-four dinars."

00:16:22.059 --> 00:16:24.059
Al-Rabi' said,

00:16:24.059 --> 00:16:26.059
"I was walking behind Al-Shafi'i

00:16:26.059 --> 00:16:28.059
when a man handed him a note

00:16:28.059 --> 00:16:30.059
in which he wrote:

00:16:30.059 --> 00:16:32.059
'I am a grocer;

00:16:32.059 --> 00:16:34.059
my capital is one dirham,

00:16:34.059 --> 00:16:35.059
and I have gotten married,

00:16:35.059 --> 00:16:37.059
so please assist me.'

00:16:37.059 --> 00:16:39.059
He said, 'O Rabi',

00:16:39.059 --> 00:16:41.059
give him thirty dinars.'

00:16:41.059 --> 00:16:42.059
I said,

00:16:42.059 --> 00:16:45.059
'Ten dirhams would be enough for him!'

00:16:45.059 --> 00:16:47.059
He said, 'Woe to you!

00:16:47.059 --> 00:16:50.059
What will thirty dinars do for him?

00:16:50.059 --> 00:16:52.059
Will it cover this or that?'

00:16:52.059 --> 00:16:55.059
And he began enumerating what he needed for his household setup.

00:16:55.059 --> 00:16:57.059
Then he said,

00:16:57.059 --> 00:16:58.059
'Give it to him.'"

00:16:58.059 --> 00:17:01.059
Al-Zubayr ibn Sulayman al-Qurashi narrated

00:17:01.059 --> 00:17:03.059
that Al-Shafi'i said:

00:17:03.059 --> 00:17:05.059
"Harthamah came out

00:17:05.059 --> 00:17:08.059
and conveyed to me the greetings of the Commander of the Faithful, Harun,

00:17:08.059 --> 00:17:10.059
saying:

00:17:10.059 --> 00:17:13.059
'He has ordered five thousand dinars for you.'"

00:17:13.059 --> 00:17:15.059
Al-Qurashi said:

00:17:15.059 --> 00:17:17.059
So the wealth was brought to him.

00:17:17.059 --> 00:17:19.059
So he took some parchment scraps.

00:17:19.059 --> 00:17:20.059
Tie up coin pouches.

00:17:20.059 --> 00:17:22.059
And he distributed it among the Quraysh.

00:17:22.059 --> 00:17:24.059
He did not even return to his home.

00:17:24.059 --> 00:17:27.059
except for less than a hundred dinars.

00:17:27.059 --> 00:17:29.059
Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam said,

00:17:29.059 --> 00:17:32.059
Al-Shafi'i was the most generous of people with whatever he possessed.

00:17:32.059 --> 00:17:34.059
He used to pass by us.

00:17:34.059 --> 00:17:37.059
If he finds me, then so be it; otherwise, he will say:

00:17:37.059 --> 00:17:41.059
Tell Muhammad that when he arrives, he should come to the house.

00:17:41.059 --> 00:17:44.059
For I do not eat lunch until he comes.

00:17:44.059 --> 00:17:47.119
And it is narrated from al-Shafi'i that he said

00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:49.119
What a wretched provision for the journey to the Hereafter.

00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:52.119
Transgression against the servants of Allah.

00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:54.119
Yunus al-Sadafi said:

00:17:54.119 --> 00:17:56.119
Al-Shafi'i said to me

00:17:56.119 --> 00:17:59.119
There is no path to safety from the criticism of people.

00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:03.150
Therefore, look to that which contains your well-being and adhere to it.

00:18:03.150 --> 00:18:05.150
And regarding al-Shafi'i, he said:

00:18:05.150 --> 00:18:08.150
If you fear that your deeds might lead you to self-admiration,

00:18:08.150 --> 00:18:10.150
So, remember the pleasure of the One whom you seek.

00:18:10.150 --> 00:18:12.150
And in what state of bliss do you dwell?

00:18:12.150 --> 00:18:15.150
And from what punishment do you fear?

00:18:15.150 --> 00:18:17.150
Whoever reflects upon that

00:18:17.150 --> 00:18:19.150
His own deeds appeared insignificant in his eyes.

00:18:19.150 --> 00:18:22.220
'Abd al-Rahman Ibn Mahdi wrote

00:18:22.220 --> 00:18:24.220
to al-Shafi'i while he was still a young man.

00:18:24.220 --> 00:18:28.220
That he should compile for him a book containing the meanings of the Qur'an.

00:18:28.220 --> 00:18:30.220
It also encompasses the acceptance of reports.

00:18:30.220 --> 00:18:32.220
And the proof of consensus (ijma').

00:18:32.220 --> 00:18:34.220
And the clarification of the abrogating and the abrogated [verses].

00:18:34.220 --> 00:18:37.220
Then, draft a written treatise for him.

00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:40.380
'Abd al-Rahman Ibn Mahdi said:

00:18:40.380 --> 00:18:42.380
I do not perform a prayer

00:18:42.380 --> 00:18:45.380
There is not a single one in which I do not pray for al-Shafi'i.

00:18:45.380 --> 00:18:48.380
And Al-Harith Ibn Surayj said:

00:18:48.380 --> 00:18:51.380
I heard Yahya al-Qattan say:

00:18:51.380 --> 00:18:53.380
I pray to Allah for al-Shafi'i.

00:18:53.380 --> 00:18:55.380
I single him out for it.

00:18:55.380 --> 00:18:57.380
And Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said

00:18:57.380 --> 00:19:00.380
There are six people for whom I pray at dawn.

00:19:00.380 --> 00:19:02.380
One of them is al-Shafi'i.

00:19:02.380 --> 00:19:03.380
He said:

00:19:03.380 --> 00:19:05.380
I truly pray for al-Shafi'i.

00:19:05.380 --> 00:19:08.380
For forty years, I have been performing my prayer.

00:19:08.380 --> 00:19:11.500
And Abdullah Ibn Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said:

00:19:11.500 --> 00:19:13.500
I said to my father

00:19:13.500 --> 00:19:15.500
What a remarkable man al-Shafi'i was.

00:19:15.500 --> 00:19:19.500
For I have heard you frequently supplicating on his behalf.

00:19:19.500 --> 00:19:21.500
He said, "O my son."

00:19:21.500 --> 00:19:23.500
He was like the sun to the world.

00:19:23.500 --> 00:19:25.500
And it is like well-being for the people.

00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:27.500
Do these two have any successors?

00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:29.500
Or a substitute for either of them.

00:19:29.500 --> 00:19:31.569
Abu Dawud said:

00:19:31.569 --> 00:19:33.569
I have never seen Abu 'Abdullah.

00:19:33.569 --> 00:19:35.569
This refers to Ahmad Ibn Hanbal.

00:19:35.569 --> 00:19:37.569
He leans toward one of them.

00:19:37.569 --> 00:19:39.569
His inclination toward the school of al-Shafi'i.

00:19:39.569 --> 00:19:42.660
Qutaybah Ibn Sa'id said:

00:19:42.660 --> 00:19:45.660
With the passing of al-Thawri, piety itself has passed away.

00:19:45.660 --> 00:19:48.660
Al-Shafi'i passed away, and with him, many of the Sunnah died out.

00:19:48.660 --> 00:19:50.660
And Ahmad Ibn Hanbal passed away.

00:19:50.660 --> 00:19:52.660
And innovations in religion begin to appear.

00:19:52.660 --> 00:19:54.660
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said:

00:19:54.660 --> 00:19:56.660
Indeed, Allah appoints for the people

00:19:56.660 --> 00:19:58.660
At the beginning of every century.

00:19:58.660 --> 00:20:00.660
Who will teach them the Sunnah?

00:20:00.660 --> 00:20:02.660
And he refutes [the false attributions made] against the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

00:20:02.660 --> 00:20:04.660
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, [who warned against] lying.

00:20:04.660 --> 00:20:06.660
Then Ahmad said

00:20:06.660 --> 00:20:08.660
So we looked.

00:20:08.660 --> 00:20:10.660
And so, at the turn of the century,

00:20:10.660 --> 00:20:12.660
Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz

00:20:12.660 --> 00:20:14.660
And at the turn of the second century

00:20:14.660 --> 00:20:16.730
Al-Shafi'i

00:20:16.730 --> 00:20:18.730
Al-Shafi'i said:

00:20:18.730 --> 00:20:21.730
It is as if I saw a man from among the scholars of hadith.

00:20:21.730 --> 00:20:24.730
It is as if I saw a man from among the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

00:20:24.730 --> 00:20:26.730
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

00:20:26.730 --> 00:20:28.730
May Allah reward them with goodness.

00:20:28.730 --> 00:20:30.730
They preserved the original source for us.

00:20:30.730 --> 00:20:32.730
They possess a merit over us.

00:20:32.730 --> 00:20:34.730
Abu Zur'ah said:

00:20:34.730 --> 00:20:36.730
What is held by al-Shafi'i.

00:20:36.730 --> 00:20:38.890
A hadith that contains an error.

00:20:38.890 --> 00:20:40.890
Abu Dawud al-Sijistani said:

00:20:40.890 --> 00:20:42.890
I am not aware of any [opinion] for al-Shafi'i

00:20:42.890 --> 00:20:44.890
A mistaken hadith.

00:20:44.890 --> 00:20:46.920
I said

00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:48.920
There is nothing that serves as a clearer indication that it is

00:20:48.920 --> 00:20:50.920
He is a trustworthy authority and a master memorizer.

00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:52.920
And suffice it for you to consider the statement of

00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:54.920
Like these.

00:20:54.920 --> 00:20:56.920
The Hafiz Abu Bakr has authored

00:20:56.920 --> 00:20:58.920
The orator authored a book regarding the establishment of

00:20:58.920 --> 00:21:00.920
Citing Imam al-Shafi'i as an authority.

00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:02.920
And that which he spoke about.

00:21:02.920 --> 00:21:04.920
Except for the envious or the ignorant.

00:21:04.920 --> 00:21:06.920
in his state, and thus it was.

00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:08.920
The false speech coming from them

00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:10.920
which necessitates the elevation of his status.

00:21:10.920 --> 00:21:12.920
And the loftiness of his status.

00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:14.920
Such is the way of Allah with His servants.

00:21:14.920 --> 00:21:16.920
O you who have believed

00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:18.920
Believe, and do not be

00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:20.920
Like those who caused harm

00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:22.920
Musa, so they were righteous toward Allah.

00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:24.920
Among what they said:

00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:26.920
And he was in the presence of

00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:28.920
Allah has made him a person of high standing.

00:21:28.920 --> 00:21:30.920
Ahmad said

00:21:30.920 --> 00:21:32.920
Ibn Hanbal was

00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:34.920
Al-Shafi'i was among the most eloquent of people.

00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:36.920
And Yunus Ibn 'Abd al-A'la said:

00:21:36.920 --> 00:21:38.920
The highest [state] is what was.

00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:40.920
Al-Shafi'i said, "He is nothing but a sorcerer."

00:21:40.920 --> 00:21:42.920
It is as if its very words were sugar.

00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:44.920
He had been endowed with a sweetness of speech.

00:21:44.920 --> 00:21:46.920
Logic and eloquent expression.

00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:48.920
And his exceptional intelligence.

00:21:48.920 --> 00:21:50.920
And a fluidity of mind.

00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:52.920
And the perfection of eloquence

00:21:52.920 --> 00:21:54.980
And the attendance of the Hajj

00:21:54.980 --> 00:21:56.980
Ahmad Ibn Salih said:

00:21:56.980 --> 00:21:58.980
Whenever al-Shafi'i spoke,

00:21:58.980 --> 00:22:00.980
It was as if his voice were the voice of

00:22:00.980 --> 00:22:02.980
A cymbal and a bell.

00:22:02.980 --> 00:22:04.980
From the beauty of his voice

00:22:04.980 --> 00:22:06.980
Abu Nu'aym ibn 'Adi said:

00:22:06.980 --> 00:22:08.980
The Hafiz

00:22:08.980 --> 00:22:10.980
I heard al-Rabi‘ say repeatedly:

00:22:10.980 --> 00:22:12.980
Al-Shafi'i, and the excellence of his exposition.

00:22:12.980 --> 00:22:14.980
And one would truly marvel at his eloquence.

00:22:14.980 --> 00:22:16.980
Even if he were to write a thousand

00:22:16.980 --> 00:22:18.980
These books are in their original Arabic.

00:22:18.980 --> 00:22:20.980
which he used to speak about

00:22:20.980 --> 00:22:22.980
with us in the debate.

00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:24.980
We were unable to read his books.

00:22:24.980 --> 00:22:26.980
Due to his eloquence.

00:22:26.980 --> 00:22:28.980
And the rare and unusual expressions found within it.

00:22:28.980 --> 00:22:30.980
However, in his compilation, he was

00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:33.049
He clarifies matters for the common people.

00:22:33.049 --> 00:22:35.049
Al-Rabi' Ibn Sulayman said:

00:22:35.049 --> 00:22:37.049
The tongue of al-Shafi'i was like a sharp sword.

00:22:37.049 --> 00:22:39.049
The greatest of those who recorded it.

00:22:39.049 --> 00:22:41.049
Had you seen him, you would have said:

00:22:41.049 --> 00:22:43.049
Indeed, these are not his books.

00:22:43.049 --> 00:22:45.079
And ‘Abd al-Malik said

00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:47.079
Ibn Hisham, the linguist.

00:22:47.079 --> 00:22:49.079
Our sitting together has become long.

00:22:49.079 --> 00:22:51.079
Regarding al-Shafi'i, I have never heard

00:22:51.079 --> 00:22:53.369
He never once spoke with a grammatical error.

00:22:53.369 --> 00:22:55.369
I said, "How can this be?"

00:22:55.369 --> 00:22:57.369
That, and the like of it.

00:22:57.369 --> 00:22:59.369
He is cited as the proverbial example of eloquence.

00:22:59.369 --> 00:23:01.369
He was the most eloquent of the Quraysh.

00:23:01.369 --> 00:23:03.369
during his time

00:23:03.369 --> 00:23:05.369
And among the things that were taken from him

00:23:05.369 --> 00:23:07.400
Regarding the language, Ahmad said:

00:23:07.400 --> 00:23:09.400
Abu Surayj al-Razi

00:23:09.400 --> 00:23:11.400
I have never seen anyone more eloquent than him.

00:23:11.400 --> 00:23:13.400
And there is no one more articulate than al-Shafi'i.

00:23:13.400 --> 00:23:15.529
Al-Asma'i said:

00:23:15.529 --> 00:23:17.529
I took a lock of his hair.

00:23:17.529 --> 00:23:19.529
On the authority of al-Shafi'i

00:23:19.529 --> 00:23:21.529
Al-Zubayr Ibn Bakkar said:

00:23:21.529 --> 00:23:23.529
I took a lock of his hair.

00:23:23.529 --> 00:23:25.529
And its events, as narrated by my uncle.

00:23:25.529 --> 00:23:27.529
Mus'ab ibn 'Abdullah

00:23:27.529 --> 00:23:29.529
And he said, "I have taken it."

00:23:29.529 --> 00:23:31.529
From the memorization of al-Shafi'i.

00:23:31.529 --> 00:23:33.529
Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam said:

00:23:33.529 --> 00:23:35.529
I have never seen al-Shafi'i engage in a debate.

00:23:35.529 --> 00:23:37.529
except for His mercy.

00:23:37.529 --> 00:23:39.529
If you were to see al-Shafi'i debating you

00:23:39.529 --> 00:23:41.529
I would have thought that he

00:23:41.529 --> 00:23:43.529
Seven things will consume you.

00:23:43.529 --> 00:23:45.529
He is the One who taught people the proofs.

00:23:45.529 --> 00:23:47.619
And on the authority of Harun Ibn Sa'id

00:23:47.619 --> 00:23:49.619
Al-Ayli said:

00:23:49.619 --> 00:23:51.619
If al-Shafi'i were to debate

00:23:51.619 --> 00:23:53.619
On the basis that this pillar

00:23:53.619 --> 00:23:55.619
The stone is wood, for the most part.

00:23:55.619 --> 00:23:57.619
Due to his aptitude for scholarly debate.

00:23:57.619 --> 00:23:59.619
Ibn Wara said:

00:23:59.619 --> 00:24:01.619
I have arrived from Egypt.

00:24:01.619 --> 00:24:03.619
So I came to Ahmad Ibn Hanbal.

00:24:03.619 --> 00:24:05.619
He then said to me

00:24:05.619 --> 00:24:07.619
The books of al-Shafi'i were written.

00:24:07.619 --> 00:24:09.619
I said, "No."

00:24:09.619 --> 00:24:11.619
He said, "I am your predecessor."

00:24:11.619 --> 00:24:13.619
We did not distinguish between the general and the specific.

00:24:13.619 --> 00:24:15.619
And the abrogating hadith from the abrogated one.

00:24:15.619 --> 00:24:17.619
Until we sat in the company of al-Shafi'i.

00:24:17.619 --> 00:24:19.660
He said

00:24:19.660 --> 00:24:21.660
This compelled me to return.

00:24:21.660 --> 00:24:23.660
to Egypt, and I wrote it down.

00:24:23.660 --> 00:24:25.660
Muhammad ibn [name] said:

00:24:25.660 --> 00:24:27.660
Ya'qub al-Faraji

00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:29.660
I heard ‘Ali Ibn al-Madini say:

00:24:29.660 --> 00:24:31.660
He says: "I enjoin upon you..."

00:24:31.660 --> 00:24:33.750
Regarding al-Shafi'i.

00:24:33.750 --> 00:24:35.750
I said, and among some of the disciplines

00:24:35.750 --> 00:24:37.750
This Imam, the physician of the hearts, is the one who...

00:24:37.750 --> 00:24:39.750
For he used to teach it to him.

00:24:39.750 --> 00:24:41.779
Al-Rabi' said:

00:24:41.779 --> 00:24:43.779
I heard al-Shafi'i say:

00:24:43.779 --> 00:24:45.779
I do not know of any knowledge

00:24:45.779 --> 00:24:47.779
Beyond the matters of the lawful and the prohibited.

00:24:47.779 --> 00:24:49.779
More complete than medicine.

00:24:49.779 --> 00:24:51.779
However, the People of the Book have surpassed us.

00:24:51.779 --> 00:24:53.849
upon him.

00:24:53.849 --> 00:24:55.849
Mus'ab Ibn 'Abdullah said:

00:24:55.849 --> 00:24:57.849
I have never seen anyone more knowledgeable.

00:24:57.849 --> 00:24:59.849
regarding the history and annals of the people, as narrated by al-Shafi'i.

00:24:59.849 --> 00:25:01.910
Yunus al-Sadafi said:

00:25:01.910 --> 00:25:03.910
Al-Shafi'i used to

00:25:03.910 --> 00:25:05.910
When he begins during the days of the people.

00:25:05.910 --> 00:25:07.910
I said, this is his craft.

00:25:07.910 --> 00:25:09.910
And Imam Ibn [al-Jawzi/Kathir/etc.] transmitted

00:25:09.910 --> 00:25:11.910
Surayj, citing some of the genealogists.

00:25:11.910 --> 00:25:13.910
He said, "It was..."

00:25:13.910 --> 00:25:15.910
Al-Shafi'i was among those most knowledgeable regarding lineages.

00:25:15.910 --> 00:25:17.910
They have gathered together.

00:25:17.910 --> 00:25:19.910
with him that night

00:25:19.910 --> 00:25:21.910
So remind them of the lineages of the women.

00:25:21.910 --> 00:25:23.910
until the morning

00:25:23.910 --> 00:25:25.910
And he spoke regarding the lineages of men.

00:25:25.910 --> 00:25:27.940
Everyone is familiar with it.

00:25:27.940 --> 00:25:29.940
And regarding al-Shafi'i, he said:

00:25:29.940 --> 00:25:31.940
That was not my intention.

00:25:31.940 --> 00:25:33.940
This refers to the Arabic language and the reports of the hadiths.

00:25:33.940 --> 00:25:35.940
Except for seeking help from Allah.

00:25:35.940 --> 00:25:37.940
regarding fiqh

00:25:37.940 --> 00:25:39.940
Yunus Ibn 'Abd al-A'la said:

00:25:39.940 --> 00:25:41.940
I have never seen anyone who has met...

00:25:41.940 --> 00:25:43.940
Among the afflictions was what al-Shafi'i endured.

00:25:43.940 --> 00:25:45.940
So I entered upon him.

00:25:45.940 --> 00:25:47.940
He then said, "Recite what follows."

00:25:47.940 --> 00:25:49.940
The one hundred and twentieth verse of Surah Al 'Imran.

00:25:49.940 --> 00:25:51.940
So I read it.

00:25:51.940 --> 00:25:53.940
So when I stood up

00:25:53.940 --> 00:25:55.940
He said, "Do not be heedless of me."

00:25:55.940 --> 00:25:57.940
For I am in distress.

00:25:57.940 --> 00:25:59.940
Yunus said:

00:25:59.940 --> 00:26:01.940
We were concerned with my recitation of what the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had encountered.

00:26:01.940 --> 00:26:03.940
Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

00:26:03.940 --> 00:26:05.980
and his Companions

00:26:05.980 --> 00:26:07.980
Al-Muzani said:

00:26:07.980 --> 00:26:09.980
I visited al-Shafi'i during his final illness.

00:26:09.980 --> 00:26:11.980
In which he passed away.

00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:13.980
So I said, "O Abu 'Abd Allah."

00:26:13.980 --> 00:26:15.980
How have you fared this morning?

00:26:15.980 --> 00:26:17.980
He raised his head and said:

00:26:17.980 --> 00:26:19.980
I have become one who is departing from this world.

00:26:19.980 --> 00:26:21.980
And for my brothers, there is separation.

00:26:21.980 --> 00:26:23.980
And due to my evil deeds, I shall meet Him.

00:26:23.980 --> 00:26:25.980
And may he arrive before Allah.

00:26:25.980 --> 00:26:27.980
I do not know.

00:26:27.980 --> 00:26:29.980
My soul shall depart unto Paradise.

00:26:29.980 --> 00:26:31.980
So I congratulate her.

00:26:31.980 --> 00:26:33.980
Or to a fire, so I may offer my condolences for it.

00:26:33.980 --> 00:26:35.980
Then he wept.

00:26:35.980 --> 00:26:37.980
And he began to recite:

00:26:37.980 --> 00:26:40.039
And when my heart hardened

00:26:40.039 --> 00:26:42.039
And my schools of thought became constrained.

00:26:42.039 --> 00:26:44.039
I have placed my hope in none other than You.

00:26:44.039 --> 00:26:46.039
Your pardon is a means of peace.

00:26:46.039 --> 00:26:48.039
My sin has become too great for me to bear.

00:26:48.039 --> 00:26:50.039
Then, when I coupled it with it.

00:26:50.039 --> 00:26:52.039
By Your pardon, my Lord.

00:26:52.039 --> 00:26:54.039
I seek Your pardon, for it is the greatest of things.

00:26:54.039 --> 00:26:56.039
I have remained one who pardons.

00:26:56.039 --> 00:26:58.039
Regarding the sin, it does not cease to remain.

00:26:58.039 --> 00:27:00.039
He is generous and pardons.

00:27:00.039 --> 00:27:02.039
A favor and a manifestation of generosity.

00:27:02.039 --> 00:27:04.140
Abu al-'Abbas al-Asamm said:

00:27:04.140 --> 00:27:06.140
He narrated to us

00:27:06.140 --> 00:27:08.140
Al-Rabi' Ibn Sulayman

00:27:08.140 --> 00:27:10.140
I visited al-Shafi'i while he was ill.

00:27:10.140 --> 00:27:12.140
He said to me

00:27:12.140 --> 00:27:14.140
I wish that all of creation

00:27:14.140 --> 00:27:16.140
Study these books.

00:27:16.140 --> 00:27:18.140
This refers to the scribes.

00:27:18.140 --> 00:27:20.140
On the condition that nothing of it be attributed to me.

00:27:20.140 --> 00:27:22.140
He said, "This is Sunday."

00:27:22.140 --> 00:27:24.140
And he passed away on Thursday.

00:27:24.140 --> 00:27:26.140
And we departed from his funeral.

00:27:26.140 --> 00:27:28.140
The night of Jumu'ah

00:27:28.140 --> 00:27:30.140
We sighted the crescent moon of Sha'ban.

00:27:30.140 --> 00:27:32.140
The year two hundred and four.

00:27:32.140 --> 00:27:34.140
And he was over fifty years of age.

00:27:34.140 --> 00:27:36.230
Sunnah

00:27:36.230 --> 00:27:38.230
The Shaykh al-Islam said:

00:27:38.230 --> 00:27:40.230
'Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Hakkari

00:27:40.230 --> 00:27:42.230
In the book of creed

00:27:42.230 --> 00:27:44.230
Al-Shafi'i has

00:27:44.230 --> 00:27:46.230
Yunus Ibn 'Abd al-A'la said:

00:27:46.230 --> 00:27:48.230
I heard Abu 'Abdullah say:

00:27:48.230 --> 00:27:50.230
Al-Shafi'i says

00:27:50.230 --> 00:27:52.230
He was asked regarding the attributes of Allah.

00:27:52.230 --> 00:27:54.230
He, the Exalted, said:

00:27:54.230 --> 00:27:56.230
To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names.

00:27:56.230 --> 00:27:58.230
And the characteristics that he brought with him.

00:27:58.230 --> 00:28:00.230
His Book, and he informed [the people] of them.

00:28:00.230 --> 00:28:02.230
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

00:28:02.230 --> 00:28:04.230
His Ummah is not broad enough to encompass [the entirety of the matter].

00:28:04.230 --> 00:28:06.230
Someone against whom the proof has been established.

00:28:06.230 --> 00:28:08.230
ردها لأن القرآن

00:28:08.230 --> 00:28:10.230
This was revealed by him, and it is authentic.

00:28:10.230 --> 00:28:12.230
From the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

00:28:12.230 --> 00:28:14.230
This refers to the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, regarding it.

00:28:14.230 --> 00:28:16.230
If that contradicts it

00:28:16.230 --> 00:28:18.230
After the proof has been established against him

00:28:18.230 --> 00:28:20.230
He is a disbeliever.

00:28:20.230 --> 00:28:22.230
As for before the proof was established

00:28:22.230 --> 00:28:24.230
Therefore, he is excused due to ignorance.

00:28:24.230 --> 00:28:26.230
Because knowledge of that

00:28:26.230 --> 00:28:28.230
It cannot be grasped by intellect alone.

00:28:28.230 --> 00:28:30.230
nor by contemplation and thought

00:28:30.230 --> 00:28:32.230
We do not declare someone an unbeliever due to ignorance of them.

00:28:32.230 --> 00:28:34.230
...until the end of it.

00:28:34.230 --> 00:28:36.230
The report reached him with it.

00:28:36.230 --> 00:28:38.230
and we affirm these attributes

00:28:38.230 --> 00:28:40.230
and we negate anthropomorphism from Him.

00:28:40.230 --> 00:28:42.230
As he negated it from himself

00:28:42.230 --> 00:28:44.230
He said, "There is nothing like Him."

00:28:44.230 --> 00:28:46.230
something

00:28:46.230 --> 00:28:48.460
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

00:28:48.460 --> 00:28:50.460
Al-Mubarrad said

00:28:50.460 --> 00:28:52.460
Al-Shafi'i was among the most eloquent.

00:28:52.460 --> 00:28:54.460
People and the etiquette of dealing with people.

00:28:54.460 --> 00:28:56.460
And I know them by their recitations.

00:28:56.460 --> 00:28:58.460
And Yunus ibn Abd [al-A'la] said

00:28:58.460 --> 00:29:00.460
The Most High

00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:02.460
When Al-Shafi'i began to engage in

00:29:02.460 --> 00:29:04.460
The Tafsir is as if he witnessed it.

00:29:04.460 --> 00:29:06.460
The revelation

00:29:06.460 --> 00:29:08.460
Al-Za'farani said

00:29:08.460 --> 00:29:10.460
Al-Shafi'i came to us.

00:29:10.460 --> 00:29:12.460
Baghdad in the year 95 [AH].

00:29:12.460 --> 00:29:14.460
We have a month, then he went out.

00:29:14.460 --> 00:29:16.460
He used to dye his hair with henna.

00:29:16.460 --> 00:29:18.460
He had a light complexion.

00:29:18.460 --> 00:29:20.460
Ibn Majah said

00:29:20.460 --> 00:29:22.460
Yahya ibn Ma'in came.

00:29:22.460 --> 00:29:24.460
to Ahmad ibn Hanbal

00:29:24.460 --> 00:29:26.460
While he was with him

00:29:26.460 --> 00:29:28.460
When Al-Shafi'i passed by

00:29:28.460 --> 00:29:30.460
upon his mule

00:29:30.460 --> 00:29:32.460
Ahmad then jumped up to greet him.

00:29:32.460 --> 00:29:34.460
He followed him, but he was slow.

00:29:34.460 --> 00:29:36.460
And Yahya was sitting

00:29:36.460 --> 00:29:38.460
When he came

00:29:38.460 --> 00:29:40.460
Yahya said, "O Abu Abdullah,"

00:29:40.460 --> 00:29:42.519
What is this?

00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:44.519
He said, "Leave aside..."

00:29:44.519 --> 00:29:46.519
This is if you intend

00:29:46.519 --> 00:29:48.519
Fiqh, therefore, became obligatory with its consequences.

00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:50.519
This man

00:29:50.519 --> 00:29:52.519
Ahmad ibn al-'Abbas al-Nasa'i said

00:29:52.519 --> 00:29:54.519
I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal

00:29:54.519 --> 00:29:56.519
I cannot count them, and he was saying

00:29:56.519 --> 00:29:58.519
Abu Abdullah said

00:29:58.519 --> 00:30:00.519
Al-Shafi'i

00:30:00.519 --> 00:30:02.519
Then he said, "What did I see..."

00:30:02.519 --> 00:30:04.519
No one follows the tradition more closely than

00:30:04.519 --> 00:30:06.519
Al-Shafi'i

00:30:06.519 --> 00:30:08.519
Yunus ibn 'Abd al-A'la said

00:30:08.519 --> 00:30:10.519
I heard Al-Shafi'i say

00:30:10.519 --> 00:30:12.519
O Yunus

00:30:12.519 --> 00:30:14.519
Withdrawing from people is a means of acquiring [spiritual strength].

00:30:14.519 --> 00:30:16.519
for enmity

00:30:16.519 --> 00:30:18.519
And being cheerful with them is a means of attracting them.

00:30:18.519 --> 00:30:20.519
For evil companions

00:30:20.519 --> 00:30:22.519
So be somewhere between being reserved and being open.

00:30:22.519 --> 00:30:24.579
Al-Shafi'i said

00:30:24.579 --> 00:30:26.579
Knowledge is what benefits.

00:30:26.579 --> 00:30:28.579
True knowledge is not merely what one memorizes.

00:30:28.579 --> 00:30:30.579
And he said

00:30:30.579 --> 00:30:32.579
The intelligent, discerning person

00:30:32.579 --> 00:30:34.579
He is the discerning one who pretends to be unaware.

00:30:34.579 --> 00:30:36.579
He said

00:30:36.579 --> 00:30:38.579
If I knew that cold water

00:30:38.579 --> 00:30:40.579
What I drank diminishes my manliness.

00:30:40.579 --> 00:30:42.710
He said

00:30:42.710 --> 00:30:44.710
Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Shafi'i

00:30:44.710 --> 00:30:46.710
I have not seen anyone

00:30:46.710 --> 00:30:48.710
The best prayer, according to Al-Shafi'i.

00:30:48.710 --> 00:30:50.710
And that is because

00:30:50.710 --> 00:30:52.710
He took from Muslim ibn Khalid.

00:30:52.710 --> 00:30:54.710
And Muslim took from Ibn Jurayj

00:30:54.710 --> 00:30:56.710
And Ibn Jurayj took

00:30:56.710 --> 00:30:58.710
from the giving

00:30:58.710 --> 00:31:00.710
and 'Ata' took from Ibn al-Zubayr

00:31:00.710 --> 00:31:02.710
and Ibn al-Zubayr took from

00:31:02.710 --> 00:31:04.710
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

00:31:04.710 --> 00:31:06.710
and Abu Bakr took from the Prophet

00:31:06.710 --> 00:31:08.710
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him

00:31:08.710 --> 00:31:10.809
and he enumerated

00:31:10.809 --> 00:31:12.809
al-Khatib al-Baghdadi's knowledge

00:31:12.809 --> 00:31:14.809
of Imam al-Shafi'i and his virtues

00:31:14.809 --> 00:31:16.809
and the reverence of the Imams for him

00:31:16.809 --> 00:31:18.809
and he said

00:31:18.809 --> 00:31:20.809
Allah willed nothing but to elevate him

00:31:20.809 --> 00:31:22.809
and his loftiness

00:31:22.809 --> 00:31:24.809
and there is no downfall for him whom the Lord of the Throne has raised

00:31:24.809 --> 00:31:25.839
placing him down

00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:27.839
I say we are not to be blamed

00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:29.839
by Allah for loving this

00:31:29.839 --> 00:31:31.839
Imam because he is

00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:33.839
one of the men of perfection in his time

00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:35.839
may Allah have mercy on him

00:31:35.839 --> 00:31:38.640
The biographies of the four Imams