OverviewA teacher of Islamic law who explained how scholars should understand religious evidence.CategoryScholarPeriodc. 767 – 820 CE
LearningHe studied with Malik ibn Anas and other teachers.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Imam Ash-Shafi‘i
His workHis book al-Risala explained how to reason from the Qur’an and Muhammad’s ﷺ teachings when deciding religious rules. It helped scholars explain why a rule should be followed, not just state the rule.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Imam Ash-Shafi‘i
A lasting changeThe Shafi‘i school of Islamic law is named after him.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Imam Ash-Shafi‘i
Understanding religious evidenceAl-Shafi‘i’s al-Risala is an early surviving work on the principles of Islamic law. It discusses the Qur’an, the Sunnah, scholarly agreement and reasoning by comparison. His legal framework cannot be reduced to hadith alone.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Imam Ash-Shafi‘i
SourcesOriginal summaries of the cited sources. Qur’anic accounts, later traditions and historical estimates are distinguished; brief profiles do not settle scholarly disagreements.TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Imam Ash-Shafi‘i
