Everything was placid in the large valley except for the voice of a two-year

old child who was weeping. His mother embraced him, took him close to
her chest, and patted his shoulders with tenderness and compassion. The
youngster quickly went into sleep as his mother stared at the far horizon
saying in a low weakened voice : “may Allah have mercy on your soul:
father of Muhammad (her husband); you took us with you from Makkah to
Gaza 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 her child in the protection
of her husband's family. She raised 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, a peaceful nature, and great ethics. The
virtuous mother took on her shoulders the responsibility of teaching her son
the Quran, reading, and writing so that he may be well acquired with both
religious and other fundamental knowledge. Thus, she sent her son to one of
the small elementary schools despite her poverty and inability to save the
instructor's wage. Yet, Muhammad went to his first day at school almost
unable to walk properly, and when the instructor saw Muhammad, he sort
of belittled him and told him: “O my son, just sit next to me and listen
carefully to your elders so that you may get used to reading and
memorization.”

However, the young Muhammad Ibn Idrees Ash-Shafi'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 day in 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 are highly
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 teach on my behalf when I am
not present.” The youngster rushed happily to 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 listened to, he used parchment, palm tree leaves, and camel
shoulder bones. During this early period of his quest for knowledge, Imam
Ash-Shafi'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 to the Huthayl tribe, which was
among the most eloquent Arab tribes, and stayed with them for long years in
which he learned their eloquence, memorized their poems, studied the
biographies of Arabs from pre-Islamic era as well as the Islamic era, and
learned the skill of knighthood and archery. He eventually became a brave
unrivaled knight and a skillful archer who rarely missed his target.

As years passed, Imam Ash-Shafi'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 Khalid Az-Zinji
who became the first teacher for him in Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence). He
also, started studying Hadeeth under the supervision of Sufyan Ibn 'Uyaynah,
the narrator of the Sacred Mosque. In a short time, Imam Ash-Shafi'ee
rose to prominence as an excellent Islamic scholar. His mentor, Muslim
Ibn Khalid gave him permission to answer the religious enquiries when
Imam Ash-Shafi'ee was only fifteen. He told him proudly, “O Muhammad!
Give fatwa and answer the questions of people. By Allah! Now it is opportune
for you to give fatwa." His other mentor, Sufyan Ibn 'Uyaynah, used to refer
enquirers to him while he turned towards him and pointed "ask this boy.”

While still studying in Makkah, Imam Ash-Shafi'ee heard of the renown

scholar of Madeenah, Imam Malik Ibn Anas . He wanted to become a
student of Imam Malik yet he saw with his sharp intellect that he should
not go to him unprepared and void. He memorized Malik's famous book “Al
Muwatta” in only nine days. After that he went off to see Imam Malik in
his house in Madeenah. Imam Ash-Shafi'ee spoke eloquently and politely
with the Imam and told him that he wished to become his student. The Imam
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 physiognomy and a
penetrating insight; he told him: “My son! By the Will of Allah you will have
a great future. Tomorrow come to me and bring with you someone who
could read the Muwatta' well as I fear you would not be able to read it by
yourself.” Imam Ash-Shafi'ee responded with the same politeness “Imam,
I will read it myself from memory without a book.”

Imam Ash-Shafi'ee remained in the company of Imam Malik for a long

time. The Imam loved him a lot, and in 179 A.H after Imam Malik passed
away, Imam Ash-Shafi'ee returned to Makkah from Madeenah equipped
with a great load of knowledge which had influenced his life. In Makkah he
was wedded to Hameedah Bint Nafi', a grand daughter of Caliph 'Uthman Ibn
'Afan and had two sons and a daughter from her.

In the courtyard of the well of Zamzam and next to Prophet Ibraheem's

Maqam (the stone on which he stepped up to put the bricks in the Ka'bah),
Imam Ash-Shafi'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 known outside
Makkah until it reached Iraq. Abdur-Rahman 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 well as other issues upon which the science of Fiqh (Islamic
Jurisprudence) is built. Imam Ash-Shafi'ee, may Allah have mercy upon
him, wrote the book and named it Ar-Risalah (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 Imam Ash-
Shafi'ee was the organizer, classifier, and the inventor of its issues.

In 195 A.H the Imam Ash-Shafi'ee traveled to Baghdad for the second
time and continued to teach there for two years. Many studied under his
supervision including Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal who later said “Had it not
been for Imam Ash-Shafi'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
school of jurisprudence.

In 199 A.H the Imam went to Egypt where he stared to spread his knowledge
between the Egyptians who loved him very much. More students came to
him from all over the world. Towards the end of his life, the Imam became
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 the sickness and get
absorbed in writing, and editing and proofreading the book of Hujjah which
he wrote in Iraq. After completed the proofreading and editing works he
renamed the book’s name as Al-Umm (The Mother). The Imam remained to
follow his daily routine until illness forced him to retire and stop teaching.
His students used to visit him to console him in his sickness. One day one of
his students entered his room and asked him: “How do you feel this morning
O Imam?” Ash-Shafi'ee answered: “I feel that I am traveling away from
this world, away from the brothers, drinking from the cup of death, and
approaching Allah the Glorious. By Allah I do not know if my soul will go to
heaven so that I may congratulate it, or to hell so that I may lament.” He then
went into crying. On a Friday, the last day of Rajab in 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 Allah bless the Imam's soul and admit him into his wide paradises.