Life Path of Imam Shafi'i

Islam teaches to be very sensitive to those people,who devoted their entire lives to the study of religion and the substantiation of some of its foundations from a scientific point of view. Such theologians were revered during their lifetime, and now many devout people in daily prayers mention them before Allah. To such amazing people belongs Imam Shafi'i.

About him you can talk endlessly, becauseat the same time he was a scientist, theologian, jurist and founder of Muslim jurisprudence. He was also considered a very kind person, who all his life subjected himself to austerities in order to better serve Allah. In the eyes of the devout, the main merit of Imam Shafi'i is the madhhab created by him. To date, it is more common in Islam than all others. Before Shafiya acquired his profound knowledge, he went through a long way of life, which can become an example for many believers in Allah.

A Few Facts About the Imam

The identity of Imam ash Shafiinteresting even at a glance. His contemporaries often told that he had just phenomenal knowledge not only in the field of theology, but also in scientific disciplines. In many respects this was provided by the ability of his memory to absorb all the information received. Everyone who knew the imam close enough said that he remembered everything he had ever heard in his life. This enabled him to make wise judgments on important theological questions by the age of fifteen.

It should be noted that in his youth Imam Shafiaa few years he lived in one of the tribes. Over the years, he has acquired good archery skills and managed very well with horses. These lessons brought him great pleasure, once he even thought about leaving science for another fate.

In the biography of the imam it is written that he was verypious and kind. Never Al-Shafiyah was not wealthy, but that did not harden his heart. Often he gave the poor and all who wished hard-earned money without the slightest regret.

It is also known that for his conscious adulthe never ate a full life. Sometimes it was a forced measure because of extreme need, but for the most part - an informed choice. Imam believed that the satiety of the corporeal leads to spiritual hunger. Since the body full of food does not give full enjoyment of communion with Allah and makes the heart of stone.

The contemporaries of Al-Shafi'i testified that,that during the reading of some verses of the Qur'an, the Imam often fainted. He was so imbued with what he heard that he entered the deep state of trance, which was peculiar only to very religious people.

It is not surprising that such a person becamethe founder and creator of one of the madhhabs, named after him. To date, prayer on the madhhab of Imam Shafi'i is considered the most common and is committed by a large part of the faithful.

Mazhab: a short description

Not everyone who wants to convert to Islam, immediatelyunderstands what the term "madhhab" is. In fact, it means a school where they study Sharia law. It is noteworthy, but there are several such schools. In total there are six of them, but the most famous are four:

• Hanafi;
• Malikit;
• Shafi'i;
• the Hanbalite.

You can also call the Zahirit and Jafarite madhhab. However, one of them is almost completely lost, and the second one is used only by a certain group of Muslims.

Each school was created by theological scholars. Sometimes it was one person, and sometimes the work of a whole group of respected and revered Muslims was required. The Mazhab is not just the result of their labors, but also an opinion on certain issues of Islam, confirmed in debates and disputes. This practice was widely used among Muslims and Imam Shafii was considered an excellent speaker. He could win in disputes with the most famous scientists of the time, many theological disputes were held in the presence of spectators.

It is interesting that the difference between the madhhabs is rather insignificant. The basis of Islamic knowledge, they are presented in exactly the same way, but each school interprets the secondary issues in its own way.

Childhood of the future Imam

The full name of the future imam consists of more thanten names. However, most often he was called Mohammed ash Shafi'i. His genealogy goes back to the Prophet's family, it was often mentioned in various sources. Thus, the high origin of the scientist and the theologian was emphasized with respect to the other founders of the madhhabs. Imam Shafii's biography was studied very well, but a lot of questions from specialists cause the place of his birth.

It is known that Mohammed was born in the hundredthe fiftieth year of the Muslim calendar. But the place of his birth is still called more than four different cities. It is officially believed that the place in which the imam lived until two years old was Gaza. However, the parents of Al-Shafi'i came to Palestine from Mecca because of the activities of Muhammad's father. He was a military man and died before that time, as the son came out of infancy.

In Gaza, the family lived very poorly, and the mother decidedreturn with the boy to Mecca, where their relatives were. This allowed them to somehow make ends meet, but the family always did not have enough money. It is worth noting that the city in those days was the abode of scholars, theologians and sages, so the young Imam was fascinated by the atmosphere of Mecca, and he wholeheartedly reached for knowledge. There was nothing to pay for studies, and the boy just came to listen to what the teachers tell the other children. He sat down beside the teacher and memorized all that was said. Sometimes Muhammad even taught lessons instead of teachers who quickly noted his incredible abilities. The boy was taught for free, and he kept records on the bark of the tree, leaves and rags, since the mother could not buy him a paper.

At the age of seven the future imam recited by heartThe Qur'an, and after several years of study at two of the greatest scholars, Mecca became a specialist in hadith, learned the statements of the prophet and even got the right to make theological conclusions on important issues.

New life stage: Medina and Yemen

Before the age of thirty-four, Imam Shafi'i was trained inMedina. Here lived and worked a great scientist, who founded the Malikite madhhab. He gladly accepted the young man to his studies immediately after his arrival in the city. But even the famous theologian was amazed when his book Imam Shafii learned by heart literally in nine days. In the "Muvatte" Malik ibn Anasa collected all the most authentic hadiths, which were often quoted by the faithful, but none of the Muslims could learn them for such a short time.

After going to Yemen, the Imam decided to doteaching activities. He was extremely constrained in the means and therefore took many students. According to contemporaries, Mohammed was an excellent speaker and his speeches often differed in excessive frankness. This interested the local officials, who after a while accused him of plotting and inciting to sedition.

The future imam was chained and sent toIraq, where at this time the Khalif Kharun al-Rashid ruled. Together with Muhammad, nine other people arrived in Rakkah, also accused of revolting against the Caliphate. Al-Shafi'i personally met with the Caliph and managed to protect himself. Harun al-Rashid really liked the open and warm speech of the Imam, and for him the Baghdad Qadi, who was given a young scientist and bailed after his release, stood up for him.

Training in Iraq

Acquaintance with Qadi Baghdad produced on the Imamash-Shafi'i strong impression, and he stayed in Iraq for two years. Muhammad ash-Shaibani, who saved the future imam from execution, became his teacher and acquainted with the numerous works of jurists who lived in the country during this period. They seemed to the young scientist to be very interesting, but not with all the doctrines and quotes Imam Shafiqi agreed. Therefore, disputes often arose between the teacher and the student. Once they even arranged a public debate, in which the future imam won a clear victory. However, the relationship between Al-Shaibani and his disciple did not deteriorate, they became good friends.

Further excerpts from this significantThe dispute entered even one of the books written by the future imam. In search of knowledge, Muhammad al-Shafi'i traveled a lot of countries and cities. He managed to visit Syria, Persia and other areas. After a ten-year journey, the Imam decided to return to Mecca.

Teaching

In Mecca, the imam beganteaching activities. He had quite a few students who were united in a special circle. His Al-Shafi'i organized almost immediately after his return to Mecca, meetings of like-minded people took place in the Forbidden Mosque.

However, the imam still attracted Iraq, in which he spent his best years and at the age of forty-five he decided to return to this country with the accumulated knowledge and life experience.

The Egyptian period of the life of the Imam

Arriving in the capital of Iraq, Al-Shafi'i joinedvarious scientific groups of Baghdad. Scientists gathered in the main mosque and gave lectures to all comers. At the time of the imam's arrival, there were about twenty theological groups in the city, in a short period of time their number was reduced to three. All members of the scientific groups joined Muhammad and became his disciples.

Three years later, the Imam decided to go to Egypt,where the most outstanding scientists of the Muslim world gathered at that time. Al-Shafi'i took the country very warmly and gave him the opportunity to conduct lectures in the most famous educational center. Here, along with other theologians and scientists, he was engaged in teaching activities, developing new methods in the process.

From the early morning immediately after the prayer, he proceeded tolessons. Initially, the Koran came to him, then the disciples interested in the hadith. Then the teacher was engaged in speakers, language experts and poets who read their poems. Imam Shafi'i thus spent all day in the work, he simultaneously taught others and himself received from people the most valuable information.

The Basics of Muslim Law

Imam is considered the founder of science, necessitywho before his work no one understood. He reflected on the fact that it is necessary to formulate and formalize in the form of a book the basis of Muslim law. The first and most thorough work on this topic was Ar-Risal. In the book, numerous concepts of Islam, rules of interpretation and conditions on which one can operate in a dispute with verses and hadiths were collected and substantiated. This scientific work is considered one of the most important in the work of the theologian.

Muhammad himself believed that in his work he helpedprayer to Allah and daily prayer. Imam Shafii was often asked about how he managed to write such a work, and he always answered that he worked a lot at night, for the theologian reserved only one part of the dark time of the day for sleep.

Death of Imam

Al-Shafi'i died at the age of fifty-four inEgypt. The circumstances of his death are not clear, some experts claim that he was the victim of an attack. Others believe that he left this world after a long illness.

Some time after death, pilgrims reached the imam's tomb. Until now, the place at the foot of Mukathram, where Muhammad is buried, is the place where the devout come to pray to Allah.

Shafi'i madhhab: description

At first glance, it is difficult to understand how a single mazhab differs from another. But we tried to identify the main features of the school created by the imam:

• Removing contradictions between other madhhabs.
• Appeal to the Prophet's quotations in the theological debates occurs as calmly as possible.
• A special status of decisions taken for the sake of common good.
• According to the mazhab of Imam Shafi'i, an appeal to hadith is permissible only when it is impossible to find relevant information in the Qur'an.
• For consideration are taken only those hadiths, which were passed by associates from Medina.
• One of the methods of the madhhab is the unanimous opinion of scientists, it takes a special place in methodology.

To date, the followers of this schoolare found all over the world. You can meet them in Pakistan, Iran, Syria, Africa and even Russia. They include Chechens, Ingush and Avars. Many devout believers believe that the Shafi'i madhhab is the most understandable. Therefore, it is so popular among believers. It is interesting that even adherents of other schools often use certain nuances from the madhhab ash-Shafi'i.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the personImam is very popular in the Islamic world. And most of this relationship the theologian deserved not so much by his works, as by personal qualities. He possessed all the characteristics that are built in the Qur'an as a benefactor. Muhammad was known as a humble, generous and generous man who was ready to give all the time to the service of Allah and the study of sciences.

It is noteworthy that this year was even filmeda series about the life of Imam Shafi'i. All series are already two seasons and have a huge success. In a modern world with a rather ambiguous attitude toward Islam, this allows you to see religion in the true light, as it was during the life of Al-Shafi'i.