The Shāfi‘ī madhhab (شافعي) is one of the four schools of fiqh, or religious law, within Sunni Islam. The Shāfi‘ī school of fiqh is named after Imām ash-Shāfi‘ī. The other three schools of law are Hanafi, Maliki and Hanbali.
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Principles
The Shāfi‘ī School of thought stipulates authority to four sources of jurisprudence, also known as the Usul al-fiqh. In hierarchical order the usul al-fiqh consist of: the Quran, the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, ijma' "consensus", and qiyas "analogy".
The Shāfi‘ī school also refers to the opinions of Muhammad's companions (primarily Al-Khulafa ar-Rashidun). The school, based on Shāfi‘ī's books ar-Risala fi Usul al-Fiqh and Kitāb al-Umm, which emphasizes proper istinbaat (derivation of laws) through the rigorous application of legal principles as opposed to speculation or conjecture.
Imam Shāfi‘ī approached the imperatives of the Islamic Shariah (Canon Law) distinctly in his own systematic methodology. Imam Shāfi‘ī, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal almost entirely exclude the exercise of private judgment in the exposition of legal principles. They are wholly governed by the force of precedents, adhering to the Scripture and Traditions; they also do not admit the validity of a recourse to analogical deduction of such an interpretation of the Law whereby its spirit is adopted to the special circumstances of any special case. Their followers are accordingly designated as "Ahlu l-Hadith" or "Traditionalists par excellence", while the followers of Abu Hanifa are called "Ahlu r-Ra'i" - the "People of Private Judgement".
Shāfi‘ī is also known as the "First Among Equals" for his exhaustive knowledge and systematic methodology to religious science.
The Imam
Shāfi‘ī's [150 – 206 AH] full name is Abū ‘Abdu l-Lāh Muhammad ibn Idrīs ibn al-Abbās ibn ‘Uthmān ibn Shāfi‘ī ibn as-Sa'ib ibn ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Abd al-Yazīd ibn al-Muttalib ibn ‘Abd Manaf. ‘Abd Manaf was the great grandfather of Muhammad. Based on this lineage, he is from the Quraish tribe.[1] He was born in 150 AH (760 CE) in Gaza in the same year Imam Abū Hanifa died.[2].
As a member of the school of Medina, ash-Shāfi‘ī worked to combine the pragmatism of the Medina school with the contemporary pressures of the Traditionalists. The Traditionalists maintained that jurists could not independently adduce a practice as the sunnah of Muhammad based on ijtihad "independent reasoning" but should only produce verdicts substantiated by authentic hadith.
Based on this claim, ash-Shāfi‘ī devised a method for systematic reasoning without relying on personal deduction. He argued that the only authoritative sunnah were those that were both of Muhammad and passed down from Muhammad himself. He also argued that sunnah contradicting the Quran were unacceptable, claiming that sunnah should only be used to explain the Quran. Furthermore, ash-Shāfi‘ī claimed that if a practice is widely accepted throughout the Muslim community, it cannot be in contradiction of sunnah.
Ash-Shāfi‘ī was also a significant poet. His poetry is noted for its beauty, wisdom, despite the fact that during his life time he stood off becoming a poet because of his rank as an Islamic scholar. He said once:
- و لولا الشعر بالعلماء يزري
- لكنت اليوم أشعر من لبيد
- For scholars, if poetry did not degrade,
- finer than Labīd's I would have said.
However, the beauty of his poetry made people collect it in one famous book under the name Diwān Imām al-Shāfi‘ī. Many verses are popularly known and repeated in the Arab world as proverbs:
- نعيب زماننا و العيب فينا
- و ما لزماننا عيب سوانا
- و نهجو ذا الزمان بغير ذنب
- و لو نطق الزمان لنا هجانا
- We blame our time though we are to blame.
- No fault has time but only us.
- We scold the time for all the shame.
- Had it a tongue, it would scold us.[3]
Importance of the Shāfi‘ī School
Demographics
The Shāfi‘ī school is followed throughout the Ummah and is the official Madhab of traditional scholars and leading authorities of Ahlu s-Sunnah, but is most prevalent amongst Kurds in Kurdistan and Kurds in other parts of the world. It is also practiced by other communities in Egypt, Mauritius, Somalia, Yemen, the Hejaz in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, State of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India, the Cost district of Mangalore & Bhatkal in Karnataka in India, most of Sunni Muslims of Konkan in Maharashtra in India, Ethiopia, among Chechens in Kazakhstan, Israel and the Palestinian territories, most of Lebanon, Syria and is the official madhab followed by the government of Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia. The government of Indonesia also uses this madhhab for the Indonesian Compilation of Sharia. It is followed by approximately 28% of Muslims world-wide, being the second largest School in terms of followers.
Notable differences in Prayer from other Math'habs
- Takbir - In the First Takbir, Shaf'is raise their Hands Parallel to their Ear Lobes.[4]
- Al-Qayyam - Position of Folding of the hands during Al-Qayyam (Standing) is Below the Chest.[4]
- Ruku' - Shaf'is raise their hands before going to Ruku'.[5]
- Tashahhud - Shaf'is raise the Index Finger of their Right Hand when Reciting the Shahadah and Keep it Raised Until the Tasleem.[5]
- Tasleem - Is considered obligatory by the Maddhab.[6]
- Salat-ul-Witr - Shaf'is pray Two Rak'ats consecutively Perform Tasleem, and One Rak'at is performed separately.[6]
- Dua'Qunoot is recited after the Ruku' during Witr, and Hands are raised during the Dua.[7]
Famous Shāfi‘ī's
- Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, Imam of Ash'ari Dogma and Tenets.Later repented from his old deviant aqeedah and accepted the correct Athari aqeedah before his death.
- Imam Jalaluddin Al-Mahally, Sunni authority in Quranic Tafsir (exegesis)
- Imam Suyuti, Sunni authority in history, Quran, Fiqh, Tafsir, and Hadith
- Imām al-Bayhaqi, Sunni authority in Hadith; Shafiite authority in Fiqh
- Imām ibn Majah, Sunni authority in Hadith
- Imām al-Hakim, Sunni authority in Hadith
- Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdu l-Lāh as-Sumālī, Sunni authority in Hadith
- Imam Abu Dawud Al-Tayalisi, Sunni authority in Hadith
- Imām Tirmizi, Sunni authority in Hadith
- Imam Nasa'ie, Sunni authority in Hadith.
- Imam Daraqutni, Sunni authority in Hadith
- Imam Tabrani, Sunni authority in Hadith
- Imam Al-Mawardi, Sunni authority in Legal ordinances, history and Islamic governance.
- Ibn al-Salah, hadith specialist
- Imām Dhahabi, Sunni authority in Hadith
- Al-Hāfidh ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Sunni's foremost authority in Hadith, author of the authoritative commentary of Sahih Bukhari.
- Imām an-Nawawi, Sunni's second highest authority in Hadith, principal Shāfi‘ī jurist; author of the Sahih Muslim commentary.
- Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, A renowned Sunni expert in Hadith methodology and jurisprudence
- Imam Al-Baghawi, Also known as "Reviver of Sunnah", well-known for his Ma'alim Al-Tanzil in Tafsir.
- Imam Al-Bayhawi, A major Shafiite exegete and legal expert.
- Imam Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Sunni most respected exegete
- Imam Bukhari, Sunni's most prominent Hadith authority in verification
- Imam Muslim ibn Hajjaj, student of Imam Bukhari.
- Ibn Kathir, top-notch Sunni expert in Tafsir, Hadith, Biography and Fiqh.
- Sheikhul Islam Zakariyya Al-Ansari, a notable Sunni expert in jurisprudence.
- Imam Daqiequl-Eid, Sunni specialist scholar in Fiqh and Theology
- Sultan Al-Ulama' Izzuddin Abdul-Salam, renowned Sunni authority in legal law.
- Zainuddin Makhdoom I and II, The Jurist and Historian (respectively) of Kerala
- Sheikh Safi al-Din Is'haq Ardabili
- Imam Al-Ghazali, The Early authority in Principles of Fiqh (Jurisprudence), well-known for his Al-Wasit Fi Al-Madzhab" Author of the Incoherence of The Philosophers.
Contemporary Shafi'i Scholars
- Shaykh Abdullah Al-Harariyy, scholar of Islamic jurisprudence and founder of the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects (http://www.shaykhabdullah.com/)(http://www.aicp.org/)
- Mufti 'Ali Gomaa' - Grand Mufti of Egypt
- Sheikh Nuh Keller - Translator of Imam Nawawi's Al-Maqasid and Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri's Umdat al-Salik wa Uddat al-Nasik
- Sheikh Nuh 'Ali Salman al-Qudat - Former Mufti of the Jordanian Armed Forces
- Sheikh Al-Habib Umar bin Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafidh - Descendant of The Prophet, Dean, Dar Al-Mustafa
- Sheikh Al-Habib Ali Mashhour bin Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafidh - Imam of the Tarim Mosque and Head of Fatwas Council, Tarim, Yemen
- Sheikh Al-Habib 'Ali Zain al-'Abideen al-Jifri [8] - Descendant of The Prophet, Founder of the 'Tabah Foundations for Islamic Studies and Research', lecturer at Dar al Mustafa, Tarim, Yemen
- Sheikh Amjad Rasheed - Islamic scholar from Tarim, Mufti at Sunnipath.com
- Sheikh Hamza Karamali - Teacher at Sunnipath.com
References
- ^ Ibn Hazm, Jamharah Ansab al-'Arab
- ^ al-Zubaidi, Taj al-'Urus under the header 'Shafa'a'
- ^ Diwān Imām al-Shāfi‘ī, Damascus, Syria: Karam Publishing House Verses are translated by Salma al-Helali.
- ^ a b "Hanafi Salat" from Sunnah.org
- ^ a b "Salat According to Five Islamic Schools of Law" from Oneummah.net
- ^ a b "Salat According to Five Islamic Schools of Law" from Al-Islam.org
- ^ "Fiqh on Prayer" from ICBH.org
- ^ Short Biography on Habib 'Ali al-Jifri
- Rippin, Andrew (2005). Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices (3rd ed.). London: Routledge. pp. 90-93. ISBN 0-415-34888-9.
- Calder, Norman, Jawid Mojaddedi, and Andrew Rippin (2003). Classical Islam: A Sourcebook of Religious Literature. London: Routledge. Section 7.1.
- Schacht, Joseph (1950). The Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence. Oxford: Oxford University. pp. 16.
- Khadduri, Majid (1987). Islamic Jurisprudence: Shafi'i's Risala. Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society. pp. 286.
- Abd Majid, Mahmood (2007). Tajdid Fiqh Al-Imam Al-Syafi'i. Seminar pemikiran Tajdid Imam As Shafie 2007.
- al-Shafi'i,Muhammad b. Idris,"The Book of the Amalgamation of Knowledge" translated by A.Y. Musa in Hadith as Scripture: Discussions on The Authority Of Prophetic Traditions in Islam, New York: Palgrave, 2008
External links
- Detailed Biography of Imam Shafi'i
- Short Biography of Imam Shafi'i
- Concise Summary of Imam Shafi'i
- Contribution of Imam Shafi'i
- Urdu Translation of Imam Shafi'is Kitaab-ur-Risala by Mubashir Nazir
- Review of Imam Shafi'i's al-Risala
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