Essay On Shafi I School Of Thought

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Anum Aftab
Professor Emad Hamdeh
ARIN-185-01
29 April 2014
Shafi’i School of Thought
Abu’ Abdillah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi’i also known as Imam al-Shafi’i was one of many influential figures in the Sunni Muslim community who gave rise to Shafi’i school of usul al-fiqh/Madh’hab (El Shamsy and Zysow). Born in Gaza, Palestine year 767 CE (Common Era), Imam Shafi’i had memorized the Quran by age seven and was studying usul al-fiqh (study of principles and sources that Islamic jurisprudence is based on) and obtaining knowledge of Islam through jurisprudence. At the young age of thirteen, Imam al-Shafi’i began studying fiqh, which is comprehension, understanding and jurisprudence in Islam, under Imam Malik, a highly respected scholar of fiqh in Sunni Islam (Khatak and Shahab). Through this Imam Shafi’i was able to study several viewpoints of the fiqh which led him to write Kitᾱb Al-Umm and Al-Risᾱla. The Al-Umm focuses on legal material in jurisprudence and the Al-Risᾱla focuses on four main sources: the Quran, the Sunnah of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), consensus of scholars within the Muslim community, and Qiyas or analogical deduction (El Shamsey, 199-200). Through these teachings of law, al-Shafi’i introduced a completely unique perspective of the Islamic legal thought to Sunni Muslims and revolutionized the study of fiqh.
Before the revolutionary idea of systematic legal reasoning was introduced by Imam al-Shafi’i, the society followed sharῑ’a and opposed such an idea but soon it became permanent. Sharῑ’a is an Islamic legal theory that derived from a high divine source and embodied God’s justice and will and at the time mirrored the society’s character. Jurists believed in this theory for generations and believed the idea of syste...

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... al-Shafi’i has contributed politically to society on being the creation of Pakistan (El Shamsey, 5-10).
Shafi’i school of thought is stated to be the most conservative out of the four schools of Islamic Jurisprudence due to its focus on studying fiqh or religious laws and tradition in Sunni Islam that revolutionized religious perspective in society (Khatak and Shahab). The revolution first began by Imam Shafi’i introducing the idea to society, then writing the Kitᾱb Al-Umm and Al-Risᾱla that served as authoritative guides to society, followed by helping create a specific school of thought (El Shamsy and Zysow). This revolution is still present in society today and is helping guide several Muslims follow the laws and regulations of Sunni Islam (El Shamsey, 1). Abu’ Abdillah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi’I has truly created and revolutionized Sunni Islam perspective.

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