The great scholar of Islam Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris ibn al-`Abbas ibn Uthman ibn Shafi`ee ibn al-Sa�ib ibn `Ubayd ibn Abd Yazid ibn Hashim ibn al-Muttalib descended from the Hashimi family of the Quraysh tribe to which the Prophet (Salallahu-a'laihi wassallam) belonged. He is the only one from the four well known Imaams of Islam to be from the family of the Prophet (Salallahu-a'laihi wassallam). He was born in Ghazzah, Palestine in 150 AH / 767 CE, and became famous as Imaam ash-Shafi`ee.
Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah]'s father died when he was very young and he was brought up by his mother, Umm al Hasan, in a very poor home. Once again we see that behind this great scholar was a very pious and dedicated mother. She moved to Makkah to ensure that her son is raised in an Islamic environment. Their Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah] spent a lot of his time among the Bedouins as he mastered Arabic and acquired great knowledge of Arabic poetry. It is said that he memorized the Quran by age seven and by ten he had memorized the Muwatta of Imaam Maalik [Rahimahullah]. Historical records claim that he became a recognized expounder of Islamic Jurisprudence (Mufti) at the age of fifteen.
At the young age of only twenty, he went to Madinah and remained there as a student of an other great scholar of Islam, Imaam Maalik [Rahimahullah]. Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah] remained with Imaam Maalik [Rahimahullah] till the latter�s death in 796CE. He spent a total of nine years with Imaam Maalik [Rahimahullah] during which he managed to learn everything Imaam Maalik [Rahimahullah] had to offer. He also came into contact with other learned men from whom he acquired more knowledge of the Quran and the Sunnah. Imaam ash-Shafi�ee [Rahimahullah] possessed a very sharp memory and knew all of Imaam Maalik�s Muwatta by heart.
Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah] was truly a student of knowledge from the cradle to the grave. Acquiring the knowledge of the scholars in Madinah was only the start for Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah] quest for knowledge because he traveled extensively to most of the places known for knowledge at the time. In 187AH / 804CE, he visited Syria and from there proceeded to Egypt where he settled. As a student of Imaam Maalik, he was received with great honor and respect by the people and scholars of Egypt. And, in 810CE he went to Baghdad and there he was surrounded by a large number of students who were eager to acquire knowledge of the faith and practices of Islam from him. One important student there was the great scholar of Islam, defender of the Sunnah, Imaam Ahmed ibn Hanbal [Rahimahullah]. Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah] was very humble and recognized the strengths of his students. This is clearly evident from the following quote:
Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah] said: "You (addressing Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal [Rahimahullah]) are more knowledgeable about Hadith than I, so when a hadith is Sahih, inform me of it, whether it is from Kufah, Basrah or Syria, so that I may take the view of the hadith, as long as it is Sahih. [Related by Ibn Abi Haatim in Aadaab ash-Shafi`ee (pp. 94-5)]
This does not only show the virtue of Imaam Ahmed ibn Hanbal [Rahimahullah] but also shows the humbleness of Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah]. Even though Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah] was the teacher of Imaam Ahmed ibn Hanbal [Rahimahullah] but when he saw his student excel in a subject he request him to correct his teacher. This quote also shows the eagerness of Imaam Ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah] to stick to the authentic hadith. The next quote from Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah] will further illustrates this point:
Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah] said: "When a Hadith is found to be Sahih, then that is my madhhab." [Related by Imaam an-Nawawi in Al-Majmoo' Volume # 1 Page #63]
Imaam ash-Shafi�ee [Rahimahullah] wrote several books, the most well known of which is called al-Umm, which is a collection of writings and lectures of the Imaam. A number of his students have also collected his writings, lectures and rulings in the form of books, or quoted him in their books.
At that time in Islamic history the centers for learning knowledge were Madinah, Baghdad and Cairo, and Imaam ash-Shafi�ee [Rahimahullah] studied in all of them. During the time of sultan Salahuddin, the Shafi�ee Madhhab (or school of Jurisprudence) was the most prominent in Egypt, and to this day the Imaam of the Al-Azhar Masjid is always a follwer of the Shafi�ee Madhhab and the Shafi�ee Madhhab is rigorously studied along with that of the other three schools of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah.
Imaam ash-Shafi�ee [Rahimahullah] was asked why he used a walking stick. He replied, �To remind myself that I am on a journey out of this life.� He died at the age of 53 on January 20, 820 and was buried in al-Fustat, Egypt.
May Allah have mercy upon him and shower him with divine mercy. In the humble opinion of this author, all Muslims should benefit from the vast knowledge and excellent example of Imaam ash-Shafi`ee [Rahimahullah]. Imaam ash-Shafi�ee [Rahimahullah] is not only an Imaam for those who follow his Madhhab, he is an Imaam, a scholar, and example for the entire Muslim ummah.
Imaam Ash-Shafi'ee [Rahimahullah] said "I never talked with someone but sincerely wished that Allah keep him, protect him from sin and misdeed and guide him; and I never debated with someone but sincerely wished that we would come upon truth, regardless of whether he or I should be the one to think of it first."