Who founded the Shafi'i school?

The Shafi'i school was founded by Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (767-820), a brilliant jurist who studied under Imam Malik in Medina before joining the students of Abu Hanifa in Iraq. His method came out of the synthesis between the Medinan tradition, bound to the texts, and the Iraqi school, more inclined to reasoning. He died in Egypt, where his school is still strongly present.

What is the method of the Shafi'i school?

Al-Shafi'i set out a clear ranking of the sources: the Quran, the Sunnah, the consensus of the scholars, then reasoning by analogy. He is considered the first to have codified the foundations of law (usul al-fiqh), in particular in his epistle ar-Risala. Shafi'i jurists always give priority to textual evidence before turning to personal opinion, in a systematic and methodical way.

Where is the Shafi'i school in the majority?

The Shafi'i madhhab prevails in South-East Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei), in East Africa (Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania), as well as in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and parts of Kurdistan. Millions of Muslims follow its teachings day to day, and its works are studied in Islamic institutions the world over.

What are the ritual particularities of the Shafi'i school?

According to the Shafi'i school, direct skin contact with a person of the opposite sex who is not a close relative breaks the ablutions, a position the other schools do not share. It also requires the worshipper to recite Al-Fatiha behind the imam in congregational prayer. Such differences come from differing readings of the texts and do not affect the validity of the prayer according to the other schools of law.

What are the reference books of the Shafi'i school?

The founding work is al-Umm, written by al-Shafi'i himself, which sets out his legal positions. His Risala lays the foundations of the science of legal theory. Among the great later manuals is al-Muhadhdhab by al-Shirazi, alongside the works of scholars such as al-Ghazali and an-Nawawi, whose texts are still taught in the traditional schools.

The Shafi'i school: al-Shafi'i and the science of legal theory

One of the four schools of law in Sunni Islam

Discover the Shafi'i School

Founded by Imam al-Shafi'i, a tradition of legal excellence since the 8th century

History and Founding

The Shafi'i school was founded by Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (767-820), a brilliant jurist who studied under Imam Malik. This school was born of the synthesis between the traditions of the school of Medina and that of Iraq, creating a method of its own, unique and rigorous.

"If a hadith is authentic, it is my doctrine." — Imam al-Shafi'i

Main Features

📚

Method

A balance between the texts (Quran and Sunnah) and analogical reasoning

⚖️

Jurisprudence

A systematic and methodical approach to working out the law

🌍

Influence

The majority school in South-East Asia, East Africa and parts of the Middle East

Core Principles

The Shafi'i school stands out for:

A clear and systematic method for deriving rulings
Equal weight given to the authentic hadiths and to the Quran
A balanced approach between text and reason
The codification of the foundations of Islamic law (usul al-fiqh)

The Shafi'i school: a cornerstone of Islamic jurisprudence today

The Shafi'i school is one of the four Sunni schools of law recognised in Islam. It takes its name from Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i, born in 767 and died in 820. This great scholar transformed Islamic legal science by establishing rigorous principles of method.

Al-Shafi'i developed a balanced approach between the traditions of Medina and the rational methods of Iraq. His method rests on four main sources: the Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, the consensus of the scholars and analogical reasoning. That clear ranking of the sources shaped every school that came after.

The Shafi'i school stands out for its methodological rigour and its attachment to the texts. It gives an important place to the authentic hadiths in working out legal rulings. Shafi'i jurists give priority to textual evidence before turning to personal reasoning.

Geographically, this school prevails in several parts of the Muslim world. It is found chiefly in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Indonesia, Malaysia and parts of East Africa. Millions of Muslims follow its teachings in their daily practice of the religion.

In matters of ritual practice, the Shafi'i school has a few particularities. For instance, it holds that touching a person of the opposite sex breaks the ablutions. It also requires the recitation of Al-Fatiha behind the imam in prayer in congregation.

The reference works include "al-Umm" by al-Shafi'i himself and "al-Muhadhdhab" by al-Shirazi. These texts are still studied in Islamic institutions the world over, a sign of this school's lasting influence.