Shafi'i
Encyclopedia
The Shafi'i madhhab is one of the schools of fiqh
, or religious law, within the Sunni
branch of Islam
. The Shafi'i school of fiqh is named after Imām ash-Shafi'i.
, also known as the Usul al-fiqh
. In hierarchical order, the usul al-fiqh consist of: the Quran, the Sunnah
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
, ijmā'
("consensus"), and qiyas
("analogy").
The Shafi'i school also refers to the opinions of Muhammad's companions (primarily Al-Khulafa ar-Rashidun). The school, based on Shafi'i's books ar-Risala fi Usul al-Fiqh and Kitab al-Umm
, which emphasizes proper istinbaat (derivation of laws) through the rigorous application of legal principles as opposed to speculation or conjecture.
Shafi'i's treatise ar-Risala fi Usul al-Fiqh is not to be mistaken or confused with the al-Risala of Imam Malik.
Imam Shafi'i approached the imperatives of the Islamic Sharia
h (Canon Law) distinctly in his own systematic methodology. Imam Shafi'i, 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 circumstances of any special case.
Shafi'i is also known as the "First Among Equals" for his exhaustive knowledge and systematic methodology to religious science.
. Based on this lineage, he is from the Quraish tribe. He was born in 150 AH (760 CE) in Gaza
in the same year Imam Abu Hanifa died. Al-Nawawī, a prominent Shāfiʻī scholar, cited Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah
, one of al-Shafi`i's teachers, as being from "the grandfathers of the Shāfiʻī scholars in their methodology in jurisprudence
".
As a member of the school of Medina
, ash-Shafi'i 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-Shafi'i 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-Shafi'i claimed that if a practice is widely accepted throughout the Muslim community, it cannot be in contradiction of sunnah.
Ash-Shafi'i was also a significant poet. His poetry is noted for its beauty, wisdom, despite the fact that during his lifetime he stood off becoming a poet because of his rank as an Islamic scholar
. He said once:
However, the beauty of his poetry made people collect it in one famous book under the name Diwān
Imām al-Shafi'i. Many verses are popularly known and repeated in the Arab world as proverbs:
The al-Quran has brought a transformation to the Arab language especially in Arabic poetry,prose,etc
thus shaping the from and essence of modern/contemporary Arabic poetry.
and is the official school of thought of most traditional scholars and leading Sunni
authorities. It is also recognized as the official school of thought by the governments of Brunei Darussalam
and Malaysia. In addition, the government of Indonesia
uses this madhab for the Indonesian compilation of sharia
law.
It is the dominant school of thought in Yemen
, Lower Egypt
, Syria
, the Palestinian Territories
, Jordan
, Indonesia
, Malaysia, majority of the North Caucasus
(notably in Chechnya
, Dagestan
and Ingushetia
), Kurdistan (East Turkey, North west Iran, North Iraq, Northern Syria), Djibouti
, Eritrea
, Somalia
, Sudan
, Maldives
, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam
and Indonesia
.
It is also practised by large communities in Kuwait
, Saudi Arabia
(in the Hejaz
and Asir), the United Arab Emirates
, Israel
, the Swahili Coast
, Mauritius
, Singapore
, South Africa
, Thailand
, Vietnam
, Cambodia
, the Philippines
, Sri Lanka
, Ethiopia
, Kazakhstan
(by Chechens
) and Indian States of Kerala
(most of the Mappila
s), Karnataka
(Bhatkal
, Mangalore
and Coorg districts), Maharashtra
(by Konkani Muslims
) and Tamil Nadu
.
The Shafi`i madhhab is second largest school, after the Hanafi madhab, of the Sunni branch of Islam in terms of followers. It is practiced by approximately a third (32%) of Sunni Muslims, or around 29% of all Muslims worldwide.
, Zengid dynasty, Ayyubid dynasty
and later the Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)
, where it saw its greatest development and application. It was also adopted by the Kathiri
state in Hadhramawt and most of rule of the Sharif of Mecca
and Hijaz.
Early European explorers speculated that T'ung-kan (Hui people
, called "Chinese Mohammedan") in Xinjiang
originated from Khorezmians who were transported to China by the Mongols, and that they were descended from a mixture of Chinese, Iranians, and Turkic peoples. They also reported that the T'ung-kan were Shafi'ites, which the Khorezmians were as well.
(connected) and undermined the relevance of mursal (skipped) hadith
, his madhab found particular favour among hadith scholars.
Polymaths:
In Hadith
:
In Tafsir
:
In Fiqh
:
In Aqidah:
In Sufism
In History
In Arabic Language
Studies
Statesmen
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, or religious law, within the Sunni
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
branch of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. The Shafi'i school of fiqh is named after Imām ash-Shafi'i.
Principles
The Shafi'i school of thought stipulates authority to four sources of jurisprudenceJurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
, also known as the Usul al-fiqh
Usul al-fiqh
Uṣūl al-fiqh is the study of the origins, sources, and principles upon which Islamic jurisprudence is based. In the narrow sense, it simply refers to the question of what are the sources of Islamic law...
. In hierarchical order, the usul al-fiqh consist of: the Quran, the Sunnah
Sunnah
The word literally means a clear, well trodden, busy and plain surfaced road. In the discussion of the sources of religion, Sunnah denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar...
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, ijmā'
Ijma
Ijmāʿ is an Arabic term referring to the consensus of the Muslim community. Various schools of thought within Islamic jurisprudence may define this consensus as that of the first generation of Muslims only; the consensus of the first three generations of Muslims; the consensus of the jurists...
("consensus"), and qiyas
Qiyas
In Islamic jurisprudence, qiyās is the process of deductive analogy in which the teachings of the Hadith are compared and contrasted with those of the Qur'an, in order to apply a known injunction to a new circumstance and create a new injunction...
("analogy").
The Shafi'i school also refers to the opinions of Muhammad's companions (primarily Al-Khulafa ar-Rashidun). The school, based on Shafi'i's books ar-Risala fi Usul al-Fiqh and Kitab al-Umm
Kitab al-Umm
The Kitāb al-Umm is a book of law that is used as an authoritative guide by the Shafi'i school of fiqh within the Sunni branch of Islam. The work was composed by the founder of the Shafi'i school, Imām ash-Shāfi‘ī...
, which emphasizes proper istinbaat (derivation of laws) through the rigorous application of legal principles as opposed to speculation or conjecture.
Shafi'i's treatise ar-Risala fi Usul al-Fiqh is not to be mistaken or confused with the al-Risala of Imam Malik.
Imam Shafi'i approached the imperatives of the Islamic Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
h (Canon Law) distinctly in his own systematic methodology. Imam Shafi'i, 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 circumstances of any special case.
Shafi'i is also known as the "First Among Equals" for his exhaustive knowledge and systematic methodology to religious science.
The Imam
Shafi'i's [150 – 206 AH] full name is Abū ‘Abdu l-Lāh Muhammad ibn Idrīs ibn al-Abbās ibn ‘Uthmān ibn Shāfi‘ ibn as-Sa'ib ibn ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Abd al-Yazīd ibn al-Muttalib ibn ‘Abd Manaf. ‘Abd Manaf was the great great grandfather of MuhammadMuhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. Based on this lineage, he is from the Quraish tribe. He was born in 150 AH (760 CE) in Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
in the same year Imam Abu Hanifa died. Al-Nawawī, a prominent Shāfiʻī scholar, cited Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah
Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah
Abū Muḥammad Sufyān ibn `Uyaynah ibn Maymūn al-Hilālī al-Kūfī was a prominent eighth century Islamic religious scholar from Mecca. He was is from the third generation of Islam referred to as the Tābi`u al-Tābiʻīn, "the followers of the followers." He specialized in the field of hadith and Qur`an...
, one of al-Shafi`i's teachers, as being from "the grandfathers of the Shāfiʻī scholars in their methodology in jurisprudence
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
".
As a member of the school of Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
, ash-Shafi'i worked to combine the pragmatism of the Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
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
Ijtihad
Ijtihad is the making of a decision in Islamic law by personal effort , independently of any school of jurisprudence . as opposed to taqlid, copying or obeying without question....
"independent reasoning" but should only produce verdicts substantiated by authentic hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
.
Based on this claim, ash-Shafi'i 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-Shafi'i claimed that if a practice is widely accepted throughout the Muslim community, it cannot be in contradiction of sunnah.
Ash-Shafi'i was also a significant poet. His poetry is noted for its beauty, wisdom, despite the fact that during his lifetime he stood off becoming a poet because of his rank as an Islamic scholar
Ulema
Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
. He said once:
- و لولا الشعر بالعلماء يزري
- لكنت اليوم أشعر من لبيد
- For scholars, if poetry did not degrade,
- I would have been a finer poet than LabīdLabidLabid can either refer to*Labīd, the Arabian poet*Labid, a brand name for theophylline...
.
However, the beauty of his poetry made people collect it in one famous book under the name Diwān
Diwan (poetry)
-Etymology:The English usage of the phrase Diwan Poetry comes from the Arabic word diwan , which is loaned from Persian means designated a list or register. The Persian word derived from the Persian dibir meaning writer or scribe...
Imām al-Shafi'i. 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.
The al-Quran has brought a transformation to the Arab language especially in Arabic poetry,prose,etc
thus shaping the from and essence of modern/contemporary Arabic poetry.
Demographics
The Shafi'i school is followed throughout the UmmahUmmah
Ummah is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation." It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or the whole Arab world...
and is the official school of thought of most traditional scholars and leading Sunni
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
authorities. It is also recognized as the official school of thought by the governments of Brunei Darussalam
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
and Malaysia. In addition, the government of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
uses this madhab for the Indonesian compilation of sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law.
It is the dominant school of thought in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, Lower Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, the Palestinian Territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, majority of the North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
(notably in Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
, Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
and Ingushetia
Ingushetia
The Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg...
), Kurdistan (East Turkey, North west Iran, North Iraq, Northern Syria), Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
, Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
It is also practised by large communities in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
(in the Hejaz
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
and Asir), the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the Swahili Coast
Swahili Coast
The Swahili Coast refers to the coast or coastal area of East Africa inhabited by the Swahili people, mainly Kenya, Tanzania, and north Mozambique...
, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
(by Chechens
Chechen people
Chechens constitute the largest native ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus region. They refer to themselves as Noxçi . Also known as Sadiks , Gargareans, Malkhs...
) and Indian States of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
(most of the Mappila
Mappila
Mappila or Moplah refers to a Muslim community of Kerala, primarily in the northern region called Malabar, which arose in Malabar as a result of the pre and post Islamic Arab contacts. Significant numbers of the community are also present in the southern districts of Karnataka and western parts of...
s), Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
(Bhatkal
Bhatkal
Bhatkal is also known as Batecala in some historical text especially in Portuguese history.Once ruled by Jain King Bhattakalanka and thus the name. Bhatkal is a port town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India 126 km from Karwar. The town lies on NH-17 running between Mumbai and Mangalore...
, Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
and Coorg districts), Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
(by Konkani Muslims
Konkani Muslims
Konkani / Kokani Muslims is a Muslim sub-ethnic group of Maharashtrian Muslims living in the Konkan region of India. They speak the Konkani language. A good number of them live in Mumbai...
) and Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
The Shafi`i madhhab is second largest school, after the Hanafi madhab, of the Sunni branch of Islam in terms of followers. It is practiced by approximately a third (32%) of Sunni Muslims, or around 29% of all Muslims worldwide.
Historical
The Shafi'i madhab was adopted as the official madhab during periods of the Abbasid Caliphate, in the first century of the Great Seljuq EmpireGreat Seljuq Empire
The Great Seljuq Empire was a medieval Persianate, Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire, originating from the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks. The Seljuq Empire controlled a vast area stretching from the Hindu Kush to eastern Anatolia and from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf...
, Zengid dynasty, Ayyubid dynasty
Ayyubid dynasty
The Ayyubid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin and centered in Egypt. The dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Ayyubid family, under the brothers Ayyub and Shirkuh, originally served as soldiers for the Zengids until they...
and later the Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)
Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)
The Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt was the final independent Egyptian state prior to the establishment of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty in 1805. It lasted from the overthrow of the Ayyubid Dynasty until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. The sultanate's ruling caste was composed of Mamluks, Arabised...
, where it saw its greatest development and application. It was also adopted by the Kathiri
Kathiri
Kathiri was a sultanate in the Hadhramaut region of the southern Arabian Peninsula, in what is now officially considered part of Yemen and the Dhofar region of Oman....
state in Hadhramawt and most of rule of the Sharif of Mecca
Sharif of Mecca
The Sharif of Mecca or Hejaz was the title of the former governors of Hejaz and a traditional steward of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
and Hijaz.
Early European explorers speculated that T'ung-kan (Hui people
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
, called "Chinese Mohammedan") in Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
originated from Khorezmians who were transported to China by the Mongols, and that they were descended from a mixture of Chinese, Iranians, and Turkic peoples. They also reported that the T'ung-kan were Shafi'ites, which the Khorezmians were as well.
Famous Shafi'i's
The Shafi'i Madhab is distinguished among all the Sunni Schools in having the most illustrious Islamic scholars in history, in all fields, among its followers. As Imam al-Shafi'i emphasized the importance of muttasil hadithHadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
(connected) and undermined the relevance of mursal (skipped) hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
, his madhab found particular favour among hadith scholars.
Polymaths:
- Imam Al-GhazaliAl-GhazaliAbu Hāmed Mohammad ibn Mohammad al-Ghazzālī , known as Algazel to the western medieval world, born and died in Tus, in the Khorasan province of Persia was a Persian Muslim theologian, jurist, philosopher, and mystic....
, Authority in SufismSufismSufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
, Aqidah, FiqhFiqhFiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, Usul al-FiqhUsul al-fiqhUṣūl al-fiqh is the study of the origins, sources, and principles upon which Islamic jurisprudence is based. In the narrow sense, it simply refers to the question of what are the sources of Islamic law...
, and Logic. - Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi, Sunni's second highest authority in Hadith, principal Shafi'i jurist; author of the Sahih Muslim commentary.
- Suyuti, Sunni authority in history, Quran, Fiqh, Tafsir, and Hadith
- Fakhr al-Din al-RaziFakhr al-Din al-RaziAbu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Umar ibn al-Husayn al-Taymi al-Bakri al-Tabaristani Fakhr al-Din al-Razi , most commonly known as Fakhruddin Razi was a well-known Persian Sunni Muslim theologian and philosopher....
- Ibn al-Nafis
In Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
:
- Muhammad al-BukhariMuhammad al-BukhariMuhammad Ibn Ismail Ibn Ibrahim Ibn al-Mughirah Ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhari , popularly known as Bukhari or Imam Bukhari, , was a Sunni Islamic scholar of Persia...
, Sunni's most prominent Hadith authority in verification - Muslim ibn al-HajjajMuslim ibn al-HajjajAbul Husayn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj ibn Muslim ibn Warat al-Qushayri al-Nisaburi was the author of the second authentic sahih collection of hadith in Sunni Islam, Sahih Muslim.-Biography:...
, student of Imam Bukhari. - Al-TirmidhiAl-TirmidhiTirmidhī , also transliterated as Tirmizi, full name Abū ‛Īsá Muḥammad ibn ‛Īsá ibn Sawrah ibn Mūsá ibn al Ḍaḥḥāk al-Sulamī al-Sulamī al-Tirmidhī Tirmidhī , also transliterated as Tirmizi, full name Abū ‛Īsá Muḥammad ibn ‛Īsá ibn Sawrah ibn Mūsá ibn al Ḍaḥḥāk al-Sulamī al-Sulamī al-Tirmidhī...
, Sunni authority in Hadith - al-Nasa'iAl-Nasa'iAl-Nasā'ī , full name Aḥmad ibn Shu`ayb ibn Alī ibn Sīnān Abū `Abd ar-Raḥmān al-Nasā'ī, was a noted collector of hadith , and wrote one of the six canonical hadith collections recognized by Sunni Muslims, Sunan al-Sughra, or "Al-Mujtaba", which he selected from his "As-Sunan al-Kubra"...
, Sunni authority in Hadith. - Al-Bayhaqi, Sunni authority in Hadith; Shafiite authority in Fiqh
- Ibn Majah, Sunni authority in Hadith
- Hakim al-NishaburiHakim al-NishaburiAbu Abd-Allah Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah al-Hakim al-Nishaburi , and also known as Ibn Al-Baiyi.) was a Sunni scholar and the leading traditionist of his age, frequently referred to as the "Imam of the Muhaddithin" or the "Muhaddith of Khorasan."-Biography:Al-Hakim, who hailed from Nishapur, had vast...
, Sunni authority in Hadith - al-Daraqutni, Sunni authority in Hadith
- al-TabaraniAl-TabaraniAbu al-Qasim Sulaiman ibn Ahmad ibn Al-Tabarani was born sometime in 260 AH and lived until 360 AH . He narrated numerous aḥadīth.-Students:...
, Sunni authority in Hadith - Ibn KhuzaymahIbn KhuzaymahAbu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Khuzaymah was a prominent Muslim hadith and Shafi'i fiqh scholar best known for his hadith collection, Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah.- Biography :...
- Ibn al-SalahIbn al-SalahAbū `Amr `Uthmān ibn `Abd al-Raḥmān Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Kurdī al-Shahrazūrī , commonly known as Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ, was a Shafi'i hadith specialist and the author of the seminal Introduction to the Science of Hadith...
, hadith specialist - Yusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-MizziYusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-MizziJamal al-Din, Abi al-Hajjaj, Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Mizzi was an Islamic scholar from the Levant.-Biography:Al-Mizzi was born in Aleppo and grew up and settled in Damascus. He died at Dar al-Hadith al-Ashrafiyyah in Damascus in the year 1342 C.E...
- Shams al-Din Dhahabi, Sunni authority in Hadith
- Ibn Hajar al-AsqalaniIbn Hajar al-AsqalaniAl-Haafidh Shihabuddin Abu'l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad, better known as Ibn Hajar due to the fame of his forefathers, al-Asqalani due to his family origin , was a medieval Shafiite Sunni scholar of Islam who represents the entire realm of the Sunni world in the field of Hadith...
, Sunni's foremost authority in Hadith, author of the authoritative commentary of Sahih Bukhari. - Al-SakhawiAl-SakhawiShams al-Din Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rahman al-Sakhawi was a reputable Shafi'i Muslim hadith scholar and historian who was born in Cairo. "Al-Sakhawi" refers to the village of Sakha in Egypt, where his relatives belonged. He was a prolific writer that excelled in the knowledge of hadith, tafsir,...
- Al-Khatib al-BaghdadiAl-Khatib al-BaghdadiAbu Bakr Ahmad ibn `Ali ibn Thabit ibn Ahmad ibn Mahdi al-Shafi`i, commonly known as al-Khatib al-Baghdadi or the lecturer from Baghdad , was a Sunni Muslim scholar and historian.-Early life:...
, A renowned Sunni expert in Hadith methodology and jurisprudence - Abd al-Rahim ibn al-Husain al-'Iraqi
In Tafsir
Tafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
:
- Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Sunni most respected exegete
- Ibn KathirIbn KathirIsmail ibn Kathir was a Muslim muhaddith, Faqih, historian, and commentator.-Biography:His full name was Abu Al-Fida, 'Imad Ad-Din, Isma'il bin 'Umar bin Kathir, Al-Qurashi, Al-Busrawi...
, top-notch Sunni expert in Tafsir, Hadith, Biography and Fiqh. - Al-BaghawiAl-BaghawiAbu Muhammad al-Husayn ibn Mas'ud ibn Muhammad al-Farra' al-Baghawi was a renowned Persian Muslim Mufassir, hadith scholar and a Shafi`i faqih best known for his major work Tafsir al-Baghawi. Al-Farra was in reference to trading with fur, and al-Baghawi was a reference to his hometown Bagh or...
, Also known as "Reviver of Sunnah", well-known for his Ma'alim Al-Tanzil in Tafsir. - BaidawiBaidawiBaidawi , was a Muslim scholar, was born in Fars, where his father was chief judge, in the time of the Atabek ruler Abu Bakr ibn Sa'd . He himself became judge in Shiraz, and died in Tabriz about 1286. Many commentaries have been written on Baidawi's work...
- Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tha'labiAhmad ibn Muhammad al-Tha'labiAbu Ishaq Ahmad Ibn Muhammed Ibn Ibrahim Al-Thalabi was an 11th century Islamic scholar.-Works:*Tafsir al-Thalabi*Lives of the Prophets , translated by William M. Brinner and Beate Wiesmuller-Sunni view:...
In Fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
:
- Al-MawardiAl-MawardiAbu al-Hasan Ali Ibn Muhammad Ibn Habib al-Mawardi , known in Latin as Alboacen , was an Arab Muslim jurist of the Shafi'i school most remembered for his works on religion, government, the caliphate, and public and constitutional law during a time of political turmoil...
, Sunni authority in Legal ordinances, history and Islamic governance. - Al-JuwayniAl-JuwayniImam al-Haramayn Dhia' ul-Din Abd al-Malik ibn Yusuf al-Juwayni al-Shafi'i was a Sunni Shafi'i hadith and Kalam scholar...
- Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi
- Ibn Daqiq al-'Id
- Zakariyah al-Ansari
- Ibn Hajar al-HaytamiIbn Hajar al-HaytamiIbn Hajar al-Haytami al-Makki was a Sunni Muslim Shafi`i scholar, born in 909 AH .Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami was a student of Zakariyya al-Ansari. He represents the foremost resource for legal opinion in the entire late Shafi`i school...
- Shihab al-Din al-Ramli
- Shams al-Din al-Ramli
- Sayf al-Din al-AmidiSayf al-Din al-AmidiSayf al-Din al-Amidi was an influential jurist of the Shafi`i school who worked to combine kalam with existing methods of jurisprudence. Al-Amidi was first instructed in fiqh and Hanbali law in his home of Amid in eastern Anatolia. At a young age al-Amidi traveled to Baghdad to join the learning...
- Siraj al-Din al-Bulqini
- Ibn al-Mulaqqin
- Al-Isnawi
- Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri
- Zainuddin MakhdoomZainuddin Makhdoom-Zainudden Makhdoom II The Jurist:The famous author of Fat'h Ul Mueen, the Arabic text book on Shafi'i school of Fiqh or Islamic jurisprudence. It was taught in the some of the most renowned Islamic Universities such as Al Azhar-Zainudden Makhdoom I The historian:...
al-Mallibari I and II, The Jurist and Historian (respectively) of KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
In Aqidah:
- Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ariAbu al-Hasan al-Ash'ariAbū al-Hasan Alī ibn Ismā'īl al-Ash'arī was a Muslim Arab theologian and the founder of the Ash'ari school of early Islamic philosophy and Islamic theology.-Biography:...
, Leader of Ash'ariAsh'ariThe Ashʿari theology is a school of early Muslim speculative theology founded by the theologian Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari...
Aqidah.
In Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
- Harith al-MuhasibiHarith al-Muhasibial-Muhasibi was the founder of the Baghdad School of Islamic philosophy, and a teacher of the Sufi masters Junayd al-Baghdadi and Sari al-Saqti....
- Junayd al-Baghdadi
- Sari al-Saqati
- Ibn KhafifIbn KhafifMohammad Ibn Khafif known as Sheikh-i Kabir was a mystic and sufi from Iran.He is credited with bringing Sufism to Shiraz.He is buried in Shiraz, Iran. His tomb is a public library today in Shiraz....
- Abd al-Karīm ibn Hawāzin Qushayri
- Abu Talib al-MakkiAbu Talib al-MakkiAbu Talib al-Makki, Muhammad ibn 'Ali . A hadith scholar, Shafi'i jurist and a Sufi Mystic, set down the foundation of Sufi practices and author of the book Qut al-qulub fi mu'amalat al-mahbub wa wasf tariq al-murid ila maqam al-tawhid Abu Talib al-Makki, Muhammad ibn 'Ali (d. 386/996 in Baghdad)....
- Imam al-HaddadImam al-HaddadImam Abd Allah ibn Alawi al-Haddad born in 1634 CE .He lived his entire life in the town of Tarim in Yemen’s Valley of Hadramawt and died there in 1720 CE .In Islamic history, he was considered one of the sages...
- Ahmad GhazaliAhmad GhazaliAhmad Ghazali was a Persian mystic, writer, and eloquent preacher .-Life:The younger brother of the celebrated theologian, jurist, and Sufi, Abū Ḥāmed Moḥammad Ḡazālī, Aḥmad Ghazali was born in a village near Tous, in Khorasan....
- Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani
- Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi
- Shahab al-Din SuhrawardiShahab al-Din SuhrawardiOther important Muslim mystics carry the name Suhrawardi, particularly Abu 'l-Najib al-Suhrawardi and his paternal nephew Abu Hafs Umar al-Suhrawardi."Shahāb ad-Dīn" Yahya ibn Habash as-Suhrawardī was a Persian...
- Yusuf HamdaniYusuf HamdaniHadrat Abu Yaqub Yusuf Hamdani is the first of the group of Central Asian Sufi teachers known simply as Khwajagan of the Naqshbandi order.-Life:...
- Ahmed ar-Rifa'iAhmed ar-Rifa'i-Early life:Shaikh Ahmed er-Rifai was born in Hasen Region of Wasit, Iraq on a Thursday. This day was in the first half of Recep of lunar months. When he was seven years old, his father Seyyid Sultan Ali died in Baghdad. After that his uncle Seyyid Mansur er-Rabbani el-Betaihi took under his...
- Shams TabriziShams TabriziShams-i-Tabrīzī or Shams al-Din Mohammad was a Persian Muslim, who is credited as the spiritual instructor of Mewlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhi, also known as Rumi and is referenced with great reverence in Rumi’s poetic collection, in particular Diwan-i Shams-i Tabrīzī...
- Safi-ad-din Ardabili Is'haq Ardabili
- Kamal Khujandi
In History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
- Ali ibn al-AthirAli ibn al-AthirAbu al-Hassan Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad, better known as Ali 'Izz al-Din Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari was a Kurdish Muslim historian from the Ibn Athir family...
- Ibn 'Asakir
- Ibn KhallikanIbn KhallikanShams al-Dīn Abū Al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad Ibn Muḥammad Ibn Khallikān was a 13th Century Shafi'i Islamic scholar of Kurdish origin.-Biography:...
In Arabic Language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
Studies
- Raghib IsfahaniRaghib Isfahani-Works:He worked in the lines of Philosophical and religious ethics*Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran*al-Maudhoorath*Muhadarat al Udaba kmnlkm-External links:*http://jis.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/6/1/51...
- FairuzabadiFairuzabadiAbu-t-Tahir Ibn Ibrahim Majd ud-Din ul-Fairuzabadi, was an Arab lexicographer born at Karazin near Shiraz and educated in Shiraz, Wasit, Baghdad and Damascus.- His Life :...
- Ibn Hisham al-Ansari
Statesmen
- SaladinSaladinṢalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
- Nizam al-MulkNizam al-MulkAbu Ali al-Hasan al-Tusi Nizam al-Mulk, better known as Khwaja Nizam al-Mulk Tusi ; born in 1018 – 14 October 1092) was a Persian scholar and vizier of the Seljuq Empire...
Contemporary Shafi'i Scholars
- Wahba ZuhayliWahba ZuhayliDr. Professor Sheikh Wahba Mustafa al-Zuhayli born in Dair Atiah, Syria is a prominent yet somewhat controversial Syrian professor and Islamic scholar specializing in Islamic law and legal philosophy. He is also currently a preacher at Badr Mosque in Dair Atiah. He is the author of scores of...
- Professor of Jurisprudence at Damascus University. - Muhammad Sa'id Ramadan al-ButiMuhammad Sa'id Ramadan al-ButiMuhammad Sa'id Ramadan al-Buti born in Jilka, Turkey is a prominent Syrian professor and Islamic scholar specializing in Islamic theology and Islamic law. He has authored of numerous books, some of which have been translated to English....
- Head of Theology at Damascus University. - Muhammad Hasan Hitu, Leading Syrian scholar in Usul al-Fiqh.
- Ali GomaaAli GomaaSheikh Ali Goma'a is the Grand Mufti of Egypt through Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah succeeding Ahmad El-Tayeb. He has been called "one of the most widely respected jurists in the Sunni Muslim world," and described as "a highly promoted champion of moderate Islam," gender equality, and an "object of...
- Grand MuftiGrand MuftiThe title of Grand Mufti refers to the highest official of religious law in a Sunni or Ibadi Muslim country. The Grand Mufti issues legal opinions and edicts, fatwā, on interpretations of Islamic law for private clients or to assist judges in deciding cases...
of EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. - Habib Umar bin HafizHabib Umar bin HafizHabib Umar bin Hafiz , is an Islamic scholar, teacher, and founder and dean of Dar al-Mustafa Seminary in Tarim, Hadhramaut, Yemen.-Background:...
- Founder of Dar al-Mustafa, a leading Islamic educational institute in Tarim, Yemen. - Habib Ali al-JifriHabib Ali al-JifriHabib Ali Zain al-`Abideen al-Jifri is an Islamic scholar from Hadhramaut, Yemen of the Shafi'i school of fiqh, and the Ashari school of aqida.-Background:...
- Popular scholar from YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. - Abdullah al-Harari (1910 – September 2, 2008) - Started the Ahbash or Habashi movement, also known as the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects at AICP.org.
- Mustafa al-Bagha - A leading jurist from SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. - Mustafa al-Khinn - A leading jurist from SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. - Afifi al-AkitiAfifi al-AkitiDato' Dr Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti BA , MA , MSt , DPhil , MSIEPM – also known as Shaykh Afifi – is Fellow in Islamic Studies at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, and Islamic Centre Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Theology, University of Oxford, and is a Fellow of Worcester...
- University Research Lecturer in Islamic Studies at University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. - Taha Karan - A leading scholar and teacher from South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. - KH Said Aqil Siradj - Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Islamic organisation in IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. - Achmad Hasyim MuzadiHasyim MuzadiAchmad Hasyim Muzadi is currently the Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia.-Political career:...
- Former chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Islamic organisation in IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. - Aboobacker Ahmad - A. P. Sunni leader in Kerala and General Secretary of the Sunni Scholars’ Organisation of India.
- Nuh Ha Mim KellerNuh Ha Mim KellerNuh Ha Mim Keller is an American Muslim translator of Islamic books and a specialist in Islamic law, as well as being authorised by Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri as a sheikh in sufism in the Shadhili Order...
- Translator of Imam Nawawi's Al-MaqasidAl-MaqasidAl-Maqasid is a guide to Islam written by Imam Shatibi in his book "Al-mowafaq'at". It covers purposes of Islamic faith, Zakat , pilgrimage or even of the Qur'an's and Sunnah's text, as well as frequently asked questions and can be used as a primer for students of Islam. Newer editions contain...
and Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri's Umdat al-Salik wa Uddat al-NasikUmdat al-Salik wa Uddat al-NasikUmdat as-Salik wa 'Uddat an-Nasik is a classical manual of fiqh for the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence...
. - Munira Qubeysi - Leader of the Qubeysi movement in SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. - M Din Syamsuddin - Chairman of the Muhammadiyah movement in IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. - Mohammad Salim Al-AwaMohammad Salim Al-AwaMohammad Salim Al-Awa is an Egyptian Islamist thinker, widely considered to belong to the moderate Islamic democratic strain. He is the former Secretary General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars based in London, and head of the Egyptian Association for Culture and Dialogue...
- Leading Islamist thinker from EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. - Nuh Ali Salman al-Quda - Former Grand Mufti of JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. - Abd al-Karim al-Khasawni - Mufti of JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. - Ahmed KuftaroAhmed KuftaroAhmed Muhammad Amin Kuftaro was the Grand Mufti of Syria, the highest Sunni Muslim religious official in that nation.-Biography:...
- Former Grand Mufti of SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. - Seraj Hendricks - Mufti of Cape Town, South Africa.
- Omar Idris - Mufti of Ethiopia.
- Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned - Mufti of Brunei.
- Abdullah Gymnastiar - Popular preacher in IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
- Ahmad Syafi'i MaarifAhmad Syafi'i MaarifAhmad Syafi'i Maarif is a prominent Indonesian intellectual. Ahmad Syafi'i Maarif was the leader of Muhammadiyah, one of the two biggest Muslim organizations in Indonesia, in 1998 - 2005. Ahmad Syafi'i Maarif was the founder of Maarif Institute and who led and inspired born of Jaringan Intelektual...
- Prominent Indonesian intellectual. - Syed Muhammad Naquib al-AttasSyed Muhammad Naquib al-AttasSyed Muhammad al Naquib bin Ali al-Attas is a prominent contemporary Muslim philosopher and thinker from Malaysia. He is one of the few contemporary scholars who is thoroughly rooted in the traditional Islamic sciences and who is equally competent in theology, philosophy, metaphysics, history, and...
- Leading Malaysian intellectual. - Taha Jabir AlalwaniTaha Jabir Alalwaniplace this image male.svg|right]] Taha Jabir Al-Alwani , Ph.D. , is the President of Cordoba University. He also holds the Imam Al-Shafi'i Chair in the Islamic Legal Theory at The Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences at Corboda University...
- Leading scholar in the United States. - Zaid ShakirZaid ShakirZaid Salim Shakir is a prominent American Islamic scholar and writer who is a co-founder, , and faculty member, of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, United States, where he teaches courses on Arabic, Law, History, and Islamic Spirituality...
- Prominent American scholar. - Dato' Haji Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat - Malaysian spiritual leader.
- Ahmad al-Kubaysi - Iriqi scholar and preacher based in Abu DhabiAbu DhabiAbu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
. - Abd al-Salam al-Abbadi - Head of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy.
- Sayyid Hasan al-Saqqaf - Jordanian scholar and publisher.
- Azyumard Azra - A leading Indonesian scholar.
- Dato Osman Bakar - A leading Malaysian scholar.
- Ibrahim Kassim - The leading scholar in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. - Maarof Salleh - A leading scholar in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.