Introduction
This summary begins the study of the book al-Risala by Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, a book of great importance in the science of the principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh). The summary aims to clarify the importance of studying this book and its most prominent contents, focusing on the following points:
The importance of studying al-Risala:
- The method of inference: The book forms part of the study of following the methods of inference held by Ahl al-Sunnah, which is one of the great foundations of the Salafi methodology. The book shows the foundations of the method of inference, with proofs, in the words of Imam al-Shafi’i, one of the imams of Islam in jurisprudence, hadith, and language.
- The pure stage of usul al-fiqh: The book represents the pure stage among the stages of the science of usul al-fiqh, before scholastic theology (‘ilm al-kalam) and Greek logic entered it. This made it closer to the proofs of the Book and the Sunnah and further from verbal complexities.
- The superiority of the early generations (Salaf) over the later ones: The book helps one recognise the superiority of the knowledge of the Salaf over that of the later generations, to venerate the Book and the Sunnah, and to know how to derive proofs from them.
- Love for Imam al-Shafi’i: Studying the book is a means of loving Imam al-Shafi’i, which is an act of worship by which one draws near to Allah; it also acquaints one with his standing, worth, and merit.
- Adopting the manners of the scholars of the Salaf: The book teaches the manners of the scholars of the Salaf, how to deal with those who disagree, and how to derive proofs from the Book and the Sunnah.
The reason the book was written:
The book was named al-Risala (“The Epistle”) because it was an epistle that Imam al-Shafi’i sent to Imam ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, may Allah have mercy on him, when the latter asked him to compose a book on the meanings of the Qur’an, gathering in it the acceptance of reports (akhbar), the authority of consensus (ijma’), and what is abrogating and abrogated in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. In this book al-Shafi’i gathered the four agreed-upon foundations of inference.
Scholars’ praise of Imam al-Shafi’i and his book:
- Shaykh Ahmad Shakir said: “It is praise enough for al-Shafi’i that he is al-Shafi’i, and it is commendation enough for al-Risala that it was composed by al-Shafi’i.”
- Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: “Were it not for al-Shafi’i, we would not have known the jurisprudence (fiqh) of hadith.”
- Ishaq ibn Rahawayh said: “Ahmad ibn Hanbal and I went to al-Shafi’i in Makkah. I asked him about some matters and found him eloquent and well-mannered. When we left him, a group of people of understanding of the Qur’an informed me that he was the most knowledgeable person of his time in the meanings of the Qur’an.”
- ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi said: “I do not pray a prayer without supplicating for al-Shafi’i in it.”
- Al-Muzani said: “I have read al-Shafi’i’s book al-Risala five hundred times, and there was not a single time that I did not gain a new benefit.”
The contents of the book:
The book presents a splendid introduction in praise of Allah and an exposition of His blessings. It then moves on to describe the condition of people before the sending of the Prophet ﷺ, when they were of two kinds:
- The People of the Book: who altered the rulings of Allah, disbelieved in Him, and fabricated lies.
- The polytheists: who disbelieved in Allah, invented what Allah had not permitted, and set up idols with their own hands and worshipped them.
Imam al-Shafi’i shows how Allah blessed the Muslim nation by sending the Prophet ﷺ and revealing the Qur’an and the Sunnah, which are the light that stands opposed to the darknesses.
Conclusion:
The book al-Risala is one of the treasures of knowledge, and every student of knowledge is advised to read and study it many times in order to benefit from its abundant knowledge and refined manners. The book teaches how to derive sound proofs from the Book and the Sunnah, and it makes known the magnitude of Allah’s blessing upon this nation.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Shafi'i's al-Risala by Dr. Yasir Burhami