In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger ﷺ.
The virtue of the Noble Qur’an:
Imam al-Shafi’i explains the virtues of the Noble Qur’an and that it is mercy and proof: knowledge of it is a mercy for whoever acts upon it, and a proof against whoever it reaches. He cites the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “The Qur’an is a proof for you or against you.”
Levels of knowledge of the Qur’an:
Imam al-Shafi’i points out that people differ in their knowledge of the Qur’an: among them is the scholar capable of independent reasoning (mujtahid), the student of knowledge, and the ignorant layperson. He stresses that true knowledge of the Qur’an is not limited to memorising its words; it includes understanding its meanings and rulings, both by explicit text and by derivation, and knowing what Allah stated in summary form in it and the Messenger ﷺ explained in detail. He emphasises that one of the conditions of the mujtahid is to be knowledgeable of the Qur’an, its verses and its rulings, and the matters of belief it contains.
Etiquette of seeking knowledge of the Qur’an:
Imam al-Shafi’i gives important advice to students of knowledge, including:
- Exerting the utmost effort to increase in knowledge of the Qur’an, by explicit text and by derivation.
- Patience with every obstacle that hinders seeking knowledge.
- Sincerity of intention for Allah in seeking knowledge.
- Turning to Allah in hope of His help in understanding His Book.
He warns against becoming preoccupied with sciences that are not primarily sciences of the Qur’an while neglecting the understanding of its meanings and rulings, and he recommends attention to Sunni, Salafi books of exegesis, such as the exegeses of Ibn Kathir and al-Qurtubi, while avoiding figurative reinterpretation (ta’wil) of the verses on the divine attributes.
The fruits of knowledge of the Qur’an:
Imam al-Shafi’i explains that whoever attains knowledge of Allah’s rulings in His Book, by explicit text and by inference, and whom Allah grants success to speak and act according to what he knows, has attained excellence in his religion and his worldly life; doubts are removed from him, his heart is illuminated with wisdom, and he merits a place of leadership in the religion.
Supplication and praise of Allah:
Imam al-Shafi’i stresses the importance of supplicating to Allah and praising Him by His names and attributes. He explains that supplication should be made with what is found in the Book and the Sunnah, including the names derived from His actions, and that this was the way of the Salaf. He emphasises that Allah is the One who initiates blessings before they are deserved and the One who sustains them, despite our shortcomings in thanking Him for them.
The comprehensiveness of the Noble Qur’an:
Imam al-Shafi’i stresses that everything revealed in the Book of Allah is mercy and proof, and that in it is guidance to the path of right guidance in every situation that befalls people, through the various kinds of bayan: by explicit text and by derivation, and by way of the Sunnah and independent reasoning (ijtihad). He cites the saying of Allah the Exalted: “[This is] a Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that you might bring mankind out of darknesses into the light by permission of their Lord - to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy” (Ibrahim 14:1).
The Qur’an is clarified by the Sunnah:
Imam al-Shafi’i explains that Allah revealed the Qur’an so that it would be made clear to people, and that the Sunnah is a clarification of the Qur’an. He cites the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought” (al-Nahl 16:44). He stresses that the Sunnah is part of the wisdom (hikmah), and that both the Qur’an and the Sunnah contain wisdom.
The Qur’an as a clarification of all things:
Imam al-Shafi’i takes as evidence the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims” (al-Nahl 16:89), showing that the Qur’an contains a clarification of everything people need, by explicit text and by derivation, and that it is guidance, mercy, and good tidings for the Muslims.
The Qur’an is a spirit from the command of Allah:
Imam al-Shafi’i explains that Allah called His Book a spirit (ruh), because hearts are brought to life by it after their death, and that it is from the command of Allah and is not created. He cites the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command [i.e., the Qur’an]. You did not know what is the Book or [what is] faith, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed, [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path” (al-Shura 42:52). He points out that this verse establishes the authority of both the Book and the Sunnah, and that the Messenger ﷺ guides to the straight path through what he clarifies of the Qur’an.
Summary:
In this section Imam al-Shafi’i focuses on the virtue and comprehensiveness of the Noble Qur’an; the importance of knowing it by explicit text and by derivation; the etiquette of seeking knowledge; the fruits of acting upon it; the importance of the Sunnah in clarifying the Qur’an; and that the Qur’an is a spirit from the command of Allah, and guidance, mercy, and good tidings for the Muslims.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Shafi'i's al-Risala by Dr. Yasir Burhami