Imam Shafi‘i

Kecia Ali has performed a great service for Islamic studies by harmonizing early sources with the most compelling recent scholarship to produce a biography of Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i (d. 204/820), one of Islam’s most important figures. His life is presented in a tightly organized and lucid wa...

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Autor principal: Carolyn Baugh
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Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: International Institute of Islamic Thought 2013
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/49cbd8675f1a4a239657b7bca5d0bde8
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:49cbd8675f1a4a239657b7bca5d0bde82021-12-02T17:49:34ZImam Shafi‘i10.35632/ajis.v30i1.11672690-37332690-3741https://doaj.org/article/49cbd8675f1a4a239657b7bca5d0bde82013-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ajis.org/index.php/ajiss/article/view/1167https://doaj.org/toc/2690-3733https://doaj.org/toc/2690-3741 Kecia Ali has performed a great service for Islamic studies by harmonizing early sources with the most compelling recent scholarship to produce a biography of Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i (d. 204/820), one of Islam’s most important figures. His life is presented in a tightly organized and lucid way, accessible to non-specialists or undergraduates, useful for graduate students, and a fine source of reference for scholars. This book consists of an introduction and six chapters. The first chapter covers his early years in Arabia, and the second discusses his transformation from “Student to Shaykh.” Chapters 3 through 5 present al-Shafi‘i’s legal theories and methodologies, and chapter 6, the final chapter, studies the popular cult that has grown up around him, thus delivering on the title’s promise. Also included are three pages of suggested “Further Reading,” along with why these works are pertinent, an invaluable extra measure that students will find particularly helpful. Needless to say, the bibliography is long and rich, giving a final affirmation to the author’s mastery of her subject. Throughout her study, Ali exhibits an acute awareness of the ideological agendas of the early biographers who have shaped perceptions of the imam. Her critical approach to traditional reports concerning his formative years (the oft-referenced Bedouin years, for example) allows her to question without discarding altogether some of the more famous episodes in his life. She ultimately suggests that what is most crucial for our understanding of al-Shafi‘i’s development was his encounter with Malik and his thought, an engagement so deep that he almost certainly had to have spent at least ten years under the elder scholar’s tutelage. These critical years laid the groundwork for the scholar he would become ... Carolyn BaughInternational Institute of Islamic ThoughtarticleIslamBP1-253ENAmerican Journal of Islam and Society, Vol 30, Iss 1 (2013)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Islam
BP1-253
spellingShingle Islam
BP1-253
Carolyn Baugh
Imam Shafi‘i
description Kecia Ali has performed a great service for Islamic studies by harmonizing early sources with the most compelling recent scholarship to produce a biography of Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i (d. 204/820), one of Islam’s most important figures. His life is presented in a tightly organized and lucid way, accessible to non-specialists or undergraduates, useful for graduate students, and a fine source of reference for scholars. This book consists of an introduction and six chapters. The first chapter covers his early years in Arabia, and the second discusses his transformation from “Student to Shaykh.” Chapters 3 through 5 present al-Shafi‘i’s legal theories and methodologies, and chapter 6, the final chapter, studies the popular cult that has grown up around him, thus delivering on the title’s promise. Also included are three pages of suggested “Further Reading,” along with why these works are pertinent, an invaluable extra measure that students will find particularly helpful. Needless to say, the bibliography is long and rich, giving a final affirmation to the author’s mastery of her subject. Throughout her study, Ali exhibits an acute awareness of the ideological agendas of the early biographers who have shaped perceptions of the imam. Her critical approach to traditional reports concerning his formative years (the oft-referenced Bedouin years, for example) allows her to question without discarding altogether some of the more famous episodes in his life. She ultimately suggests that what is most crucial for our understanding of al-Shafi‘i’s development was his encounter with Malik and his thought, an engagement so deep that he almost certainly had to have spent at least ten years under the elder scholar’s tutelage. These critical years laid the groundwork for the scholar he would become ...
format article
author Carolyn Baugh
author_facet Carolyn Baugh
author_sort Carolyn Baugh
title Imam Shafi‘i
title_short Imam Shafi‘i
title_full Imam Shafi‘i
title_fullStr Imam Shafi‘i
title_full_unstemmed Imam Shafi‘i
title_sort imam shafi‘i
publisher International Institute of Islamic Thought
publishDate 2013
url https://doaj.org/article/49cbd8675f1a4a239657b7bca5d0bde8
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