Al-Shafi'i (Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i)

Al-Shafi'i, Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (767–820 CE), was a prominent Islamic scholar and the founder of one of the four main Sunni legal schools, known as the Shafi'i school. He contributed significantly to the development of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), emphasizing the importance of the Quran and Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) as primary sources for legal rulings. His approach balanced these texts with consensus and analogy, helping to establish a systematic framework for Islamic law. Al-Shafi'i's work laid the foundation for consistent legal reasoning and greatly influenced Islamic legal thought across many regions.