Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i

Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi’i (767-820 CE) was a prominent Islamic scholar and one of the four great imams of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence. He founded the Shafi'i school of thought, which emphasizes the sources of Islamic law: the Quran, the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad), consensus (ijma), and analogical reasoning (qiyas). Al-Shafi’i's works, particularly "Al-Risala," laid the foundation for systematic legal theory in Islam and contributed significantly to the development of jurisprudence, promoting clarity and methodology in interpreting Islamic law. His influence continues to shape Islamic law and thought today.