Muhammad ɗan Idris ash-Shafi‟i (150-205 AH / 767-820 M) ana ɗaukarsa a matsayin mai gina Usul al-Fiqh. An haife shi a Gaza (Falasdin), kuma yana da shekara biyu mahaifiyarsa ta kai shi Makkah. Imam Shafi‟i yana cikin kabilar Quraysh, kuma nasabarsa ta haɗu da ta Manzon Allah ﷺ a Abdu Manaf.

Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi‟i (150-205 AH / 767-820 C.E) is considered to be the architect of Usul al-Fiqh. He was born in Gaza (Palestine) and when he was two years old his mother took him to Makkah. Imam Shafi‟i is from the tribe of Quraysh and his lineage meets with the Prophet (saw) at Abdu Manaf.

Tun yana ƙarami, mahaifiyarsa ta kai shi Kuttab na yankinsu domin ya haddace Alƙur'ani, amma saboda talauci ba su iya biyan kuɗin karatu ba, don haka ba a yarda ya halarci darussan ba. Yakan zauna a inda zai iya jin muryar malamin, yana sauraron umarnin Shaikh yana haddacewa. Idan malamin ya tashi, ƙaramin Shafi'i yakan je ya taimaka wa ɗalibai wajen haddacewarsu. Malamin ya ji labarin haka, sai ya yarda ƙaramin Shafi'i ya shiga aji, bisa sharadin cewa zai taimaka wa ɗalibai wajen haddacewarsu.

At an early age his mother took him to the local Kuttab to memorize the Qur‟an, but since they were poor and could not afford the tuition, he was not allowed to attend the classes. He used to stay within an earshot of the class listening to the instructions of the Shaykh and memorising them. When the teacher would leave, young Shafi‟i would go to help the students with their memorisation. The teacher learned about this and allowed young Shafi‟i in the class with the condition that he would help the students with their memorisation.

Lokacin da yake kusan shekara bakwai, ya haddace Alkur'ani, sai suka tafi Masjid Al-Haram inda ya yi karatun harshen Larabci. Zuwa lokacin da ya kammala, ya koyi dukkan nau'ikan harshen Larabci na gargajiya. Maganganunsa ana ɗaukarsu a matsayin ma'auni a harshen Larabci. Bayan kammala karatunsa na Larabci, wani mutum ya shawarce shi da ya yi karatun Hadisi, Fiqhu, da 'Ulumul-Alkur'ani, sai ya koma Madina. A can ya yi karatu a wurin Imam Malik bn Anas kafin rasuwarsa a shekara ta 179 bayan hijira. Daga wurin Imam Malik kai tsaye Imam Shafi'i ya koyi Muwaɗɗa'. Sannan ya yi tafiya zuwa Iraki, inda ya zauna a matsayin baƙon Muhammad bn Al-Hasan, almajirin Abu Hanifa. Imam Shafi'i yana muhawara da nazari tare da Muhammad bn al-Hasan da Alƙali Abu Yusuf. Daga nan ya koma Madina, kusan shekara ta 174 bayan hijira, domin ziyartar tsohon malaminsa Imam Malik. Bayan rasuwar Imam Malik, Imam Shafi'i ya yi tafiya zuwa Yemen. A can ya haɗu da Umar bn Abi Salama, malamin Al-Awza'i, babban malami a Usulul-Fiqhu.

When he was about seven years old he had memorised the Qur‟an, and they went to Masjid Al-Haram where he studied the Arabic language. By the time he graduated, he had learned all the versions of the classical Arabic language. His statements are considered to be standards in the Arabic language. After completing his Arabic studies, a man advised him to study Hadith, Fiqh, and „Ulum-ul-Quran, and so he moved to Madinah. There he studied under Imam Malik ibn Anas prior to his death in 179 A.H. It was directly from Imam Malik that Imam Shafi‟i learned the Muwatta. He then travelled to Iraq, where he stayed as the guest of Muhammad bin Al-Hasan, the student of Abu Hanifah. Imam Shafi‟i would debate and study with both Muhammad bin al-Hasan and Qadi Abu Yusuf. He then returned to Madinah, around 174 A.H., to visit with his old teacher Imam Malik. After the death of Imam Malik, Imam Shafi‟i travelled to Yemen. There he met Umar bin Abi Salamah, teacher of al Awaza‟i, a great scholar in Usul al-Fiqh.

A yayin da yake can, an samu wasu matsaloli tsakanin Khaleefah Haroon ar-Rashid da Ahl-ul-Bayt. An zargi Imam Shafi‟i da goyon bayan Ahl-ul-Bayt a kan Khaleefah, sai aka kama shi aka kai shi Baghdad zuwa kotun Khaleefah. Bayan tattaunawa da Khaleefah don ya wanke kansa daga duk wani laifi, Khaleefah ya gayyace Imam Shafi‟i ya ba shi shawara. An rubuta cewa ya kasance mai tsayawa kan gaskiya kuma mai karfi a shawarar da ya bawa Khaleefah, har Khaleefah ya yi kuka.

While there, some problems arose between the Khaleefah Haroon ar-Rashid and Ahl-ul- Bayt. Imam Shafi‟i was accused of siding with the Ahl-ul-Bayt against the Khaleefah, and was arrested and taken to Baghdad to the court of the Khaleefah. After a discussion with the Khaleefah to clear himself of any wrong doing, Imam Shafi‟i was invited by the Khaleefah to advise him. It is recorded that he was so firm and strong in his advice to the Khaleefah that the Khaleefah wept.

A cikin Baghdad ya haɗu da Abdur Rahman bin al-Mahdi (malamin Hadith) a shekara ta 195 bayan hijira, wanda ya nemi ya rubuta littafi yana bayanin hanyar fahimtar Fiqh. A cikin wannan aiki, Imam Shafi'i ya haɗa makarantar Hadith ta Madina da makarantar Ra'ee ta Kufa. Ya iya yin hakan ne saboda ya san makarantun biyu. A Madina ya yi karatu a wurin Imam Malik, kuma a Kufa ya haɗu da Muhammad bin al-Hasan (mabiyin makarantar Hanafi ta Fiqh). Sakamakon wannan littafi shi ne abin da ake kira Ar-Risala (wannan tsohon tsari ba ya nan a yau).

While in Baghdad he met Abdur Rahman bin al Mahdi (Scholar of Hadith) in 195 A.H., who asked him to write a book explaining the methodology of understanding Fiqh. In this work, Imam Shafi‟i combined both the School of Hadith in Madinah and School of Ra‟ee in Kufah. He was able to do this because he was aquainted with both schools. In Madinah he studied under Imam Malik and in Kufah he met Muhammad bin al-Hasan (follower of Hanafi school of Fiqh). The outcome of this book was called Ar-Risala (This old version does not exist today).

Imam Shafi'i daga baya ya yanke shawarar komawa Masar. Yana Masar, Imam Shafi'i ya sake rubuta littafinsa Ar-Risala. A cikin sabon Risala, ya kafa sabbin ka'idoji a Usul al-Fiqh. Don haka, canjin da ya yi zuwa sabuwar hanya ya canza fatawoyinsa, domin tsarin bayar da fatawa shi ne kamar haka:

Imam Shafi‟i then decided to move to Egypt. While in Egypt Imam Shafi‟i rewrote his book Ar-Risala. In the new Risala, he established new principles in Usul al-Fiqh. Thus, his changing to a new methodology changed his Fatwas because the pattern for giving Fatwas is as follows:

Usul ul Fiqh -> Fiqh -> Fatwa.

Usul ul Fiqh -> Fiqh -> Fatwa.

Some people think that Imam Shafi‘i changed his fiqh because of the new circumstances or environment in Egypt. We must understand that Imam Shafi‘i did not rewrite his book for the sake of it, or because he changed his location. There are really only two possibilities for the rewriting of Ar-Risala. Either Imam Shafi‘i had already decided in his mind that he wanted to reach a specific conclusion, and in order to do so he would have to change the basis for those predetermined conclusions; or Imam Shafi‘i found that the old basis he had used was wrong, and so it was necessary to redo or revise his basis for deriving his fiqh.

Some think that Imam Shafi‟i changed his Fiqh due to the new circumstances or environment in Egypt. We must understand that Imam Shafi‟i did not rewrite his book for the sake of it, or because he changed his location. There are really only two possibilities for the re-writing of Ar-Risala. Imam Shafi‟i had put in his mind that he wanted to reach a specific conclusion and in order to do so he would have to change the basis for those predetermined conclusions, or Imam Shafi‟i found that the old basis he had used was wrong, and so it was necessary to redo or to revise his basis for deriving his Fiqh.

Idan an sami canji a Usul al-Fiqh, to a bayyane za a sami hukunci daban, ba akasin haka ba, domin Mujtahid ba zai yiwu ya yi tunanin hukunci ba kafin ya yanke shawara a kan hanyoyin da zai ciro hukunce-hukunce daga cikinsu. Saboda haka, sakamakon canza Usul al-Fiqh, aka samu fatawoyi daban-daban. Dalilin canjin shi ne ya yi tunanin cewa Usul al-Fiqh dinsa na farko ba daidai ba ne. Wannan canjin ba saboda lokaci ko wuri ba ne. Don haka, Madhhabinsa ya canja gaba daya saboda Usul al-Fiqh dinsa ya canja. Wannan muhimmin batu ne sosai, idan ba a fahimce shi daidai ba, zai iya kai ga bata.

If there is a change in Usul al-Fiqh there will obviously be a different ruling and not vice-versa, because a Mujtahid is not allowed to think of a ruling before deciding on which sources to extract the rulings from. Therefore, as a result of changing the Usul al-Fiqh there were different Fatwas. The reason for the change was that he thought that his earlier Usul al-Fiqh was wrong. This change was not due to time or place. Therefore, his Madhab had changed completely because his Usul al-Fiqh had changed. This very important point, if it is not understood correctly could prove to be misleading.

Imam Shafi'i bai taba yin muhawara a cikin Ilmul Kalam ba. Game da shi yakan ce: "Muhawara a cikin Fiqhu, aƙalla, za ta sa mutane su yi maka dariya, misali, a ce diyyar kisan kai kwai ne. Muhawara a cikin Ilmul Kalam kuwa, za su ce kana karkata daga hanya kuma kana kirkirar bidi'a. Don haka ka je ka yi muhawara a cikin Fiqhu, ka bar Ilmul Kalam."

Imam Shafi‟i never debated in „Ilm-ul-Kalaam. Regarding it he used to say; “Debating in Fiqh, at the very least would lead the people to make fun of you, for example, saying the Diyah for murder is an egg. Debating in „Ilm ul Kalaam, they would say that you are deviating and making a Bid‟ah. So go and debate in Fiqh, and leave „Ilm ul Kalaam.”

Littattafan Imam Shafi'i sun hada da:

Imam Shafi‟i‟s books include:

Ar-Risalah.

 Ar-Risalah.

Al-Umm.

 Al-Umm.

Jimaa ul-Ilm.

 Jimaa ul-Ilm.

Ibtaalin Istihsan.

 Ibtaal ul-Istihsan.

Musnad Ash-Shafi‟i‟.

 Musnad Ash-Shafi‟i‟.

Ahkaam-ul-Qur‟an.

 Ahkaam-ul-Qur‟an.

Waɗanda ake ɗauka a matsayin mabiyan mazhabarsa sun haɗa da:

Those who are considered to be from his Madhab included:

Jalaluddin as-Suyuti.

 Jalaluddin as-Suyuti.

An-Nawawi.

 An-Nawawi.

Ibn Kathir.

 Ibn Kathir.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani.

 Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani.

Al-Muzni.

 Al-Muzni.

Al-Ghazali.

 Al-Ghazali.

Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi.

 Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi.