Imam Shafi's Kitab al-Umm

Imam Shafi’i was born in Gaza in the year 150. Two years later, his mother, Fatimah, moved to Makkah so that his maternal family could help raise him. Imam Shafi’i memorized the Qur’an at a young age, and Imam Malik’s  Muwatta’ , which he borrowed from a friend, in seven nights. In Makkah, he studied with Muslim b. Khalid, Sufyan b. ‘Uyaynah, and others.

He departed Makkah to take knowledge from the Imam of Ahl al-Hadith, Imam Malik b. Anas. Imam Shafi’i stayed with Imam Malik until his teacher’s passing in the year 179.

Thereafter, Imam Shafi’i relocated to Yemen to take the position of judge. He was in Yemen until taken prisoner and extradited to Baghdad in 184. In Baghdad, Imam Shafi’i would take the opportunity to study and review the books transmitted by Imam Abu Hanifah’s students like Muhammad b. Hasan al-Shaybani. During his first stay in Baghdad, he reviewed the books related by Imam Abu Hanifah’s students, debated, taught, and benefited the people there.

In fact, Imam Shafi’i mentioned that he reviewed these books for a year until he had committed them to memory, and then he sat and wrote his work  al-Hujjah . At this stage he also wrote his  Risalah ‘Iraqiyyah  in the subject of  usul al-fiqh  and other books too which would be related by the transmitters of his ‘Iraqi School.

Defining the ‘Iraqi madhhab’s transmission we find:

- Imam Abu Ali Hasan b. Muhammad al-Za’farani al-Baghdadi

- Imam Abu ‘Abd Allah Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Baghdadi

- Imam Abu Thawr