What is the Shafi'i madhhab?

Islam as a religion in recent decades has become the object of close scrutiny by not only Muslims, but also representatives of other faiths. This is facilitated by the world political situation, literature and cinema. Briefly talk about Islam is unlikely to work, but for an initial acquaintance you can study the madhhabs - religious and legal schools. One of the most popular in the world, and in particular in Russia, is the Shafi'i madhhab. Who is its founder and what is it?

General information about Islam

Islam is one of the three world monotheistic religions that was created in the 7th century. The founder was the Prophet Muhammad. According to legend, he is a descendant of the Prophet Ismail, who with his father Ibrahim built on the territory of the current Mecca of Kaaba - the shrine of all Muslims of the world. An interesting feature of this city is that only Muslims are permitted to enter its territory. Islam, despite many historical and geographical changes, remained virtually intact, thanks to the fact that the main religious sources - the Koran and the Sunnah - are written in Arabic.

What is the Shafi'i madhhab?

In Islam, the madhab is understood as a religious legal school based on an understanding of the imam of the sacred texts of the Quran and Sunnah. At the beginning of the formation of the Islamic law school, hundreds of madhhabs appeared, but only four became widespread: Khanbalit, Malikit, Shafi'i and Hanafi.
At the moment, the Shafi'i school is one of the most widespread schools, but the largest number of its followers live in Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Iraq and the Caucasus. The majority of Shafi'ite Sunni Muslims live in Yemen and Iran.

Imam Al-Shafiqi: biography

The founder of the Shafi'i law school was Imam Al-Shafi'i, a descendant of the family of the Prophet Muhammad. This fact is often mentioned in the hadith, and as a proof it is possible to indicate a related relationship between the parents of Ali ibn Abu Talib and the mother of the Imam. He was born in Gaza, but after his father's death, as a child, he was transported to Mecca, to his father's family. The city had a significant influence on its formation as a theologian, as it was among the experts of fiqh, hadith and Arabic.

To deepen his knowledge at the age of 20, he moved to Medina, where he studied the subtleties of the Arabic language and the Malikite Fiqh. His teacher was Malik ibn Anasa - the creator of the Malikite religious-legal school. In 796, his teacher died, and the imam returned to Mecca, where he was appointed judge in Najran (Saudi Arabia). But later he was arrested on false charges and released due to the intercession of the Baghdad Supreme Judge Ash-Shaibani, a former disciple of Abu Hanifa. Having studied the Hanafi madhhab, he developed his own, in which he united the foundations of the Malikit and Hanifite schools. His Shafi'i madhhab gained popularity.

After moving to Egypt, he makes changes to his writings and fatwas, as he gets acquainted with the early theological heritage. For this reason, Ash Shafi'i's work is divided into early and late, which leads to disputes within the madhhab.

Common features of the madhhabs

All madhhabs have one information base - the Koran and the Sunnah (a collection of hadiths - stories from the life of the Prophet Muhammad), and therefore they share several common features:

• Shahada is a formula, after the utterance of which a person becomes a Muslim. It sounds like this: "I testify that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is his slave and messenger."
• The performance of the prayer is a fivefold prayer.
• Fasting in the month of Ramadan involves the rejection of food, water, smoking and sexual intercourse during the day. It is of a spiritual nature, since it is intended for the upbringing and taming of nafs (negative desires and passions inherent in evil spirit). Thus, Muslims want to achieve the satisfaction of the Most High.
• Paying zakat - the annual tax of Muslims in favor of the poor.
• Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca to the Kaaba once in a lifetime. One of the prerequisites is a financial opportunity to travel.

Distinctive features of the Shafi'i madhhab

Despite the obligatory observance of the pillars, the founders of the madhhabs and their followers disagree about observing religious rituals until now. This is because the pillars of Islam are spelled out in the Holy Book, and their fulfillment is explained in the Sunnah, and some stories from the life of the prophet to some theologians could reach, and others - no. Thus, there are differences between the madhhabs. Since the Shafi'i madhhab is based on the Abu Hanifah law school, in particular, one should consider the difference between the Hanafi madhhab from the Shafi'i:

• When issuing legal regulations, the Koran and the Sunnah are an information base with the same role and value. But if some hadith contradict, the main role is occupied by the Koran, and the hadith is considered weak. Hadiths from the prophet's companions and individual transmitters have great value.
• Ijma is divided into 2 categories: decisions based on a direct and unequivocal argument from Revelation, and decisions that have an ambiguous and controversial basis.
• If there are differences of opinion, there is no preference for one statement to another.
• Kiyas, or judgment by analogy from the situations described in the Quran or the Sunnah. With this method, there is no preference for the non-compliance of the kiyas with any postulate of religion and consideration of interests in accordance with the main goals of the Sharia.

Performing the prayer. Ablution

The performance of namaz according to the Shafi'i mazhab is a prerequisite for men and women who have reached the age of 14-15, who have reason and are in ritual purity. Thus, ablution is a prerequisite for performing prayers. It is complete (ghusl) and small (voodoo). Voodoo-ablution according to the Shafi'i madhhab has the following order:

• Niyat (intention) to perform prayer for the sake of Allah. For example: "I intend to perform a farz (sunnat) fajr namaz for the sake of Allah."
• Face wash should start from the forehead and continue along the border, where the hair line begins. If the face has a beard or mustache, through which the skin is visible, they must be completely soaked, so that the water touches the skin.
• Washing your hands with elbows. If there is lacquer or dirt on the nails or under them, then you need to get rid of them so that the water gets under them.
• Wipe the head with a wet hand from the beginning of the border of the hair in the forehead and to the back of the neck. If there is no hair, then you need to wipe the skin.
• When washing feet and ankles, water should fall between the fingers, under the fingernails, and in the presence of wounds and cracks and on them.

Ablution is considered accepted, if committed in this order.

Gusl - full ablution, performed after sexual intercourse, ejaculation, menstrual cycle and birth bleeding. The order of the ghusl:

• Make a vow of making a full bath and say "Bismillah".
• Wash your hands and rinse your genitals.
• Make a small bath, wash your mouth and nose.
• Thrice pour and wash with water the head, right and left shoulders. For the rest of the body, walk with your hand, so that there is not a single unwashed place left, including the ear canals and the navel.

Conditions for prayer, read by men

The basic conditions of prayer are the same for both sexes, but there are some differences in the ritual that emanate from the essence of men and women and their role in Islam. So, during prayer, you should:

• Cover the aurat from the navel to the knees;
• In the belt and earthly bows you do not need to touch your hips with your stomach and keep your elbows wide apart;
• During the Sunnah of Salat, men can read aloud Surah and Dua;
• In jamaat-namaz must stand close to the imam;
• During the prayer must stand behind the imam;
• Pronounced azan and ikamat in sunna-prayer.

Conditions for prayer, read by women

Namaz according to the Shafi'i madhhab for women has the following distinctive features:

• The entire body should be covered freely with clothing, except face and hands.
• In the belt and earthly bows, the belly should be kept as close as possible to the hips, and the elbows to the body.
• During Sunnah-Namaz, one can not read Surah and Dua aloud, if a stranger can hear a voice.
• In jamaat-Namaz, women should stand from the Imam as far as possible.
• In the prayer with the female Imam, they line up on the right and left sides of it, but a little further, so that the toes are not in line with the Imam's fingers.
• In obligatory prayers, in the absence of extraneous men, Ikamat can be pronounced.
• In sunnah-salah, neither the adhan nor the iqamat is pronounced.

Taravih-namaz

Taravih-Namaz according to the Shafi'i mazhab belongs to the Sunnah, that is, the desirable one, and is performed every night during fasting in Ramadan. Includes 8 or 20 rak'ahs - 4 or 10 prayers for 2 rak'ahs each. To finish it is necessary with additional prayer Witr from 3 rak'ahs - 2 rak'ahs and 1 rakat. How to make tarawih salah? The order of commission according to the Shafi'i madhhab is as follows:

• The night (Isha) fard and the ratiba of the prayer are performed, the following dua (1) is read: "La haavla wa la kyuvwata hllbah." Allahumumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammadin wa sallim Allaumma inna nasalukal jannat fana'zubika minannar.
• A tarawih prayer of 2 rak'ahs is performed and dua is read from the first step.
• The second dua (2) is repeated three times, the following du'a (2) is read: "Subhana llahi valhamdu lillahi wa la illaha illaallahu vallahu akbar." Subhanahallahi adada halkyihi variza nafsikhi vazinata arshi va midada kalamati. Dua is read from the first step.
• Repeat step 2, and read dua 1.
• Repeat step 3.
• Witr prayer is made of two rak'ahs, and the du'a from step 1 is read.
• It is performed Witr Namaz from the 1st rak'ah, and the following dua is read: "Subhanal Malikil kuddus (2 times)." Subhanallahil Malikil Kuddus, Subbuhun Kuddusun Rabbul Malyayati Varrukh. Subhanana man taazzaza bil kuudrati val bakah va kaharal 'ibada bil mavti val fanana Subhana Rabbika Rabbi 'izzati' amma yasifun wa salamun 'alal mursalina valhamdu lillahi rabbil' alamine. "

Taravih-Namaz according to the Shafi'i mazhab is one of the special prayers, since it consists of 20 rak'ahs and is one of the respectable Sunnat-prayers for Muslim believers.

Important information about the performance of the post

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is mandatory for all adult Muslims, regardless of gender. The main requirement is the refusal of food, water, smoking and sexual intercourse from the time of salah prayer to the prayer of the Maghrib. What violates the post on the Shafi'i madhhab?

• Water or food swallowed deliberately, regardless of size.
• Penetration of any physical body through the anus, genitals, ears, mouth or nose.
• Intentional vomiting.
• Sexual intercourse or ejaculation due to masturbation or pollutants.
• Menstrual and postpartum discharge.
• Loss of reason.

If one of the actions was done by forgetfulness or regardless of the fasting, the fast is not violated. Otherwise, you must refund the missed day or pay a fine, if possible. In addition, tarawih under the Shafi'i madhhab is one of the desirable actions in Ramadan.

Books on the Shafi'i madhhab

The basics of the madhhab can be studied from books written by Imam Ash-Shafi and his followers:

• Al-Umm Al-Shafi'i.
• "Nihayatul matlyab" Al-Juwayni.
• "Nihayatul matlyab" Al Ghazali.
• "Al-Muharrar" of Ar-Rafia.
• "Minhaju t-Talibin" An-Nawawi.
• "Al-Manhaj" of Zakariya.
• "An-Nahj" Al-Jawhariy.

The books of the Shafi'i madhhab can not be imagined without their interpretation:

• "Al-Wajiz" and "Al-Aziz" of Ar-Rafia.
• "Ar-Rauda" of An-Nawawi.