The Concept of sunna in the Early Shāfi‘ī Madhhab

  • Gavin N. Picken
Chapter
Part of the Palgrave Series in Islamic Theology, Law, and History book series

Abstract

Muhammad b. Idrīs al-Shafi’ī (150/767–204/820) occupies a preeminent position in the field of Islamic Law, and is considered highly influential in the articulation of its formative phase of development, especially with regard to the genesis of the religion’s legal theory (uṣūl al-fiqh). A cursory glance at early Islamic history may cause one to assume that al-Shāfi’ī occupies this elevated status due to the fact that he was the eponym of a distinct legal school within the Sunni context, which has afforded him the position of an “iconoclast jurist” until the current period. Although this is certainly true, al-Shāfi’ī’s contribution to the development of Islamic law was much more far reaching than even this substantial feat.

Keywords

Legal Theory Personal Opinion Elevated Status Legal Thought Witness Testimony 
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Notes

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© Gavin N. Picken 2015

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