IMAM Ash-Shafi^iyy
The majestic dome crowning the tomb of Imam Ash-Shafi^iyy
والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن
After dedicating his life to the pursuit of religious knowledge and teaching, Imam Ash-Shafi^iyy passed away due to an illness. 'Ash-Shafi^iyy is the Imam of all people in knowledge, piousness, elevation, and strength.
Imam Ash-Shafi^iyy declined the position of judge and relocated to Egypt.
In the year 198 AH, Al-Ma'mun Al-^Abbasiyy assumed the caliphate. During his reign, Ash-Shafi^iyy did not favour staying in Baghdad due to the Persians' dominance and control over governance affairs. Ash-Shafi^iyy, being Arab and Qurashiyy, took pride in Islamic Law, whereas Al-Ma'mun encouraged the philosophy that spread during his era. Al-Ma'mun offered Ash-Shafi^iyy the position of judge, but he declined. When Ash-Shafi^iyy decided to move to Egypt, he said:
Egypt calls to my soul, a yearning so deep,
Across barren lands, my journey I'll keep.
I swear by God, uncertain of fate's decree,
Whether success or the grave, my path shall be.
During his stay in Egypt, which lasted just over four years, Ash-Shafi^iyy's influence expanded rapidly. His teachings gained widespread recognition and his renown soared, as numerous disciples absorbed and disseminated his religious knowledge.
His illness and death
Ash-Shafi^iyy indeed faced various health challenges throughout his life, including haemorrhoids, which led to significant haemorrhaging on multiple occasions. Tragically, one of these episodes proved to be fatal, ultimately leading to his passing. May Allah have mercy on him and grant him peace.
Ash-Shafi^iyy passed away in Egypt at fifty-four on the last night of the month of Rajab in the year 204 of the Hegira, which fell on a Thursday. He breathed his last at the residence of ^Abdu l-Lah ibnu l-Hakam, to whom he had entrusted his will. His burial occurred the following Friday in the ^Abdu l-Hakam clan cemetery in Qarafatu s-Sughra. May Allah shower His mercy upon him.
The dome of Ash-Shafi^iyy
A majestic dome was erected above the tomb of Imam Ash-Shafi^iyy. Through the years, skilled engineers and architects adorned and enhanced it, crafting intricate designs. Kings and rulers undertook efforts to restore it and ensure its preservation. Some verses have been inscribed on the two leaves of the dome’s door; they mean:
Ash-Shafi^iyy is the imam of all. His knowledge and grace,
Virtue and strength have granted him that steadfast place.
The leadership, in this present world, he surely gained,
As ^Abbas’ sons the time caliphs, they were proclaimed.
Skilled are his disciples in arguing the rights and wrongs,
Honoured by God is his madh-hab and praised by throngs.
A small vessel has been fixed atop the dome's tip since its construction. Imam Al-Busiriyy, the author of Al-Burdah, who died in 695 of the Hegira (1295), made mention of it in his poetry:
