Imam al-Shafi'i - Dr. Muhammad 'Aqil (2 vol.)

Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (150–204 AH/768–820 CE) was born in Gaza and was only two years old when his mother took him to Makkah, where his father’s family came from. He was brought up by his mother, who was a very devout woman, and by the age of seven, al-Shafi'i had completed memorizing the Qur’an, and by 10 he had memorized Al-Muwatta’, the Hadith and Fiqh anthology of Imam Malik. At a young age he joined the desert tribe of Hudhayl, one of the most eloquent Arabian tribes, where he learnt much of their poetry and stayed with them for some years. When he returned to Makkah, he had attained a superior standard of eloquence and knowledge of Arabic.