Is it Possible to Evaluate Imām Shafi'ī within Ahl al-Hadith School?

There are some modern claims that Imām Shāfiʻī is considered to be one of Ahl al-hadith or that he is accepted as the founder of Ahl al-hadith. Such claims are mostly based on the theoretical statements of Shāfiʻī regarding hadith and sunnah or some narrations in later sources. However, in order to reach a solid conclusion on this subject, it is necessary to examine hadith and history books specifically written in the third century AH. In this study, we are determined to reveal his position by examining the works written by Ahl al-hadith in the third century AH. According to the result we have reached, Ahl al-hadith did not sufficiently mention the biography of Shāfiʻī, neither narrate many hadiths from him, but rarely mentioned his name from time to time. Therefore, it is not very accurate to consider Shāfiʻī as a member of this school, let alone being one of the founders of the school.
Keywords: Islamic Law, Ahl al-Hadith, Ahl al-Ra’y, Shāfiʻī, Third Century AH

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