The Reliance of the Traveler: A Terminus in the Journey of Shafi'i Fiqh

Shafi’i Fiqh is characterized by the diversity of its sources. Imam Shafi’i received his initial training in Mecca and mastered the legal school of Medina at the hands of great Imam Malik. He then collaborated with a leading student of Imam Abu Hanifa, Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Shaybani, himself a jurist of the highest rank. The final iteration of his school during its formative stage occurred in Egypt, home of Imam Layth bin Sa’d. This lecture will examine the origin, development, and features of the Shafi’i school, culminating with the work of Imams al-Rafi’i and Nawawi, which ibn Naqib al-Misri synthesizes in The Reliance of the Traveler.