tiding of your salvation from the punishment of fire. Your shaking hands with him refers to your safety on the Day of Accountability. And as far as him putting the ring in your finger is concerned, it means that soon your fame in the entire world will be like that of Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ. (Tareekh-e-Baghdaad, Raqm 454, Muhammad Bin Idrees Shaafi’i, vol. 2, pp. 58)

Excellent memory and passion for (acquiring) the Islamic knowledge

Allah Almighty blessed Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه with an excellent memory and great intellect. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would memorise whatever he would read. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه not only memorised the Holy Quran in very young age but also memorised the famous book of Hadees, Mu’ata Imam Malik, by heart. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه states ‘When I completed the Holy Quran, then I started going to the Masjid and started to learn and memorise blessed Ahadees and Shar’i rulings by having the company of the blessed scholars رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی. In Makkah-e-Mukarramah, our home was situated in the valley of Khaif. Whenever I would find any shiny bone, I would write Hadees and Shar’i ruling on it; to the extent that the well of our house got filled up with such bones.

(Hilyat-ul-Awliya, vol. 9, pp 82, Hadees 13186)

Sayyiduna Rabi’ Bin Sulayman رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه states that Sayyiduna Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: Once I took a camel from Imam Muhammad Bin Hassan رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه that was loaded. It did not have anything else on it except the knowledge I acquired from him. (Hilyat-ul-Awliya, vol. 9, pp. 86, Hadees 13195)

Sayyiduna Muhammad Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Hakam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه narrates that Sayyiduna Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: I started searching for knowledge since my childhood whereas I would not have any wealth with me. Therefore, I would go to the Maktab [learning institute], gather small pieces of arrows and write Ahadees on them. (Hilyat-ul-Awliya, vol. 9, pp. 85, Hadees 13195)

Dear Islamic sisters! Just ponder! Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه lost his compassionate father in his childhood. If we think about it according to our mind-set, then as he was growing, he should have earned money in order to provide for his family. He should have acquired a skill or worked somewhere. But he did not do so and engaged in acquiring the Islamic knowledge.