It was the blessings of the great and eminent scholars like Imam Maalik and Imam Muhammad رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهِمَا that made Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه into an ocean of knowledge. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was not only Hafiz-ul-Hadees (i.e. memorised one hundred thousand Ahadees by heart) but also held supreme expertise in the meanings and interpretations of Hadees, states of affairs of the narrators and determining the authenticity of Hadees etc.

Intelligence of Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه and his services for Hadees

Allah Almighty blessed Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه with great intellectual abilities and immense Islamic knowledge. Sayyiduna Abu ‘Ubayd رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه states: مَا رَاَیْتُ اَحَدًا اَعْقَلَ مِنَ الشَّافِعِی i.e. I have not seen anyone more intelligent than Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه. (Hilyat-ul-Awliya, vol. 9, pp. 101, Imam Shaafi’i, Hadees 13217)

The excellence and greatness of Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه can also be judged from the fact that the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: عَالِمُ قُرَیْشٍ یَمْلَاُ طَبَاقَ الْاَرْضِ عِلْمًا i.e. ‘One ‘Aalim (Islamic scholar) of Quraysh will fill the world with ‘ilm (knowledge).’ Various scholars have said that this Hadees is pointed towards Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه. ‘Allamah Abdur Rauf Manawi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has stated that the scholar of Quraysh mentioned in this blessed Hadees is Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه. (Fayz-ul-Qadeer, vol. 2, pp. 134, Taht-al-Hadees 1460)

Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has stated that the way Sayyiduna Umar Bin Abdul Aziz رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was the Mujaddid [revivalist] of the first century, similarly, Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was the Mujaddid [revivalist] of the second century. (Hilyat-ul-Awliya, vol. 9, pp. 105, Al-Imam Shaafi’i, Hadees 13236) He  رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه further states that in last thirty years, there has not been any such night in which I did not make Du’a (supplication) for Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه. (Hilyat-ul-Awliya, vol. 9, pp. 105, Al-Imam Shaafi’i, Hadees 13237)

Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه served Hadees all his life. When Imam Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه went to Iraq, then the blessed scholars of Iraq conferred him with the title of Nasir-ul-Hadees. (Hilyat-ul-Awliya, vol. 9, pp. 114, Al-Imam Shaafi’i, Hadees 13277)