Dear Islamic brothers! Imam Muhammad bin Idrīs Shāfiʿi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه is a pious elder from the second century of the Islamic calendar. He is the imam of millions of Muslims. He was pious, righteous, constantly engaged in worshipping Allah, a scholar who acted upon his knowledge, a true devotee of Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and someone who loved the Companions and Ahl al-Bayt. 

Today we have the honour of discussing him and some of his amazing qualities. May Allah grant us the ability to take benefit from the lives of our pious predecessors.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صلَّی اللہ عَلَیْہِ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

A mujaddid is sent at the beginning of every century

A hadith included in Sunan Abū Dāwūd details how our beloved master, the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ لِهٰذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ عَلَى رَأْسِ كُلِّ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ مَنْ يُجَدِّدُ لَهَا دِينَهَا – “Indeed at the beginning of every century, Allah will send someone to this nation who will revive the religion.”^[1]

When the Prophets عَـلَـيْهِمُ السَّلَام of previous ummahs passed away, Allah would send another Prophet عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام. They would then propagate the religion and teach people about the true message of Islam. However, as our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم came as the seal of the Prophets, no Prophet will be sent after him. As a result, the way religion will be revived in this ummah now, is by Allah sending a mujaddid at the beginning of every Islamic century. This mujaddid revives Islamic practices.

People begin to adopt deviant beliefs and make them a part of Islamic teachings. Some attempt to promote false and distorted interpretations of the Quran. Others endorse baseless and evil rituals in the name of religious knowledge. Allah then sends a mujaddid who highlights these