ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i

Hey there little one! Let me tell you about someone very important in Islamic history - Muhammad ibn Idris Ash-Shafi'i. He was a man who lived a very long time ago in a time when people didn't have technology like we do today. He was born in the city of Gaza, which is now in Palestine, in the year 767.

Now, Ash-Shafi’i's parents died when he was still a little boy, so he was raised by his relatives. He was very smart and loved to learn. He studied really hard and became an expert in Islamic law and theology. He traveled to many different places to learn from scholars and teachers. He studied in Mecca, which is a very important city for Muslims, and he met many other important scholars there.

One of Ash-Shafi'i's most important contributions to Islamic history was that he created a system for Islamic law. This system is called the "Shafi'i method" and it's still used today by many Muslims around the world. He was very good at explaining difficult ideas in an easy-to-understand way, so many people liked to learn from him.

Ash-Shafi'i was also known for his very strong faith in God. He believed that everything should be based on the teachings of the Quran, which is the holy book in Islam. He wanted to make sure that people understood the right way to practice their religion, so he wrote many books and taught many students about it.

In the end, Ash-Shafi'i became known as one of the greatest Muslim scholars of all time. He died in the year 820. Even though he lived such a long time ago, his teachings still have a big impact on many people today.