Shafiites

The Shafiites are adherents of the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence, one of the four major Sunni Islamic legal schools. Founded by Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i, this school emerged in the 9th century CE. Al-Shafi'i is credited with systematizing Islamic jurisprudence by establishing principles for deriving legal rulings, known as Usul al-fiqh. He emphasized the primacy of the Quran and the Sunnah (the teachings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad) as primary sources of Islamic law, followed by consensus (ijma) and analogical reasoning (qiyas).

The Shafi'i school is characterized by its balanced approach to legal interpretation, seeking to reconcile textual evidence with rational deduction. Its adherents are found in various parts of the Muslim world, including Egypt, the Levant, Yemen, East Africa, Southeast Asia (particularly Indonesia and Malaysia), and parts of South Asia. The Shafi'i madhhab is known for its detailed methodologies in areas such as ritual purity, prayer, and commercial transactions. It played a significant role in the intellectual development of Islamic legal thought and continues to be a prominent school of jurisprudence for many Muslims worldwide.