Shāfiʿī Scholarship: Imam al-Buwayṭī

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Imām al-Buwayṭī

By: Yusuf Iyoob, 2^nd year Alimiyyah Student, ’22- ‘23

Muḥammad bin Idrīs al-Shāfi’ī was one of the greatest Imams in history. He dedicated his entire life to the dīn and formulated the Shāfiʿi madhhab. Amongst his most prominent students was Imam al-Buwayṭī.

His full name is Yūsuf bin Yaḥyā al-Qurashi Abū Yaʿqūb al-Buwayṭī al-Misrī al-Fiqhī. He was born in Egypt, and his name comes from his village, Buwayṭ, located in Upper Egypt. Buwayṭī was a devout worshiper, an ascetic servant of Allah, and an honorable legist of Islamic jurisprudence. He would spend his nights praying tahajjud and reciting the Quran, to the extent that he would complete a recitation of the Quran every day. Imam Rabīʿ bin Sulaymān, another student of Imam Shāfiʿi, said regarding Imam al-Buwayṭī: “After I came to know him, I never saw him except that his lips would be moving in either the remembrance of Allah or the recitation of the Quran.” He was firm on the sunnah of Muḥammad Ṣallallāhu ʿAlayhi wa Sallam and would refute the people of bidʿah.

Before Imam Shāfiʿi’s arrival to Egypt, Buwayṭī followed the Maliki madhhab. However, when he did eventually immigrate to Egypt, Buwayṭī found himself at a crossroads; he had to choose which Imam to follow. He witnessed the genius and prowess of each of the two Imams commanded. He made continuous ṣalāh and duʿā in hopes that Allah would show him which one he should follow. Finally, Allah sent him a dream showing that the madhhab of Imam Shāfiʿi is the truth.

Although advanced in age, Buwayṭī was always alongside Imam Shāfiʿi. He held immense respect for him, and whenever the Imam would speak to him, he would get goosebumps out of reverence and awe of him. However, that did not prevent him from absorbing every bit of knowledge from the Imam. Nothing would prevent him from asking questions that arose. Buwayṭī reached great heights during his study under Imam Shāfiʿi. He was his best student, to the extent that he would rely on him in matters of Fiqh. Imam Shāfiʿi himself stated that “None of my companions are more knowledgeable than Buwayṭī.” If people came with questions, Imam Shāfiʿi would oftentimes direct them to Buwayṭī. Near the end of Imam Shāfiʿi’s life, Muhammad bin ʿAbd al-Ḥakam was arguing with Buwayṭī about who would take over his majlis. The matter was taken to the Imam who said: “No one is more entitled to take my position than Yaḥyā (i.e. Buwayṭī).”

At the time of the Miḥnah, Imam Buwayṭī was taken from the majlis of Imam Shāfiʿi to Baghdad in hopes that he would affirm their lie regarding the creation of the Quran. Buwayṭī refused and gave the following refutation: “Indeed Allah created the creation by saying ‘Kun’ (which means “Be”). So if “Kun”, which is the word of Allah just as is the Quran, was created, it would be as if creation created creation.” This angered the Khalīfah and he was subsequently imprisoned.

While in prison, he was treated so poorly that he was incapable of performing the necessary actions of attaining purity and praying ṣalāh. Rabīʿ bin Sulaymān expounded on this by describing his living conditions. He said: “I saw Buwayṭī who had an iron collar around his neck and shackles around his legs. Between the collar and shackles was a chain which was connected to a brick the weight of forty ritls[1].” Despite all of that, his being shackled and imprisoned did not phase him in the slightest. One of the prisoners related that while Imam Buwayṭī was in prison, he would perform ghusl for every Jumuʿah, clean himself, and wash his clothes. Then he would attempt to exit the prison, however, the guards would tell him to go back. Buwayṭī would call on Allah proclaiming, “Oh Allah! I have responded to your call but they have prevented me.” Imām Buwayṭī passed away in prison in AH 231. Imām Shāfiʿi had foretold this in one of his gatherings where he said that “Buwayṭī will die in iron chains.”

Imām al-Buwayṭī’s brilliance is still recognized today by those who benefit from his works such as his popular, Mukhtaṣar al-Buwayṭī. His relentless effort to preserve the dīn will live on forever. May Allah accept him for all his efforts and enter him into Jannah al-Firdaus. Āmīn.

[1] A riṭl is a unit of weight used for centuries in the Islamic Empire. The weight of one riṭl varies depending on the country or area. For example, the riṭl used in Baghdad will be different to that of the Levant. One Baghdadi riṭl is approximately .85 lbs, and 40 riṭls would equal about 34 lbs.

Works Referenced

al-Dhahabī, Shams al-Dīn. Siyar ʾAʿlām al-Nubalāʾ [The Lives of Noble Figures]. Beirūt: Muʾassasat al-Risālah, 1996

al-Subkī, Tāj al-Dīn. Ṯabaqāt al-Shāfiʿiyyah al-Kubrā [Biographies of the Shāfiʿī Scholars]. Beirūt: Dār al-Ḥayā’, 1964

Ibn Kathīr, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Ṯabaqāt al-Shāfiʿiyyah al-Kubrā [Biographies of the Shāfiʿī Scholars]. Beirūt: Dār al-Madār al-Islāmī, 2004

Al-Buwayṭī, Yūsuf b. Yaḥyā. Mukhtaṣar al-Buwayṭī [Summary of al-ʾUmm by Imām al-Buwayṭī]. Madīnah: al-Mamlakah al-ʿArabiyyah al-Saʿūdiyyah, 2010