—and he was only fifteen years old (1).

This same report was also transmitted by Muhammad ibn Bishr al-Zanbari and Abu Nuʿaym al-Istrabadhi, on the authority of al-Rabiʿ, from al-Humaydi, who said: “al-Zanji said so.”

This version appears more plausible (2), for al-Humaydi was too young to have heard directly from Muslim, and we have not found in his Musnad any narration from him (3).

A group of transmitters related: al-Rabiʿ told us that al-Shafiʿi said, “For a servant to meet Allah bearing every sin except idolatry is better than to meet Him carrying even a trace of sectarian passion (4).”

Al-Zubayr al-Istrabadhi reported: Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Adam in Egypt told me, Ibn ʿAbd al-Hakam narrated to us, ‘I heard al-Shafiʿi say, “If people knew the passions concealed within speculative theology, they would flee from it as they flee from a lion (5).”’

Yunus al-Sadafi said, “I have never seen anyone more intelligent than al-Shafiʿi. One day I debated him on an issue; afterward we parted. Later he met me, took me by the hand, and said, ‘Abu Musa, should we not remain brothers even if we disagree on a single matter?’ (6)”