linger with either us or you; rather, tell us about the genealogies of women.’ When they embarked on that subject, Ibn Hisham was left dumbfounded (1).

Yunus al-Sadafi said, ‘Whenever al-Shafiʿi began to speak about the chronicles of past events, I would say, “This is his craft.”

Al-Shafiʿi himself said, ‘I sought them—meaning the Arabic language and historical reports—only to help me in jurisprudence’ (2).

Abu Hatim related: Yunus ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿla told us, ‘I have never seen anyone suffer from illness as al-Shafiʿi did. I entered to visit him, and he said, “Recite from Surah Al ʿImran starting after verse one hundred and twenty.” I recited, and when I rose to leave he said, “Do not neglect me, for I am in distress.”

Yunus added, ‘By having me recite, he meant the passages that speak of what the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions endured, or something close to that’ (3).

Ibn Khuzayma and others transmitted: al-Muzani said, ‘I visited al-Shafiʿi during the illness in which he died and asked, “O Abu ʿAbd Allah, how did you awake?” He raised his head and said, “I awoke departing from the world, parting from my brothers, facing the evil of my deeds, and journeying toward Allah. I do not know whether my soul will go to Paradise so that I may congratulate it, …”