Imam al-Shafi'i was a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist born in 767 CE in Gaza, Palestine. He is best known for founding the Shafi'i school of thought, one of the four major Sunni Islamic schools of jurisprudence. His works emphasized the importance of the Qur'an, Hadith, consensus, and analogy in deriving legal rulings. Al-Shafi'i's most influential book, Al-Risala, laid the foundations for Islamic legal theory and methodology. He traveled extensively throughout the Islamic world, including Mecca and Baghdad, to study and teach. His contributions significantly shaped Islamic law and continue to influence scholars and practitioners today.