Quotes from Ash-Shaaf'iee:
Ash-Shaafi'ee said, ‘Knowledge is what benefits, knowledge is not what is merely memorised.'
*Aboo 'Alee bin Hakamaan said, Ahmad bin Mohammad bin Haaroon Al Hamadaanee Al 'Adl narrated to us, that Aboo Muslim Al Kajjee narrated to us saying, Al Asma'ee narrated to us from Ash-Shaafi'ee, that he said, ‘The core of knowledge, is steadfastness, and its fruit is security, and the core of cautiousness is contentment, and its fruit is tranquillity, and the core of patience is to be resolute, and its fruit is triumph, and the core of actions is ability, and its fruit is success, and the goal in each and every affair is truthfulness.'’
*Aboo Thawr said, I heard Ash-Shaafi'ee say, ‘It befits the Faqeeh (jurist), that he should place some soil onto his head out of humbleness to Allaah, and out of thanks to Allaah.’
*Ar-Rabee' said, Ash-Shaafi'ee said to me, ‘If the Fuqahaa (jurists and people of knowledge) are not the Awliyaa (loyal and devoted ones) of Allaah, then Allaah has no Walee.’
*Hurmulah said, I heard Ash-Shaafi'ee say, ‘I would love that all the knowledge that I have learnt, that I should teach the people, so that I would get the reward, and they would not praise me for it.’
*It has been reported through two chains from Ash-Shaafi'ee, that he said, ‘If I see a man the companions of Hadeeth, then it is as if I am seeing a companion of the Prophet, may Allaah reward them with all good, they protected for us the Asl (origin/foundation), so they have excellence over us.’
*Yoonus bin 'Abdil-A'laa said, Ash-Shaafi'ee said to me, ‘Pleasing the people is a goal you will never reach, and there is no way to ensure security from them, so upon you be that which will benefit you, then adhere to that.’
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*From Ash-Shaafi'ee that he said, ‘The sign of a true friend, is that he behaves to the friend of his friend as a friend.’
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*From Ash-Shaafi'ee that he said, ‘The most elevated of people in status, are those who do not recognise from themselves any status, and those of them who possess the most excellence are those who do not see their excellence.’