Imam al-Shafi'i (767–820 CE) was an important jurist who founded the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence. Born in Gaza, Palestine, he spent much of his life traveling and studying under various scholars across the Islamic world. Al-Shafi'i's legal theories and methodologies laid the groundwork for the development of Islamic jurisprudence. His major work, "al-Risala," became a foundational text in Islamic legal theory. Al-Shafi'i emphasized the importance of the Quran, the Hadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad), consensus (ijma), and analogical reasoning (qiyas) in legal interpretation. His teachings and methodologies continue to be highly influential in Islamic scholarship and legal practice.