Kitab al-Umm

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Kitab al-Umm is the first major, comprehensive collection of Islamic law for the Sunni Shafi'i school. It was written by Imam al-Shafi'i (c. 767–820 CE), the founder of the Shafi'i school. The title means “the exemplar” or “the mother book.” The work is known for presenting legal rules by deriving them from revelation—the Qur’an and the Prophet’s traditions—rather than relying on traditional authority alone. It remains an important early source for Shafi’i jurisprudence.