al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman

al-Rabi' ibn Sulayman al-Muradi al-Misri (174–270 AH) was the primary transmitter of Imam al-Shafi'i's books and the most reliable source for the Shafi'i school's texts. He narrated al-Shafi'i's major works including Kitab al-Umm (the comprehensive fiqh encyclopedia), al-Risala (the foundational usul al-fiqh text), and the Musnad. Without al-Rabi's transmission, many of al-Shafi'i's works would be unknown today. He served as the muezzin of the Great Mosque of Fustat in Egypt. Al-Shafi'i reportedly said about him: 'al-Rabi' is my ear' — meaning he was the one through whom others would hear al-Shafi'i's knowledge.