ˈshafēˌē, ˈshäf- noun
( -s )
Usage: usually capitalized
Etymology: after al- Shafi'i died A.D. 820 Arab scholar and religious leader
1. : an orthodox school of Muslim jurisprudence predominating in southern Arabia and Indonesia — compare hanafi , hanbali , maliki
2. or sha·fi·'ite -fēˌīt
[ shafi'ite from al- Shafi'i + English -ite ]
: a follower of the Shafi'i school