The story of Imam Shafi'i not praying at night because of knowledge

One day Imam Shafi'i visited the house of Imam Ahmad bin Hambal. Imam Ahmad has a pious daughter, who always worships at night, while fasting during the day, besides that he also likes the stories of pious and chosen people.

Imam Ahmad's daughter was eager to meet Imam Syafi'i in person, because her father had great respect for the famous 'ulama. When Imam Shafi'i visited their house, the princess was very happy and she hoped to see what Imam Shafi'i was doing and hear his advice.

After having dinner together, Imam Ahmad went to the place of prayer to perform prayers and remembrance, while Imam Shafi'i lay on his back. The princess always watched Imam Shafi'i until dawn.

In the morning, the daughter said to her father: "O my father, is it true that he is the Imam Shafi'i that you always told me about?"

Imam Ahmad replied: "Yes my daughter .."

Next the princess said: "I heard that you, father, respect Imam Shafi'i so much, but unlike what I saw last night that he does not pray, does not dhikr, and does not do wirid? And I also see that there are three things that are not common."

Imam Ahmad: "What are the three things, O my daughter?"

The princess continued: “When we serve him food, he eats so much and this is different from what I heard. When he enters his room, he does not pray at night, and when he prays at dawn with us, he prays without ablution."

When the day was getting late and they were talking, Imam Ahmad said to Imam Shafi'i about what his daughter had seen, then Imam Shafi'i said:

"O aba Muhammad, I did eat a lot last night because I know that your food is halal food and you are a noble person. While eating the food of noble people is medicine. In contrast to the food of the stingy person is a disease. So, I eat not to be full but to treat with the blessings of your food. As for last night I did not perform the night prayer, it is because when I lay my head down to sleep, I saw as if the Qur'an and hadith were in front of me. Then Allah opened to me 72 problems of jurisprudence which I compiled for the benefit of Muslims. So thinking about this knowledge is a barrier between me and the night prayer. As for when I pray at dawn with you, I do not perform ablution, so by Allah, my eyes do not fall asleep until I need to renew my ablution. Last night I was awake. So I pray Fajr with you with Isha prayer ablution."

Then Imam Shafi'i said goodbye and went home.

Then Imam Ahmad said to his daughter:

"What Imam Shafi'i did last night while sleeping is more important than what I did while praying at night."