Nasir el-Din Shafi’ bin Ali bin Abbas el-Kinani el-Asqalani el-Masry (Egyptian Arabic: ناصر الدين شافع بن علي بن عباس الكناني العسقلاني المصري) (1330 – 1251), commonly known as Shafi' bin Ali el-Masry was an Egyptian writer, historian, biographer, poet and military commander who participated in the conquests of the Egyptian army during the era of Sultan El-Mansur Seif el-Din Qalawun.
He was raised by a family famous for its knowledge and culture, and it seems that he became attached to his uncle Mohie el-Din bin Abdel Zahir, and his son Fath el-Din bin Abdel Zahir.
There is no clearer evidence of this than his saying about his uncle Mohie el-Din and his loyalty to him:[1]“And from whom I lived, I advanced, and from whose hands I graduated.”[1]In 1281, the Egyptian army, led by the Egyptian Sultan El-Mansur Qalawun, moved towards the Levant to confront the Mongol Ilkhanid armies near Homs.
Shafi’ bin Ali was a companion of El-Mansur Qalawun, because he was at that time in charge of the Egyptian Diwan al-Insha (or letters).
[6] Upon his death, Shafi' bin Ali el-Masry left behind 20 bookcases full of books.