Early Life of Imam Abu Hanifah
Imam Abu Hanifah was born in Kufa, Iraq in the year 80A.H. He was the son of a Persian merchant and his full name is Nu’man bin Thabit ibn Zauti (more famously known in Islamic History as ‘Imam Abu Hanifah’ and ‘Imam A’zam’).
His father – Thabit – was privileged to meet Hazrat Ali (R.A.) who had at the time, made Kufa his capital. Kufa, at the time of Imam Abu Hanifah was one the most important learning centres in the Islamic world and was blessed with the presence of over a thousand sahabah at one stage in its history.
Imam Abu Hanifah is himself also a Tabi’ee (One who saw and benefited from at least one Sahabi).
At the age of 20, Imam Abu Hanifah turned his attention towards the pursuit of advancing his Islamic knowledge.
The Imam’s Teachers
Abu Hanifah benefited from nearly 4,000 Sheikhs. Among his 1st and the most important tutors was Imam Hammad (Died 120 A.H.) whose educational lineage is linked with Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood (R.A.). Such was his respect for his tutor, Imam Hammad that Imam Abu Hanifah says; whilst in my home I never even stretched my legs towards the house of my tutor, despite living 7 streets away.
Abu Hanifah (R.A.) had joined his father’s business wherein he showed scrupulous honesty and fairness. Once his agent had sold a consignment of silk cloth on his behalf but forgot to mention a slight defect to the customers. When Imam Abu Hanifah learnt of this, he was greatly distressed because he had no means of the refunding the customers; so he immediately ordered the entire proceeds of the sale (30,000 Dirhams ) to be given in charity.
He was also keenly interested in education. He established a school at Kufa, which later became a famous College of Theology. Here he delivered lectures on Islamic Law and related subjects.
Fiqah or Islamic Law was systematically studied by his students under his expert guidance. A large number of his devoted and highly intelligent students worked under him for 30 years, and it is the labour of these students that gave us the Hanafi School of thought.
The Methodology of Imam Abu Hanifah
Imam Abu Hanifah (R.A.) was the 1st of the Imams to advocate the use of “reason” in the consideration of religious questions based on the Qur’an and Sunnah. He was also the 1st Imam to arrange all the subjects of Islamic Law systematically.
Imam Abu Hanifah (Rahimahullah) would regularly sit with a group of 36 to 40 of his esteemed students, each of whom was a specialist in a particular branch of Islamic knowledge—ranging from Arabic grammar and rhetoric to Hadith, Tafsir, and Fiqh. These gatherings were not merely lessons, but councils of scholarly discussion and deep deliberation. A matter would be presented, and the students would each share their views and reasoning based on their area of expertise, while the Imam (Rahimahullah) himself would oversee the debate with great wisdom and insight.
It was within these blessed circles that many of the rulings of the Hanafi madhhab were formulated. His two most distinguished students, Qadi Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani, played a key role in documenting and expanding upon the Imam’s legal methodology. Through their efforts, the Hanafi school was developed further and preserved for generations to come.
When it came to deriving rulings, Imam Abu Hanifah (Rahimahullah) followed a meticulous and principled approach. First, he would seek evidence in the Noble Qur’an. If the answer was not explicitly found there, he would turn to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. If the matter remained unresolved, he would examine the statements of the Sahabah (Radiyallahu ‘anhum). Where there was a difference among them, he would adopt the view that he found most consistent with the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
If no clear guidance was available even after this, the Imam (Rahimahullah) would engage in Ijtihad (independent reasoning), drawing from his deep knowledge and understanding, while also considering the opinions of great Tabi’een scholars such as Ibrahim al-Nakha’i and Hasan al-Basri (Rahimahumullah).
This structured and respectful method highlights the deep sincerity, scholarship, and care Imam Abu Hanifah (Rahimahullah) had in preserving the Deen and ensuring that every ruling aligned with the sources of Islam.
His most important work is the Kitab-ul-Aasaar which was compiled by his students – Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad.
The Imam’s stance on Rulers
In {146 A.H.} 763 A.C. Al-Mansoor – the Banu Abbas Khalifa of the Muslim Empire at Baghdad whose capital was Baghdad – offered Imam Sahib the post of Chief Qadhi of the state, but Imam Abu Hanifah declined to accept the post and chose to remain independent. In his reply to Al-Mansoor, Abu Hanifah excused himself by saying that he did not regard himself fit for the post offered. Al-Mansoor, who had his own ideas and reasons for offering the post, lost his temper and accused Abu Hanifah of lying.
“If I am lying,” the Imam said, “then my statement is doubly correct. “How can you appoint a liar to the exalted post of a Chief Qazi?”
Incensed by this reply, Al-Mansoor charged the Imam with contempt, had him arrested and locked in prison.
Even in prison, Imam Abu Hanifah continued to teach those who were permitted to come to him.
Death of Imam Abu Hanifah
It was here in prison that Abu Hanifah was administered a dose of poison in 150 A.H. Realising that the end was near, the Imam prostrated in prayer and passed away in this condition in the month of Rajab, 150 A.H.
The news of his death soon spread throughout Baghdad. The whole town came out to pay their last homage to the greatest Imam of Islamic Law. More than 50,000 people participated in the first Janaza Salaat. People continued to flock and before the Janaza could be finally taken for burial, the Salaatul Janaza was offered 6 times in all. For days, people came in large numbers to pay their respects at the grave side.
