Abu Hanifa [rahmatullahi alayh]

Abu Hanifa [radiyallahu anh] (d. 150 AH / 767 CE) played a significant role in the development of legal thought and the methodology of independent reasoning (ijtihad) in Islam. He became widely known by the titles Abu Hanifa and Imam al-A‘zam. Although he is commonly referred to as Abu Hanifa, it is well established that he did not have a daughter named Hanifa, nor did he have any children besides his son Hammad. The origin of this appellation has been explained in different ways: some suggest that he was frequently seen carrying an inkwell, known as ḥanīfa among the Iraqis, while others argue that it derives from the lexical meaning of hanif—one who adheres firmly to truth and righteousness. Based on this, "Abu Hanifa" should be understood not as a traditional kunya but rather as an honorary title or a descriptive epithet. The school of legal thought that originated under his guidance and later flourished through the efforts of his students became known as the Hanafi madhhab, taking its name from this title. The designation Imam al-A‘zam (the Great Imam) was bestowed upon him due to his distinguished status among his contemporaries, his pioneering contributions to legal thought and ijtihad methodology, and the large number of jurists who gathered around his teachings, forming a well-established tradition.

Born in the year 80 AH (699 CE) in Kufa, there is near consensus regarding Abu Hanifa’s birth year, except for a few claims suggesting an earlier date. According to his grandsons, ʿUmar and Ismaʿil, his lineage traces back to Nuʿman b. Thabit b. Zuta b. Mah. It is widely reported that Abu Hanifa was of Persian origin, and when his homeland was conquered by Muslim forces, his family, being among the leading figures of their tribe, was granted protection rather than being treated as captives. Due to their non-Arab origin, they were placed under the patronage of the Banu Taymullah b. Saʿlaba, a sub-tribe of the Bakr b. Waʾil tribe. According to another account, his grandfather Zuta had been brought to the region as a slave from Persia and was later emancipated by his master. As a result, Abu Hanifa was known as the mawla (client) of the Banu Taymullah b. Saʿlaba or the Bakr b. Waʾil tribe, and he was sometimes referred to with the nisba Taymi.

There are also varying accounts suggesting that Abu Hanifa's lineage originated from Nisa, Anbar, or Tirmidh, or that his father was Persian while his mother was of Indian descent. Some even claim that he was of Turkish origin. However, the strongest view appears to be that his grandfather Zuta belonged to the Faris (Persian) nobility of the Kabul region, where he served as a marzuban (a border governor or military commander). His ancestors had held administrative positions in the Sasanid Empire, with some accounts suggesting that his lineage traced back to King Hormuz of the Sasanids. The diversity of these claims regarding his ancestry can be attributed to the fact that his father, Thabit, had lived in multiple regions before finally settling in Kufa. Additionally, as is often the case with influential figures, different ethnic and regional groups sought to claim lineage to Abu Hanifa, contributing to the multiplicity of reports. Given that various Muslim communities, including Turks, resided in the region of his ancestors, the possibility that he had Turkish lineage cannot be entirely dismissed.

According to his grandson Ismaʿil, his father Thabit had the honor of visiting ʿAli ibn Abi Talib, who offered supplications for him and his descendants. Although there exist some unsubstantiated reports suggesting that Abu Hanifa's father was originally Christian or that both he and his father later adopted Islamic names, the well-established historical accounts affirm that his father Thabit was born a free man and a Muslim.

From the time of Abu Hanifa’s own era onward, numerous scholars and writers of varying perspectives have expressed both praise and criticism regarding him. Given the rich body of accounts and narratives that have accumulated around his life and views, it is only natural that certain exaggerations have emerged due to sectarian biases and other influencing factors. For instance, some manāqib (hagiographical) works include fabricated hadiths predicting the coming of a man named Abu Hanifa or Nuʿman, who would illuminate the ummah, revive the religion and the Sunnah. However, just as similar reports attributed to other prominent scholars and jurists are known to be fabrications, these accounts regarding Abu Hanifa are also evidently inauthentic.

Abu Hanifa was born into a wealthy family engaged in trade, and before dedicating himself to the pursuit of knowledge, he was a merchant dealing in textiles. It is reported that he owned a shop in Kufa’s Amr b. Hurayth district (Khatib, XIII, 325). Even after embarking on his scholarly journey, he continued his commercial activities through his business partners. This is evident from the financial support he provided to his students and others, demonstrating that he lived a life free of material hardship. It is believed that he memorized the Qur’an at a young age and studied the science of Qur’anic recitation under ʿAsim b. Bahdalah, a master of the qiraʾat al-sabʿa (seven canonical recitations).

The cities of Kufa and Basra, where Abu Hanifa was raised, were significant centers of learning, deeply connected with other civilizations and home to many new converts to Islam who required religious instruction. These cities were also hubs of political activity and harbored scholars, linguists, poets, and philosophers. In such an environment, Abu Hanifa, a keen intellect engaged in trade, naturally attracted the attention of scholars who encouraged him toward the pursuit of knowledge. He himself recounts how Abu ʿAmr al-Shaʿbi once approached him and said: “I see in you intelligence, capability, and an active mind. Do not neglect attending scholarly gatherings and seeking knowledge.” Abu Hanifa describes how this conversation deeply impacted him, ultimately leading him to devote himself to learning.

Initially, he studied ʿaqida (theology) and jadal (dialectics), developing proficiency in these disciplines before engaging in debates with skeptics and proponents of heretical ideas. During his travels to Basra, a city with a wide diversity of theological perspectives, he continued this approach, defending the core tenets of faith passed down from the Prophet, the Companions, and subsequent generations. His theological positions played a key role in shaping the doctrine that would later be identified with Ahl al-Sunnah.

There are various accounts regarding the factors that led Abu Hanifa to transition from theology and dialectics to jurisprudence (fiqh). According to one widely cited narrative, a woman once approached him with a question regarding divorce. Unable to answer, he referred her to Ḥammād b. Abi Sulayman, a renowned expert in jurisprudence, and requested that she relay the answer back to him. Upon hearing the response, Abu Hanifa realized the need to specialize in fiqh and, at around twenty-two years of age, began attending Hammad’s lessons.

However, both this account and other narratives about Abu Hanifa’s transition from Qur’anic studies, hadith, theology, and grammar to fiqh should be approached with caution. As al-Dhahabi points out (Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ, VI, 396-398), religious sciences at that time had not yet fully crystallized into distinct disciplines with clear boundaries. Additionally, these later reports may have been influenced by the tendency to rank the superiority of various religious sciences, with fiqh being emphasized above others.

Abu Hanifa himself viewed religious knowledge as an integrated whole. He considered jurisprudence related to belief (usul al-din) to be even more virtuous than jurisprudence concerning legal rulings (ahkam) (al-Fiqh al-Akbar, 36). Given this holistic perspective, it would not be entirely accurate to assume that he shifted focus from one field to another at different stages of his life. However, it is undeniable that after becoming a student of Hammad, he attained great mastery in practical jurisprudence and eventually emerged as an authority primarily in this domain.

Abu Hanifa had the opportunity to study under many of the most distinguished scholars of his time, yet his primary teacher was Hammad b. Abi Sulayman, who was considered the leading figure of the Kufan school of legal reasoning (ra’y). From 102 AH (720 CE) until Hammad’s passing, Abu Hanifa remained his devoted student for eighteen years. Over time, he rose to become one of his most prominent disciples, even substituting for him in his absence. Upon his teacher’s death in 120 AH (738 CE), at the insistence of his peers and students, Abu Hanifa assumed the position of the leading jurist in Kufa, a role he continued, with some intervals, until his passing.

Renowned for his dignity, humility, and exceptional intellectual acumen, Abu Hanifa attracted students from across the Islamic world, forming a vast circle of scholars around him. It is reported that thousands studied under him, with forty of his students reaching the level of ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) (al-Bazzazi, 218-246). His legal methodology was rooted in a scholarly lineage extending from his teacher Hammad, to Ibrahim al-Nakhaʿi and Abu ʿAmr al-Shaʿbi, and through them to Masruq b. Ajdaʿ, Qadi Shurayh, al-Aswad b. Yazid, and ʿAlqama b. Qays. These figures, in turn, had inherited their knowledge from some of the most learned sahaba (Companions), including ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, ʿAli ibn Abi Talib, ʿAbdullah ibn Masʿud, and ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbbas. The influence of this scholarly lineage is evident in Abu Hanifa’s legal thought and methodology.

Abu Hanifa engaged in scholarly discussions across many centers of learning, attending the hadith and fiqh assemblies of Kufa, Basra, and beyond. He personally met around one hundred tabiʿin scholars and transmitted hadith from many of them. During his travels, he learned directly from ʿAtaʾ b. Abi Rabah, ʿIkrima, and Nafiʿ, thus acquiring access to the legal traditions of Makkah and Madinah, particularly the juristic opinions and fatwas of ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab and ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbbas. He exchanged knowledge with many great scholars of his time, including Malik b. Anas, Sufyan b. ʿUyaynah, Imam Zayd b. ʿAli, Muhammad al-Baqir, ʿAbdullah b. Hasan b. Hasan, and Jaʿfar al-Sadiq. He even debated with prominent figures from deviant sects, such as Jabir b. Yazid al-Juʿfī. During his journeys for hajj, he engaged in discussions with leading scholars of his era, refining and strengthening his legal reasoning.

While the majority of tabaqat (biographical) and manaqib (hagiographical) works classify Abu Hanifa among the followers of the followers (tabiʿ al-tabiʿin), some claim that he met and transmitted hadith from several Companions, which would place him among the tabiʿin. Proponents of this view list around fifteen Companions from whom he is said to have narrated. Among them, there is consensus that Anas b. Malik, ʿAbdullah b. Abi Awfa, Sahl b. Saʿd, and Abu al-Tufayl ʿAmir b. Wathila were alive during Abu Hanifa’s time (Taşköprüzāde, I, 645). However, considering their locations, it seems more plausible that he only saw Anas b. Malik when the Companion visited Ku fa while Abu Hanifa was still a child.

His relatively late start in formal scholarship, the lack of reports from his closest students—such as Abu Yusuf, Muhammad b. al-Hasan, Zufar b. Huzayl, and ʿAbdullah b. al-Mubarak—stating that he studied directly under the Companions, and the chronological impossibility of his meeting many of them, all weaken the claim that he was a tabiʿi. However, some scholars argue that merely seeing a Companion qualifies one as a tabiʿi, and by this definition, Abu Hanifa could be included among them. Others consider him among the youngest of the tabiʿin and the most senior of the tabiʿ al-tabiʿin.

Spanning fifty-two years under the Umayyads and eighteen years under the ʿAbbasids, Abu Hanifa witnessed significant political upheavals, including the transition of power from the Umayyads to the ʿAbbasids. He lived through the reigns of Umayyad Caliphs from ʿAbd al-Malik b. Marwan (685-705) to the last Umayyad ruler, Marwan II (744-750), as well as the establishment of ʿAbbasid rule under Abu al-ʿAbbas al-Saffah (750-754) and Abu Jaʿfar al-Mansur (754-775).

His deep affection for Ahl al-Bayt and unwavering support for the descendants of ʿAli ibn Abi Talib were well known. When the Umayyads intensified their oppression of Ahl al-Bayt, he openly criticized their actions. It is even reported that he supported Zayd b. ʿAli in his 121 AH (739 CE) uprising against the Umayyad Caliph Hisham b. ʿAbd al-Malik, both financially and through legal endorsements. The rebellion ended with Zayd’s martyrdom in 122 AH (740 CE), followed by the martyrdom of his son Yahya b. Zayd in Khurasan in 125 AH (743 CE). These events led many scholars to openly criticize the Umayyad rule, contributing to its eventual downfall.

To reconcile opposition and secure loyalty, the last Umayyad caliph, Marwan II, through the governor of Iraq, Ibn Hubayra, sought to appease scholars by offering them official positions. Among those approached, Abu Hanifa was offered the position of judge (qadi) or treasurer (bayt al-mal amin). When he steadfastly refused despite immense pressure, he was imprisoned and beaten. When his condition worsened in 130 AH (747-748 CE), he was released and allowed to leave. He traveled to Makkah, where he remained until the fall of the Umayyads and the rise of the ʿAbbasids.

During this time, ʿAbdullah b. Yahya, known as Talib al-Haqq, led a rebellion in Yemen, seeking to reclaim the rights of Ahl al-Bayt, but was martyred by ʿAbbAsid forces in 130 AH (748 CE). With the ʿAbbAsids promising to uphold the rights of the Prophet’s descendants, Abu Hanifa, hopeful for a just rule, returned to Kufa and pledged allegiance to Abu al-ʿAbbas al-Saffah. However, witnessing continued unrest, he once again sought refuge in Makkah. After the situation stabilized under Caliph al-Mansur, he returned to Kufa and resumed teaching.

Historical sources unanimously describe Abu Hanifa as a man of integrity, generosity, and deep devotion. His character was reflected in both his business dealings and social interactions. He was scrupulous in avoiding unlawful earnings. On one occasion, when his business partner Hafs b. ʿAbd al-Rahman mistakenly sold defective fabric at full price, Abu Hanifa distributed the entire proceeds to charity. He also set aside a portion of his income to support scholars and students, instructing them: “Spend this on your needs and give thanks only to Allah, for it is not truly mine. Allah, in His grace, has provided it for you through me.” (Tarikh Baghdad, XIII, 360).

Despite later sufi attributions linking him to Jaʿfar al-Sadiq and mystical traditions, it is evident that Abu Hanifa’s primary focus remained jurisprudence and theology. While devoted to worship and asceticism, the claim that he abandoned fiqh for taṣawwuf in his final years appears to be a later embellishment aimed at strengthening the spiritual authority of his legacy.