A cikin ci gaban Fiqhu a wannan zamani, akwai manyan yanayi guda biyu masu alaka da bunkasar Madhhabobi. Na farko ya faru ne a zamanin Manyan Imamai, wadanda suka kafa manyan Madhhabobi, da manyan dalibansu. Duk da cewa wadannan Madhhabobi suna kara zama tsare-tsare daban-daban, sun ci gaba da al'adar sassauci wajen yin hukunce-hukuncen shari'a da karbar su, wadda ta siffanta zamanin da suka gabata. Yanayi na biyu ya shafi zamanin bayan rasuwar manyan malaman Madhhabobi. Yana wakiltar farkon tsauri wajen yin hukunce-hukuncen shari'a da karbar su, wanda shi ne babban siffar Madhhabobi, kuma saboda haka na Fiqhu, a tsararraki masu zuwa.

In the development of Fiqh during this period, there were two major trends relating to the evolution of the Madh-habs. The first occurred during the period of the Great Imaams, founders of the major Madh-habs, and their major students. Although these Madhhabs were fast becoming distinct entities, they continued the tradition of flexibility in making and accepting legal rulings which had characterized the earlier periods. The second trend covered the period following the death of the major scholars of the Madh-habs. It represents the beginning of that rigidity in making and accepting legal rulings which is the main characteristic of Madh-habs, and consequently of Fiqh, in succeeding generations.

Ci gaban Fiqhu a zamanin Manyan Imamai (750-850 CE) da manyan almajiransu ya shafi abubuwa masu zuwa.

The development of Fiqh in the period of the Great Imaams (750-850 CE) and their major students was affected by the following factors.

Halifofin 'Abbasiyawa na farko sun nuna girmamawa sosai ga shari'ar Musulunci da malamanta. Dalilin hakan shi ne cewa sun samu mulki ne bisa da'awar cewa suna neman komawa ga halifanci bisa Shari'ah da fassarar malamai ingantacciya. Saboda haka, halifofin 'Abbasiyawa na wannan zamani duk suna alfahari da aika 'ya'yansu su yi karatu a wurin manyan malaman zamaninsu, kuma, abin ma fi haka, wasu daga cikin halifofin sun zama malaman shari'ar Musulunci da kansu; misali, Halifa Haroon ar-Rasheed (mulki 786-809 CE). Haka kuma, waɗannan halifofi sun saba neman shawarar fitattun malaman Musulunci game da yawancin al'amuran fiqhu. Misali na gargajiya shi ne na Imam Malik wanda Halifa al-Mansoor ya ba shi aikin tattara littafi mai inganci na Sunnar Annabi ﷺ. Bayan kammala shi, Halifa ya nemi shawarar Malik game da yarda ya mayar da shi kundin tsarin mulkin ƙasa, wanda hakan zai sa mazhabar Imam Malik ta zama wajibi ga dukkan Musulmi. Sai dai Imam ya ƙi amincewa da hakan, domin ya san cewa tattarawarsa ta ƙunshi hadisan Annabi ﷺ kawai waɗanda suke a Hijaz inda Imam Malik ya koyar kuma ya kafa mazhabarsa. Ya ji ƙwarai cewa babu wata mazhaba guda da ya kamata ta zama wajibi ga dukkan Musulmi, saboda duk wata mazhaba guda za ta kashe hadisai da yawa waɗanda Sahabbai suka ruwaito, waɗanda suka yi tafiya zuwa wasu sassan ƙasar. Wannan misali ne bayyananne na sassaucin da ya siffanta waɗanda suka kafa mazhabobin. Abin da ya taimaka wajen bunƙasar mazhabobi da yawa da suka taso a rabin na ƙarshe na zamanin Umayyawa shi ne goyon bayan gwamnati da ɗaukar nauyin malaman fiqhu.

The early ‘Abbaasid Caliphs made a show of great respect for Islamic law and its scholars. The reason for this lay in the fact that they owed their office to their claim that they were seeking a return to a caliphate based on Sharee’ah and its legitimate interpretation. Consequently, the ‘Abbaasid caliphs of this period all took pride in sending their children to study under the major scholars of the time, and, what is more, some of the caliphs became scholars of Islamic law in their own right; for example, Caliph Haroon arRasheed (rule 786-809 CE). Furthermore, these caliphs made a practice of consulting the outstanding Islamic scholars on most matters of Fiqh. A classical example is that of Imaam Maalik whom Caliph al-Mansoor commissioned to compile an authoritative book of the Sunnah of the Prophet (s.w.). On its completion, the Caliph consulted Maalik about allowing him to make it the state constitution, which would have made the Madh-hab of Imaam Maalik binding on all Muslims. However, the Imaam refused to have it done, since he was aware that his compilation including only those Hadeeths of the Prophet (s.w.) that were available in Hijaaz where Imaam Maalik had taught and founded his Madh-hab. He felt strongly that no single Madh-hab should be binding on all Muslims in view of the fact that any single Madh-hab would exclude the many other Hadeeths narrated by Sahaabah who had traveled to other parts of the state.111This is a clear example of that flexibility which characterized the founders of the Madh-habs. The factor of state support and patronization of Fiqh scholars contributed largely to the flourishing of the many Madh-habs which had arisen in the latter part of the Umayyad period.

Duk lokacin da malamai ko ɗalibansu suka haɗu, sukan musayar ra'ayoyi game da batutuwan Musulunci daban-daban da suka taso a yankunansu. Idan akwai babban sabani game da wata mafita ta musamman, sukan yi muhawara tsakaninsu har sai an cimma matsaya ɗaya ko kuma an karɓi zaɓuɓɓuka daban-daban.

Whenever scholars or their students met, they would exchange thoughts on various Islamic issues which had arisen in their particular areas. If there was a major difference of opinion about a particular solution, they would debate back and forth until a common conclusion was reached or various options were accepted.

Waɗannan muhawarori na shari'a sun kasance suna gudana ta wasiƙa, kamar yadda lamarin muhawarar da ta faru tsakanin Imam Malik da Imam al-Laith game da al'adun mutanen Madina ya nuna.114

These legal debates also took place by mail, as in the case of the debate between Imaam Maalik and Imaam al-Layth about Madeenite customs.114

Babban karuwar adadin zaman muhawara, ko ta wasiku ko kuma ta fuska da fuska tsakanin wadanda suka kafa mazhabobi da dalibansu daban-daban, ya haifar da bayyana wasu muhimman al'amura, da kuma tace hukunce-hukunce ko shari'o'i da suka yi kuskure daga cikin malaman fikhu.

The huge increase in the number of debating sessions, whether by mail or in face to face meetings between founders and students of various Madh-habs resulted in the clarification of certain important issues and the seeding out of mistaken rulings or judgements among scholars of Islamic law.

A cikin wannan mataki na farko na ci gaban Madhhabai, an sami wani sanannen rashin tsauri ko taurin kai daga malamai da dalibansu. Wato, ana nazarin al'amura da kyau kuma ana kai ga matsaya bisa ga ingancin hujjojin da aka gabatar. Har ma Imam Abu Hanifa da Imam Shafi'i an ruwaito su suna cewa idan hadisi ya tabbata ingancinsa, to shi ne ya kamata a dauka a matsayin madhhabinsu. Wani misali abin lura shi ne hukuncin shan khamr da sauran abubuwan maye. Imam Abu Hanifa, wanda ya kafa Madhhabin Hanafi, ya yi hukunci cewa haramcin khamr a Musulunci ya shafi kayan da aka yi daga ruwan inabi da ya yi fermentation ne kawai (ma'anar kalmar khamr a zahiri).

In this early stage in the development of Madh-habs there was a marked lack of rigidity or dogmatism on the part of scholars and their students. That is, issues were objectively analyzed and conclusions arrived at on the basis of the validity of the proofs presented. In fact Imaam Abu Haneefah and Imaam Shafi’ee were on record as stating that if a Hadeeth was known to be accurate, then that should be considered their Madh-hab. A noteworthy example concerns the law relating to the drinking of Khamr and other intoxicants. Imaam Abu Haneefah, founder of the Hanafee Madhhab, had ruled that the Islamic prohibition of Khamr covered only the product of fermented grape juice (the literal meaning of Khamr)