Abu Hanifah al-Nu'man ibn Thabit ibn Zuta (80-150 H. / 700-768 M.) an haife shi a lokacin Khalifancin Abdul Malik bin Marwan. Imam Abu Hanifah ya rayu tsawon shekaru 52 a karkashin mulkin Umayyawa, kuma ya shaida Khalifancin Khalifofi goma na Umayyawa, ciki har da na Umar bin Abdul Aziz, wanda ya yi mulki a lokacin da Imam ya kai shekara 18 a duniya.

Abu Hanifah al Nu‟man ibn Thabit ibn Zuta (80-150 A.H. / 700-768 C.E.) was born during the Khilafah of Abdul Malik bin Marwan. Imam Abu Hanifah lived through 52 years of Umayyad rule and witnessed the Khilafah of ten Umayyad Khulafa including that of Umar bin Abdul Aziz who ruled when the Imam was 18 years of age.

Ya kuma ga mulkin Abbasiyawa na shekaru 18, ciki har da na Saffah da Mansoor. Ya fahimci cewa Umayyawa ba su da wani hakki ga Khilafah, amma bai yi tawaye a kansu ba saboda an riga an yi musu Bay‟ah. Haka kuma bai yi magana a kan Abbasiyawa ba; sai dai ya fara yin hakan lokacin da suka fara cutar da zuriyar Ali (ra). Imam Abu Hanifah ya samu lakabin Imam „Aazam (babban Imam). Imam Shafi‟i yakan ce, “Mutane a cikin Fiqh suna dogara ne ga Abu Hanifah”.

He also saw 18 years of Abbasid rule, including that of Saffah and Mansoor. He realised that the Ummayyads had no claim on the Khilafah but he did not rebel against them since they were given the Bay‟ah. He also did not speak out against the Abbassids; however, he started doing so when they started harassing the descendants of Ali (ra). Imam Abu Hanifah earned the title of Imam „Aazam (the great Imam). Imam Shafi‟i used to say, “The people in Fiqh are dependent upon Abu Hanifah”.

An haife shi ne a cikin wata shahararriyar dangin Farisawa a Kufa, kuma ya yi mafi yawan rayuwarsa a can. Mahaifinsa aminin Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) ne na kut-da-kut. Sahabbai biyu (ra) da suka kafa Makarantar Kufa su ne Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) da Abdullahi bin Mas'ud (ra). Sun koyar da Tabi'ai irin su Shurayh, Arqam bin Qais, Masjood bin al-Ajdah. Su kuma sun koyar da Ibraheem An-Nakha'ee, Ash-Sha'bee. Waɗannan biyun sun koyar da Hammaad Ar-Raawiyyah, wanda ya zama malamin Imam Abu Hanifah. Abu Hanifah ya yi karatu tare da Hammaad na shekaru 18, kuma ya gaji majalisar karatunsa (halaqah) bayan rasuwar Hammaad a shekara ta 120 bayan Hijira. Abu Hanifah ya kuma yi karatu a wurin Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq.

He was born to a well-known Persian family in Kufah and spent most of his life there. His father was a good friend of Ali bin Abi Talib (ra). The two Sahabah (ra) who established the Kufah School were Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) and Abdullah bin Mas‟ood (ra). They taught Tabi‟een like Shurayh, Arqam bin Qais, Masjood bin al-Ajdah. They in turn taught Ibraheem An-Nakha‟ee, Ash-Sha‟bee. These two taught Hammaad Ar-Raawiyyah, who served as the teacher of Imam Abu Hanifah. Abu Hanifah studied with Hammaad for 18 years and took over his study circle (halaqah) after Hammaad‟s death in 120 A.H. Abu Hanifah also studied from Imam Jafar as-Sadiq.

Almajiran Abu Hanifah guda biyu da suka fi shahara sune Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Shaybani, da Alkalin alkalai Abu Yusuf, wanda ya rike mukamin Babban Alkali a zamanin Haroon ar-Rashid, kuma ya rubuta shahararren littafin nan mai suna Al-Kharaj, wanda ya yi bayani dalla-dalla kan tsarin tattalin arziki a Musulunci. Kowane daga cikin almajiran Abu Hanifah ya kai matsayin Mujtahidai a kansa, yana da ikon samar da nasa Usul al-Fiqh. Duk da haka, sun ci gaba da riko da Usul na Abu Hanifah, kuma ana daukar su a matsayin Mujtahidan Madhhabin Abu Hanifah.

Abu Hanifah‟s two most famous students were Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Shaybani, and Qadi Abu Yusuf, who served as Chief Justice in the time of Haroon ar-Rashid and wrote the famous book called Al-Kharaj which detailed the Economic system in Islam. Each of Abu Hanifah‟s students developed into Mujtahids in their own right, with the ability of developing their own Usul al-Fiqh. However, they kept the Usul of Abu Hanifah and were considered Mujtahids of the Madhab of Abu Hanifah.

Abu Hanifah ya kasance ɗan kasuwa ne a sana'arsa, yana ƙware a harkar siliki. A farkon rayuwarsa ya yi karatun „Ilmul Kalaam, amma daga baya ya bar shi. Wata rana ya ji ɗansa Hammaad yana muhawara a cikin „Ilmul Kalaam, sai ya hana shi yin hakan. Ɗansa ya tambaye shi dalilin da ya sa yake hana shi, alhali shi kansa yana yin muhawara a cikin „Ilmul Kalaam. Abu Hanifah ya amsa da cewa, shi yana yin muhawara a cikin „Ilmul Kalaam ne cikin tsoron cewa wasu za su yi kuskure a wata matsala. Amma kai kana muhawara ne da fatan abokin muhawararka zai yi kuskure a wata matsala domin ka yi amfani da kuskurensa. Duk wanda ya so abokin muhawararsa ya yi kuskure a „Ilmul Kalaam, yana nufin yana so ya zama kafiri (domin „Ilmul Kalaam yana magana ne a kan batutuwan „Aqeedah), kuma duk wanda ya so abokin muhawararsa ya zama kafiri, zai zama kafiri kafin abokin muhawararsa. Don haka kada ka yi muhawara a cikin „Ilmul Kalaam.

Abu Hanifah was a trader by profession, specialising in silk. In his early life he studied „Ilm ul Kalaam, but abandoned it afterwards. Once he heard his son Hammaad, debating in „Ilm ul Kalaam, he discouraged him from doing so. His son asked him why he was prohibiting him when he himself used to debate in „Ilm ul-Kalaam. Abu Hanifah replied that he used to debate in „Ilm ul Kalaam while being afraid that others would be wrong in an issue. Whereas you are debating with the hope that your opponent would be wrong in an issue in order to exploit his mistake. He who wants his opponent to make a mistake in „Ilm ul Kalaam means that he wants him to be a Kafir („Ilm ul Kalaam deals with the issues of the „Aqeedah), and he who wants his opponent to be a Kafir will become a Kafir before his opponent. So do not debate in „Ilm ul Kalaam.

Abu Hanifah ya rubuta littattafai da yawa, almajiransa kuma sun rubuta littattafai masu muhimmanci da yawa kan Musulunci. Daga cikin littattafan Abu Hanifah akwai Fiqh ul-Akbar da Al „Alim-wal-Muta‟allim.

Abu Hanifah wrote many books, and his students also authored many important books on Islam. The books of Abu Hanifah include Fiqh ul-Akbar and Al „Alim-wal-Muta‟allim.

Daga cikin shahararrun littattafai na waɗanda suka bi mazhabarsa akwai waɗannan, amma ba'a iyakance su ga su kaɗai ba:

Some of the famous books of those who followed his Madhab include, but are not limited to the following:

Al-Kharaj (Fiqh kan Tsarin Tattalin Arzikin Musulunci) na Qadi Abu Yusuf

• Al Kharaj (Fiqh on Islamic Economic System) by Qadi Abu Yusuf.

• Al-Mabsoot na As-Sarkhasee (Fiqh)

• Al Mabsoot by As-Sarkhasee (Fiqh)

• Badā'i' aṣ-Ṣanā'i' na Al-Kasānī (Fiqh)

• Bada‟ee as-Sana‟ee by Al-Kasaanee (Fiqh)

• Fathul Qadeer na Kamal ibn Humam (Fiqhu)

• Fathul Qadeer by Kamal ibn Humam (Fiqh)

Kitab-ul Usul-ul Fiqh na Al Bazdawee (Usul al-Fiqh)

• Kitab-ul Usul-ul Fiqh by Al Bazdawee (Usul al-Fiqh)

Kitab-ul-Aathar na Yusuf bin Abu Yusuf (Hadisi)

• Kitab-ul-Aathar by Yusuf bin Abu Yusuf (Hadith)