Abu Hanifah al-Nu‘man ibn Tsabit ibn Zuta (80–150 H / 700–768 M) lahir pada masa Khilafah Abdul Malik bin Marwan. Imam Abu Hanifah hidup melewati 52 tahun pemerintahan Bani Umayyah dan menyaksikan kekhalifahan sepuluh khalifah Umayyah, termasuk kekhalifahan Umar bin Abdul Aziz yang memerintah ketika Imam berusia 18 tahun.

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.

Dia juga menyaksikan 18 tahun pemerintahan Abbasiyah, termasuk masa pemerintahan As-Saffah dan Al-Mansur. Ia menyadari bahwa Bani Umayyah tidak memiliki hak atas Khilafah, namun ia tidak memberontak terhadap mereka karena mereka telah dibaiat. Ia juga tidak menentang Bani Abbasiyah; namun, ia mulai melakukannya ketika mereka mulai menindas keturunan Ali (ra). Imam Abu Hanifah memperoleh gelar Imam A'zam (Imam yang agung). Imam Asy-Syafi'i biasa berkata, "Orang-orang dalam bidang fikih bergantung kepada 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”.

Dia lahir dalam keluarga Persia yang terkenal di Kufah dan menghabiskan sebagian besar hidupnya di sana. Ayahnya adalah sahabat dekat Ali bin Abi Thalib (ra). Dua orang Sahabat (ra) yang mendirikan Madrasah Kufah adalah Ali bin Abi Thalib (ra) dan Abdullah bin Mas'ud (ra). Keduanya mengajar para Tabi'in seperti Syuraih, Arqam bin Qais, dan Masjud bin al-Ajdah. Mereka pada gilirannya mengajar Ibrahim An-Nakha'i dan Asy-Sya'bi. Keduanya mengajar Hammad Ar-Rawiyah, yang menjadi guru Imam Abu Hanifah. Abu Hanifah belajar bersama Hammad selama 18 tahun dan menggantikan halaqah (majelis ilmu)nya setelah Hammad wafat pada tahun 120 H. Abu Hanifah juga belajar dari 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.

Dua murid paling terkenal dari Abu Hanifah adalah Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Shaybani dan Qadi Abu Yusuf, yang menjabat sebagai Hakim Agung pada masa Harun ar-Rasyid dan menulis kitab terkenal berjudul Al-Kharaj, yang menjelaskan secara rinci sistem ekonomi dalam Islam. Masing-masing murid Abu Hanifah berkembang menjadi mujtahid tersendiri, dengan kemampuan untuk menyusun Usul al-Fiqh mereka sendiri. Namun, mereka tetap memegang Usul Abu Hanifah dan dianggap sebagai mujtahid dalam mazhab 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 adalah seorang pedagang yang berprofesi sebagai pedagang sutra. Pada masa awal hidupnya, ia mempelajari ‘Ilmul Kalaam, namun kemudian meninggalkannya. Suatu ketika ia mendengar putranya, Hammaad, berdebat dalam ‘Ilmul Kalaam, lalu ia melarangnya melakukan hal tersebut. Putranya bertanya kepadanya mengapa ia melarangnya, padahal ia sendiri dahulu juga berdebat dalam ‘Ilmul Kalaam. Abu Hanifah menjawab bahwa ia dahulu berdebat dalam ‘Ilmul Kalaam dengan rasa takut bahwa orang lain keliru dalam suatu masalah. Sedangkan engkau berdebat dengan harapan lawanmu keliru dalam suatu masalah agar engkau dapat memanfaatkan kesalahannya. Siapa yang menginginkan lawannya berbuat keliru dalam ‘Ilmul Kalaam berarti ia menginginkan lawannya menjadi seorang kafir (‘Ilmul Kalaam membahas masalah-masalah ‘Aqeedah), dan siapa yang menginginkan lawannya menjadi kafir, maka ia sendiri akan menjadi kafir sebelum lawannya. Maka janganlah engkau berdebat dalam ‘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 menulis banyak kitab, dan murid-muridnya juga menulis banyak kitab penting tentang Islam. Di antara kitab-kitab Abu Hanifah adalah Fiqh ul-Akbar dan 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.

Di antara kitab-kitab terkenal dari para pengikut mazhabnya, di antaranya dan tidak terbatas pada yang berikut:

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

• Al Kharaj (Fiqh tentang Sistem Ekonomi Islam) oleh Qadi Abu Yusuf.

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

• Al Mabsoot karya As-Sarkhasee (Fiqh)

• Al Mabsoot by As-Sarkhasee (Fiqh)

• Badā'i' ash-Shanā'i' oleh Al-Kasānī (Fikih)

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

• Fathul Qadeer karya Kamal ibn Humam (Fiqh)

• Fathul Qadeer by Kamal ibn Humam (Fiqh)

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

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

Kitab-ul-Aathar karya Yusuf bin Abu Yusuf (Hadits)

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