Mazhab ini dinamakan sempena nama ulama pengasasnya, Abu Haneefah, yang nama sebenarnya ialah Nu'maan ibn Thaabit. Beliau dilahirkan pada tahun 702 M di Kufah, (Iraq). Bapanya ialah seorang peniaga sutera berketurunan Parsi, yang memeluk Islam pada zaman Khulafaa' Raasyidoon (Khalifah-khalifah yang Mendapat Petunjuk). Abu Haneefah pada mulanya mempelajari bidang falsafah dan dialektik yang dikenali sebagai 'Ilm al-Kalaam, tetapi selepas menguasai pelbagai cabangnya, beliau meninggalkannya dan mendalami Fiqh dan Hadis dengan mendalam. Beliau memilih guru utamanya, Hammaad ibn Zayd, yang termasuk antara ulama Hadis terbesar pada zamannya. Abu Haneefah belajar di bawah beliau selama lapan belas tahun. Dalam tempoh ini beliau telah layak untuk mengajar, namun sebaliknya kekal sebagai murid Hammaad sehinggalah guru itu meninggal dunia pada tahun 742 M. Selepas kematian Hammaad, Abu Haneefah mengambil alih kedudukan sebagai guru pada usia empat puluh tahun dan menjadi ulama yang paling terkemuka di Kufah. Oleh itu, beliau dilihat sebagai tokoh yang amat berharga bagi khalifah-khalifah Umayyah pada zaman itu. Mereka menawarkan kepadanya jawatan Qaadee (hakim) Kufah, tetapi beliau menolak jawatan tersebut walaupun dipukul secara fizikal kerana penolakannya oleh Amir Kufah, Yazeed ibn 'Umar. Begitu juga semasa pemerintahan 'Abbaasiyyah, beliau turut menolak perlantikan daripada pihak istana, lalu akibatnya beliau dipenjarakan di Baghdad oleh Khalifah Abu Ja'far al-Mansoor (754-775 M). Beliau kekal dipenjarakan sehingga meninggal dunia pada tahun 767 M. Abu Haneefah dianggap sebagai antara Taabi'oon (generasi yang belajar daripada para Sahabat) yang kecil, kerana beliau pernah bertemu beberapa orang Sahabat dan meriwayatkan beberapa Hadis daripada mereka. 128

This Madh-hab is named after its founding scholar, Abu Haneefah, whose actual name was Nu’maan ibn Thaabit. He was born in the year 702 CE. Kufah, (Iraq). His father was a silk merchan of Persian origin, who accepted Islaam during the reign of the Khulafaa Raashidoon (Righteous Caliphs). Abu Haneefah began his earlier studies in the field of philosophy and dialectics known as ‘Ilm al-Kalaam, but after mastering its various disciplines, he left it and went into an indepth study of Fiqh and Hadeeth. He chose as his main teacherk, Hammaad ibn Zayd, who was among the greatest scholars of Hadeeth of his time. Abu Haneefah studied under him for eighteen years. During this time he became qualified to teach, but instead remained Hammad’s student until the latter died in the year 742 CE. After Hammaad’s death Abu Haneefah took up the position of teacher at the age of forty and became the most outstanding scholar in Kufah. As such, he appeared to bea valuable prize to the Umayyad caliphs of that time. They offered him the position of Qaadee (judge) of Kufah, but he refused the post in spite of being physically beaten for his refusal by the Ameer of Kufah, Yazeed ibn ‘Umar. Similarly, during the rule of the ‘Abbaasids, he also refused royal appointment, and was consequently imprisoned in Baghdad by the Caliph Abu Ja’far al-Mansoor (754-775 CE). He remained imprisoned until his death in 767 CE. Abu Haneefah was considered among the minor Taabi’oon (students of the Sahaabah), because he had met a few of the Sahaabah and had related some Hadeeths from them. 128

Imam Abu Hanifah mendasarkan kaedah pengajarannya pada prinsip Syura (perbincangan berkumpulan). Beliau akan mengemukakan suatu permasalahan hukum kepada murid-muridnya untuk dibahas dan diperdebatkan, dan beliau menyuruh mereka mencatat penyelesaiannya apabila mereka sampai kepada satu kedudukan yang disepakati bersama.

Imaam Abu Haneefah base his teaching method on the principle of Shoorah (group discussion). He would present a legal problem to his students for debate and discussion and tell them to record its solution whenever they arrived at a unified position.

Oleh kerana pendekatan interaktif dalam membuat hukum ini, kita boleh katakan bahawa mazhab Hanafi adalah hasil usaha murid-murid Abu Hanifah sama banyaknya dengan hasil usahanya sendiri.

Because of this interactive approach to making legal rulings, we could say that the Hanafee Madh-hab was as much a product of Abu Haneeafh’s students’ efforts as it was a product of his own efforts.

Mereka juga akan berdebat mengenai masalah hipotetikal dan mencari penyelesaiannya, berdasarkan prinsip menyediakan diri untuk sesuatu masalah sebelum ia berlaku. Oleh sebab kecenderungan mereka terhadap fiqh hipotetikal, yang sering memperkenalkan sesuatu isu dengan soalan, "bagaimana jika begini dan begitu berlaku?", mereka terkenal sebagai golongan "bagaimana-jika" atau Ahl ar-Ra'i (golongan pendapat).

They would also debate on hypothetical problems and work out solutions, based on the principle of preparing for a problem before its occurrence. Because of their leaning towards hypothetical Fiqh which often introduced an issue with the question, “what if so and so happened?”, they became known as the what-iffers or Ahl ar-Ra’i (the opinion people).

Para ulama fiqh awal dalam mazhab ini menyimpulkan hukum-hukum Islam daripada sumber-sumber berikut, yang disenaraikan mengikut tertib kepentingannya:

The early jurists of this Madh-hab deduced Islamic laws from the following sources, which are listed in the order of their importance:

Mereka menganggap al-Qur’an sebagai sumber utama hukum Islam yang tidak boleh dipertikaikan. Malah, al-Qur’an digunakan untuk menentukan ketepatan sumber-sumber lain. Oleh itu, mana-mana sumber lain yang bercanggah dengan al-Qur’an dianggap tidak tepat.

They considered the Qur’aan to be the primary unquestionable source of Islamic law. In fact it was used to determine the accuracy of the other sources. Accordingly any other source that contradicted the Qur’aan was considered inaccurate.

Sunnah dirujuk sebagai sumber hukum Islam yang kedua paling penting, tetapi dengan beberapa syarat dalam penggunaannya. Mereka menetapkan bahawa tidak memadai sesebuah Hadis itu sahih semata-mata, tetapi ia juga mesti masyhur (Mash-hoor), jika ia hendak digunakan sebagai dalil hukum. Syarat ini ditetapkan sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga terhadap Hadis palsu yang kerap muncul di wilayah tersebut, di mana hanya beberapa orang Sahabat yang terkemuka telah menetap, iaitu ‘Alee dan Ibn Mas’ood.

The Sunnah was consulted as the second most important source of Islamic law, but with some qualification as to its use. They stipulated that it was not suffcient that a Hadeeth be accurate (Saheeh), but it had to be also widely known (Mash-hoor), if it was to be used as a legal proof. This condition was laid down as a safeguard against false Hadeeths which were cropping up frequently in that region where only a few notable Sahaabah had settled (‘Alee and Ibn Mas’ood).

Ketiga dalam kepentingan sebagai sumber hukum Islam ialah pendapat sebulat suara para Sahabat mengenai sebarang perkara hukum yang tidak dinyatakan dalam Al-Qur’an atau Sunnah. Iaitu, Ijma' para Sahabat mengenai sebarang perkara hukum yang tidak dinyatakan dalam Al-Qur’an atau Sunnah. Iaitu, Ijma' para Sahabat diberi keutamaan berbanding pendapat peribadi Abu Haneefah dan murid-muridnya dalam mereka mengistinbatkan hukum Islam. Mazhab Hanafi juga mengiktiraf Ijma' ulama Islam pada setiap zaman sebagai sah dan mengikat ke atas umat Islam.

Third in importance as a source of Islamic law was the unanimous opinion of the Sahaabah on any point of law not specified in the Qur’aan or the Sunnah. That is, Ijmaa’ of the Sahaabah on any point of law not specified in the Qur’aan or the Sunnah. That is, Ijmaa’ of the Sahaabah was given precedence over the personal opinions of Abu Haneefah and his students in their deduction of Islamic law. The Hanafee Madh-hab also recognized the Ijmaa’ of Muslim scholars in any age as valid and binding on Muslims.

Sekiranya terdapat perbezaan pendapat di kalangan para Sahabat mengenai sesuatu perkara hukum tertentu dan tidak terbentuk Ijma' selepas itu, Abu Hanifah akan memilih pendapat yang paling sesuai dengan kes yang dibincangkan. Dalam menetapkan prinsip penting ini sebagai sebahagian daripada mazhabnya, Abu Hanifah sekali lagi memberikan lebih berat kepada pendapat para Sahabat berbanding pendapatnya sendiri.129

If there were different opinions among the Sahaabah on a particular point of law and no Ijmaa’ was subsequently formed, Abu Haneefah would choose the opinion which appeared most appropriate to the case in question. In establishing this as a vital principle of his Madh-hab, Abu Haneefah again gave more weight to the opinions of the Sahaabah than to his own.129

Namun, beliau tetap menggunakan ijtihad sendiri dalam batas tertentu, iaitu dengan memilih salah satu daripada pelbagai pendapat mereka.

However, he did apply his own reasoning in a limited sense by choosing one of their various opinions.

Abu Haneefah tidak merasa wajib menerima kesimpulan-kesimpulan (ijtihad) para murid Sahabat (Tabi'in) dalam perkara-perkara yang tidak ada dalil yang jelas daripada mana-mana sumber yang telah disebutkan di atas.

Abu Haneefah felt no obligation to accept the deductions of the students of the Sahaabah (Taabi’oon) in areas where no clear proof was available from any of the above mentioned sources.

Dia menganggap dirinya setara dengan para Tabi'in dan akan membuat Ijtihad sendiri berdasarkan prinsip-prinsip Qiyas yang telah ia dan murid-muridnya tetapkan.

He considered himself the equal of the Taabi’oon and would make his own Ijtihaad based on the principles of Qiyaas which he and his students established.

Istihsan, secara ringkas, ialah memilih satu dalil berbanding dalil yang lain kerana dalil yang dipilih itu dilihat lebih sesuai, walaupun dalil yang dipilih itu mungkin secara teknikal lebih lemah daripada dalil yang diketepikan.

Istihsaan, in short, is the preference of one proof over another proof because it appears more suitable, even though the preferred proof may be technically weaker than the one it is preferred to.

Ini mungkin melibatkan pengutamaan hadis yang khusus atas hadis yang umum, atau bahkan pengutamaan hukum yang lebih sesuai atas hukum yang diistinbatkan melalui qiyas.

This may involve the preference of a Hadeeth which is specific over a general one, or it may even involve the preference of a more suitable law over the one deduced by Qiyaas.

Adat tempatan diberi kekuatan hukum di kawasan yang tidak mempunyai adat Islam yang mengikat. Melalui penerapan prinsip inilah pelbagai adat yang terdapat dalam kepelbagaian budaya dunia Islam memasuki sistem perundangan dan secara silap dikelaskan sebagai Islam.130

Local customs were given legal weight in areas where there were no binding Islamic customs available. It was through the application of this principle that various customs found in the multiplicity of cultures within the Islamic world entered the legal system and became mistakenly classified as Islamic.130

Murid-murid Abu Haneefah yang paling terkenal ialah Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl, Abu Yoosuf dan Muhammad ibn al-Hasan.

The most famous of Abu Haneefah’s students were Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl, Abu Yoosuf and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan.

Zufar adalah antara mereka yang mengikuti teladan Abu Haneefah dan enggan menerima jawatan sebagai Qadi walaupun banyak tawaran yang menarik diberikan kepadanya. Beliau lebih memilih untuk mengajar, dan beliau terus mengajar sehingga wafat pada usia yang muda, 42 tahun, di Basrah.

Zufar was one of those who followed Abu Haneefah’s example and refused to accept appointment as Qaadee even though many attractive offers were made to him. He preferred to teach, which he did until he died at the early age of 42 in Basrah.

Abu Yoosuf dilahirkan dalam keluarga miskin di Kufah. Beliau mempelajari Hadith secara meluas sehingga menjadi seorang ulama Hadith yang terkenal, kemudian mempelajari Fiqh di Kufah selama sembilan tahun di bawah Imaam Ibn Abee Lailaa (meninggal dunia 765 M), yang ayahnya adalah seorang Sahabat yang terkenal dari Madinah. Abu Yoosuf kemudian belajar di bawah Abu Haneefah selama sembilan tahun, dan apabila Abu Haneefah meninggal dunia, beliau pergi ke Madinah dan belajar untuk tempoh yang singkat di bawah Imaam Maalik. Abu Yoosuf kemudiannya dilantik sebagai ketua hakim negara oleh khalifah-khalifah 'Abbaasiyyah, al-Mahdee (775-785 M), al-Haadee (785-786

Abu Yoosuf was born into a poor family in Kufah. He studied Hadeeth extensively until he became a noteworthy Hadeeth scholar then studied Fiqh in Kufah for nine years under Imaam Ibn Abee Lailaa (died 765 CE) whose father was a famous Sahaabee from Madeenah. Abu Yoosuf later studied under Abu Haneefah for nine years, and when Abu Haneefah died, he went to Madeenah and studied for a short period under Imaam Maalik. Abu Yoosuf was appointed chief judge of the state by the ‘Abbaasid caliphs, al-Mahdee (775-785 CE), al-Haadee (785-786

...CE) dan Harun ar-Rasyid (786-809 CE). Dalam kapasitinya sebagai hakim agung, beliau biasa melantik hakim-hakim untuk pelbagai bandar, dan semua yang dilantik olehnya adalah pengikut mazhab Hanafi. Dengan itu, beliau memainkan peranan penting dalam penyebaran aliran pemikiran ini ke seluruh empayar Islam. 131

CE) and Haroon ar-Rasheed (786-809 CE). In his capacity as chief judge, he used to appoint judges for the various cities and all his appointees were followers of the Hanafee Madh-hab. Thus, he was instrumental in the spread of this school of thought throughout the Muslim empire. 131

Imam Muhammad dilahirkan di Wasit, tetapi membesar di Kufah. Seperti Abu Yoosuf, pengajian awalnya juga ialah dalam Hadith. Beliau belajar seketika di bawah Abu Yoosuf dan kemudian mengembara ke Madinah, di mana beliau belajar di bawah Imam Malik selama tiga tahun. Dalam tempoh ini beliau menjadi salah seorang perawi utama kitab Hadith Malik, al-Muwatta'. Imam Syafi'i termasuk dalam kalangan ramai ulama yang kemudian belajar di bawah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan di Baghdad.

Imaam Muhammad was born in WSasit, but grew up in Kufah. Like Abu Yoosuf, his early studies were also in Hadeeth. He studied briefly under Abu Yoosuf and later travelled to Madeenah where he studied under Imaam Maalik for three years. During this period he became one of the main narrators of Maalik’s Hadeeth book al-Muwatta’ Imaam Shaafi’ee was among the many scholars who later studied uner Muhammad ibn al-Hasan in Baghdad.

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan juga menerima perlantikan sebagai Qadhi semasa pemerintahan Khalifah Haroon ar-Rasheed, tetapi tidak lama kemudian beliau melepaskannya kerana banyaknya kompromi yang dituntut oleh jawatan itu, lalu beliau kembali ke jawatan pengajarannya di Baghdad.

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan also accepted appointment as Qadee during the reign of Caliph Haroon ar-Rasheed, but soon gave it up because of the many compromises which it demanded, and returned to his teaching post in Baghdad.

Mereka yang kini mengikuti Mazhab Hanafi terutamanya terdapat di India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Turki, Guyana, Trinidad dan Suriname, dan sehingga tahap tertentu di Mesir. Apabila para penguasa Uthmaniyah menghimpunkan dan mengkodifikasikan undang-undang Islam mengikut Mazhab Hanafi pada abad kesembilan belas Masihi dan menjadikannya undang-undang negara, setiap ulama yang bercita-cita menjadi hakim diwajibkan mempelajarinya. Akibatnya, mazhab ini tersebar ke seluruh Negara Islam Uthmaniyah pada separuh akhir abad kesembilan belas.

Those who now follow the Hanafee Madh-hab are found mostly in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Guyana, Trinidad, and Surinam and to some extent Egypt. When the ottoman rulers codified Islamic law according to the Hanafee Madh-hab in the nineteenth century CE and made it state law, any scholar who aspired to be a judge was obliged to learn it. As a result, the Madhhab spread throughout the Ottoman Islamic State during the last Part of the nineteenth century.