Abu Hanifah al-Nu‘man ibn Thabit ibn Zuta (80–150 H / 700–768 M) dilahirkan pada zaman pemerintahan Khilafah Abdul Malik bin Marwan. Imam Abu Hanifah hidup melalui 52 tahun pemerintahan Bani Umayyah dan menyaksikan pemerintahan sepuluh Khulafa Umayyah, termasuk pemerintahan 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.

Beliau juga menyaksikan 18 tahun pemerintahan Abbasiyah, termasuk pemerintahan Saffah dan Mansoor. Beliau menyedari bahawa Bani Umayyah tidak mempunyai hak ke atas Khilafah, tetapi beliau tidak memberontak terhadap mereka kerana mereka telah dibaiah. Beliau juga tidak menentang Bani Abbasiyah secara terbuka; namun, beliau mula berbuat demikian apabila mereka mula menganiaya keturunan Ali (ra). Imam Abu Hanifah memperoleh gelaran Imam A‘zam (Imam yang agung). Imam Shafi‘i pernah berkata, “Manusia dalam bidang fiqh 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”.

Beliau dilahirkan dalam sebuah keluarga Parsi yang terkenal di Kufah dan menghabiskan sebahagian besar hidupnya di sana. Ayahnya ialah sahabat karib kepada Ali bin Abi Talib (ra). Dua orang Sahabah (ra) yang mendirikan Madrasah Kufah ialah Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) dan Abdullah bin Mas'ood (ra). Mereka mengajar Tabi'een seperti Shurayh, Arqam bin Qais, Masjood bin al-Ajdah. Mereka pula mengajar Ibraheem An-Nakha'ee dan Ash-Sha'bee. Kedua-dua ini mengajar Hammaad Ar-Raawiyyah, yang menjadi guru kepada Imam Abu Hanifah. Abu Hanifah belajar bersama Hammaad selama 18 tahun dan mengambil alih halaqah pengajiannya selepas kematian Hammaad pada tahun 120 H. Abu Hanifah juga belajar daripada Imam Jafar 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 Abu Hanifah yang paling terkenal ialah Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Shaybani dan Qadi Abu Yusuf, yang berkhidmat sebagai Ketua Hakim pada zaman Harun ar-Rashid dan menulis kitab terkenal bernama Al-Kharaj yang menghuraikan sistem ekonomi dalam Islam. Setiap murid Abu Hanifah berkembang menjadi seorang Mujtahid dengan hak tersendiri, yang mampu membangunkan Usul al-Fiqh mereka sendiri. Namun, mereka tetap berpegang kepada Usul Abu Hanifah dan dianggap sebagai Mujtahid bagi 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 peniaga yang berkecimpung dalam perdagangan sutera. Pada awal hidupnya, beliau mempelajari ‘Ilmul Kalam, tetapi kemudian meninggalkannya. Suatu ketika beliau mendengar anaknya, Hammaad, berdebat dalam ‘Ilmul Kalam, lalu beliau melarangnya daripada berbuat demikian. Anaknya bertanya mengapa beliau melarangnya sedangkan beliau sendiri dahulu biasa berdebat dalam ‘Ilmul Kalam. Abu Hanifah menjawab bahawa dahulu beliau berdebat dalam ‘Ilmul Kalam dengan rasa takut bahawa pihak lain akan tersilap dalam sesuatu isu. Sebaliknya, kamu berdebat dengan harapan lawanmu akan tersilap dalam sesuatu isu supaya kamu dapat mengeksploitasi kesilapannya. Sesiapa yang mahu lawannya membuat kesilapan dalam ‘Ilmul Kalam bermakna dia mahu lawannya menjadi kafir (‘Ilmul Kalam membahaskan isu-isu ‘Aqeedah), dan sesiapa yang mahu lawannya menjadi kafir, dia sendiri akan menjadi kafir sebelum lawannya. Oleh itu, janganlah berdebat dalam ‘Ilmul Kalam.

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 mengarang banyak kitab penting tentang Islam. Kitab-kitab karangan Abu Hanifah termasuk 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.

Sebahagian daripada kitab-kitab masyhur karangan para pengikut mazhab beliau termasuklah, tetapi tidak terhad kepada, yang berikut:

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

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

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

Al-Mabsoot karya As-Sarkhasi (Fiqh)

• Al Mabsoot by As-Sarkhasee (Fiqh)

• Badā'i' as-Sanā'i' oleh Al-Kasānī (Fiqh)

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

• Fathul Qadeer oleh Kamal ibn Humam (Fiqh)

• Fathul Qadeer by Kamal ibn Humam (Fiqh)

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

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

Kitab-ul-Aathar oleh Yusuf bin Abu Yusuf (Hadith)

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