Abu Hanifah al-Nu‟man ibn Thabit ibn Zuta (80-150 A.H. / 700-768 E.C.) nasceu durante o califado de Abdul Malik bin Marwan. O Imam Abu Hanifah viveu 52 anos sob o domínio omíada e testemunhou o califado de dez califas omíadas, incluindo o de Umar bin Abdul Aziz, que governou quando o Imam tinha 18 anos de idade.

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.

Ele também viveu 18 anos sob o governo abássida, incluindo o de al-Saffah e al-Mansur. Ele percebeu que os omíadas não tinham direito ao Califado, mas não se rebelou contra eles, visto que haviam recebido a Bay'ah. Também não se pronunciou contra os abássidas; no entanto, começou a fazê-lo quando passaram a perseguir os descendentes de Ali (ra). O Imam Abu Hanifah recebeu o título de Imam A'zam (o grande Imam). O Imam al-Shafi'i costumava dizer: "As pessoas no Fiqh dependem de 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”.

Ele nasceu em uma família persa bem conhecida em Kufa e passou a maior parte de sua vida ali. Seu pai era um bom amigo de Ali bin Abi Talib (ra). Os dois Sahabah (ra) que estabeleceram a Escola de Kufa foram Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) e Abdullah bin Mas‟ood (ra). Eles ensinaram Tabi‟een como Shurayh, Arqam bin Qais e Masjood bin al-Ajdah. Estes, por sua vez, ensinaram Ibraheem An-Nakha‟ee e Ash-Sha‟bee. Esses dois ensinaram Hammaad Ar-Raawiyyah, que foi o professor do Imam Abu Hanifah. Abu Hanifah estudou com Hammaad durante 18 anos e assumiu seu círculo de estudo (halaqah) após a morte de Hammaad, em 120 A.H. Abu Hanifah também estudou com o 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.

Os dois alunos mais famosos de Abu Hanifah foram Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Shaybani e o Qadi Abu Yusuf, que serviu como Juiz-Chefe na época de Haroon ar-Rashid e escreveu o famoso livro chamado Al-Kharaj, que detalhava o sistema econômico do Islã. Cada um dos alunos de Abu Hanifah desenvolveu-se como Mujtahid por mérito próprio, com a capacidade de desenvolver seu próprio Usul al-Fiqh. No entanto, eles mantiveram os Usul de Abu Hanifah e foram considerados Mujtahids do Madhab de 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 era comerciante por profissão, especializado em seda. Na sua juventude estudou ʿIlm ul-Kalaam, mas depois abandonou-o. Certa vez, ouviu o seu filho Hammaad debatendo em ʿIlm ul-Kalaam e desencorajou-o de fazê-lo. O filho perguntou-lhe por que o proibia, quando ele próprio costumava debater em ʿIlm ul-Kalaam. Abu Hanifah respondeu que ele debatia em ʿIlm ul-Kalaam temendo que os outros estivessem errados numa questão, enquanto o filho debatia com a esperança de que o seu opositor errasse numa questão, para explorar o seu erro. Quem deseja que o seu opositor cometa um erro em ʿIlm ul-Kalaam significa que deseja que ele seja um Kafir (ʿIlm ul-Kalaam trata das questões da ʿAqeedah), e quem deseja que o seu opositor seja um Kafir tornar-se-á um Kafir antes do seu opositor. Portanto, não debata em ʿIlm ul-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 escreveu muitos livros, e os seus alunos também escreveram muitas obras importantes sobre o Islam. Os livros de Abu Hanifah incluem o Fiqh ul-Akbar e o 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.

Alguns dos livros famosos daqueles que seguiram a sua Madhab incluem, mas não se limitam aos seguintes:

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

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

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

• Al Mabsoot de As-Sarkhasee (Fiqh)

• Al Mabsoot by As-Sarkhasee (Fiqh)

• Bada'i' as-Sana'i' de Al-Kasani (Fiqh)

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

• Fathul Qadeer de Kamal ibn Humam (Fiqh)

• Fathul Qadeer by Kamal ibn Humam (Fiqh)

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

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

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

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