Abu Hanifah al Nu‟man ibn Thabit ibn Zuta (80-150 A.H. / 700-768 C.E.) alizaliwa wakati wa Ukhalifa wa Abdul Malik bin Marwan. Imam Abu Hanifah aliishi kwa miaka 52 ya utawala wa Bani Umayya, na alishuhudia Ukhalifa wa makhalifa kumi wa Bani Umayya, akiwemo Umar bin Abdul Aziz, aliyetawala wakati Imam alipokuwa na umri wa miaka 18.

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.

Aliona pia miaka 18 ya utawala wa Abbasi, ikiwemo ile ya Saffah na Mansoor. Alitambua kwamba Ummayyad hawakuwa na haki yoyote juu ya Khilafah, lakini hakuwapinga kwa silaha kwa kuwa walikuwa wamepewa Bay‛ah. Pia hakuwakosoa waziwazi Abbasi; hata hivyo, alianza kufanya hivyo pale walipoanza kuwasumbua wazao wa Ali (ra). Imam Abu Hanifah alipata cheo cha Imam A‛zam (Imamu Mkuu). Imam Shafi‛i alikuwa akisema, "Watu katika Fiqh wanamtegemea 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”.

Alizaliwa katika familia maarufu ya Kiajemi huko Kufah, na alitumia sehemu kubwa ya maisha yake huko. Baba yake alikuwa rafiki mzuri wa Ali bin Abi Talib (ra). Masahaba wawili (ra) walioanzisha Shule ya Kufah walikuwa Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) na Abdullah bin Mas‟ood (ra). Walifundisha Tabi‟een kama Shurayh, Arqam bin Qais, Masjood bin al-Ajdah. Nao walifundisha Ibraheem An-Nakha‟ee, Ash-Sha‟bee. Hawa wawili walimfundisha Hammaad Ar-Raawiyyah, aliyekuwa mwalimu wa Imam Abu Hanifah. Abu Hanifah alisoma na Hammaad kwa miaka 18 na akachukua halaqah (duara ya masomo) yake baada ya kifo cha Hammaad mwaka 120 A.H. Abu Hanifah pia alisoma kwa 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.

Wanafunzi wawili maarufu zaidi wa Abu Hanifah walikuwa Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Shaybani, na Qadi Abu Yusuf, aliyehudumu kama Jaji Mkuu wakati wa Haroon ar-Rashid na kuandika kitabu maarufu kiitwacho Al-Kharaj ambacho kilieleza kwa kina mfumo wa uchumi katika Uislamu. Kila mmoja wa wanafunzi wa Abu Hanifah alikua Mujtahid kwa haki yake mwenyewe, mwenye uwezo wa kuendeleza Usul al-Fiqh yake mwenyewe. Hata hivyo, walishikamana na Usul za Abu Hanifah na walichukuliwa kuwa Mujtahid wa Madhhab ya 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 alikuwa mfanyabiashara kwa taaluma yake, akibobea katika hariri. Katika ujana wake alisoma 'Ilm ul Kalaam, lakini baadaye akaacha. Siku moja alisikia mwanawe Hammaad akijadiliana katika 'Ilm ul Kalaam, akamkataza kufanya hivyo. Mwanawe alimuuliza kwa nini anamkataza wakati yeye mwenyewe alikuwa akijadiliana katika 'Ilm ul-Kalaam. Abu Hanifah alijibu kwamba yeye alikuwa akijadiliana katika 'Ilm ul Kalaam huku akiogopa kwamba wengine wangekosea katika jambo fulani. Lakini wewe unajadiliana kwa matumaini kwamba mpinzani wako atakosea katika jambo fulani ili upate kutumia kosa lake. Yeyote anayetaka mpinzani wake akosee katika 'Ilm ul Kalaam maana yake ni kwamba anataka awe Kafiri ('Ilm ul Kalaam hushughulikia masuala ya 'Aqeedah), na yeyote anayetaka mpinzani wake awe Kafiri atakuwa Kafiri kabla ya mpinzani wake. Kwa hiyo usijadiliane katika 'Ilm 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 aliandika vitabu vingi, na wanafunzi wake pia waliandika vitabu vingi muhimu kuhusu Uislamu. Vitabu vya Abu Hanifah ni pamoja na Fiqh ul-Akbar na 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.

Baadhi ya vitabu maarufu vya wale waliofuata madhehebu yake ni pamoja na, lakini si tu, vifuatavyo:

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

• Al Kharaj (Fiqh ya Mfumo wa Uchumi wa Kiislamu) na Qadi Abu Yusuf.

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

• Al Mabsoot by As-Sarkhasee (Fiqh)

• Al Mabsoot by As-Sarkhasee (Fiqh)

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

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

• Fathul Qadeer cha Kamal ibn Humam (Fiqh)

• Fathul Qadeer by Kamal ibn Humam (Fiqh)

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

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

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

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