该教派以其创立者学者艾布·哈尼法命名,他的本名是努尔曼·本·萨比特。他生于公元702年,在伊拉克库法。他的父亲是一名波斯裔的丝绸商人,在四大哈里发时期皈依了伊斯兰教。艾布·哈尼法早年的学习领域是被称为“伊尔姆·卡拉姆”的哲学与辩证学,但在掌握其各个分支之后,他离开了这一领域,转而深入研习教法学(Fiqh)与圣训学(Hadeeth)。他选择哈玛德·本·宰德作为主要老师,后者是当时最杰出的圣训学者之一。艾布·哈尼法跟随他学习了十八年。在此期间,他已具备讲学的资格,但他仍留在哈玛德门下做学生,直到后者于公元742年去世。哈玛德去世后,艾布·哈尼法于四十岁时开始执教,并成为库法最杰出的学者。因此,他在当时的倭马亚哈里发眼中显得是一位宝贵的人才。他们向他提出担任库法的卡迪(法官)一职,但他拒绝了这一职位,尽管因此遭到库法总督叶齐德·本·欧麦尔的殴打。同样,在阿拔斯王朝统治时期,他也拒绝了朝廷的任命,因此被哈里发艾布·贾法尔·曼苏尔(公元754至775年在位)囚禁于巴格达。他一直被囚禁直至公元767年去世。艾布·哈尼法被视为次一级的塔比义(圣门弟子的学生),因为他曾见过几位圣门弟子,并从他们那里转述过一些圣训。

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