Abu Hanifa
Abu Hanifa | ||
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أَبُو حَنِيفَة | ||
Title |
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Personal | ||
Born | September 699 CE (Rajab 80 AH) | |
Died | 767 CE (150 AH; aged 68–70) Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate (modern-day Iraq) | |
Resting place | Abu Hanifa Mosque, Baghdad, Iraq | |
Religion | Islam | |
Children |
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Era | Late Independent (eponym of the Hanafi school ) | |
Main interest(s) | ||
Notable idea(s) |
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Notable work(s) |
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Occupation | ||
Patronymic (Nasab) Ibn Thābit ibn Zūṭā ibn Marzubān | ٱبْن ثَابِت بْن زُوطَا بْن مَرْزُبَان | |
Teknonymic (Kunya) | Abū Ḥanīfa أَبُو حَنِيفَة | |
Toponymic (Nisba) | Al-Taymī al-Kūfī ٱلتَّيْمِيّ ٱلْكُوفِيّ | |
Muslim leader | ||
Influenced by | ||
Abu Hanifa
Born to a Muslim family in Kufa,[3] Abu Hanifa traveled to the Hejaz region of Arabia in his youth, where he studied in the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina.[3] He was named by al-Dhahabi as "one of the geniuses of the sons of Adam" who "combined jurisprudence, worship, scrupulousness, and generosity".[8]
As his career as a jurist and theologian progressed, he became known for favoring the use of
Name
How Abu Hanifa earned his name is disputed. According to some
However, some
Biography
Family background
Historians generally agree Abu Hanifa was born in Kufa during the period of the Umayyad Caliphate, but they differ regarding the year: 699 CE / 80 AH,[9][10] 696 CE / 77 AH,[11] 689 CE / 70 AH,[12] or 680 CE / 61 AH.[13] Many historians choose the latest date, 699 CE / 80 AH; however, Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari, adjunct to the office of the last Elder of Islam of the Ottoman Empire, believed the date of 689 CE / 70 AH is supported by two considerations.[citation needed] First, Muhammad ibn Makhlad al-Attar considered the narration of Abu Hanifa's son, Hammad, from Malik ibn Anas to be an example of an older man's narration rather than a younger man. Second, Abu Hanifa was concerned with who should succeed Ibrahim al-Nakha'i after his death in 96 AH. This concern would have only arisen if he was older than 19, since it is considered he only took his religious studies seriously after then. If Abu Hanifa was born in 80 AH, Abu Hanifa would have been 16 at the time of al-Nakhai's death.[13]
Abu Hanifa is thought to be of
Early life and scholarship
There is scant biographical information about Abu Hanifa. It is generally known that he worked a producer and seller of khazz, a type of silk clothing material. He attended lectures on jurisprudence conducted by the Kufan scholar Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman (d. 737).[18] He also possibly learnt jurisprudence (fiqh) from the Meccan scholar Ata ibn Abi Rabah (d. c. 733) while on pilgrimage.
When Hammad died, Abu Hanifa succeeded him as the principal authority on Islamic law in Kufa and the chief representative of the Kufan school of jurisprudence.[18] Abu Hanifa gradually gained influence as an authority on legal questions, founding a moderate rationalist school of Islamic jurisprudence that was named after him.[7]
Adulthood and death
In 763,
In his reply to al-Mansur, Abu Hanifa said that he was not fit for the post. Al-Mansur, who had his own ideas and reasons for offering the post, lost his temper and accused Abu Hanifa of lying.
"If I am lying," Abu Hanifa responded, "then my statement is doubly correct. How can you appoint a liar to the exalted post of a Qadi (Chief Judge)?"
Incensed by this reply, al-Mansur had Abu Hanifa arrested, locked in prison and tortured. It was said that once in prison he was never fed nor cared for.[20] Even in prison, the jurist continued to teach those who were permitted to visit him.
On 15 Rajab 150,
The structures of the tombs of Abu Hanifa and
Sources and methodology
The sources from which Abu Hanifa derived Islamic law, in order of importance and preference, were: the
As the fourth Caliph,
Reception
Positive
He was highly regarded across the various fields of sacred knowledge and significantly influenced the development of Muslim theology.[30] During his lifetime, he was acknowledged as a jurist of the highest calibre.[31] Zakaria bin Muhammad Amin credited Abu Hanifa for his consistent openness to the possibility that he was wrong on various matters.[32] The Shafi'i and prominent hadith scholar, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, stated that criticism of Abu Hanifa holds no significance, as figures like Abu Hanifa are "on a degree to which Allah - the Exalted - has raised them, in that they are followed and imitated." [33]
Ibn Taymiyya credited Abu Hanifa for his knowledge and addressed the accusations against him, stating, “There is no doubt regarding Imam Abu Hanifa’s knowledge. People later attributed many lies to Imam Abu Hanifa, which were all untrue. The aim of such writings was to taint Imam Abu Hanifa” [34] His students, Ibn Kathir and al-Dhahabi, held similar opinions about Abu Hanifa, extensively rebuking accusations against him and praising his contributions.[35][36]
He received the honorific title al-Imam al-A'zam ("the highly venerated Imām")[37] and his tomb, surmounted by a dome erected by admirers in 1066 is still a shrine for pilgrims.[38] It was restored in 1535 by Suleiman the Magnificent after the Ottoman conquest of Baghdad.[26]
Negative
Abu Hanifa also had his critics. He was perceived by
Today
Today, the Hanifa school is followed by 45% of Muslims[42] and Abu Hanifa is popularly known amongst Sunni Muslims as a man of the highest personal qualities: a performer of good works, remarkable for his self-denial, humble spirit, devotion and pious awe of God.[43]
Generational status
Abu Hanifa is regarded by some authorities as one of the
Abu Hanifa was born at least 60 years after the death of Muhammad, but during the time of the first generation of Muslims, some of whom lived on until Abu Hanifa's youth. Anas ibn Malik, Muhammad's personal attendant, died in 93 AH and another companion, Abul Tufail Amir bin Wathilah, died in 100 AH, when Abu Hanifa was at least 20 years old. The author of al-Khairat al-Hisan collected information from books of biographies and cited the names of Muslims of the first generation from whom it was reported that the Abu Hanifa had transmitted hadith. He counted 16 of them, including
Students
His most famous students were Imām
Character and appearance
Al-Nadr ibn Muhammad recalled Abu Hanifa had "a beautiful face, beautiful clothing, and fragrant scent."[51]
His student Abu Yusuf described him as "well-formed, from the best of people in appearance, most eloquent in speech, sweetest in tone, and clearest in expressing his thoughts."[51]
His son Hammad described him as "very handsome, dark-skinned, having good posture, wearing much cologne, tall, not speaking except in reply to someone else, and not involving himself in what did not concern him."[51]
Ibn al-Mubarak remarked he "never saw a man more revered in gatherings, nor better in character and forbearance, than Abu Hanifa."[51]
Connection with the family of Muhammad
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As with Malik ibn Anas (who was a teacher of Imam al-Shafi'i,[52][53]: 121 who in turn was a teacher of Sunni Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal), Imam Abu Hanifa was a student of Ja'far al-Sadiq, who was a descendant of the Islamic Nabi (prophet) Muhammad. Thus all of the four great Imams of Sunni Fiqh are connected to Ja'far from the Bayt (Household) of Muhammad, whether directly or indirectly.[54]
In one hadith, Abu Hanifa once said about Imam Ja'far: "I have not seen anyone with more knowledge than Ja'far ibn Muhammad."[55] However, in another hadith, Abu Hanifa said: "I met with Zayd (Ja'far's uncle) and I never saw in his generation a person more knowledgeable, as quick a thinker, or more eloquent than he was."[56]
Opposition to anthropomorphism
Imam Abu Hanifa was quoted as saying that
Works
Title | Description |
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Al-Fiqh al-Akbar | |
Al-Fiqh al-Absat | |
Kitaab-ul-Aathaar
|
Narrated by Imam Muhammad al-Shaybani & Imam Abu Yusuf – compiled from a total of 70,000 hadith |
Al-Wasiyyah | |
At Tareeq Al Aslam Musnad Imam Abu Hanifah
|
Confusion regarding Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar
The attribution of Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar to Abu Hanifa has been disputed by A.J. Wensick[61] as well as by Zubair Ali Zai.[62]
Other scholars have agreed that Abu Hanifa was the author including
Scholars such as Mufti Abdur-Rahman have pointed out that the book being brought into question by Wensick is actually another work by Abu Hanifa called: Al-Fiqh Al-Absat.[63]
Footnotes
Citations
- ^ a b c "imamAbuhanifah". muftisays. May 19, 2006. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ISBN 978-1780744209.
- ^ a b c d e f g Pakatchi, Ahmad and Umar, Suheyl, "Abū Ḥanīfa", in: Encyclopaedia Islamica, Editors-in-Chief: Wilferd Madelung and, Farhad Daftary.
- ^ a b S. H. Nasr (1975), "The religious sciences", in R.N. Frye, The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 4, Cambridge University Press. p.474: "Abū Ḥanīfah, who is often called the "grand imam"(al-Imam al-'Azam) was Persian
- ^ a b ABŪ ḤANĪFA, Encyclopædia Iranica
- ISBN 9781462831302.
- ^ ISBN 9780810878150.
- ^ Al-Dhahabi. Al-Ibar fi Khabar man Ghabar. Vol. 1. p. 164.
- ISBN 978-1-61069-217-5.
- ^ Suwaidan, Dr. Tareq Al. Imam Abu Hanifa an-Nu'man. الابداع الفكري.
Abu Hanifa, may God have mercy on him, was born in Kufa in 80 AH, as the preponderant opinion states. This is what al-Khattab mentioned in his narration of Isma'il, Abu Hanifa's grandson, ...
- Ibn Abd al-Barr. Jami' Bayan al-Ilm wa-Fadlih.
- ^ Ibn Hibban. al-Jarh wa-l-Ta'dil.
- ^ adh-Dhahabi. The Virtues of Imam Abu Hanifa. Visions of Reality Publishing. pp. 9–10.
- ^ Cyril Glasse, "The New Encyclopedia of Islam", Published by Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. p.23: "Abu Hanifah, a Persian, was one of the great jurists of Islam and one of the historic Sunni Mujtahids"
- ISBN 978-90-04-07026-4.stock, his grandfather being known as Zūṭi, apparently a corruption of Zuṭṭi.
Abu Hanīfa was also of Zuṭṭ
- ISBN 978-90-04-09249-5.
Some Jat freemen became famous in the Islamic world, as for instance Abu Hanifa ( 699-767 ? )
- ISBN 978-90-04-42271-1.
...Abu Hanifa (699–767), the founder of the Hanafi school of law, who was of Jat stock, most likely descending from those early prisoners sent to Iraq.
- ^ a b c Schacht 1960, p. 123.
- ^ "Oxford Islamic Studies Online". Abu Yusuf. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016.
- ^ Ya'qubi, vol. III, p.86; Muruj al-dhahab, vol. III, pp. 268–270.
- ^ Ammar, Abu (2001). "Criticism levelled against Imam Abu Hanifah". Understanding the Ahle al-Sunnah: Traditional Scholarship & Modern Misunderstandings. Islamic Information Centre. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
- ^ "Islamic Hijri Calendar For Rajab – 150 Hijri". habibur.com. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
- ISBN 9960-892-88-3.
- ISBN 0-300-00792-2.
- ^ Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire
- ^ ISBN 978-1-107-09027-9.
- ^ See:
*Reuben Levy, Introduction to the Sociology of Islam, pg. 236–237. London: Williams and Norgate, 1931–1933.
*Chiragh Ali, The Proposed Political, Legal and Social Reforms. Taken from Modernist Islam 1840–1940: A Sourcebook, pg. 280. Edited by Charles Kurzman. New York City: Oxford University Press, 2002.
*Mansoor Moaddel, Islamic Modernism, Nationalism, and Fundamentalism: Episode and Discourse, pg. 32. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005.
*Keith Hodkinson, Muslim Family Law: A Sourcebook, pg. 39. Beckenham: Croom Helm Ltd., Provident House, 1984.
*Understanding Islamic Law: From Classical to Contemporary, edited by Hisham Ramadan, pg. 18. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006.
*Christopher Roederrer and Darrel Moellendorf , Jurisprudence, pg. 471. Lansdowne: Juta and Company Ltd., 2007.
*Nicolas Aghnides, Islamic Theories of Finance, pg. 69. New Jersey: Gorgias Press LLC, 2005.
*Kojiro Nakamura, "Ibn Mada's Criticism of Arab Grammarians." Orient, v. 10, pgs. 89–113. 1974 - ^ Nadwi, Sayyid Ijteba. Nuqoosh-e-Tabinda. (in Urdu) (1994 First ed). Jamia Nagar: Dar Irnaws p. 254
- ^ "The Leading Fiqh Scholars (Founders of the four schools of Fiqh)". April 20, 2017.
- ISBN 9781579580414.
- ISBN 9780521005807.
- ISBN 978-623-94659-3-3.
- ^ as-Sakhawi, Shams ad-Deen (1999). al-Jawahir wa al-Durar fi Tarjama Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Hajr. Dar Ibn Hazm, Beirut. pp. vol.2 pp.946–947.
- ^ Ibn Taymiyya. Minhaj as-Sunna An-Nabawiyya. pp. vol.1, page 259.
- ^ Ibn Kathir. Al-Bidāya wa l-Nihāya.
- ^ adh-Dhahabi. Tadhkira al-Huffaz.
- ISBN 9004097902.
- ISBN 9781579580414.
- ISBN 978-1-009-09837-3.
- ^ Camilla Adang, "This Day I have Perfected Your Religion For You: A Zahiri Conception of Religious Authority," p.33. Taken from Speaking for Islam: Religious Authorities in Muslim Societies. Ed. Gudrun Krämer and Sabine Schmidtke. Leiden: Brill Publishers, 2006
- ISBN 9789004162419
- ^ Esposito, John (2017). "The Muslim 500: The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims" (PDF). The Muslim 500. p. 32. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
- ISBN 9780521539067.
- ISBN 9781135456030.
- ^ a b Imām-ul-A’zam Abū Ḥanīfah, The Theologian
- ^ http://www.islamicinformationcentre.co.uk/alsunna7.htm last accessed June 8, 2011
- ^ "Imam-ul-A'zam Abū Ḥanīfah, The Theologian". Masud.co.uk. Archived from the original on February 12, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
- ^ Tāhzibul Kamal by Yusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Mizzi
- ^ Māganīl Akhīar by Imām Aini
- ^ "40 Great Students of Imam Abu Hanifah". ilmfeed.com. March 26, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Al-Dhahabi. Siyar al-A'lam al-Nubula'. Vol. 6. pp. 399–400.
- ^ Dutton, Yasin, The Origins of Islamic Law: The Qurʼan, the Muwaṭṭaʼ and Madinan ʻAmal, p. 16
- ^ Haddad, Gibril F. (2007). The Four Imams and Their Schools. London, the U.K.: Muslim Academic Trust. pp. 121–194.
- ^ "Imam Ja'afar as Sadiq". History of Islam. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
- ^ Siyār Aʿlām An-Nubalāʾ (in Arabic). Vol. 6. p. 257.
- ^ Al-Tuhaf Sharh al-Zulaf (in Arabic). p. 28.
- ISBN 9789231036545.
- ^ "The Scholarly Acceptance of Imam Abu Hanifah's Pronouncements on al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil". IlmGate - A Digital Archive of Islamic Knowledge.
- ^ "Answers to Doubts over the 'Aqidah of Imam Abu Hanifah". Darul Ma'arif. March 2014.
- ^ "Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' by Al-Dhahabi". Islam Web.
- ^ Wensick, A.J. (1932). The Muslim Creed. London: Cambridge University Press. p. 125.
- ^ Zubair Ali Zail's Fiqh ul-Akbar Imaam Abu Haneefah's book. Taken from The Story of the Fabricated book and the Rabbaanee Scholars, pg. 19–20. Trns. Abu Hibbaan and Abu Khuzaimah Ansaari.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-933764-03-0.
- ^ Ibn Abil-Izz. Sharh At-Tahawiyah.
Sources
- OCLC 495469456.
Further reading
- ISBN 978-1842001189.
- ISBN 81-85738-59-9.
- Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf, Imam Abu Hanifa's Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar Explained
Online
- Abū Ḥanīfah: Muslim jurist and theologian, in Encyclopædia Britannica Online, by Zafar Ishaq Ansari, The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Thinley Kalsang Bhutia, Surabhi Sinha and Adam Zeidan
External links
- Quotations related to Abu Hanifa at Wikiquote
- Media related to Abu Hanifa at Wikimedia Commons
- Abu Hanifa at Wikibooks
- The Life of Imam Abu Hanifa Biography at Lost Islamic History.
- Imam Abu Hanifa by Jamil Ahmad.
- Al-Wasiyyah of Imam Abu Hanifah Translated into English by Shaykh Imam Tahir Mahmood al-Kiani.
- Book on Imam e Azam Abu Hanifa (Urdu)
- Abu Hanifa on Muslim heritage
- Imām Abū Ḥanīfah By Shiekh G. F. Haddad
- Some teachers and students of Imam Abu Hanifa