Abu Hanifa

Abu Hanifa Nu'man ibn Thabit is a towering figure in the early (8th Century) history of Islamic law. Born in Kufa, Iraq, to a non-Arab family, probably of Persian origin, he was drawn first to dogmatics and theology ('kalam'), but later turned to 'fiqh' (Islamic law) and study of the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet). The understanding of Islam as law that evolved from his style of reasoning was favoured by the powerful ruling dynasties of the 'Abbasids, and later the Ottomans and Mughals, who consistently enforced it in their dominions. The Hanafi madhhab (doctrine, or school) has remained ever since the one most widely followed among the world's Muslims. In this pioneering study, Mohammed Akram reviews the life and legacy of this great legalist and thinker, and surveys the evolution of the Hanafi school in different regions of the Islamic world. The author reveals a man who was exemplary in personal discipline and piety, esteemed by his neighbours, and deeply revered by his scholarly peers. His intelligence and moral integrity saw Abu Hanifa defy the second 'Abbasid caliph, Mansur, who tried to buy his loyalty by making him a judge.
When Abu Hanifa refused, on account of the caliph's atrocities against the remnants of the Umayyad dynasty, Mansur had him poisoned.