The Demise of Hajjaj bin Yusuf

Among the high officials of the Umayyad Caliphate, no one has acquired more fame than Hajjaj bin Yusuf. However, this fame was not acquired because of his generosity, but for his oppression. The tyranny of Hajjaj has become very famous in history.

The Umayyad Caliphate was badly shaken after the death of Yazid bin Muawiyah, but it was Hajjaj bin Yusuf who took over from this falling empire and strengthened them. The greatest threat to this empire was from the Companion of the Prophet Muhammad SAW - Abdullah bin Zubair RA who was based in Makkah but his rule extended to the border of Syria . Hajjaj with his oppression laid siege to Makkah and killed Abdullah bin Zubair RA without any mercy on him.

Hajjaj alone executed 125,000 men. He beheaded leaders like Sa'id bin Zubair RA. He put prominent scholars, who were more importantly - the Noble Companions of the Prophet Muhammad SAW - like Abdullah bin Umar RA and Abdullah bin Zubair RA to death.

Before being executed, Sa'id bin Zubair RA told Hajjaj bin Yusuf:

"Now you will not be able to set out for anyone."

On this saying of Said bin Zubair RA, Hajjaj bin Yusuf passed away within fifteen nights. Even the learned and the peaceful men of that era looked upon Hajjaj as a calamity and curse sent down by Allah Almighty.

The grand Tabi'in - Hasan Basri RA used to say:

"Hajjaj is a calamity sent by Allah; do not try to remove him by force, but ask Allah Ta'ala."

Therefore, the moment the news of the death of Hajjaj was reported, Hasan Basri RA and Umar bin Abdul Aziz RA fell in sujud (prostration) to Allah and exclaimed:

"The Fir'aun (Pharaoh) of this nation is no more!"

We may now observe at how this tyrant ruler faced death.

After twenty years of rule over Iraq, Hajjaj bin Yusuf fell ill at the age of fifty-four. His stomach was infested by innumerable vermin. The temperature of his body decreased and he felt so intensely cold that several stoves were place close to him and yet he gained no relief.

When Hajjaj had lost all hopes of survival, he said to the members of his household:

"Prop me up and assemble the people."

When the people arrived, he pleaded guilty to his sins and tyrannies. He gave a speech and emphasised on the fact that of which he dwelt on death and its severities.

The following sayings came from his tongue:

"The weight of my sins is as the weight of the sky and the earth,

Yet I hope that Allah will show me Mercy.

If He favours me with His pleasure,

It will be the fulfilment of my hope.

But should He do justice,

He would condemn me to torture.

It will be no injustice.

Is it possible that Allah be unjust from whom nothing but Allah has anticipated!"


Hajjaj bin Yusuf then burst into tears and this scene moved in the whole assembly to tears.

As Hajjaj bin Yusuf was passing away, he raised his tearful eyes to Heaven, pleading:

"O Allah! Grant me salvation, for people say You will not forgive me."

He then recited the following:

"Lord! The people give me no hope, though I repose much hope in you."

So saying this he closed his eyes.


When this saying was quoted before Hasan Basri RA, he was extremely suprised and asked:

"Did he really say this?"

The people replied

"Yes, Hajjaj actually said so."

Thereupon Hasan Basri RA said:

"Then perhaps he may be forgiven."


The above story, which has been adapted from Seerah during the time of the Ummayad Caliphate depicts the vast Mercy of Allah SWT. If Allah SWT wishes to forgive, then nothing can stop Allah. Our intentions in our commitment to abide by the Laws of Allah SWT should be for the sake of pleasing Allah Almighty; and in this endeavour, we must truly funnel our full effort to abide. We do not know what small thing we do, that brings about the Wrath of Allah SWT; and we do not know what small thing we do that brings about the Mercy of Allah. Allah SWT is the Most Merciful out of those capable of showing mercy.

The Prophet SAW's Weeping The Whole Night

The Prophet Muhammad SAW once kept weeping the whole night through, repeating again and again the following verse:

"If Thou punish them, they art Thy slaves; and if Thou forgive them, Thou only art The Mighty, The Wise." (Surah 5: Ayat 118)

This quality of weeping in Solat is practiced by those close to Allah SWT.

It is narrated about the grand Mujtahid of fiqh - Imam Abu Hanifah RA that he also once wept the whole night, reciting the following verse of the Qur'an in Tahajjud:

"But avaunt ye, 0, ye guilty, this day." (Surah 36: Ayat 58)

This verse means that on the Day of Judgement, the guilty will be asked to separate themselves from the good, and will not be allowed to mix with them, just as they were doing in the worldly life.

It is only common sense that any slave of Allah who have their hearts inculcated with the fear of Allah would weep in anxiety about this, as who knows as to which class they belong to on the Day of Judgement?

Knowledge Cannot Be Gained By Resting

An advice from Bro. Ahmad As-Swayyan:

I once was contemplating the great scientific efforts that the first generations of Muslim ancestors are known for. I was extremely surprised at the strength of memorisation they possessed and at their great ability to retrieve information and derive conclusions.
I started searching for the reasons behind these exceptional abilities. And one important aspect immediately caught my attention: the extreme seriousness they learned and taught with. The student vows himself to learning from a very early age. He has no time for lawful or any other kind of playing. He has no time for life's worries and responsibilities except for what is necessary. He disassociates himself from this life's pleasures, clears his heart from everything worldly and goes wholeheartedly into seeking for Knowledge.

If we look in depth into Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal's life, we find the best lessons and examples in it. Imam Ahmad said, "I wanted to go early to study circles. My mother would hold my clothes from me and say, "not until the people wake up and make Adhan for salah."

Qutaibah Ibn Sa'id described Imam Ahmad's sincerity in seeking knowledge. He said, "Ahmad ibn Hanbal used to go with Waki' after they performed salatul Ishaa at night. He would stand by the door and Waki' would teach him. One night, Waki' stood by the door and said, "O' Abu Abdullah, Would you like me to talk to you about Abu Sufian's speeches?" Ahmad then replied, "Yes, tell me." And they stood, talking, until the servant came and said, "The sun is going to come out soon."

Imam Ahmad's study circles were full of glorification and obedience of Allah, which gave him extra peace and dignity. His student Imam Abu Dawud, who knew him well said, "I met around 200 scholars none of whom were like ibn Hanbal. He was not involved in anything worldly like many others, but if there was discussion about knowledge, he spoke."

For this earnestness, the scholars used to value and honour Imam Ahmad. Khalaf ibn Salem said, "We were in Yazeed ibn Harun's gathering and Yazeed joked with his guests. Ahmad ibn Hanbal cleared his throat. Yazeed hit his forehead with his hand and said, "You should have told me that Ahmad is here, I wouldn't have made the joke."

This desire and endurance in seeking knowledge has made Imam Ahmad one of the best in memorising the hadeeth. Imam Abu Zur'ah ar-Razy once told Abdullah Ibn Ahmad, "Did you know that your father knew of one million hadeeth?" "How do you know?" Abdullah asked. Abu Zur'ah replied, "I studied with him and counted after him."

When we look at the first generations of our scholars, we find many similar examples. But let us contemplate our current situation in seeking knowledge. It makes one amazed. It is like sliding down from the top of a high mountain to the bottom of a deep valley. Look here and there. Do you see anything resembling or coming close to those giants? What are the worries and hopes of today's students? How many things have we been lenient about-until leniency became our trait?
Who has the patience and endurance to study and research and hunt in the books without stopping or becoming bored? Who has the patience and ability to stay up long nights thinking and deriving?

Knowledge is a vast sea with spaced out boundaries and deep bottoms. Only the powerful can sail through it. A person will not reach its concealed pearls and hidden treasures before, first, standing on its nearby shore. Yehya ibn Abi Katheer was right in saying, "Knowledge cannot be gained by resting."

The Four Madhabs - The Hanbali School of Jurisprudence

THE HANBALI MADHAB

The Founder: Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal RA (778-855 CE)

The scholar to whom this Madhab is attributed is Ahmad ibn Hanbal Ash-Shaybaani RA, who was born in Baghdad in the year 778 CE. He became one of the greatest memorisers and narrators of Hadith. Imam Ahmad RA studied Fiqh and Hadith science under Imam Abu Yusuf RA, the famous student of Imam Abu Hanifah RA, as well as under Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA himself. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal RA went through a series of persecutions under the Caliphs of his time due to their adoption of Mu'tazalite philosophy. He was jailed and beaten for two years by the order of Caliph Al-Ma'mun (ruled 813-842 CE), because of his rejection of the philosophical concept that the Holy Qur'an was created. Later set free, he continued teaching in Baghdad until Al-Waathiq became Caliph (ruled 842-846 CE) and renewed the persecution. Thereupon Imam Ahmad RA stopped teaching and went into hiding for five years until Caliph Al-Mutawakkil (847-861 CE) took over. The Caliph al-Mutawakkil ended the inquisition permanently by expelling Mu'tazilite scholars and officially rejecting their philosophy. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal RA then continued to teach in Baghdad until his death in 855 CE.


FORMATION OF THE HANBALI MADHAB

Imam Ahmad's greatest concern was the collection, narration, and interpretation of Hadith. His teaching method consisted of dictating Hadith from his vast collection known as Al-Musnad, which contained over 30,000 Ahadith, as well as the various opinions of the Sahabah RA concerning their interpretation. He would then apply the Ahadith or rulings to various existing problems. If he could not find a suitable Hadith or opinion to solve a problem, Imam Ahmad RA would offer his own opinion while forbidding his students to record any of his own solutions. As a result, his Madhab was recorded, not by his students, but by his students' students.


SOURCES OF LAW USED BY THE HANBALI MADHAB

1. The Noble Qur'an: There was no difference between the way Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal RA approached the Holy Qur'an and that of those who preceded him. In other words, the Holy Qur'an was given precedence over all else under all circumstances.

2. The Sunnah: Likewise, the Sunnah of Rasulullah SAW occupied the second most important source of evidence after the Qur'an. His only stipulation was that it be 'Marfu' narration i.e. attributed directly to the Prophet Muhammad SAW.

3. Ijmaa of the Sahabah RA: Imam Ahmad bin Hanbali RA recognised the consensus of opinion of the Sahabah RA, and placed it in the third position among the fundamental principles. However, he discredited the claims of Ijmaa outside the era of the Sahabah RA as being inaccurate, due to the vast number of scholars and their wide diffusion throughout the Muslim empire. In Imam Ahmad's opinion Ijmaa after the era of the Sahabah RA was impossible.

4. Individual Opinions of the Sahabah RA: If a problem arose in an area where the Sahabah RA had expressed conflicting opinions, Imam Ahmad RA, like Imam Maalik RA would give credence to all the various individual opinions. Because of that, there developed within the Madhab - many instances of multiple rulings for individual issues.

5. Hadith Da'if (Weak Hadith): For a ruling on a case where none of the previous four principles offered a ready solution, the Imam used to prefer to use a weak Hadith rather than apply his own deductive reasoning (Qiyas). However, this was on condition that the weakness of the Hadith was not due to the fact that one of its narrators was classified as a Fasiq (degenerate), or a Kadhaab (liar).

6. Qiyas: As a last resort, that is when no other major principle could be directly applied, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal RA would reluctantly apply the principle of Qiyas and deduce a solution based on one or more of the previous principles.


MAIN STUDENTS OF THE HANBALI MADHAB

Imam Ahmad's main students were his own two sons, Saalih RA (died 873 CE) and Abdullah RA(died 903 CE).


FOLLOWERS OF THE HANBALI MADHAB

The majority of the followers of the Hanbali Madhab are today mostly found in Palestine and Saudi Arabia. Its survival in Saudi Arabia, after almost completely dying out elsewhere in the Muslim world, is due to the fact that the founder of the 'Wahabi' revivalist movement, Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab RA, had studied under the scholars of the Hanbali Madhab, and thus it unofficially became the Fiqh Madhab of the movement. When Abdul Aziz ibn Sa'ud captured most of the Arabian peninsula and established the Saudi dynasty, he made the Hanbali Madhab the basis of the kingdom's legal system.

The Four Madhabs - The Shafi'i School of Jurisprudence

THE SHAFI'I MADHAB

The Founder: Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA (769-820 CE)

The full name of the great scholar after whom this school of legal thought has been named is Muhammad ibn Idris Ash-Shafi'i RA. He was born in the town of Ghazzah on the Mediterranean coast of what was then known as Shaam in the year 769 CE. Later in his youth, he travelled to Madinah to study Fiqh and Hadith under Imam Maalik RA. He succeeded in memorising the whole of Imam Maalik RA's book - 'Al-Muwatta' and recited it to Imam Maalik RA from memory, word perfect. Imam Shafi'i RA remained under the guidance of Imam Maalik RA until the latter passed away in 801 CE. He then departed to Yemen where he took a position of teaching. He remained in Yemen until he was accused of Shi'ite leanings in the year 805 CE and was later brought as a prisoner before the Abbasid Caliph Harun Ar-Rashid RA who was the ruler of Iraq from 786-809 CE. By the Grace of Allah, he was able to prove the correctness of his beliefs and was subsequently released. Later, Imam Shafi'i RA remained in Iraq and studied for a while under Imam Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan RA, the famous student of Imam Abu Hanifah RA. He then travelled to Egypt in order to study under Imam Al-Layth RA, but by the time he reached Egypt the Imam had passed away. However, he was able to study the madhab of Al-Layth RA from Al-Layth's students. Ash-Shafi'i RA remained in Egypt until his death in the year 820 CE during the rule of Caliph Al-Mamun (813-832 CE).


FORMATION OF THE SHAFI'I MADHAB

Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA integrated the systems established in the Fiqh of Hijaaz (Maaliki Madhab) with that of the Fiqh of Iraq (Hanafi Madhab). With this, the outcome he dictated to his students in the form of a book called 'Al-Hujjah' (The Evidence). This dictation took place in Iraq in the year 810 CE and a number of his students memorised his book and narrated it to others. Among these students were Ahmad ibn Hanbal RA and Abu Thawr RA. This book and its period of his scholarship are usually referred to as Al-Madhab Al-Qadeem (the old school of thought); and this differentiates it from the second period of his scholarship which occurred after he reached Egypt. In Egypt, Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA absorbed the Fiqh of Imam Al-Layth RA, Ibn Sa'd RA and the combined revised code of jurisprudence of Islamic Sacred Law was later dictated as Al-Madhab Al-Jadeed to his students in the form of another book which Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA named - Al-Umm (The Mother). Because of his exposure to a completely new set of Ahadith and legal reasoning - in Al-Madhab Al-Jadeed, Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA reversed many of the legal positions which he had held while in Iraq.

Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA holds the distinction of being the first Imaam to systematise the fundamental principles of Fiqh, and this is recorded in his book entitled 'Ar-Risalah'.


SOURCE OF LAW USED BY THE SHAFI'I MADHAB

1. The Noble Qur'an: Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA did not differ from the previously mentioned Imams, in their uncompromising stand in relation to the primacy of the Holy Qur'an among the sources of Islamic Law. He relied on it as heavily as those before him, adding only the new insights which he gained from a deep study of its meanings.

2. The Sunnah: Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA laid down only one condition for the acceptance of Hadith, namely that they be Sahih (authentic). He did not use all other conditions used by Imam Abu Hanifah RA and Imam Malik RA. He was also noted for his great contributions to the science of Hadith criticism.

3. Ijmaa of the Sahabah RA: Although Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA had serious doubts about the possibility of the Ijmaa in a number cases, he conceded that in the few cases where it was known to have occurred, it should be regarded as the third most important source of Islamic Law.

4. Individual Opinions of the Sahabah RA: Credence was given by Imam Shafi'i RA to the individual opinions of the Sahabah RA on condition that they were not at variance with each other. If there were conflicting opinions among the Sahabah RA on a legal point, he, like Imam Abu Hanifah RA would choose whichever opinion was the closest to the source and leave the rest.

5. Qiyas: Qiyas was, in the Imam's opinion, a valid method for deducing further laws from previous sources. However, he placed it last in order of importance, considering his personal opinions inferior to proofs based on the opinions of the Sahabah RA.

6. Istishaab (Linking): Both the principles of Istihsan used by Imam Abu Hanifah RA and Istislah used by Imam Malik RA were not used by Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA, since, in his opinion, they were based mostly on human reasoning in areas where revealed laws already existed. However, in dealing with similar issues, Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA used a principle similar to Istihsan and Istislah i.e. Istishaab. Istishaab literally means 'seeking a link', but legally it refers to the process of deducing the Laws of Fiqh by linking a later set of circumstances with an earlier set. It is based on the condition that the Laws of Fiqh applicable to certain conditions remain valid so long as it is not certain that these conditions have altered. If, for example, on account of the long absence of someone, it is doubtful whether he is alive or dead, then by Istishaab, all rules must remain in force which would hold if one knew for certain that he was still alive.


MAIN STUDENTS OF THE SHAFI'I MADHAB

The most important of Imam Ash-Shafi'i's students who continued to follow his school of thought were:

(a) Al-Muzanee RA (791-876 CE) - Al-Muzanee's full name was Isma'il ibn Yahya Al-Muzanee. He was the constant companion of Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA throughout his stay in Egypt. Al-Muzanee RA was noted for writing a book which comprehensively gathered the Fiqh of Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA. Later condensed under the title Mukhtasar al-Muzanee, it became the most widely read Fiqh book of the Shafi'i Madhab.

(b) Ar-Rabee' Al-Maraadee RA (790-873 CE) - Ar-Rabee RA was noted as the main narrator of Ash-Shafi'i's book - 'Al-Umm'. He wrote it down during Imam Ash Shafi'i's lifetime along with Ar-Risalah and other books.

(c) Yusuf ibn Yahyaa Al-Buwaytee RA (d.231 AH) - succeeded Imam Ash-Shafi'i RA as the main teacher of the Shafi'i Madhab. He was imprisoned and tortured to death in Baghdad because he rejected the officially sanctioned Mu'tazilite philosophy on the creation of the Holy Qur'an.


FOLLOWERS OF THE SHAFI'I MADHAB

The majority of the followers of the Shafi'i Madhab are now to be found in Egypt, Southern Arabia, (e.g. Yemen, Hadramaut), Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, East and South Africa and Surinam in South America.

The Four Madhabs - The Hanafi School of Jurisprudence

THE HANAFI SCHOOL OF JURISPRUDENCE

The Founder: Imam Abu Hanifah RA (703-767 CE)

This madhab is named after its founding scholar, Abu Hanifah, whose actual name was Nu'maan Ibn Thaabit. He was born in Kufah, Iraq. His father was a silk merchant of Persian origin, who accepted Islam during the reign of the Khulafaa Ar-Rashideen (Righteous Caliphs). Imam Abu Hanifah 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 in-depth study of Fiqh and Hadith. He chose as his main teacher, Hammad Ibn Zayd RA, who was among the greatest scholars of Hadith of his time.

Imam Abu Hanifah RA studied under his teacher for eighteen years. During this time he actually became qualified to teach, but instead remained as Hammad's student until the latter died in the year 742 CE.

After Hammad's death Imam Abu Hanifah RA took up the position of teacher at the age of forty and became the most outstanding scholar in Kufah. As such, he appeared to be a valuable prize to the Umayyad caliphs at that time. He was offered the position of Qadi (Judge) of Kufah, but he refused the post in spite of being physically beaten for his refusal by the Amir of Kufah, Yazid ibn Umar. Similarly, during the rule of the Abbasids, he also refused royal appointments, and for his refusal was consequently imprisoned in Baghdad by the Caliph Abu Ja'far Al-Mansur (754-775 CE). He remained imprisoned until his death in 767 CE. Imam Abu Hanifah RA was considered among the minor Tabi'un (Students of the Sahabah), because he had met a few of the Sahabah RA and had related some Ahadith from them.


FORMATION OF THE HANAFI MADHAB

Imam Abu Hanifah RA based his teaching method on the principle of Shura (group discussion). He would present a legal problem to his students for scholarly debate and discussion and tell them to record its solution whenever they arrived at a unified position. Because of this interactive approach to making legal rulings, we could say that the Hanafi Madhab was as much a product of Imam Abu Hanifah's students' efforts as it was a product of his own efforts. They would also discuss on hypothetical problems and work out solutions, based on the principle of preparing for a problem before its occurrence. Because of their leaning towards hypothetical Fiqh which often introduced an issue with a question, "what if so and so happened?", they became known as the "What-Iffers" or Ahl-ar-Ra'i (the opinion people).


SOURCES OF LAW USED BY THE HANAFI MADHAB

The early jurists of this Madhab deduced Islamic Laws from the following sources which are listed hereunder in the order of their importance:

1. The Noble Qur'an: They considered the Noble Qur'an to be the primary unquestionable source of Islamic Law. In fact it was used to determine the accuracy of the other sources. Accordingly any other source that contradicted the Holy Qur'an was considered inaccurate.

2. The Sunnah: The Sunnah was consulted as the second most important source of Islamic Law, but with some qualification as to its use. They stipulated that it was not sufficient that a Hadith be authentic (Sahih), but it had to be also widely known (Mashur) if it was to be used as a legal proof. This condition was laid down as a safeguard against false Ahadith which were cropping up frequently in that region where only a few notable Sahabah RA had settled ( e.g. Saiyidina Ali RA and Abdullah ibn Mas'ud RA).

3. Ijmaa of the Sahabah RA: Third in importance as a source of Islamic Law was the unanimous opinion of the Sahabah RA on any point of law not specified in the Most Holy Qur'an or the Sunnah. That is, Ijmaa of the Sahabah RA was precedence over the personal opinions of Imam Abu Hanifah RA and his students in their deduction of Islamic Law. The Hanafi Madhab also recognised the Ijmaa of Muslim scholars in any age as valid and binding on Muslims.

4. Individual opinion of the Sahabah RA: If there were different opinions among the Sahabah on a particular point of Islamic Law and no Ijmaa was subsequently formed, Imam Abu Hanifah RA would choose the opinion which appeared most appropriate to the case in question. In establishing this as a vital principle of the Hanafi Madhab, Imam Abu Hanifah RA again gave more weight to the opinions of the Sahabah RA than to his own. However, he did apply his own reasoning in a limited sense by choosing one of their various opinions.

5. Qiyas (Analogical deduction). Imam Abu Hanifah RA felt no obligation to accept the deductions of the students of the Sahabah (Tabi'un) in areas where no clear proof was available from any of the above mentioned sources. He considered himself equal of the Tabi'un and would make his own Ijtihad based on the principles of Qiyas which he and his students established.

6. Istihsaan (Preference). Istihsaan, in short, is the preference of one proof over another proof because it appears more suitable to the situation, even though the preferred proof may be technically weaker than the one it is preferred to. This may involve the preference of a Hadith which is specific over a general one, or it may even involve the preference of a more suitable law over the one deduced by Qiyas.

7. 'Urf (Local Custom): Local customs were given legal weight in areas where there were no binding Islamic customs available. It was through the application of this principle that various customs found in the multiplicity of cultures within the Islamic world entered the legal system and became mistakenly classified as Islamic.


MAIN STUDENTS OF THE HANAFI MADHAB

The most famous of Imam Abu Hanifah's (RA) students were:

(a) Zufar ibn Al-Hudhayl RA (732-774 CE) - Zufar RA was one of those who followed Imam Abu Hanifah's example and refused to accept appointments as Qadi even though many attractive offers were made to him. He preferred to teach, which he did until he died at the age of 42 in the city of Basrah.

(b) Abu Yusuf Ya'qub ibn Ibrahim RA (735-795 CE) - Abu Yusuf RA was born into a poor family in Kufah. He studied Hadith extensively until he became a noteworthy Hadith scholar then studied Fiqh in Kufah for nine years under Imam Ibn Abi Lailaa RA (died 765 CE) whose father was a famous companion of Rasulullah SAW from Madinah. Abu Yusuf RA later studied under Imam Abu Hanifah RA for nine years, and when Imam Abu Hanifah RA died, he went to Madinah and studied for a short period under Imam Malik RA. Abu Yusuf RA was appointed chief judge of the state by the Abbasid Caliphs, Al-Mahdi (775-785 CE), Al-Hadi (785-786 CE) and Harun Ar-Rashid (786-809 CE). In his capacity as chief judge, he used to appoint judges for the various cities. Thus, in this way, he was indirectly instrumental in the spread of the Hanafi school of thought throughout the Muslim empire.

(c) Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan, Ash-Shaybaani RA (749-805 CE) - Imam Muhammad RA was born in Wasit, but grew up in Kufah. Like Abu Yusuf RA, his early studies were also in Hadith. He studied briefly under Imam Abu Hanifah RA until the latter's death, and then continued his studies under Abu Yusuf RA for three years. During this period he became one of the main narrators of Imam Malik's Hadith book - Al-Muwatta. Imaam Shafi'i RA was among the many scholars who later studied under Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan in Baghdad. Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan also accepted appointment as Qadi but soon gave it up because of the many compromises it demanded during that time, and returned to his teaching post in Baghdad.


FOLLOWERS OF THE HANAFI MADHAB

Today, those who follow the Hanafi Madhab are found mostly in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, Guyana, Trinidad, Surinam and to some extent Egypt and South Africa. When the Ottoman rulers codified Islamic Law according to the Hanafi Madhab in the nineteenth century CE and made it state law, any scholar who aspired to be a judge was obliged to learn it. As a result, the Madhab spread throughout the Ottoman Islamic State during the last part of the nineteenth century.

Imam Abu Hanifah RA Met The Sahabah RA

Imam Abu Hanifah RA met at least four Sahabah RA.

Among them was Anas bin Malik RA.