Sunni Hanafi Jurisprudence
In brief: Overview of the Sunni Hanafi school of jurisprudence founded on the legacy of Imam Abu Hanifa: sources, principles, texts and why it matters for modern Muslims and research.
The Hanafi school is one of the four Sunni schools of law. It takes its name from Imam Abu Hanifa al-Nu’man ibn Thabit and was developed by his students, notably Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad al-Shaybani.
Sources and methods
- The Qur’an and the Sunnah
- Ijma’ (scholarly consensus) and the sayings of the Companions
- Qiyas (analogy) and istihsan (juristic preference)
- ‘Urf (custom), where it does not conflict with the texts
Classical texts studied
- Mukhtasar al-Quduri — a concise introductory manual
- Al-Hidayah by al-Marghinani — an advanced text with reasoning
- Radd al-Muhtar (Hashiyat Ibn ‘Abidin) — late classical reference
- Fatawa Razawiyya of Imam Ahmad Raza — applied rulings of the South Asian Hanafi tradition
Research areas
Students may research worship, transactions, family law, ethics, contemporary issues and the history of the school. See the Hanafi jurisprudence specialisation and Islamic banking and finance.