Imam Abu Hanifa - The Beacon of Scholars (Legal Philosophy)

Imam Abu Hanifa, known affectionally as 'Imam Azam Abu Hanifa' was a Muslim jurist and theologian who founded the Hanafi madhab (legal school of thought). This video is on Imam Abu Hanifa's life.

The Cyrus cylinder, the Magna Carta and the Napoleonic Code are often mentioned as the benchmarks of revolutionary works within jurisprudential history. Yet, for as influential as these landmark legal systems are, none truly compare to the grand ingenuity of Abu Hanifa's legal school of thought, and his ability to conceive of a legal methodology within a constantly shifting multilingual, multi-ethnic, multi-religious political landscape.

While his name is instantly recognisable to most Muslims, the life and ideas of Imam Abu Hanifa remains an open mystery to both those within the Muslim community and beyond. Fusing philosophical tools such as analogical deduction with the pre-existing traditions and dogma of the Arab understanding of Islam at the time, Abu Hanifa managed to create a legal system that could adapt to cultural norms and novel ethical dilemmas unseen by the Prophet and his companions in their time. Today, Imam Abu Hanifa is best associated with the Hanafi madhab.