Al-Numan bin Thabit, commonly known as Abu Hanifah or Abu Hanifa, is considered the founder of one of the four schools or rites of Islamic legal knowledge (fiqh) within the Sunni schools of law. He is also widely known as Al-Imam Al-Aẓam (The Great Imam) and Siraj Al-Aimma (The Lamp of the Imams).
1. His birth and lineage:
According to most sources, Abu Ḥanifa Al-Numan bin Thabit bin Zuṭa bin Marzuban was born in Kufa, Iraq in 80 AH (699 AC). His father was a Persian namely Thabit Ibn Zauta Al-Farisi. Though there is some conflicting evidence about the lineage of Imam’s family, it is certain that he was not Arabic, but one of well-known Persian merchants.
When Imam was born, the regime of Islamic government was in the hands of Abdul Malik bin Marwan (king of the 5th Umayyad Banu).
According to some sources, he got the title “Abu Hanifa” because he was someone who diligently do worship Allah and earnestly do obligations in religion because the words ” Hanif ” in Arabic language means “inclined or inclined” to the true religion.
2. His Early Life:
The sources do not mention his father’s life but he must have been wealthy, a merchant, and a good Muslim. In most books, it states that his father met Ali Ibn Abi Talib (R.A.) as a child and that Imam’s grandfather gave Ali (R.A.) some faludhaj
(a sweet confection of Persian origin) on the day of Nawruz (Persian New Year). This indicates that Imam’s family were wealthy since they were able to give the Ali (R.A.) sweets which only the wealthy ate.
Abu Hanifa grew up in his hometown of Kufa and was educated there and lived most of his early life there except for periodic pilgrimages (Hajj) and scholarly visits to Makkah, Madinah, and other centers of learning. Under his father’s paternal direction,
Abu Hanifa memorized the Quran. He grew in Kufa, first as a student, then a merchant, then as a student, and finally a teacher and expert of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh).
