Imam Abu Hanifah: The Master of Qiyas

Authors

Abstract

Imam Abu Hanifah: Master of Qiyas is a scholarly work on the life, methodology, and legal legacy of Imam Abu Hanifah (699–767 CE), the founder of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence. Written by Dr. Yusof Mutahar, an Australian physician, author, theologian, the book examines Imam Abu Hanifah’s role in the systematisation of Islamic law, with particular emphasis on qiyas (analogical reasoning) as a disciplined juristic method rooted in revelation rather than personal opinion. The book situates Imam Abu Hanifah within the intellectual and political environment of second-century Kufa, a period characterised by theological disputes, fabricated narrations, and legal uncertainty. It argues that his cautious approach to hadith transmission, structured hierarchy of legal evidence, and distinction between certainty (yaqin) and probability (zann) were principled responses to these conditions rather than departures from the Prophetic Sunnah. Structured across multiple thematic sections, the work explores Abu Hanifah’s biography, scholarly formation, theological foundations, juristic methodology, and moral independence, including his refusal of political office and subsequent imprisonment under Abbasid authority. It outlines the core elements of Hanafi legal theory, including the Quran, Sunnah, consensus (ijma), analogical reasoning (qiyas), juristic preference (istihsan), and customary practice (urf). Later sections examine degrees of legal certainty, the epistemological limits of solitary hadith reports, and the application of Hanafi methodology to contemporary issues such as medical ethics, finance, and artificial intelligence. The book also addresses historical criticisms of Imam Abu Hanifah and presents the Hanafi madhhab as a coherent legal system designed to preserve revelation while accommodating changing social realities. The work is presented as a Hanafi-Maturidi exposition, reflecting the author’s interdisciplinary background