The Hanafi Madhab

The Hanafi school is the oldest and most widely followed madhab, founded by Imam Abu Hanifah (d. 767 CE) in Kufa, Iraq.

Methodology

Known for extensive use of ra'y (legal reasoning) and qiyas (analogy). Prioritizes the Quran, then Sunnah, then consensus, then individual companion opinions, then analogy.

Geographic Spread

Dominant in Turkey, Central Asia, South Asia, the Balkans, and parts of the Arab world. It is the most followed madhab globally.

Key Students

Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani, whose works form the basis of Hanafi jurisprudence.