Imam Abu Hanifah: The Master of Qiyas #939672

Imam Abu Hanifah: Master of Qiyās is a scholarly work on the life, methodology, and legal legacy of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (699–767 CE), the founder of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence. The book examines his role in the systematisation of Islamic law, with particular emphasis on qiyās (analogical reasoning) as a disciplined juristic tool grounded in revelation rather than personal opinion.
The work situates Imām Abū Ḥanīfah within the intellectual and political context of second-century Kūfa, a period marked by theological disputes, fabricated narrations, and legal uncertainty. It highlights his cautious approach to hadith transmission, the hierarchy of legal evidence, and his distinction between certainty (yaqīn) and probability (ẓann), arguing that these methods were responses to contemporary challenges rather than deviations from the Sunnah.
Structured in multiple thematic sections, the book covers Abū Ḥanīfah’s biography, scholarly formation, theological grounding, juristic methodology, and moral independence, including his refusal of political office and imprisonment under Abbasid authority. It outlines the foundations of Hanafi legal theory, including the roles of the Qur’an, Sunnah, consensus (ijmāʿ), analogical reasoning (qiyās), juristic preference (istiḥsān), and customary practice (ʿurf). Later sections address degrees of legal certainty, the epistemological limits of solitary hadith reports, and applications of Hanafi methodology to contemporary issues such as medical ethics, finance, and artificial intelligence. The book also engages with historical criticisms of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah and defends the Hanafi madhhab as a coherent system designed to preserve revelation while addressing evolving human circumstances.
The work is positioned as a Hanafi–Maturidi exposition, emphasizing the continued relevance of Abū Ḥanīfah’s legal architecture in both classical and modern contexts.
Author
The book was written by Dr. Yusof Mutahar, an Australian physician, author, theologian, philosopher, and polymath. Born in Perth, he completed his medical degree in 2013 and became a specialist by the age of 27. Alongside his medical career, Dr. Mutahar has authored several medical texts and contributes to the education and mentorship of medical students and young physicians.