15th Rajab​

Name: Nuʿman ibn Thabit ibn Zuta ibn Marzuban
Arabic: نعمان بن ثابت بن زوطا بن مرزبان
Born: 80 AH
Died: 150 AH

Nuʿman ibn Thabit ibn Zuta ibn Marzuban, better known as Imam Abu Hanifah, was the founder of the Sunni Hanafi school of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).

Imam Abu Hanifah was born in the city of Kufa in Iraq, during the reign of the powerful Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. His father, Thabit bin Zuta, a trader from Kabul, Afghanistan. His ancestry is generally accepted as being of non-Arab origin, widely accepted opinion, however, is that most probably he was of Persian ancestry from Kabul.

Abu Hanifah is regarded by some as one of the Tabi‘un, the generation after the Sahaba, who were the companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw).

His early education was achieved through madaris and it is here that he learned the Qur'an and Hadith, doing exceptionally well in his studies. The Imam went to Madinah in 102 A.H. in pursuit of Knowledge and attended the lessons of seven top theologians. The celebrated Musa Kazim and his illustrious father Jafar Sadiq the descendants of Muhammad (saw), were the greatest authorities in Islamic learning of their times and Imam Abu Hanifah took full advantage of their society in Madinah. Imam Abu Hanifah had learnt Hadith from more than four thousand persons.

In 763, al-Mansur, the Abbasid monarch offered Abu Hanifa the post of Chief Judge of the State, but he declined to accept the offer, choosing to remain independent. His student Abu Yusuf was appointed Qadi Al-Qadat (Chief Judge of the State) of al-Mansur regime instead of himself.

In his reply to al-Mansur, Abu Hanifah recused himself by saying that he did not regard himself fit for the post. Al-Mansur, who had his own ideas and reasons for offering the post, lost his temper and accused Abu Hanifah of lying.

"If I am lying," Abu Hanifah said, "then my statement is doubly correct. How can you appoint a liar to the exalted post of a Chief Qadi (Judge)?"

Incensed by this reply, the ruler had Abu Hanifah arrested, locked in prison and tortured. He was never fed nor cared for. Even there, the indomitable jurist continued to teach those who were permitted to come to him.

In 767, Abu Hanifah died in prison. It was said that so many people attended his funeral that the funeral service was repeated six times for more than 50,000 people who had amassed before he was actually buried. On the authority of historian Khatib, it can be said that for full twenty days people went on performing funeral prayer for him.