Usul al-Din inda al-Imam Abi Hanifa
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- Dār al-Ṣumay‘ī
Usul al-Din inda al-Imam Abi Hanifa (The Fundamentals of Religion According to Imam Abu Hanifa) is a contemporary theological treatise written by the Saudi scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Khamis, examining the creedal positions and theological methodology of the early jurist Abu Hanifa (d. 150 AH / 767 CE) .
Background and Purpose
The work originated as an extensive doctoral dissertation analyzing Abu Hanifa's theological statements and treatises . Its primary objective is to systematize the early doctrinal positions attributed to the imam from primary transmissions and classical works, assessing them against the broader creedal framework of early Sunni tradition (Ahl al-Sunnah wa-al-Jama'ah) and comparing them with the other three eponymous imams of jurisprudence: Malik ibn Anas, al-Shafi'i, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal .
The book was published in a single volume by Dar al-Sumay'i in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1416 AH (1995/1996 CE) .
Structure and Contents
The book is organized into an introduction, a foundational prologue (tamhid), five main parts (abwab), and a conclusion:
- Prologue: Discusses the unity of creed among the four imams of jurisprudence regarding the primary principles of Islamic doctrine, highlighting the solitary historical divergence regarding the definition of iman (faith) .
- Part One: Abu Hanifa's Biography and Methodological Approach to Creed (Tarjamat al-Imam Abi Hanifa wa-Bayan Manhajihi fi Taqrir Usul al-Din). It covers his personal and scholarly life, provides a critical study of theological works attributed to him—such as al-Fiqh al-Akbar (in the transmission of Hammad ibn Abi Hanifa), al-Fiqh al-Absat (transmitted by Abu Muti' al-Balkhi), al-Alim wa-al-Muta'allim, his epistle to Uthman al-Batti, and al-Wasiyya—and examines his stance on speculative theology (kalam) and theological factions such as the Jahmiyya, Mu'tazila, and Khawarij .
- Part Two: His Doctrine of Monotheism (Bayan I'tiqadihi fi al-Tawhid). Divided into three chapters addressing the oneness of Lordship (tawhid al-rububiyyah) and his refutation of atheists; the oneness of worship (tawhid al-uluhiyyah); and the divine names and attributes (tawhid al-asma' wa-al-sifat), covering both essential (dhatiyyah) and active (fi'liyyah) attributes .
- Part Three: His Doctrine of Faith (I'tiqaduhu fi al-Iman). Covers five chapters investigating the definition of faith and the exclusion or inclusion of physical actions ('amal), the question of whether faith increases and decreases, making exceptions in faith (istithna'), the relationship between islam and iman, and the status of perpetrators of major sins .
- Part Four: His Doctrine Regarding Remaining Articles of Faith (I'tiqaduhu fi Baqiyyat Usul al-Din). Covers prophecies (nubuwwat), eschatology and the Hereafter (al-yawm al-akhir), divine destiny (qadar), the Companions of the Prophet (al-sahabah), and political leadership (al-imamah) .
- Part Five: Comparison Between Abu Hanifa and Later Hanafi Followers (al-Muqaranah bayna Aqidat al-Imam Abi Hanifa wa-Atba'ihi). Features a comparative study between Abu Hanifa's epistemology and theology and those of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and the Maturidiyya school, as well as an assessment of how subsequent Hanafis adhered to Abu Hanifa's positions on monotheism .
Method and Findings
Al-Khamis concludes that Abu Hanifa practiced speculative theology early in his life before renouncing it in favor of adherence to the Quran and Sunnah after recognizing its theological pitfalls . The author maintains that Abu Hanifa affirmed divine attributes in accordance with the early Salafi approach without figurative interpretation (ta'wil) or anthropomorphism (tashbih), relied on scriptural proofs and primordial human nature (fitrah) rather than rationalist atomism (dalil al-huduth), and shared identical fundamentals with the other three imams except on the lexical and creedal inclusion of deeds within faith . The study also highlights critical distinctions between Abu Hanifa's reported statements and later scholastic developments in the Maturidi and Ash'ari traditions .
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