The Four Great Imams of Islam and Their Legacy

Concept of Four Imams in Islam

The Four Great Imams—Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi’i, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal—are important figures in Islamic history. They are also known as the Aima Arba and the founders of Islamic law (Fiqh). They were scholars who lived many centuries ago and made significant contributions to how Muslims understand and practice their faith.

Fiqh, which means ‘understanding’ or ‘comprehension’ in Arabic, is the foundation of Islamic law. The development of fiqh is closely connected to the contributions of four great Imams. Despite their differing opinions, these respected scholars—Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi’i, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal—demonstrated mutual respect and honor, as seen in their interactions and scholarly exchanges.

The approach and methodology for interpreting and deriving rulings from the Quran and Sunnah, the teachings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), were individually developed by each Imam. These distinctive schools of thought, called madhabs, gained significant influence and were embraced by Muslims across the globe.

Differences Between the Four Imams and Their Schools of Thought

In the YouTube video “Four Madhabs and why do they Differ?” Dr. Zakir Naik explains why there are differences between the four great imams and their schools of thought (madhabs) despite all Muslims believing in the same Quran and Hadith. Here is a summary of his explanation

Why Are There Four Madhabs and Why Do They Differ?

Same Foundation, Minor Differences:

• All Muslims follow the same Quran and Hadith collections like Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The four imams of Islam—Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi’i, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal—agreed on 90-95% of the teachings.
• Differences are rare and usually involve minor issues, not major principles like the five daily prayers, fasting, or pilgrimage (Hajj).

Understanding and Explaining Islam:

• The imams created their schools of thought to explain Islam in detail. They did not intend to divide Muslims but to provide guidance.
• The differences between them are mainly in areas where the Quran and Hadith are not clear-cut.
• Each imam had his own method of interpreting the Quran and Hadith, which led to different conclusions on certain issues.

Reasons for DifferencesReasons for Differences

Interpretation of Texts:

• Sometimes, the imams had different interpretations of the same Quranic verse or Hadith.
• For instance, the word “masa” in Arabic can mean physical touch or sexual touch. One imam might interpret it as physical touch, affecting rulings on purity, while another might see it as sexual touch.

Authenticity of Hadith:

• There can be differences in the classification of Hadith. Some imams might accept a Hadith as authentic (sahih), while others might classify it differently.

Respect and Unity

Dr. Zakir Naik further emphasizes that these differences should not lead to fighting among Muslims, lik we it today. The imams themselves respected each other despite their differences.

Muslims should appreciate the diversity in interpretations and strive to follow the Quran and Hadith as closely as possible.

Related: Sihah Sitta – 6 Authentic Hadith Books (Opens in a new browser tab)

Imam Abu Hanifa

Imam Abu Hanifa (699-767 CE), also known as Imam al-Azam (The Greatest Imam), was born in Kufa, Iraq. He is the founder of the Hanafi school of thought, which is known for its emphasis on reason and comparison in deriving legal rulings.

Teachers of Imam Abu Hanifa

Imam Abu Hanifa learned from numerous prominent scholars. The scholars at this time were among the Tabieen and the Taba Tabieen:

• Nafi Maula ibn Umar (d. 117H)
• Amar bin Deenar (d. 126H)
• Amir bin Shraheel Shabi (d. 103H)
• Hamad bin  Abi Sulaiman (d. 120H)
• Ata Ibn Rabah (d. 114H)
• Tauos bin Keesan (d. 106H)

Students of Imam Abu Hanifa

Imam Abu Hanifa had thousands of students. Twenty-eight of his students of Imam Abu Hanifa became Qazis in different towns, cities, and provinces, and eight became Imams. Some of the students of Imam Abu Hanifa are as follows:

• Imam Abu Yusuf (d. 182H)
• Imam Muhammad bin Hasan Shaibani (d. 189H)
• Imam Zufr (d. 158H)
• Imam Hassan bin Ziyad (d. 204H)
• Imam Hamad bin abi Hanifa (d.176H)
• Imam Abdullah bin Mubarak (d.181H)

Books of Imam Abu Hanifa

Imam Abu Hanifa authored several influential works, such as:

• Fiqh al-Akbar
• Kitab al-Radalat al-Qadiriya
• Knowledge and Learning
• Fiqh al-Ibast

Death of Imaam Abu Hanifa

Imam Abu Hanifa died in 767 CE at the age of 70 in Baghdad. His contributions to Islamic jurisprudence continue to be respected and studied by scholars and students worldwide.

Imam Abu Abdulah Malik

Imam Malik (711-795 CE) was born in Medina. He is known for his great knowledge and for teaching many students. He created the Maliki school of thought, which is known for its strong connection to the teachings of the people of Medina.

Teachers of Imam Abu Abdullah Malik

Among his teachers were as follows:

• Nafi’ Maula ibn Umar (d. 117H)
• Muhammad bin Shihab Zuhri (d. 124H)
• Muhammad bin Minkadr (d. 130H)
• Yahya bin Saeed Ansari (d.143H)
• Hisham bin Urwa (d. 145H)
• Abdullah bin Yazeed ibn Hurmaz (d. 148H)

Students of Imam Abu Abdullah Malik

Among his students were as follows:

• Muhammad bin Hasan Shaibani (d. 189H)
• Abdur Rahman bin Qasim (d. 191H)
• Ashhab bin Abdul Aziz (d. 204H)
• Abdul Malik bin Majshoon (d. 214H)
• Abdullah bin Maslma Qanabi (d. 234H)

Books of Imam Abu Abdullah Malik

Some books are as follows:

• Muwatta Imam Malik
• Kitab al-Tafsi’r Li-Gri’b al-Quran
• Risala Fil-Aqdiyah
• Risala Ijma’ Ah-lal Madina

Death of Abu Malik

Imam Malik died at the age of 84 in 795 AD in Madinah. He (ra) is buried in the famous Jannat al-Baqi cemetery in front of Masjid al-Nabawi.

Imam Shafi

Imam Shafi’i (767-820 CE) was born in Gaza. He is known for creating the Shafi’i school of thought, which combines the teachings of both Imam Malik and Imam Abu Hanifa. He traveled to many places to learn and teach Islamic law.

Teachers of Imam Shafi

Imam Shafi’ learned from scholars in different places like Mecca, Medina, Kufa, Basra, Yemen, Syria, and Egypt. Some of the prominent scholars who taught Shafi are as follows:

• Malik bin Anas (d.179H)
• Muhammad bin Hasan Shaibani (d. 189H)
• Waqi’ bin Al-Jurah (d. 197H
• Sufyan bin Ainiyah (d. 198H)
• Muslim bin Khalid Az-zanji (d. 179H)
• Ismail bin Ibrahim Al-ma’roof ibn Ulya (d. 193H)

Student of Imam Shafi

Al-Shafi’i had many gifted students, some of whom became distinguished masters. Among his best students:

• Hazrat Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (d. 241H)
• Ishaq bin Rahwiyah (d. 234H)
• Abu Saur Ibrahim bin Khalid Kalbi (d. 240H)
• Abu Ali Hussain bin Ali Krabeesi (d. 248H)
• Abu Ali Hassan bin Muhammad Za’frani (d. 260H
• Imam Ismail bin Yahya Muzni (d. 264H)

He also met Imam Ahmad bin Hambi and acquired mutual knowledge between the two.

Books of Imam Shafi

He authored more than 100 books. Some of these are as follows:

• Kitab al-Alam
• Al-Risalah
• Discord of Hadith
• Alamlat
• The Iraqi Dissent
• Jama’at-ul-Ilam
• Difference between Malik Al-Shafi
• Kitab al-Hijjah.

Death of Imam Shafi

He died in the year 204 AH (820 AC) at the age of 54 on a Friday in the month of Rajab of the Islamic calendar.

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal

Imam Abu Abdullah Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Shibani was the last of the four Imams in Islam of Hanbal jurisprudence. He was known as Ibn Hanbal. He was born in 780 in the city of Baghdad. Imam Ibn Hanbal (ra) studied various subjects in his city and traveled far and wide in search of knowledge. He primarily focused on acquiring knowledge of the blessed hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).

Teachers of Imam Hanbal

Teachers of Ahmad bin Hanbal as follows:

• Imam Abu Yusuf (d. 182H)
• Waqi’ bin Al-Jurah (d. 197H)
• Sufyan bin Ainiyah (d. 198H)
• Imam Muhammad bin Idris Shafi (d. 204)
• Abdul Razzaq bin Hmam San’ani (d. 211H)
• Yahya bin Mai’n (d. 233H)

Students of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal

Students of Imam Ahmad were:

• Abdur Rahman bin Mahdi (d.198H)
• Muhammad bin Ismail Bukhari (d. 256H)
• Muslim bin Hajjaj Qushairi (d. 261H)
• Abu Dawood Sulaiman bin Asha’s (d. 275)
• Imam abu Zara’h Razi (d. 264H)
• Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal (d. 290H)

Books of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal

Some of the book’s names are as follows:

• Musnad
• Resala Shalat
• Al Masail
• Al Ashriba
• Fadhail
• Ash Shahabah

Death of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal

He passed away on 12 Rabi Al-Awwal 241 Hijri at the age of 77.

Conclusion

The lasting influence of the Four Great Imams of Islam—Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi’i, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal—continues to significantly shape Islamic jurisprudence and serve as a source of inspiration for Muslims worldwide. Their distinctive schools of thought, represented by the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali madhabs, creates a rich diversity of perspectives while highlighting a common purpose. The deep respect and admiration that these scholars had for each other have left an enduring imprint on the history and interpretation of Islamic law.

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