KULOB, January 26, 2009, Asia-Plus — Access to information about Abu Hanifa, the founder of the Sunni Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence, just became easier in Kulob. In early January, the Corner of Imam Azam was opened at the Kulob Regional Library named after Sadriddin Ayni.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the library director Abdurahim Azimov said that the goal of the Corner, which contains many available materials, is to provide information on Abu Hanifa and the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence.
According to him, an interest of local residents, especially youth, in history of Islam and Islamic jurisprudence schools has increased. Azimov noted that they had started preparations for holding a readers’ conference on this subject. “We have already reached an agreement with researchers and clerics on holding a number of meetings with readers at the library and are making preparations for an exhibition that will run through the year,” the library director said.
We will recall that by president’s decree the year of 2009 is announced Year of Imam Azam in Tajikistan.
Al-Imam al-A”zam, “The Greatest Imam” Nu’man bin Thabit bin Zuta bin Mahan, better known by his kunya as Abu Hanifa, (699-767 CE/80-148 AH) was the founder of the Sunni Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence. Abu Hanifa was born in Kufa, Iraq during the reign of the powerful Umayyad caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan. Acclaimed as Al-Imam al-A”zam, or Al-A”dham (the Great Imam), Nu’man bin Thabit bin Zuta bin Mah was better known by his kunya Abu Hanifa. It was not a true kunya, as he did not have a son called Hanifa, but an epithetical one meaning pure in monotheistic belief. His father, Thabit bin Zuta, a trader from Kabul, part of Khorasan in Persia, (the capital of modern day Afghanistan), was 40 years old at the time of Abu Hanifa”s birth.
His ancestry is generally accepted as being of non-Arab origin as suggested by the etymology of then names of his grandfather (Zuta) and great-grandfather (Mah). The historian, Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, records a statement from Abu Hanifa”s grandson, Ismail bin Hammad, who gave Abu Hanifa”s lineage as Thabit bin Numan bin Marzban and claiming to be of Persian origin. The discrepancy in the names, as given by Ismail of Abu Hanifa”s grandfather and great-grandfather are thought to be due to Zuta”s adoption of a Muslim name (Numan) upon his acceptance of Islam and that Mah and Marzban were titles or official designations in Persia. Further differences of opinion exist on his ancestry. Abu Muti, for example, describes Abu Hanifa as an Arab citing his ancestry as Numan bin Thabit bin Zuta bin Yahya bin Zaid bin Asad. The widely accepted opinion, however, is that he was of Persian ancestry.
