The Four Imams: Their Lives, Works and Their Schools of Jurisprudence

Muhammad Abu Zahra

Hardback

9781870582414

This volume contains the English translation of four books describing and analysing the life and work of the Imams who founded the four canonical schools of Sunni Islamic law. These men are among Islam’s greatest spiritual and intellectual figures. All four books were written in Arabic by the Egyptian scholar Muhammad Abu Zahra, who succeeded admirably in producing a detailed picture and analysis of the four madhhabs and their founders, including their legal methodology and conclusions. Today, largely because of ignorance or misunderstanding, millions of Muslims are deprived of the benefits of adherence to a particular madhhab. There is also a great deal of futile disagreement amongst believers. It is hoped that this work will help the process of healing the rifts and uniting the Muslim Umma on the basis of mutual respect and understanding.

Contents:

Malik Ibn Anas

- The Life of Malik Ibn Anas

- Malik’s Great Knowledge

- Madina

- A Word About Sects

- Malik’s Fiqh

- Some of Malik’s Students

- The Fundamental Principles of Malik’s Fiqh

Abu Hanifa

- Preface

- Foreword

- The Life and Times of Abu Hanifa

- The Knowledge of Abu Hanifa and its Sources

- The Age of Abu Hanifa

- The Opinions of Abu Hanifa

- The Fish of Abu Hanifa

Imam-Shafi’i

- Preface

- Birth, Lineage and Life History

- Ash-Shafi’i’s Knowledge and its Sources

- The Times of ash-Shafi’i

- The Opinions and Fiqh of ash-Shafi’i

- The Principles of ash-Shafi’i

Ahmad ibn Hanbal

- Preface

- The Life of Ahmad ibn Hanbal

- The Erudition of Ahmad ibn Hanbal

- Ahmad’s Time and its Effect on Him

- Ibn Hanbal’s Views

- The Hadiths and Fiqh of Ahmad

- Description of Hanbali Fiqh