1. Tabyeedh al-Saheefah fi Manaqib al-Imam Abi Hanifah by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti al-Shafi’I, (d.1505/911h).
2.Al-Khayrat al-Hisan fi Manaqib ala-Imam al-A’zam Abi Hanifah al-Nu’man & also Qala’id al-Uqyan by Abu al-Abbas Ahmad bin Hajar al-Makki al-Shafi’I, (d.1536/943h).
. Matba’ah al-Khayriyah, 1886 (1304h)
. Ed. Shk Khaleel al-Meys, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah
3. Manaqib al-Imam al-A’zam by Muwaffaq bin Ahmad al-Makki al-Khawarzimi, (d.1172/568h).
. Da’irat al-Ma’arif, Hayderabad, Al-Dakkan, 1894 (1321h)
. Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, Beirut, 1981 (1401h)
. Urdu Translation by Allamah Faiz Ahmad Owaisi, Maktabah Nabawiyyah, Lahore, 1999 (1420h)
4. Manaqib al-Imam al-A’zam by Hafiz al-Din, Muhmammad ibn Muhammad al-Kurdari (known as Ibn al-Bazzaz), author of Fatawa al-Bazzaziyya, (d.1424/ 827h).
. Published together with Ibn al-Muwaffaq’s Manaqib, Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, Beirut, 1981 (1410h)
5. Manaqib al-Imam al-A’zam by Muhamamd bin Ahmad al-Saghdi, Ibn Awwam
6. Manaqib al-Imam al-A’zam by Shaykh Abu Sa’eed in Persian
7. Manaqib al-Imam al-A’zam by Muhammad Kami Effendi in Turkish
8.Manaqib al-Imam al-A’zam by Sa’d al-Din Effendi in Turkish
9. Abu Hanifah, Hayatuhu wa Asruhu Ara’uhu wa Fiqhuhu by Imam Abu Zuhrah
. Dar al-Fikr al-Arabi, Cairo, 1991 (1412h)
10. Tanweer al-Saheefah bi Manaqib al-Imam Abi Hanifah by Yusuf bin Hassan bin Ahmad bin Abd al-Hadi al-Hanbali, known as Ibn al-Mibrad (d. 1503/909h) in a voluminous book still unpublished.
11. Akhbaru Abi Hanifah wa As’habihi, also known as Manaqib Abi Hanifah by Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Salamah al-Tahawi (d.933/321h)
Hafiz Al-Qurashi and Abd al-Hayy al-Lakhnawi mention it amongst his works in their memoirs, al-Jawahir al-Mudhee’ah (1:277) and al-Fawa’id al-Bahiyyah (p32). Al-Kawthari also cites it in al-Hawi fi Sirat al-Imam al-Tahawi. It is among the lost works of Imam al-Tahawi.
12. Manaqib al-Nu’man by Ahmad bin al-Salt Zaheer al-Din al-Mirghinani
13. Al-Bustan fi Manaqib al-Nu’man by Abd al-Qadir bin Abi al-Wafa al-Qurashi
14. Shaqa’iq al-Nu’man fi Manaqib al-Nu’man by Jarrullah al-Zamakhshari
15. Tuhfat al-Sultan fi Manaqib al-Nu’man by Abu Sufyan bin Kassa
16. Uquwd al-Juman fi Manaqib Abi Hanifa al-Nu’man by Muhammad Yusuf al-Salih al-Dimashqi.
. A manuscript in al-Azhar
. Published in Heydarabad al-Dakkan, 1974 (1394h)
17. Seerat al-Nu’man by Shibli Nu’mani
. Urdu.
. Available in English: Imam Abu Hanifah: Life and Work of Muslim Jurist, Sirat I Numan, Apex Books Concern, December 1978
18. Manaqib al-Imam Abi Hanifah Wa Sahibayhi Abi Yusuf Wa Muhammad bin al-Hassan by Imam al-Dhahabi al-Hanbali.
. Published in Egypt, 1947 (1367h)
. Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, Beirut, 1947 (1367h)
. Ed. Imam al-Kawthari & Imam Abu al-Wafa’ al-Afghani, Maktab al-Matbu’at al-Islamiyah, Aleppo
In his Siyar, Imam al-Dhahabi proclaimed that ‘the Biography of Imam Abu Hanifah requires two volumes, May Allah be pleased with him and have mercy on him’.
Imam al-Dhahabi contributed an entire section to Imam Abu Hanifah in his Siyar A’lam al-Nubula’ and Tareekh al-Islam. However, he did not mention the Imam’s biography in Mizan al-I’tidal according to scrupulous research conclusion. Someone tampered the Mizan by adding Imam Abu Hanifah’s biography in it and weakening him. Imam Abd al-Hayy a-Lakhnawi and Ustaz Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda substantiates its fabrication in his footnotes on al-Raf’ wa al-Takmeel, pages 125 to128.
19. Al-Intiqa fi Fadha’il al-Thalathah al-A’immah al-Fuqaha by al-Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr al-Maliki
. Ed. Zahid Al-Kawthari, Matba’ah al-Ma’ahid, 1931 (1350h)
. Ed. Ustadh Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah, Matktab al-Matbu’at al-Islamiyah
20. Akhbaru Abi Hanifah Wa Ashabihi by Abu Abdillah al-Sumayri
21. Maqam Abi Hanifah by Mawlana Sarfiraz Khan Safdar
22. Manaqib al-Imam by Mulla Ali Qari in print with Al-Qurashi’s Al-Jawahir Al- Mudhee’ah.
. Hayderabad al-Dakkan, 1913 (1332h)
. Dar Ihya al-Kutub al-Arabiyyah, 1978 (1398h) & Dar al-Ulum, Riyadh, 1986 (1407h) (don’t know if this ed has Ali Qari’s Manaqib)
23-al-Durr al-Munazzam fi Manaqib al-Imam al-A`zam, a manuscript kept in the library of al-Azhar al-Sharif (#238), For Nuh Effendi (d. 1659/1070h).
24. Umdat al-Bayan fi I’lan Manaqib al-Nu’man, Allamah Ghulam Dastageer Qusuri (d.1897/1315h), Urdu.
25. Al-Aqwal al-Saheehah fi jawab al-Jarh ala Abi Hanifah, Imam Nur Bakhsh Tawakkuli
26. Al-Sayf al-Sarim li munkiri Sha’n al-Imam al-A’zam, Allamah Faqeer Muhammad Jehlmi
27. Al-Intisar Li Imam A’immat al-Amsar, in two large volumes & al-Intisar wa al-Tarjeeh li al-Madhab al-Saheeh by Abu al-Muzaffar Jamal al-Din Yusuf bin Quzughuli bin Abdillah al-Baghdadi (known as Sibt Ibn al-Jazi),
. Published in Egypt, 1941 (1360h)
The second al-Intisar received forward and notes by Imam Zahid al-Kawthari.
Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi also wrote a fair amount on Imam Abu Hanifah in Mir’at al-Zaman fi Tareekh al-A’yan,
. Hayderabad al-Dakkan, 1950 (1370h)
. Ed. Dhayl Qutb al-Din Musa al-Yuneeni, Matba’ah Majlis Da’irat al-Ma’arif al-Uthmaniyah, Hayderabad, al-Dakkan, 1959 (1379h)
28. Fiqh Ahl al-Iraq wa Hadeethuhum by Imam Zahid al-Kawthari
. Dar al-Ma’mun al-Turath, 1955 (1357h)
. Dar al-Qalam, Beirut, 1970 (1390h)
. With footnotes by Imam Binnawuri, published with Imam al-Zayla’i’s Nasb al-Ra’yah, Dar al-Hadith, Cairo, ed.1, 1995 (1416h)
. With Ustadh Abd al-Fattah’s footnotes, Maktab al-Matbu’at al-Islamiyah, Aleppo, 1970 (1390h).
29. Fat’h al-Mannan Fi Ta’yeed Madhab al-Nu’man. Imam Abd al-Hayy al-Lakhnawi mentioned it in Zafar al-Amani (p330) without mentioning its author.
30. Uquwd al-Jawahir al-Muneefah fi Adillat Abi Hanifah by Murtadha al-Zabidi
. Matba’ah al-Wataniyyah, Alexandria, 1875 (1292h)
31. Lamhat al-Nazar fi Sirat al-Imam Zufar by Imam Zahid al-Kawthri
32. Husn al-Taqadhi fi Seerat al-Imam Abi Yusuf al-Qadhi by Imam Zahid al-Kawthri
33. Bulugh al-Amani fi Seerat al-Imam Muhammad bin al-Hassan al-Shaybani by Imam Zahid al-Kawthri
34. Al-Imta’ bi sirat al-Imamayn al-Hasab bin Ziyad w Sahibihi Muhmmad bin Shuja’ by Imam Zahid al-Kawthari
. Matba’ah al-Anwar, 1949 (1368h)
Note: The latter four books are on the lives of Abu Hanifah’s students all of which consist an enormous amount of work on the excellence of the Hanafi Madhab.
35. Makanah al-Imam Abi Hanifah fi al-Hadeeth by Muhammad Abd al-Rasheed al-Nu’mani
. Maktab al-Matbu’at al-Islamiyyah
36. Abu Hanifah al-Nu’man by Wahbi Sulayman al-Gawji
. Maktabah Shaykh al-Islam Arif Hikmat, Madinah
37. Abu Hanifah wa As’habuhu al-Muhaddithuwn (Muqaddimah I’la’ al-Sunan) by al-Thanawi
Imam Akmal al-Din Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Babarti (d.786h) wrote the following four books on the excellence, precedence and distinction of Imam Abu Hanifah and his madhab.
38. Muqaddimah Fi tarjih Madhab Abi Hanifah
Maktabah Jami’ Fatih 4:2269
39. Risalah fi Anna Madhab Abi Hnaifah aqdam wa arjah al-Madhahib al-Sanee’ah
Shaheed Ali Basha, 47:2725
40. Risalah fi Tarjeeh Taqleed al-Imam al-A’zam
Azmeerli Isma’il Haqqi, 3:711
41. al-Nukat al-Zarifah fi Tarjih Madhab Abi Hanifah
Haji Khalifah menions it in Kashf al-Zunun
Memoirs to the Hanafi scholars
Up until the 8th century after Hijra, the biographies of Hanafi scholars were found scattered in various memoirs and in its beginning did this become the subject of many scholars who compiled the memoirs of the Hanafi scholars and particularised large volumes to their lives and works. Below is a catalogue to some of the most famous memoirs of the Hanafi Scholars and their services in the sciences of the Deen
1. Salah al-Din Abdullah bin bin Muhammad bin Muahammad bin Ibrahim bin al-Muhandis (d.679h) wrote an excellent memoir in three volumes about which Ibn Hajar said, ‘‘Salah al-Din put all of his efforts to compile this memoir since he travelled to many countries and cities to collect the biographies’’. (See: al-Durar al-Kaminah, under the name Salah al-Din)
2. Najm al-Din Ibrahim al-Tartusi (d.1357/758h), Wafayat al-A’yan min Madhab al-Nu’man
3.Abu Muhammad Muhiyyudin al-Qurashi (d.1374/775h), al-Jawahir al-Mudhee’ah fi Tabaqat al-Hanafiyyah
4. Sarim al-Din Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Qahiri (d.1407/809h), Nazm al-Juman fi Tabaqat As’hab Imamina al-Nu’man. It is in three volumes the first of which is ion the meits of Abu Hanifah and the last two on the lives and works of the Hanfi scholars, (Haji Khalifah, Kashf al-Zunun)
5. Ibn Duqman Majd al-Din al-Fayruz-Abadi al-Sherazi (d.1414/817h), al-Mirqat fi Tabaqat al-Hanfiyyah
6. Taqiy al-Din al-Maqrizi (d.1442/845h), al-Tadhkirah
7. Qasim bin Qutlubuga, Taj al-Tarajim
8. Qadhi Badr al-Din al-Ayni (d.1451/855h), Tabaqat al-Hanafiyyah
9. Zayn al-Din Abu al-Adl al-Jamali (d.1475/879h), Talkhees Taj al-Tarajim
10. Shams al-Din Muhammad al-Dimashqi (d.1546/953h), al-Guraf al-Aliyyah fi Tarajim Muta’akhirri al-Hanafiyyah
11. Shams al-Din bin Aaja Muhammad bin Muhammad, Tabaqat al-Hanafiyyah.
12. Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Halbi (d.1549/956h) abridged the Memoir of al-Muhandis and al-Qurashi’s al-Jawahir al-Mudhee’ah.
13. Muhmmad bin Umar (d.1552/959h), Tabqat al-Hanafiyyah
14. Ali bin Amrullah al-Jina’I (d.1572/979h), Mukhtasar ala Ihdaa wa Ishreena Tabaqah
15.Mahmud bin Sulayman al-Rumi (d.1582/990h), A’lam al-Akhyar min Fuqaha’ Madhab al-Nu’man al-Mukhtar. Unfortunately along with other works of the author this book caught on fire. The author made a second attempt to compile it but died before its compilation. May Allah reward him for his efforts.
16. Taqiy al-Din bin Abd al-Qadir al-Tameemi al-Misri, (d.1597/1005h), al-Tabaqat al-Saniyyah fi Tarajim al-Hanafiyyah,
. Footnotes by Abd al-Fattah al-Huluw, Matabi’ al-Ahram, 1975 (1395h)
. Dar al-Rafa’I, Riyadh, ed.1, 1983 (1403h)
17. Nur al-Din Ali bin Sultan al-Harawi al-Qari (d.1605/1014h), Kitab al-Athmar al-Janiyah fi Asma’ al-Hanafiyyah.
18. Abd al-Hayy al-Lakhnawi (d.1887/1304h), al-Fawa’id al-Bahiyyah fi Tarajim al-Hanafiyyah
. Publisher al-Sa’adah, 1906 (1324h)
. Dar al-Ma’Ma’rifah, Beirut
Imam Abd al-Hayy al-Lakhnawi authored the memoirs, (1) al-Nafi’ al-Kabeer for those who study al-Mirginani’s al-Hidayah and (2) Al-Sa’adah fi Kashf ma fi Sharh al-Wiqayah for those who study al-Wiqayah and al-Nuqayah.
9. Imam Abu al-Wafa al-Afghani , Tabaqat al-Hanafiyyah
Incomplete,
Munawwar Ateeq Rizvi
15.09.05
