Islamic jurist and theologian. Born c. 699, died 767.
Abu Hanifa was an active participant in the early religious debate about proper Muslim behaviour, and is considered the founder of the Hanafite School of Islamic Law (Madhhab Hanafiyyah), one of the four traditions of Sunni Islamic religious law. The Hanafite School is most prevalent in Turkey and in some of the newly independent Muslim states in Central Asia.