The Four Imams

1. Imam Abu Hanifa

Imām Abū Ḥanīfah was born in the city of Kufa in Iraq. His father, Thabit bin Zuta, a trader

from Kabul, Afghanistan, was 40 years old at the time of Abū Ḥanīfah’s birth.

Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, was the founder of the Sunni Hanafi school of fiqh (Islamic

jurisprudence). His school of jurisprudence is one of the four well-known and recognized

schools of jurisprudence in Islam. With regard to the approach adopted by Imam Abu

Hanifah, more specifically using opinion and qiyas (analogy), it is never meant to be

maintaining opinions based on whims and desires. Rather, it is an opinion based on

evidence and analogy, or following the general principles of Shari`ah.

The Hanafi School of jurisprudence is one of the most trustworthy and accepted schools

of jurisprudence. It is, in fact, the oldest of the surviving four schools of jurisprudence.

Abu Hanifah (AH 80–150) was one of the prominent scholars of fiqh. He was known for

his piety and extensive knowledge. He had reached a high level of proficiency and

expertise in juristic matters.

Al Imam al A’zam (the Great Imam), as he is referred to by those who adore him, was the

first to define the processes that govern usool e Fiqh (the principles of Fiqh). He preceded

Imam Malik by ten years, Imam Shafii by a generation and Imam Ahmed by a hundred

years.
2. Imam Malik

Imam Malik ibn Anas was born in 93 Hijri (711 AD) in the village called Zul-Marwa in

Madina. His father, grandfather, and great grandfather were all renowned people among

the scholars of Hadith. It is reported that his great grandfather was a companion who

fought several battles alongside the Prophet.

Revered by Sunni Muslims across the world, Imam Malik was one of the greatest scholars

of Hadith of all time. His book Al Muwatta was the third comprehensive book written and

compiled regarding Hadith and the first one which has 100% authentic Hadiths, according

to Sunni Muslims. After examining hundreds of thousands of Hadiths, he picked a handful

of them for his book and organized them subject-wise e.g. Prayer, Zakat, Fasting etc.

3. Imam Shafi

The name of Imam Shafi was Mohammad ibn Idris ibn Abbas ibn Uthman ibn Shafi. He

was a Quraishi and his ancestors are from the tribe of Abd Manaf. His great-great-great-

grandfather (3rd grand-father) and his father (4th grand-father) were companions of the

Prophet.

Imam Shafi was born in 150 Hijri (769 AD), the year when the great Imam Abu Hanifa

passed away. Imam Shafi did not meet Imam Abu Hanifa but he met two other great

Imamas within Sunni Islam – Imam Malik and Imam Hanbal – and it was not merely just

knowing each other in passing.

He was in fact a direct student of Imam Malik for a long time. On the other hand, Imam

Ahmad ibn Hanbal was also a direct student of Imam Shafi. Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal

commented that were it not for Imam Shafi, he himself would have remained uneducated

in the field of Fiqhul Hadith. Now let us go through the amazing life of this great scholar

called Imam Shafi.

He wrote many books and according to some narrations, the number is around 123. One

of his famous books is Ar Risala. This is not a book of his verdict’s specific issues, rather

it was a book settling the principles of Islamic jurisprudence upon which every school of

thoughts agree. He was one of the first people in the history of Islam who developed this

branch of the religion. Another book comprising his rulings called Al-Umm has also

become widely popular.

4. Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal

Imam Hanbal was born in 164 Hijri (778 AD) in Baghdad. His father passed away when

he was only 3 years old and was brought up entirely under the supervision of her mother

who played a crucial role for Imam Hanbal to become what he became.

The Imam started his education in Baghdad, and subsequently, he travelled to Makkah,

Madina, Kufa, Basrah, and Yemen to acquire knowledge from different scholars. His first

teacher of Hadith was Sheikh Abu Yusuf who was one of the most famous students of

Imam Abu Hanifa. The person who, as a teacher, had a profound impact on Imam Hanbal

was therefore none other than Imam Shafi.

Imam Hanbal was a master in the field of Fiqhul Hadith. He memorized more than

hundred thousand Hadiths according to many reports. He has written many books – the

most famous one is Al Musnad. This book is one of the largest available collections of

Hadiths comprising 52 volumes. After examining more than 750,000 Hadiths, Imam

Hanbal selected only around 30,000 Hadiths narrated by 904 companions and they were

organized on the basis of individual companions.

Imam Hanbal also achieved mastery in the other branches of knowledge including

Tafseer, Fiqh (i.e. Islamic jurisprudence) and history.

For almost two and a half years Imam Hanbal was in prison and tortured. During this

tenure, Imam Hanbal was often brought to the Caliph’s palace in chains and he was asked

to agree with the Mutazila creed but he remained steadfast. Such valiant and noble

firmness for the sake of Islam uplifted his stature and the fame of Imam Hanbal spread

around the entire Muslim Ummah like wildfire.

The Four Caliphs

The Four Caliphs were the first four leaders of Islam that succeeded the Prophet

Muhammad. They are sometimes called the "Rightly Guided" Caliphs because each of

them learned about Islam directly from Muhammad. They also served as Muhammad's

closest friends and advisors during the early years of Islam.

1. Abu Bakr

The first caliph was Abu Bakr who ruled from 632-634 CE. Abu Bakr was the father-in-
law of Muhammad and was an early convert to Islam. He was known as "The Truthful."

During his short reign as caliph, Abu Bakr put down rebellions by various Arab tribes

after Muhammad died and established the Caliphate as the ruling force in the region.

2. Umar ibn al-Khattab

The second caliph was Umar ibn al-Khattab. He is generally known just as Umar. Umar

ruled for 10 years from 634-644 CE. During this time, the Islamic Empire expanded

greatly. He took control of the Middle East including conquering the Sassanids of Iraq.

He then took control of many surrounding areas including Egypt, Syria, and North

Africa. Umar's reign came to an end when he was murdered by a Persian slave.

3. Uthman ibn Affan

The third caliph was Uthman ibn Affan. He was Caliph for 12 years from 644-656 CE.

Like the other Four Caliphs, Uthman was a close companion of the Prophet

Muhammad. Uthman is most known for having an official version of the Quran

established from one originally put together by Abu Bakr. This version was then copied

and used as the standard version moving forward. Uthman was killed by rebels in his

home in 656 CE.

4. Ali ibn Abi Talib

The fourth caliph was Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ali was Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law. He
was married to Muhammad's youngest daughter Fatimah. He is considered by many to

be the first male convert to Islam. Ali ruled from 656-661 CE. Ali was known as a wise

leader who wrote many speeches and proverbs. He was assassinated while praying in

the Great Mosque of Kufa.

Other Muslim scholars/scientists

 Al Khwarizmi

One of the greatest minds of the early mathematical production in Arabic was Abu

Abdullah Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (b. before 800, d. after 847 in Baghdad) who

was a mathematician and astronomer as well as a geographer and a historian. It is said

that he is the author in Arabic of one of the oldest astronomical tables, of one the oldest

works on arithmetic and the oldest work on algebra; some of his scientific contributions

were translated into Latin and were used until the 16th century as the principal

mathematical textbooks in European universities.

He is one of the greatest scientific minds of the medieval period and the most important

Muslim mathematician, justly called the ‘father of algebra’. He wrote the Kitâb al-Jem wa’l

Tafrîq bi Hisâb al-Hind also called Kitâb Hisâb al-adad al-Hindî on arithmetic in which he

used Indian numerals including zero in place of depicting numbers by the letters of the

alphabet and the decimal notations or numeration by position for the first time. It deals
with the four basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as well

as with both common and sexagesimal fractions and the extraction of the square root.

The original Arabic text of the book is lost and only its Latin translation is available.

 Muhammad Ibn Zakariya Al-Razi

Al-Razi (also known as Rhazes in the western world) was a Muslim Persian scholar,

researcher, physician and alchemist. He was born in 865 CE in the ancient city of Rey

near modern Tehran, the present capital of Iran. When he was a child he had a great

passion for music and became the author of an encyclopaedia of music. Later, he started

studying alchemy and chemistry, under the supervision of his father who was a well-

known goldsmith. It is said that due to an eye irritation caused by the chemicals used in

his experiments, he had to stop his practical examination in the field of alchemy at the

age of 30. However, by then he became famous for the discovery of sulphuric acid and

ethanol. He combined mathematics and physics to his experiments, giving a philosophical

and logical viewpoint to his understandings.

He studied thoroughly and developed a good understanding of the medicinal systems of

ancient Greece, Persia and India. Medicine thus became his main subject of interest and

so he spent most of his life pursuing this work. He wrote over 200 scientific treatises,

many of which have had a major impact on European medicine. He soon became the

most renowned physician and medical scholar of his time with his remarkable

contributions in theoretical and clinical medicine. He is best known for his empirical
approach to knowledge rather than on theoretical reflections, with his most important

contributions being in the fields of alchemy and medicine.

Al-Razi began his study of medicine at the age of 30 after his first visit to Baghdad, where

he studied under the supervision of the well-known physician Ali Ibn Sahl Rabban al-

Tabari. However, he soon surpassed all his teachers and became the most respected

medic in the world at the time. He combined Galenic texts and Hippocratic wisdom and

values with his comprehensive knowledge as a skilled clinician and teacher. Although he

spent most of his life in Persia, it is said that he travelled to Africa, Spain and Jerusalem

to study and practise medicine. With the ever-increasing reputation and respect, he soon

became a renowned physician, advocating experimental medicine and was appointed as

chief physician at the Royal Hospital in Ray. Subsequently, he was consulted for the

foundation of a major hospital in Baghdad. Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Zakariya Al-Razi is

considered among the pillars of the golden age of Islam.

 Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan al-Tusi, usually known as Nasir al-Din al-Tusi,

was born in 1201, in Tus, in what is today called Iran. Under the instruction of his father,

he studied the religious sciences and elements of the “intellectual sciences.” It is also

thought that he studied logic, natural philosophy, and metaphysics with his uncle, as well

as algebra and geometry with another person. He then moved to Nishapur (in what is
now northwestern Iran), which at the time was a major center of learning, to complete his

formal education.

In mathematics, al-Tusi pioneered spherical trigonometry and treated trigonometry as a

new mathematical discipline. He developed six fundamental formulas for the solution of

spherical right-angled triangles. He wrote on binomial coefficients, which Blaise Pascal

later introduced.

Al-Tusi's influnence in other fields is evident in many of his writings. His work, Akhlaq-i-

Nasri (The Nasirean Ethics), became his most well-know work in philosophy. It dealt with

ethics and remained popular for centuries. He was a productive writer. He wrote many

formal books on a variety of subjects. He also wrote poetry.

 Ismail al-Jazari

Ismail al-Jazari, a Muslim inventor from the 12th century is known as the "father of

robotics" due to his groundbreaking work in the field of automata, which are self-operating

machines.

Al-Jazari, whose full name was Badi' al-Zaman Abu al-'Izz Isma'il ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari,

was born in 1136 in the region of Mesopotamia, which is present-day Iraq. He was

employed as a chief engineer at the Artuqid palace in Diyarbakır, modern-day Turkey.

Ismail Al Jazari gained fame for his extraordinary inventions, encompassing a wide

spectrum of marvels. His repertoire included robots programmed to provide guests with

towels, programmable on-off switches for fountains, automated mechanical clocks &

much more. While some of his elaborate & vivid devices were designed as luxurious

playthings for the wealthy, Al-Jazari also developed practical machines that greatly

benefited ordinary people, such as water-drawing contraptions that farmers relied on for

centuries.

 Al-Mas’udi

Born in Baghdad, Abu al-Husayn Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Mas'udi probably began his travels

at about the age of 30, when his writings tell of a trip to Persia. He continued east as far

as Khurasan, in modern Afghanistan, and went on to India, traveling deep into the Deccan

Plateau at the central part of the subcontinent. These journeys took him through lands

inhabited by Zoroastrians in Persia and Hindus in India, and al-Mas'udi made it a point to

visit their temples and learn about their customs.

He was a geographer. He provided the first written description of the Aral, and became

the first geographer to correctly note that the fresh-water Caspian is not connected to

the Black Sea.

In the course of his career, al-Mas'udi wrote some 20 books, many of which have been

completely lost. Among his works was the 30-volume Akhbar az-zaman (History of time),

which—perhaps because of its overwhelming scope and intimidating title—failed to

capture the attention of scholars. This was also the case with a second historical work,
so al-Mas'udi resolved to condense the two ponderous books in a single, more concise

work. The latter, written during his final years in Egypt and Syria, became Muruj adh-

dhahab wa ma'adin al-jawahir, or The Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems.

A map of the world drawn by al-Mas'udi illustrates his penetrating knowledge of

geography. Among the features he depicted, some for the first time, was the meeting of

the Indian and Atlantic oceans at the southern tip of Africa; the correct position of the Nile

valley; the locations of the Indus and Ganges rivers of India, with Sri Lanka at the

subcontinent's southern tip; and the outlines of the Caspian and Aral seas. Yet it was his

writing that earned al-Mas'udi the reputation as "Herodotus of the Arabs.”

 Al-Zahrawi

Known as the “Father of Surgery” Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi is a pioneering 10th century

Muslim physician, who made significant contributions to medicine. Born during the Islamic

Golden Age he is renowned for inventing surgical practices that still influence medicine

today.

His most famous work is the "Kitab al-Tasrif," a comprehensive medical encyclopedia that

covered a wide range of medical topics, including surgery, medicine, and pharmacology.

It became one of the most influential medical texts in both the Islamic and Western worlds

for centuries.
Al-Zahrawi is known for his innovations in surgery. He introduced numerous surgical

techniques and instruments, some of which are still in use today.

 Ibn Al-Nafis

Ibn al-Nafis was an Arab physician, scientist, and philosopher who was born in 1213 in

Damascus and died in1288 in Cairo. He studied medicine in Damascus and moved to

Egypt to practice medicine where he became the chief physician in the Mansouri

Bimaristan.

Ibn al-Nafis wrote in a wide array of fields, including physiology, medicine, ophthalmology,

embryology, psychology, philosophy, law, and theology. He is famous for providing the

first description of the pulmonary circulation. He was the first person to challenge the long-

held theory of the Galen (129-207 AD) School that blood could pass from the right to the

left side of the heart through small pores in the interventricular septum. He believed that

all the blood that reached the left ventricle passed through the lungs. The work of al-Nafis

on the pulmonary circulation predates the much later work of William Harvey (1578 –

1657).

In 1924 an Egyptian doctor, Muhyo Al-Deen Altawi, discovered a manuscript entitled,

Sharh tashrih al-qanun li’ Ibn Sina, or “Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna’s Canon” in

the Prussian State Library in Berlin while studying the history of Arabic Medicine at the

medical faculty of Albert Ludwig’s University. This manuscript, by Ibn al-Nafis, contains

the earliest description of the pulmonary circulation.

 Ibn Sina

Abu ‘Ali al-Husayn ibn Sina is better known in Europe by the Latinized name “Avicenna.”

He is probably the most significant philosopher in the Islamic tradition and arguably the

most influential philosopher of the pre-modern era.

Born in Afshana near Bukhara in Central Asia in about 980, he is best known as a

polymath, as a physician whose major work the Canon (al-Qanun fi’l-Tibb) continued to

be taught as a medical textbook in Europe and in the Islamic world until the early modern

period.

Primarily a metaphysical philosopher of being who was concerned with understanding the

self’s existence in this world in relation to its contingency, Ibn Sina’s philosophy is an

attempt to construct a coherent and comprehensive system that accords with the religious

exigencies of Muslim culture. As such, he may be considered to be the first major Islamic

philosopher. The philosophical space that he articulates for God as the Necessary

Existence lays the foundation for his theories of the soul, intellect and cosmos.

Furthermore, he articulated a development in the philosophical enterprise in classical

Islam away from the apologetic concerns for establishing the relationship between religion

and philosophy towards an attempt to make philosophical sense of key religious doctrines

and even analyze and interpret the Qur’an.