The Difference in the Position of Imam Abu Hanifah and the Hanafi School on Rebellion: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

The position of Imam Abu Hanifah (d. 150/767) on the issue of resistance against unjust rulers is well-known. However, some scholars opine that this was his solitary opinion and that the Hanafi School adopted a different position. This article examines this hypothesis and finds four foundational principles of Imam Abu Hanifah on this issue. They are: (1) ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (God be pleased with him) was right in his wars against rebels; (2) Probity (‘adl) is an essential condition for a Muslim ruler; (3) enjoining good and preventing evil is the obligations of Muslims individually as well as collectively; and (4) The rule of a usurper or unjust person can only be tolerated on the basis of choosing the lesser of the two evils. After a thorough analysis of some significant manuals of the Hanafi School, particularly Radd al-Muhtar of ‘Allamah Ibn ‘Abidin al-Shami (d. 1252/1836), the article concludes that the Hanafi School acknowledged and applied all these four principles and that is why the position of the Hanafi School on this issue is the same as that of its founder.