ABU YUSUF AND THE SCIENCE OF FIQH

Abstract

Yaqub Abu Yusuf ibn Ibrahim al-Ansari, who lived in the VIII-IX centuries, which is called the "golden age" of fiqh, is one of the great thinkers in the Islamic world who made a great contribution to the development of the science of fiqh. This article focuses on the life and work of this thinker, the services of the thinker in the spread of Hanafiism, and the materials related to his jurisprudence. Abu Yusuf's tenure as the chief judge of the caliphate caused Hanafism to be applied from theory to practice and spread throughout the caliphate. Because Abu Hanifa's works on jurisprudence have not reached us. His students have a great role in conveying his views to the next generations and in spreading the Hanafi sect. Abu Yusuf, his closest student, is especially important in this. This article reveals Abu Yusuf's scientific legacy and jurisprudential views.

Although Imam Abu Hanifa is considered the founder of the Hanafi sect, the services of his students Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani in the creation and spread of the sect should be highlighted. Although the works of Zahirur Rivaya, which is considered the most important source of Abu Hanifa's jurisprudential views, were written by his other student, Imam Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Shaybani, but Abu Yusuf was the chief judge of the state, and continued his teaching after his teacher Abu Hanifa's death. since he wrote the first work on the Hanafi madhhab, his jurisprudential views can be considered worthy of research.

This article, based on the life, scientific heritage and jurisprudential views of Abu Yusuf, who is considered one of the theorists of the Hanafi school, can be evaluated as an effort to study the history of the Hanafi school. Abu Yusuf was the most respected figure in the Hanafi school after Abu Hanifa and was a very important jurist who defined the method of the school. Unfortunately, we can see that not many studies have been conducted in our country about Abu Yusuf, who worked as the chief judge in the Abbasid state, and at the same time directly applied the sectarian method and showed the first examples of its application.

Considering that the majority of the people of our country belong to the Hanafi school, it is important to know the scientific legacy of Imam Abu Yusuf, who widely promoted the Hanafi school, and his jurisprudence. Abu Yusuf was not only Abu Hanifa's greatest disciple, but he was also a sect theorist who applied Abu Hanifa's method to practical life. He worked in the state administration system as the chief judge during the Abbasid caliphate, which was a huge state in the Islamic world. He trained about a hundred students of jurisprudence. Such high qualities of Abu Yusuf require comprehensive research of his scientific heritage. However, it is impossible to reveal it comprehensively in one article. Therefore, the article focuses on his life, work and jurisprudence views.