মাসিক আত-তাহরীক Causes for the spread of Hanafi School
The main cause behind the rapid spread of Hanafi school was political. Abu Yousuf (113-182 A.H.) the chief disciple of Imam Abu Haneefah (Rh) owing to be the chief justice of the Khilafat, during the reign of caliph Mahdi, Hadi and Haroonur Rasheed (158-193 A.H.) through the Fatwas and decisions of Hanafi school spread widely and was established in Iraq, Iran and central Turkistan and in all places of the Khilafat. Pointing towards this fact Shah Waliullah Dehlavi says, فَكَانَ سَبَبًا لِظُهُوْرِ مَذْهَبِهِ ‘This was the reason for the spread of his Mazhab everywhere.[1] Abdul Hai Lukhnawi (1264-1304/1848-86) also supported this view and said, هُوَ اَوَّلُ مَنْ نَشَرَ عِلْمَ أَبِىْ حَنِيْفَةَ فِىْ أَقْطَارِ الْأَرْضِ وَ ثَبَتَ الْمَسَائِلَ ‘He who first spreads over the Ilm (Fiqh) of Abu Haneefah to the different corners of the world and establishes his decisions (Mas’ala).[2]
Like all other countries of South Asia, Islam came to Bangladesh during the time of the Prophet (sm) and Khulafa-i-Rashedeen through Arab merchants and Muhaddith Ulama (scholars of Hadeeth). Before the emergence of different schools, that Islam was an unmixed Islam based on Hadeeth. So, undoubtedly they were Ahle hadeeth. Later on with the conquest by Ikhtiaruddeen Muhammad Bakhtiar Khilji, a Hanafi general in 602 A.H./1201 A.D, through Turkish Hanafi Ulama and Ma‘rifati Faqeers (Sufis) who came with him at that time and later, Islam spreads here in Bengal being aided mainly by political patronization, which was mostly full of Shirk and Bid‘at. Though Ahle hadeeth movement had been continued at that time through the efforts of Muhadith Sharfuddin Abu Tawama (d.700 A.H./1300 A.D.) of Sonargaon and his disciples. This is to mention here that through this renowned Muhaddith coming from Bukhara (Russia), the teaching of Saheeh Bukhari and Muslim was started in Bangladesh for the first time in this Sub-continent. For long 22 years he gave teaching on Saheehayn (Bukhari and Muslim) at Sonargaon (the then capital of Bengal). It can be said that mainly for his efforts Ahle hadeeth movement in this country got wider circulation. Later on, after exchanging hands from Turks, Mughals, Shi‘aites, Pathans, Afghans and other groups, Islam that stabilized in this country, became a hotchpotch Islam mixed with Shirk, Bid‘at and various superstitions. Needless to say that, no significant change has yet been effected till today.[1]. Shah Waliullah, Hujjatullahil Baligah P. 1/146 Ch: ‘The causes of Mazhabi difference of the Faqeeh’s’.
[2]. Muqaddama Sharh Beqaiyah (Deoband print: n.d.) P. 38.
