Imam Abu Hanifah-commonly referred to as the Great Imam (al-Imam al-A'zam)-occupies a commanding position in the history of Muslim Jurisprudence. Those who follow the school of Islamic Law associated with his name outnumber adherents of other schools. Iqbal in his "Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam" paid a high tribute to Imam Abu Hanīfah's "keeninsight into the universal character of Islam" and, while dealing with the question of application of Islamic Law to modern conditions, expressed the view that "the school of Abu Hanifah ... possesses much greater power of creative adaptation thanany other school of Mohammadan Law".

This valuable book on Imam Abu Hanīfah was originally written in Urdu under the title Sirat-i Nu'man by the celebrated historian and Islamic scholar Shibli Nomani, giving us his biography and an analysis of the salient characteristics of theHanafi school of Law.