Hanbali

Hanbali is one of the four major Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence (madhahib). It is named after Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780–855 CE), a Baghdad-based scholar who emphasized the authority of the Qur’an and the hadith. The school developed during the Abbasid era and is known for its cautious use of analogy (qiyas), giving primacy to transmitted texts over speculative reasoning.

The Hanbali method centers on the Qur’an and the Prophetic traditions as the primary sources of law. It generally favors a literal and context-driven interpretation of scripture and places relatively strict limits on speculative jurisprudence. Theological stance within the school is commonly associated with the Athari (textualist) creed, which stresses clear biblical evidence and rejects reliance on rational proofs for divine attributes, though theological views among adherents can vary.

Historically, the Hanbali school was most influential in parts of Iraq, Syria, and the Arabian Peninsula, and it had periods of prominence under various rulers. In the modern era, it is most closely associated with the religious establishment of Saudi Arabia and has influenced related movements in the Gulf region. Notable Hanbali scholars include Ibn Taymiyyah and his pupil Ibn al-Qayyim, whose works have shaped later reformist and revivalist currents, including influences that feed into contemporary Salafi and Wahhabi currents. Despite its comparatively narrower geographic spread, the Hanbali tradition remains a distinct juridical and theological strain within Sunni Islam.