born 699, K 016B; fah, Iraq
died 767, Baghdad
Muslim jurist and theologian.
The son of a merchant in K 016B; fah, he gained wealth in the silk trade and studied law under the noted jurist 1E24; amm 0101; d. After 1E24; amm 0101; d's death (738), Ab 016B; 1E24; an 012B; fah became his successor. He was the first to develop systematic legal doctrines from the accumulated Islamic legal tradition. Primarily a scholar, he neither accepted a judgeship nor took direct part in court politics; he supported the successors of Al 012B; over the ruling Umayyad and Abb 0101; sid dynasties. His doctrinal system became one of four canonical schools of Islamic law ( Sharia ) and is still widely followed in India, Pakistan, Turkey, Central Asia, and Arab countries.