The Sunni-Hanafi Theology of Restraint and Its Relevance for Indian Muslims
By Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam
11 March 2026
Main Points:
· Imam Abu Hanifa’s Tradition of Toleration and Moderation: The intellectual legacy of Imam Abu Hanifa, founder of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence, offers an ethical framework rooted in restraint, humility and social responsibility—values particularly relevant for Muslims in plural societies like India.
· Faith Defined by Inner Belief Rather Than Actions Alone: Abu Hanifa defined faith (iman) primarily as belief in the heart and affirmation by the tongue. Actions are important but do not alone determine whether a person remains a believer.
· Doctrine of Irja – A Theology of Restraint: The concept of Irja (postponement of judgment) teaches that the ultimate judgment of a person’s faith belongs to Almighty alone. This discourages Muslims from declaring others disbelievers (kafir) or deviants (fasiq or gumrah) weaponizing religion in conflicts.
· Distinction Between Deen and Fiqh: The Hanafi tradition distinguishes between deen (divine guidance for universal values and ethical principles) and fiqh (human interpretation of law). This allows flexibility, reasoning and adaptation to social realities.
· Religion as a Moral Framework for Social Harmony: Classical Sunni-Hanafi scholars emphasized that religion is meant to promote justice, ethical behaviour and the welfare of society rather than rigid legalism.
· Hanafi Islam and India’s Pluralistic Society: The Hanafi school historically shaped a moderate form of Islam in South Asia through established legal scholarship and Sufi traditions, enabling Muslims to coexist peacefully with diverse religious communities. Therefore, revisiting Imam Abu Hanifa’s teachings can help Indian Muslims revive a tradition of patience, humility and coexistence—values essential for maintaining harmony in a diverse society.
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“If knowledge were suspended at the star Surayya, scholars from Persia (or from Kufa) would reach it.”
This is a famous prophecy in a hadith often cited by Hanafi scholars and theologians in praise of Imam Abu Hanifa (699–767), founder of the Hanafi school of law which is the most widely followed school of Islamic jurisprudence in South Asia especially in the Indian subcontinent.
The more widely accepted wording of this hadith which appears in the most authentic collections like Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim states: “If knowledge (ilm) or faith (deen) were at Surayya, a man from Persia would attain it.”
Here “Surayya” refers to the Pleiades, a very distant and high star cluster used in Arabic expressions to symbolize something extremely difficult to reach. Notably, many of the greatest scholars of Sunni Islam indeed came from Persian or Central Asian backgrounds. The classical commentators of Hadith said this referred first to Hazrat Salman al-Farsi, the famous Persian companion of the Prophet. However, later scholars extended its meaning to Persian-origin scholars who became giants of Islamic sciences, including Imam Abu Hanifa.
More to the point, Abu Hanifa belonged to both Persia and Kufa. He was of Persian origin but he lived and taught in Kufa, which became one of the greatest centres of Islamic scholarship. His intellectual influence in jurisprudence and theology became enormous during the early Abbasid era. Because of this, many classical scholars interpreted the hadith as being fulfilled through figures like Abu Hanifa.
Meaning of the Prophecy
The prophetic saying implies that even if knowledge were extremely distant or difficult to attain, certain scholars like Abu Hanifa would still reach it through dedication and intellect. Scholars who applied this prophecy to Abu Hanifa argue that his scholarly legacy perfectly reflects the meaning of this prophecy or prophetic tradition. The Imam was particularly known for employing disciplined intellectual reasoning (ra’y) and analogical deduction (qiyas) in matters of religion (deen).
While firmly grounded in the Qur’an and the Prophetic tradition, his method allowed juristic thought to engage with new and complex realities through rational reflection. In this sense, Abu Hanifa’s jurisprudence represents the very spirit suggested in the metaphor of “reaching Surayya”—the idea that true knowledge, even if seemingly distant, can be attained through profound scholarship and intellectual rigor.
Significance of the Hanafi School
Inspired by Imam Abu Hanifa’s rational intellectual tradition, most Hanafi Scholars emphasize and highlight that Islam is a universal faith, which is not just limited to Arabs. That is to say, intellectual excellence in Islam emerged from many civilizations and cultural influences. Therefore, the rise of Abu Hanifa’s rational jurisprudence reflects the deep intellectual tradition of Islam. His school eventually became the most widely followed legal tradition in the Muslim world, especially in South Asia. In the case of Muslim minorities, the Hanafi law and its method of reasoning (ra’y and qiyas) pushed Islamic jurisprudence to newer intellectual heights.
A broader notion of religion—Deen
Deen is often narrowly understood as a rigid system of beliefs reduced to rituals and outward religious practices. But is this really the essence of deen? Classical Muslim scholars offered a much broader and more profound understanding. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, the great Persian jurist and theologian who held deep respect for Abu Hanifa, articulated a far more inclusive conception. According to him, deen is not merely a collection of rituals but a divinely guided system of belief and moral order designed for the common good of humanity. In this understanding, religion transcends formal acts of worship and seeks to cultivate justice, ethical conduct and social harmony. Thus, deen becomes not just a set of obligations between the individual and God, but a comprehensive moral framework intended to nurture the wellbeing of society as a whole. In his book on genealogies of Islamic law, “Al-Mustasfa”, he writes: “Deen is a divine construct or a system which has been driven for purely the common good”.
The Hanafi Concept of Deen
In the Hanafi intellectual tradition, deen is generally understood as something broader than mere religious rituals or legal rules. It is a comprehensive moral and spiritual framework that guides human life toward justice, ethical conduct and social welfare. Imam Abu Hanifa famously defined faith (iman) as belief in the heart and affirmation by the tongue, while actions are the fruits of faith rather than its essence. This distinction helped prevent the reduction of religion to outward practices alone. A person’s faith is not measured only by visible rituals but by inner conviction and moral responsibility.
Distinction between Deen and Fiqh
The Hanafi school also distinguishes between deen and fiqh (jurisprudence) or even Sharia law. Deen refers to the divine guidance revealed by God — the spiritual and ethical foundations of Islam. But Fiqh refers to the human effort to interpret and apply that guidance in real-life situations. Because fiqh is a human intellectual activity, it involves reasoning, debate and adaptation. This is why the Hanafi school became known for its reliance on analogical reasoning (qiyas) and careful juristic judgment.
The Hanafi tradition strongly emphasizes public welfare (maslahah). Laws and rulings are meant to protect fundamental human interests categorised as Maqasid al-Shariah (chief objectives of law) including hifz al-nafs (protection of life), hifz al-deen (preservation of faith), hifz al-aql (protection of intellect), hifz al-maal (protection of property) and hifz al-nasab (progeny or family). Thus, the Hanafi view of religion is not simply about ritual obligations but about creating a just and balanced society.
In this sense, the Hanafi understanding of deen aligns closely with the above ethical vision articulated by Imam al-Ghazali: Religion is a divine system aimed at human wellbeing, moral discipline and social harmony, rather than a narrow set of rigid practices. Therefore, the Hanafi position presents deen as a living moral order—a framework that integrates faith, law, ethics and the common good of society.
Deen, Irja and the Ethical Vision of Abu Hanifa
The broader understanding of deen in the Hanafi school of law is closely linked to the theological outlook of its founder, Imam Abu Hanifa. Living in a time of intense political conflict and sectarian divisions, Imam Abu Hanifa developed a theological position that sought to preserve the unity of the Muslim community.
Central to this vision was the doctrine of Irja. The term literally means “postponement” — the postponement of judgment regarding the ultimate faith of a Muslim. According to this approach, faith (iman) primarily consists of belief in the heart and affirmation by the tongue, while human actions, though morally significant, do not automatically determine a person’s status as a believer or unbeliever.
This position stood in sharp contrast to groups such as the Kharijites, who declared Muslims guilty of major sins to be unbelievers. Abu Hanifa rejected such harsh judgments. Instead, he argued that the final evaluation of human actions belongs to God alone.
By separating the essence of faith from the imperfections of human behaviour, Abu Hanifa thus effectively protected the concept of deen from being reduced to rigid legalism or moral policing. Religion, in his understanding, was not a tool for condemning others but a framework for guiding human beings toward moral improvement and social harmony.
This approach also explains why the Hanafi tradition placed great emphasis on intellectual reasoning (ra’y) and analogical deduction (qiyas). Law (fiqh) was understood as a human effort to apply divine guidance in changing social circumstances, while deen remained the broader ethical and spiritual foundation of Muslim life.
In this sense, Abu Hanifa’s theology anticipated the later ethical vision articulated by Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, who described religion as a divinely guided system aimed at the common good of humanity. Both scholars emphasized that the ultimate purpose of religion lies not merely in ritual observance but in cultivating justice, moral responsibility and the welfare of society. For regions like South Asia, where the Hanafi school became dominant, this intellectual heritage helped shape a form of Islam that valued moderation, social coexistence and moral restraint.
Contemporary Relevance of Abu Hanifa’s Understanding
At a time when religious discourse is often marked by rigid definitions of faith and exclusionary attitudes, revisiting Imam Abu Hanifa’s understanding of deen and Irja offers an important reminder that the classical Islamic tradition contains deep resources for tolerance, humility and ethical balance.
In modern intellectual discourses, intense debates have emerged among Muslim scholars about the nature of religion (deen), faith (iman), the role of deeds (a’maal), and the boundaries of the Muslim community. In this context, Imam Abu Hanifa’s thought and his distinction between religion (din) and law (shari‘a), as well as his association with the theological tendency known as Irja are highly relevant and crucial. These ideas play a crucial role in shaping a more inclusive and moderate Sunni theology—one that continues to hold deep relevance for contemporary Muslim societies, particularly in India where the majority of Muslims historically follow the Hanafi tradition.
Abu Hanifa defined iman primarily as belief in the heart and affirmation by the tongue. In this formulation, the essence of faith lies in inner conviction rather than in outward actions alone. Good deeds certainly matter, but they are not the defining essence of faith itself. This approach was particularly significant in the context of early Islamic sectarian debates. Certain groups such as the Kharijites held that committing a major sin expelled a person from Islam. According to them, a Muslim who committed grave sins could be declared an unbeliever.
The Concept of Irja: A Theology of Restraint
Irja, which literally means “postponement”—postponing the final judgment of a person’s faith until the Day of Judgment is the spirit of Hanafi Islam. The doctrine of Irja emerged as a reaction to the harsh sectarian divisions that followed the First Fitna in the 7th century. Muslims were deeply divided over political leadership and moral accountability. Rather than judging the faith of those involved in political conflicts or moral failings, proponents of Irja argued that God alone has the authority to determine the true state of a believer. Imam Abu Hanifa’s theological position reflects this spirit. By separating faith from the perfection of deeds, Abu Hanifa introduced this important principle which categorically states: Faith may remain even when actions are imperfect. Human beings should avoid arrogantly judging the spiritual status of others. Moral accountability exists, but it belongs ultimately to divine judgment. This approach produced a theology of restraint—a refusal to weaponize religion against fellow Muslims.
Thus, Imam Abu Hanifa outrightly rejected the rigid Takfirist position in Islam. Instead, he argued that a Muslim who commits sins does not automatically lose his faith. His ultimate judgment should be left to God. In this sense, Abu Hanifa’s understanding protected the Muslim community from excessive takfir (declaring others unbelievers) and encouraged theological humility.
The Hanafi Tradition and Indian Islam
The relevance of Abu Hanifa’s ideas becomes particularly clear in the Indian context. Most Muslims here historically follow the Hanafi school, which spread through Sunni scholars, Sufi networks, and institutions during the medieval period.
Because of its emphasis on legal reasoning and moderation, the Hanafi tradition was well suited to the pluralistic environment of the Indian subcontinent. It enabled Muslim scholars to engage with complex social realities without reducing religion to rigid legalism. The Hanafi intellectual heritage therefore contributed to coexistence with diverse religious communities, legal flexibility in social matters, and a broader understanding of Islam that balanced spirituality and law.
In the modern Indian setting, where religious extremism often relies on narrow definitions of faith and harsh judgments of others, Imam Abu Hanifa’s theology offers an important corrective. By insisting that faith resides primarily in belief and that ultimate judgment belongs to God, the doctrine of Irja discourages the culture of denunciation that fuels sectarian conflict.
In this sense, Abu Hanifa’s legacy represents a deeply ethical vision of Islam—one that prioritizes humility, intellectual reasoning and social harmony. More than twelve centuries after his death, Abu Hanifa’s ideas remain profoundly relevant. His distinction between religion and law, combined with his understanding of faith through the principle of Irja, helped establish a Sunni theological outlook grounded in moderation and restraint.
In a time when religious discourse is often dominated by rigid interpretations, revisiting Abu Hanifa’s thought can help recover a tradition of scholarly openness and moral balance that once defined classical Islamic civilization. For Indian Muslims—many of whom belong to the Hanafi tradition—this legacy carries particular significance. It reminds us that Islam’s intellectual history contains powerful resources for tolerance, humility and coexistence.
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Contributing author at New Age Islam, Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi is writer and scholar of Indian Sufism, interfaith ethics, and the spiritual history of Islam in South Asia. His latest book is "Ishq Sufiyana: Untold Stories of Divine Love".
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