Field and river

20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES20)
Mekelle University, Ethiopia

"Regional and Global Ethiopia - Interconnections and Identities"
1-5 October, 2018

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THE GENESIS AND CONTENTS OF HANAFI SCHOOL OF ISLAMIC LAW IN ETHIOPIA, CASE STUDY IN BORENA OF SOUTH WOLLO ZONE [Abstract ID: 1304-13]

KAMIL Abdu, Wollo University, Ethiopia

Islamic law in Ethiopia is as old as Islamic law itself as Islam in Ethiopia is as old as Islam itself. But, little research works are available on the genesis and the contents of the law that has been taught in the country. Among the four schools of thought/Medhhabs/, Hanafi and Shafi schools are widely known in Ethiopia for long period of history. In the northern part of the country in general and Wollo in particular, the dominant school has been the Hanefi school. This article examines the genesis of the teaching and its contents in western Wollo particularly in Borena. Using field visits, review of the six text books of the Hanafi Fiqih curriculum, interviews and secondary sources, the research concludes that the Hanafi school has been taught in Borena since the second half of the 17th century even if it went back to the 8th century in other parts of the country. Content wise, it encompasses, among others, family laws, contract& commercial laws, public international law, penal law and different moral codes.