Although Shafi was a traditionalist, his doctrines did not satisfy the orthodox and the fanatics among the traditionalists. The fanatics among the traditionalists would not agree to any human reasoning in law, but would, rather, base every single item of law on the traditions of the Prophet.
Abu Abdullah Ahmed Ibn Hanbal was one of the prominent scholars who sat at the feet of Ash-Shafi. Born at Bagdad in A.H. 164, Hanbal studied law and traditions under other masters also and ultimately specialized in traditions and became one of the prominent traditionalists.
Theology, too, was his forte. As a theologist and a traditionalist, his reputation spread far and wide. Some people regard Hanbal as more of a saint and a traditionalist rather than a lawyer. The fact of the matter is that he gave little importance to the ijma and analogy, and solely relied on the traditions of the Prophet. In this he was fanatically unbending and rigid.
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He would compromise with nothing. This led to his persecution by the Caliph A1 Mamun; but this, actually, enhanced his prestige and reputation, and, it is said when he died in A.H. 241, some 9,00,000 men and women, attended his funeral.
The latter Hanbali scholars tried to elaborate the doctrine, and they had to recognize consensus as well as analogy. It was the great Hanbal scholar, Ibn Taymiyya, who, once again, purified the doctrine and rejected consensus of the scholars.
But he, too, reaffirmed the necessity of analogy though of an improved quality. His formulation of consensus was very narrow. He rejected taqlid and started interpreting the Koran and the ahadith afresh.
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The Wahhabis, who were followers of the Hanbali School, accepted his legal theory in toto, including his theological doctrines, and his rejection of taqlid. However, the Wahhabis also retained the Hanbali positive law intact, without bothering about the resultant inconsistencies.
Hanbal was the author of several treaties, the important ones are : Musnad al-Imam Hanbal, Taat-ur-Rasul Kitab-ul-Alal Muwaffak al-Din wrote the most exhaustive book on the Hanbali doctrines.
Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Kayyin-at Jaqayza wrote on Siyas and Sgaria.
Saudi Arabia and Qater are the States where the Hanbali School prevails. At one time, it had adherents in Persia, Bagdad and Damascus also.