The official Madhab of Europe? **Trivia**

Asslamo Allaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Baraktuh,

During our trips to Europe we have interesting discussions with our European brothers on the official Madhab of Europe based on the history of Islam & Muslims here, anyone care to take a guess and most importantly ***why?***

Hanafi because of Deobandees? They didn't even get to Europe and first Darul-uloom was setup in 1974. Imam Qurtubi (RA) the famous Mufassir of Qur'aan was born in Europe and native to it and lived here between 1274-1273

That's wat 700+ years before the start of the original Darul-uloom Deoband (India) let alone UK.

Shaykh Ibn Hazm (RA) was native to Europe almost 200 years before that even as he died around 1064 and in terms of subcontinent this is 500 years before the first prominent Hanafi of Sub continent i.e. Mujaddid Alf Thani (RA)

We had nobody famous in India when Europe had Shaykh Ibn Hazm (RA)

Before the predecssor of Deoandees Shah Wailullah (RA) came along, Europe already had Imam Shatibi (RA)

All of you have mostly skipped reasons.

Hint: Its not Hanbali because there has never been any history of Hanbali Madhab or its adherents in Europe.

Asslamo Allaikum,

I don't know the answer and our discussions with our European (Maliki) brothers are just a banter and never come to any conclusions although they are pretty sure that its Maliki because:

1. Like Hanafees have School/Scholars of Koofa, Basra, Transoxiana, Malikees actually have a School of Al-Maghirb (Sicily) and it is mentioned in the books of Maliki Fiqh as a solid opinion
2. The Andulusian (spanish) empire was Maliki in Government and laymen and most famous Scholars like Imam Qurtubi (RA) were Malikees
3. Maliki Scholars of repute and their works far gained global acceptance from Europe

Our Hanafi (Turkish & Caucasion) friends claim the following:

1. Balkans, Bulgaria etc have a massive tradition of Hanafi Madhab in Government and laymen and most famous Scholars
2. The Hanafi tradition still survives to this day in Europe while the Maliki School has been disconnected but the Hanafi Madhab continues to produce Ulamah (this is where the Deobandees come into the picture)
3. Hanafi Muslims were native Europeans while Malikees immigrated into Europe and then later generations born here
4. Malikees left while Hanafees are still here
5. If we were to take Europeans as Caucasion then the dominant Madhab of Caucus & Caucasions has been Hanafi and remains to this day.

I am not sure so you decide...But if I was to guess based on influence and Scholarship then I would have to say Maliki!