Moderation of Hanafi fiqh

https://selfscholar.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/a-fiqh-of-tolerance-readings-from-the-hanafi-madhab/

Of note, the Hanafi madhab endorsed the following ideas:

• The Koran could be recited in any language for ritual worship, if the individual did not have sufficient command of Arabic
• Individuals, regardless of if they had heard of Islam, still had the obligation and capacity to contemplate, and come to accept or reject God’s existence
• The jizya — the tax levied on non-Muslims in the Islamic state — was applied not only to “People of the Book,” but also any non-Muslim religious minority
• A Muslim who kills a non-Muslim, or a free man who kills a slave, were both liable for retribution (qisas) from the victim’s next of kin
• Non-Muslims could enter the holy cities of Mecca and Medina
• Non-Muslim blasphemers were not to be put to death
• Female, Muslim apostates were not liable to be killed

While these might seem like strange or trivial details, they have the ability to impact how modern Muslims think about and conceive of tolerance, plurality, and respect in the world today, and the implications of each of these points will be explored.


https://www.academia.edu/24865971/Discussions_on_the_Language_of_Prayer_in_Turkey_A_Modern_Version_of_the_Classical_Debate
https://twitter.com/cybertosser/status/932430910728916992
Ataturk's decision to hold Azan and prayers in Turkish language was based on Abu Hanifa's fatwa. Decision was reversed in 1950. 

https://www.al-islam.org/completion-argument-maulana-sayyid-saeed-akhtar-rizvi/imam-abu-hanifah-and-his-prayer#sixth-fundamental-reciting-takbiratul-ihram-allaho-akbar-and-praying-any-language-other-arabic

1) “If someone starts (i.e. says Takbiratul Ihram) in Persian or recites Quranic chapters in Persian (translation) or says ‘Bismillah’ in Persian at the time of slaughtering, even if he can say in Arabic perfectly, then also it is sufficient.”21

2) “If a person recites Quranic chapters in Persian or from Torah or Bible his prayer is not void; if he recites only stories (from Torah or Bible) it would be void. But if there is a mention of Allah, prayer is not void.”22

Well, the recitation of abrogated books has also been permitted while the Messenger of Allah (S) used to restrain his companions reading them otherwise also.

Although, only Persian language is mentioned in the above statements, it is just by way of example, otherwise one can pray in any language.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1154856/the-fatwas-that-can-change-pakistans-blasphemy-narrative
"In the rebuttal, the fatwa pointed to an important flaw in the Ahle-Hadith argument — that the Ahadith thus presented all pertained to cases of repeat or habitual offenders.
There is not a single case where a non-Muslim was ever killed for committing a singular offense of blasphemy.
(Further, according to Imam Abu Hanifa, the death penalty is awarded in cases where it is categorised as siyasa (political) punishment, as opposed to sharia (divine) punishment, against elements openly rebelling against the Islamic state, using habitual blasphemy as a tool).
This legal position was approved and signed by no less than 450 of the most prestigious names in the Hanafi ulema, not just from South Asia, but around the world."