Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Abu `Abd Allah al-Shaybani (Arabic: احمد
بن محمد بن حنبل ابو عبد الله الشيباني) was an important Muslim scholar
and theologian. He is considered the founder of the Hanbali school of
fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Imam Ahmad is one of the most celebrated
Sunni theologians, often referred to as "Sheikh ul-Islam"[8] or the
"Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah," honorifics given to the most esteemed doctrinal
authorities in the Sunni tradition. Imam Ahmad personified the
theological views of the early orthodox scholars, including the founders
of the other extant schools of Sunni fiqh, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik
ibn Anas, and Imam ash-Shafi`i.