The word Mazhab means way, something to rely on. In istilah, it has several meanings: it means: a specific way of deriving practical Shariah rulings from their detailed evidence, ijtihad of an imam, rajih, i.e. a strong ruling in the eyes of scholars of the madhhab. The Hanafi school went through three main stages: 1. The period of emergence and formation. 2. Period of expansion and development. 3. Decision-making period.