(or rather Abau) Hanifah or Hanifah, surnamed Al-Nooma, was the son of Thabet, and born at Cufah in the 80th year of the Hegira. This is the most celebrated doctor of the orthodox Musulmans, and his sect holds the principal esteem among the four which they indifferently follow. Notwithstanding this, he was not very well esteemed during his life, insomuch that the khalif Almanfor caused him to be imprisoned at Bagdad, for having refused to subscribe to the opinion of absolute predetermination, which the Musulmans call Cadha. But afterwards Abou Joseph, who was the sovereign judge or chancellor of the empire under the khalif Hadi, brought his doctrine into such credit, that it became a prevailing opinion, That to be a good Musulman was to be a Hanifite. He died in the 150th year of the Hegira, in the prison of Bagdad aforesaid; and it was not till 335 years after his death, that Melick Schah, a sultan of the Seljucian race, built for him a magnificent monument in the same city, whereunto he adjointed a college peculiarly appropriated to such as made a profession of this sect. This was in the 48th year of the hegira, and Anno Chrifi 1092. The most eminent successors of this doctor were Ahmed Benali, Al Giaffas, and Al Razi who was the master of Nassari; and there is a mosque particularly appropriated to them in the temple of Mecca.

Abas, Abos, or Abur, (anc. geogr.), the name of a mountain of Greater Armenia, situated between the mountains Niphatos and Nibonos. According to Strabo, the Euphrates and Araxes rose from this mountain; the former running eastward, and the latter westward.

See ABÆ.

ABACÆNA (anc. geogr.), a town of Media, and another of Cana in the Hither Asia.

ABACÆNUM (anc. geogr.), a town of Sicily, whose ruins are supposed to be those lying near Trippi, a citadel on an high and steep mountain not far from Messina. The inhabitants were called Abacanini.