ʾAbū al-Layth Naṣr ibn Muḥammad al-Samarqandī (Arabic: أبو الليث نصر بن محمد السمرقندي), more commonly known as Abū al-Layth al-Samarqandī (Arabic: أبو الليث السمرقندي‎), was a renowned Hanafi jurist and Qur'anic exegete from Samarqand in Transoxiana (modern-day Uzbekistan). He lived during the 4th century AH / 10th century CE, a flourishing period of Islamic scholarship in Central Asia. Celebrated as one of the foremost scholars of the Hanafi school, al-Samarqandī became widely known as Imām al-Hudā (“The Imam of Guidance”) for his deep knowledge, piety, and influential teaching. His works cover a wide range of disciplines, including fiqh (jurisprudence), tafsīr (Qur'anic exegesis), ʿaqīdah (creed), and spiritual ethics, reflecting the intellectual and moral concerns of his era. Among his many contributions, his Tafsīr al-Samarqandī (also known as Baḥr al-ʿUlūm) stands as his most celebrated and enduring work, a comprehensive commentary that combines traditional reports with linguistic, theological, and juristic insights. Through his writings and teachings, Abū al-Layth al-Samarqandī profoundly shaped the development of Hanafi thought and remains a revered figure in the Islamic scholarly tradition.

The political and social circumstances in which Abu al-Layth lived, the weakening of central authority, and the successive disturbances that afflicted the Abbasid realm — including the fresh seditions and unrest that occurred in Baghdad — and the consequent transformations in public life and the formation of new social patterns. He lived during the second Abbasid era, which was marked by both cultural flourishing and internal political weakness. His life stretched across the period in which the rule of the Abbasids began to lose control over the eastern provinces beyond Khurasan.

During his lifetime, the region was influenced by the rise of the Samanid dynasty (204–395 AH / 819–1005 CE), who ruled in Transoxiana and Khurasan. This coincided with a series of List of Abbasid caliphs: al-Muqtadir (295–320 AH), al-Qahir (320–322 AH), al-Radi (322–329 AH), al-Muttaqi (329–333 AH), and al-Mustakfi (333–334 AH). It is clear that there was a tense and shifting relationship between the Abbasids and the Samanids during this period, and Abu al-Layth lived within that political environment.

Historically, the Samanid rulers gained great influence in the eastern lands of Islam, and the Abbasid caliphs in Baghdad were often forced to recognize their autonomy. The Samanids enjoyed respect and prestige because of their sponsorship of scholars, poets, and jurists, and their courts became centers of learning and literature.

Imam Abu al-Layth was born and raised in the city of Samarqand. The authors of the ṭabaqāt (biographical dictionaries) and historians differ over the exact year of his birth. Some suggest, based on probability, that his birth occurred between the years 300–310 AH.

He began his studies with his father. His main teacher in fiqh was Abu Ja'far al-Hinduvani of Balkh, famously known as "Little Abu Hanifa." In addition to Hanafi fiqh, he also studied hadith, theology and tafsir. Besides Samarkand, Balkh and Bukhara, he went to Baghdad and there met Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn He narrated hadith from Sahl al-Nisapuri, and Ali ibn Ahmad al-Razzaz narrated from him.

He received his learning from many notable shaykhs of his era. Among them were:

He did not hold the office of judge (qāḍī) but was known as a jurist, preacher (khutbah), and teacher who issued fatwās and provided public religious instruction. Many scholars benefited from his writings and lessons, and he had a great circle of students, jurists, and companions who learned from him and transmitted his knowledge.