The Hanafi school was founded by Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man, followed by Muslims in Syria, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Western Lower Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, the Balkans and by most of Russia’s Muslim community.
The Maliki school was founded by Malik ibn Anas, followed by Muslims in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, in parts of Saudi Arabia and in Upper Egypt.
The Shafi’i school was founded by Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi’i., followed by Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Eastern Lower Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan, Palestine, the Philippines, Singapore, Somalia, Thailand, Yemen, Kurdistan, and the Mappilas of Kerala and Konkani Muslims of India. It is the official school followed by the governments of Brunei and Malaysia.
The Hanbali school was founded by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, followed by Muslims in Qatar, most of Saudi Arabia and minority communities in Syria and Iraq.