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Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) (33)
Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) Treading the Path of Fiqh
Written by user2Imaam Zufar (rahimahullah), the student of Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah), reports that he once heard Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) mention the following, explaining how he had commenced acquiring the knowledge of Fiqh. Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) said:
Initially, I commenced studying and acquiring the knowledge of ‘Aqaa’id, until the time came when I was well known and renowned in this field. We would sit close to the gathering of Imaam Hammaad bin Abi Sulaimaan (rahimahullah).
One day, a woman came to me and asked me a mas’alah saying, “A man has a wife and he intends to divorce her in the correct Shar‘ee manner. How many talaaqs should he issue to her?” I did not know the answer, and so I instructed her to go to Imaam Hammaad (rahimahullah) and pose the question to him. I also told her to thereafter return to me and inform me of the answer that he gave. The woman went to Imaam Hammaad (rahimahullah) and enquired regarding the same mas’alah. Imaam Hammaad (rahimahullah) answered, “He should wait for her menses to complete and thereafter issue the talaaq in the state of purity wherein he did not engage in relations with her. He should thereafter allow her to complete her ‘iddat, after which it will be permissible for her to marry another man.”
Laith bin Khaalid (rahimahullah) narrates the following from one of the students of Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah):
Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) would perform abundant nafl salaah during the night. On one occasion, I saw him stand in salaah and recite the entire Qur’aan Majeed until Surah Takaathur. When he reached Surah Takaathur, he continued to recite it over and over again until the time of Tahajjud had ended and he completed his salaah.”
(‘Uqood-ul-Jummaan pg. 229)
Bakr bin Ja’far (rahimahullah) narrates the following:
Sometimes, a person would enter into the presence of Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) and would begin to speak about other people saying, “Such-and-such transpired to so-and-so.” When the man would wish to speak further about other people, Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) would prevent him from doing so saying, “Leave the topic which you are in (i.e. leave discussing other people’s lives). What do you say about this deeni mas’alah?” In this manner, Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) would prevent him from speaking further about people (and would divert his attention to another topic).
Qadhi Abu ‘Abdillah As-Saymaree (rahimahullah) narrates the following from Imaam Abu Yusuf (rahimahullah):
Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) was once asked regarding the two renowned students of Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), “Who is greater, Hazrat ‘Alqamah (rahimahullah) or Hazrat Aswad (rahimahullah)?” Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) replied, “By Allah! I am only worthy of taking their names by making du‘aa and istighfaar for them (that Allah Ta‘ala raise them in the Hereafter and overlook their shortcomings) out of respect for them, so how can I judge who is greater between them?”
(‘Uqood-ul-Jummaan pg. 227)
Hazrat Abu Ja’far Balkhi (rahimahullah) mentioned the following:
I heard that if Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) encountered difficulty in understanding any mas’alah and found the mas’alah to be complex and confusing, then he would address his students and say, “This difficulty can only be on account of a sin that I must have committed.” Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) would thus engage in istighfaar (repenting to Allah Ta‘ala). Sometimes, Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) would stand, make wudhu, perform two rakaats of salaah and thereafter repent to Allah Ta‘ala.
Abu Mu’ayyid Khawaarizmi (rahimahullah) narrates that Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Mubaarak (rahimahullah) said, “On one occasion, a few goats were stolen in Kufah. On hearing of this, Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) enquired about the average age of a goat. When he was informed that goats normally live for up to seven years, he abstained from eating goat meat for seven years.”
Note: According to the Hanafi Mazhab, it is permissible for one to purchase a goat from the market in which a few goats were stolen when the majority of the goats in the market is of halaal sources and one does not have proof that the goat which he is purchasing is from the stolen goats. However, Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah), in his individual capacity, exercised extra caution and refrained from purchasing goats for seven years.
(‘Uqood-ul-Jummaan pg. 240)
A woman once came to Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah), wishing to purchase a silken cloth. When Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) showed her a certain cloth, she said to him, “I am a weak woman, and it is an amaanah (with which I have been entrusted to purchase this cloth), so please sell me this cloth for the amount that it costed you.” Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) immediately said to her, “Take it for four dirhams.” The woman could not believe that Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) was prepared to sell her the silken cloth for such a low price, and thus exclaimed, “Do not joke with me, as I am an old woman!”
Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) explained to her, “I purchased two cloths. I sold one of the two cloths for a price which covered the entire capital with which I purchased both cloths besides four dirhams. Hence, this cloth now remains with only four dirhams of the capital amount outstanding. (Therefore, I have sold the second cloth to you for four dirhams.)”
(Akhbaar Abi Hanifah wa Saahibayhi lis-Saymari pg. 50-51)
A woman once came to Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) with a silken cloth and said to him, “Please sell it for me (as I am not experienced in trade. Hence, I wish you to assist me in correctly evaluating it and selling it to someone who wishes to purchase it from me).” Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) asked the woman, “How much were you advised to sell the cloth for?” The woman replied, “One hundred.” Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) remarked, “It is worth more than one hundred!”
Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) was once owed an amount of money by a certain fire worshipper. He thus went to the house of the fire worshipper to request payment. However, as Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) arrived at the door of the fire worshipper, some najaasat (impurity) stuck to his sandal. Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) shook the sandal to remove the impurity, and as the impurity was removed, it fell onto the wall of the fire worshipper’s home! Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) was worried and perturbed. If he left the impurity on the wall, it would cause the wall to appear unsightly, and if he scraped it off, then some portion of the sand of the wall would also be removed.
Qais bin Rabee’ (rahimahullah) narrates the following:
Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) would send merchandise to Baghdad which would be used to purchase goods. These goods would thereafter be brought to Kufah. The profit of these goods (through trading in them), from one year to the next, would accumulate by Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah).
Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) would use this profit to purchase the food and clothing of the great Muhadditheen and ‘Ulamaa and to see to all their needs and requirements. After seeing to all their needs and requirements, some wealth would remain from the profit. He would give them this remaining portion of the profit saying, “Spend on your needs and do not praise anyone besides Allah Ta‘ala, for I have not given you anything from my own wealth. Rather, it is the favor of Allah Ta‘ala upon me that I give to you. This (that I am giving to you) is the profit of your merchandise (i.e. Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) had allocated from his wealth a certain portion for fulfilling the needs of the Muhadditheen and ‘Ulamaa. The profits that accrued from that wealth, after trading in it, would be spent on them). By Allah! It is your sustenance that Allah Ta‘ala uses me to provide to you, as nobody is able to provide for the creation of Allah Ta‘ala besides Him.
(Manaaqib Imaam Abi Hanifah wa-Saahibayhi liz-Zahabi pg. 30)
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Ismaa‘eel bin Mujaalid (rahimahullah) narrates the following:
I was once with Haroon Rasheed, the Muslim Khalifah, when Imaam Abu Yusuf (rahimahullah), the student of Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah), entered. Seeing him, Haroon Rasheed requested, “Describe the character of Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) to me.” Imaam Abu Yusuf (rahimahullah) replied:
‘Abdullah bin Mubaarak (rahimahullah) narrates the following:
I once said to Sufyaan Thowri (rahimahullah), “O Abu ‘Abdillah! I notice that Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) exercises extreme caution in refraining from gheebah (backbiting)! I never heard him even speak ill of his enemies!” Sufyaan (rahimahullah) replied, “He is intelligent enough to not carry out such an action that will cause him to lose all his good deeds.”
(Wafayaat-ul-A’yaan 5/411)
Ya’qoob bin Ebrahim, also known as Abu Yusuf (rahimahullah), was the renowned student of Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah). He narrates the following:
I would study the knowledge of Hadith and Fiqh whereas I was in a state of poverty and straitened conditions. My father thus came to me one day while I was seated with Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah). When I left the gathering of Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) with my father, he said to me, “O my son! Do not stretch your legs with Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah), for his bread is roasted whereas you need to earn a livelihood (i.e. do not spend your time acquiring the knowledge of Deen from Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) for he has sufficient wealth that allows him to free himself for Deen whereas you do not have wealth).”
Ahmed bin Basheer (rahimahullah) and Hafs bin Ghiyaath (rahimahullah) have both mentioned the following:
At times, we would see a person who exerted himself in Nafl ‘Ibaadah, however we found him lacking in his knowledge of Halaal and Haraam. Similarly, at times, we would find a person to be an expert in Halaal and Haraam, however he was deficient in his Nafl ‘Ibaadah and extra devotional practices. The only exception that we had seen was Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah), as he was an embodiment of both ‘Ilm and ‘Amal. According to our estimate, in just the place where he passed away, besides other places, he recited the Qur’aan Majeed seven thousand times. During every month of Ramadhaan, he would recite the Qur’aan Majeed sixty times.
(Seerat Imaam A’zam Abu Hanifah by Ml Fazl-ur-Rahmaan A’zami pg. 144)