Author: Mufti Muhammad Gul Saeed
Imam al-A’zam Abu Hanifah (RA): The Role Model (part 10)
Collection of Articles
Imam Abu Hanifah al-Nuʿman (RA) was of Kabuli origin and became widely known among the people as “al-Imam al-Aʿzam” (the Greatest Imam). He was the son of Thabit al-Khazzaz, the grandson of Zuṭā, and a descendant of Mah. He was one of the four great Imams of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaʿah and the founder of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence, which continues to bear his name to this day and is followed by more than half of the world’s Muslims.
Less than fifty years had passed since the arrival of the Arab Muslim armies in Khurasan when, in the city of Kufah, a son of this region was born who would illuminate the path of Islamic jurisprudence for the Muslim community. This was the distinguished Khurasani scholar, Imam al-Aʿẓam Abu Hanifah al-Nuʿman ibn Thabit ibn Zūṭā, who has served as the religious authority for millions of Muslims throughout the world for more than thirteen centuries.
Historical sources describe him as being of Kabuli origin, stating that his forefathers migrated to Kufah during the early period of Islam. Some historians have written that Imam Abu Ḥanīfah originated from the village of Khwajah Sayyaran or Astarghach in present-day Parwan Province and that his family later moved from Kabul to Kufah. Murtada Husain Bilgrami writes in his book Hadiqat al-Iqlim: “Imam al-Aʿẓam Abu Hanīfah al-Nuʿman ibn Thabit was a Kabuli from Astarghach who later settled in Kufah.” [1]
Imam Abu Hanifah (RA): His Origins, Early Life, and Education
Imam Abu Hanifah al-Nu’man (RA), widely known as Imam al-A’zam (The Greatest Imam), was of Kabuli origin. His full name was Abu Hanifah al-Nu’man ibn Thabit ibn Zuta, the son of Thabit al-Khazzaz and the grandson of Zuta. He is recognized as one of the four great Imams of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah and the founder of the Hanafi School of Islamic jurisprudence, which continues to bear his name today and is followed by more than half of the world’s Muslims.
Less than fifty years after the Arab Muslims entered Khurasan, a child from this region was born in the city of Kufa—a man who would later illuminate the path of Islamic jurisprudence for generations to come. That child was Imam al-A’zam Abu Hanifah al-Nu’man ibn Thabit ibn Zuta, the distinguished scholar of Khurasani heritage who has remained the religious guide of millions of Muslims for more than thirteen centuries.
Historical sources describe Imam Abu Hanifah as being of Kabuli descent, noting that his family migrated from Kabul to Kufa during the early period of Islam. Some historians state that he originally came from the village of Khwajah Sayaran or Astarghach in present-day Parwan Province and that his family later settled in Kufa. Murtada Husain Bilgrami writes in Hadiqat al-Iqlim: “Imam al-A’zam Abu Hanifah al-Nu’man ibn Thabit was a Kabuli from Astarghach who later settled in Kufa.”
Early Life and Education
Many historical records, biographical works, and books on the virtues of great scholars affirm that Imam Abu Hanifah’s family originated from Kabul. His grandfather, Zuta, was from the village of Khwajah Sayaran or Astarghach in the Kabul region (at that time, Parwan was not a separate province). Later, he migrated to Kufa.
There are two well-known narrations concerning his migration. According to the first, after embracing Islam, he willingly moved to Kufa, which had become a major center of Islamic scholarship, in order to learn from the leading scholars of the Muslim community. The second narration suggests that he was taken captive during the Muslim conquest of Kabul by a member of the tribe of Taym Allah ibn Tha’labah.
However, Abu Bakr al-Khatib records in Tarikh Baghdad that Isma’il, the son of Hammad and grandson of Imam Abu Hanifah, said: “By Allah, slavery never entered our family. My grandfather was born in the year 80 AH, and my great-grandfather Thabit met Ali ibn Abi Talib while he was still a child. Ali prayed for him and for his descendants.”
Shaykh Abu Zahrah writes in his book Abu Hanifah that it is possible Zuta was captured during the conquest of his homeland. Nevertheless, because he was a respected leader among his people, the Muslims treated him with honor rather than as an ordinary captive. They preserved his dignity while also strengthening ties with his family. Therefore, his grandson had every right to reject the claim that his family had been slaves.
Thabit was forty years old when Imam Abu Hanifah was born in 80 AH (699 CE) in Kufa. During his youth, he followed his father’s profession as a merchant dealing in khazz, a valuable type of fine fabric. As he grew older, however, he devoted himself to the pursuit of knowledge.
Some historians explain that his formal education began later because of the political unrest of that era. Iraq was then under the harsh rule of Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, whose persecution particularly targeted scholars and righteous people. After the death of Al-Hajjaj in 95 AH and the accession of Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malek in 96 AH, conditions improved considerably. Historians describe Sulayman as one of the better Umayyad caliphs, under whose rule learning and scholarship once again flourished.
Imam Abu Hanifah was born in Kufa, the capital of Iraq, during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malek ibn Marwan, while Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf served as governor of Iraq. He spent fifty-two years of his life under the Umayyads and the remaining eighteen years during the Abbasid period.
He was fifteen years old when Al-Hajjaj died in 95 AH. During the caliphate of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (RA), he reached maturity and witnessed many turbulent periods under various Umayyad governors, including Yazid ibn al-Muhallab, Khalid ibn Abdullah al-Qasri, and Nasr ibn Sayyar. He also personally experienced persecution during the three-year rule of Yazid ibn Umar ibn Hubayrah, the last Umayyad governor of Iraq.
At that time, Kufa was one of the greatest centers of Islamic learning. After memorizing the Holy Qur’an, Imam Abu Hanifah continued helping his father in trade, but he never neglected attending the circles of scholars and experts in Hadith and Islamic jurisprudence.
One day, the renowned scholar Amir al-Sha’bi noticed the young Abu Hanifah and immediately recognized his exceptional intelligence, wisdom, and sharp mind. He advised him to dedicate himself entirely to seeking knowledge. Imam Abu Hanifah accepted this sincere advice, gradually left business behind, and devoted himself to scholarship.
He first studied and transmitted the noble Hadiths, mastered the Arabic language and literature, and then specialized in ’Ilm al-Kalam (Islamic theology). He became highly skilled in theological debate and frequently engaged leaders of deviant sects in scholarly discussions, consistently defending orthodox Islamic beliefs.
Later, he devoted himself to Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) and joined the study circle of Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman, under whom he studied for eighteen years, eventually becoming his most distinguished student.
Imam Abu Hanifah performed Hajj every year. Some scholars even report that he completed the pilgrimage fifty-five times. These journeys allowed him to meet the leading scholars of Makkah and Madinah, learn Hadith directly from them, discuss legal issues, and expand his scholarly knowledge.
Among the distinguished scholars from whom he benefited were the famous Tabi’i Amir al-Sha’bi (d. 103 AH), Ikrimah, the freed servant of Ibn Abbas (d. 105 AH), Nafi’ al-Kabuli, the freed servant of Ibn Umar (d. 117 AH), and Zayd ibn Ali Zayn al-Abidin (d. 122 AH). Some researchers estimate that Imam Abu Hanifah studied under as many as four thousand teachers.
At the age of six, Imam Abu Hanifah began memorizing the Holy Qur’an according to the recitation of Imam ’Asim. Between 86 AH and 88 AH, he completed memorizing the entire Qur’an. From 88 AH to 89 AH, he devoted himself to Arabic grammar, morphology, and literature.
Between 90 AH and 94 AH, he spent five years studying theology, reaching the age of fourteen. From 95 AH to 98 AH, he perfected the art of debate and refutation of deviant sects. Between 99 AH and 104 AH, he dedicated five years to the study of Hadith. Finally, from 104 AH until 120 AH, he spent seventeen years studying Fiqh under Imam Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman, completing his education at the age of forty. Among all of Imam Hammad’s students, Abu Hanifah was recognized as the most outstanding and intellectually gifted.
After completing his studies in theology, Amir al-Sha’bi encouraged him to focus on Hadith. In 96 AH, Imam Abu Hanifah performed Hajj for the first time with his father. During this journey, he met the noble Companion of the Prophet (PBUH), Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn al-Juz’ (RA), from whom he heard the following hadith: مَنْ تَفَقَّهَ فِي دِينِ الله كَفَاهُ الله هَمَّهُ وَرَزَقَهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ. Translation: “Whoever gains deep understanding of the religion of Allah, Allah will relieve his worries and provide for him from sources he never expects.”
The Great Imam Was Among the Tabi’in
Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) was one of the Tabi’in. He met many of the Prophet’s Companions (RA) as well as leading Tabi’in of his time and benefited greatly from their knowledge. Although there was a significant gap between the era of the Companions and the lifetime of Imam Abu Hanifah, his status as a Tabi’i is a well-established and undeniable fact. Many historians and biographers have considered him among the Tabi’in in terms of narration. While some reports attributed to Imam Abu Hanifah have been examined and critiqued by Hadith scholars, these discussions do not affect the fact that he was a Tabi’i.
Scholars from various schools of thought, including Hadith experts and historians such as Badr al-Din al-Ayni, Ibn al-Humam, Wali al-Din al-Iraqi, Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Suyuti, Al-Qastallani, Ibn Kathir, Mulla Ali al-Qari, Abu Nu’aym al-Isfahani, Al-Waqidi, the author of Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d, Imam al-Daraqutni, Ibn Abd al-Barr, Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Ibn al-Jawzi, Al-Sam’ani, Abd al-Ghani al-Maqdisi, Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi, Fadl Allah al-Turpushti, Imam al-Nawawi, Imam al-Yafi’i, Imam al-Dhahabi, Zayn al-Iraqi, Ibn al-Wazir, and many other distinguished scholars, all recognized Imam Abu Hanifah as one of the Tabi’in.
Ibn Kathir (RA) further states that among the founders of the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence, only Imam Abu Hanifah was honored with the distinction of meeting some of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH), making this one of the clearest signs of his high rank and exceptional status.
Among the Companions whom historians and biographers commonly mention as having met Imam Abu Hanifah are:
Anas ibn Malek, Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa, Abdullah ibn Anis al-Juhani, Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn al-Juz’, Jabir ibn Abdullah, Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’, Ma’qil ibn Yasar, Abu al-Tufayl Amir ibn Wathilah, A’ishah bint Ajrad, Sahl ibn Sa’d, Al-Sa’ib ibn Khallad ibn Suwayd, Abdullah ibn Samurah, Mahmud ibn al-Rabi’, Abdullah ibn Ja’far, and Abu Umamah (RA).
It should be noted that historians are not unanimous regarding Imam Abu Hanifah’s meeting with all sixteen of these Companions. However, we have included the names of all those whom different scholars and historians believe he met and, in some cases, narrated Hadith from. In general, Hadith scholars state that Imam Abu Hanifah directly narrated seven or eight Hadiths from the Companions, while the famous historian and Maliki scholar Ibn Khaldun counted seventeen such narrations.
The Afghan historian Allamah Abd al-Hayy Habibi writes in The History of Afghanistan after Islam that Imam Abu Hanifah saw several of the Prophet’s Companions. Since he was born in Kufa in 80 AH, Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa was still living there and passed away after that year. Likewise, Anas ibn Malek was living in Basrah. Ibn Sa’d narrates through his chain of transmission that Imam Abu Hanifah met Anas ibn Malek. Therefore, according to the narrations found in Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d, Imam Abu Hanifah is counted among the Tabi’in. [2]
This distinction was unique to Imam Abu Hanifah and was not shared by many other leading scholars of his time, such as Imam al-Awza’i in Syria, Sufyan al-Thawri in Basrah, and Khalid al-Zanji in Kufa. For this reason, Imam Abu Hanifah is recognized as a Tabi’i. He was a great scholar, an outstanding personality, a trustworthy narrator, and a highly respected figure in the Muslim community. He received praise and authentication from Hadith scholars, teachers, and pious scholars throughout the Islamic world.
Imam al-Daraqutni (RA) said: وَأَبُوحَنِيفَةَ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ إِنَّمَا رَأَى أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ بِعَيْنِهِ Translation: “Imam Abu Hanifah did not hear Hadith directly from any of the Companions, but he personally saw Anas ibn Malik with his own eyes.”
Muhammad ibn Sama’ah, the judge, narrated that Imam Abu Hanifah said: حججت مع أبى سنة ست وتسعين فرأيت رجلا من أصحاب النبی صلى الله عليه وسلم يقال له عبدالله بن جزء الزبیدی Translation: “I performed Hajj with my father in the year 96 AH. During that journey, I met one of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) named Abdullah ibn Juz’ al-Zubaydi (RA).”
Both the renowned Hadith scholar Al-Mizzi and Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi (d. 747 AH) wrote: النعمان بن ثابت بن زوطا الامام ابوحنيفة فقيه العراق مولی بنی تیم الله بن ثعلبة رأی أنسا و سمع عطاء و نافعا و عكرمه. Translation:
“Al-Nu’man ibn Thabit ibn Zuta, Imam Abu Hanifah, the jurist of Iraq and a client of Banu Taym Allah ibn Tha’labah, saw Anas ibn Malek and learned from Ata’, Nafi’, and Ikrimah.”
To be continued…
Previous Part
References:
[1]. Hadiqat al-Aqalim, p. 400.
[2]. Imam Abu Hanifa’s grandfather was among the mawālī (clients or non-Arab affiliates) of the Banū Taym Allāh tribe. During the early Islamic period, historians commonly referred to all non-Arab Muslims as mawālī. The word “mawālī” is the plural of the Arabic term “mawlā,” which carries several meanings.
2. Mawlā: A person who has sought the protection of a powerful tribe.
2. Mawlā: A person who has entered into a pact or alliance of friendship with another individual or tribe.
2. Mawlā: A slave who has been emancipated (freed) by his master.
