Imam al-A‘zam Abu Hanifah (RA): The Role Model (part 2) Collection of Articles
A Gathering on the Virtues of Siraj al-Ummah, Imam al-A‘zam Abu Hanifah (RA)
Speech of Shaykh al-Qur’an wa al-Hadith, Mawlana Muallim Jan Hanafi (MAPH)—continued
Imam al-Suyuti (RA), in his book “Tabyid al-Sahifah bi Manaqib” Abi Hanifah, has narrated numerous reports indicating that Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) heard narrations from eminent Companions such as Anas ibn Malik, Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa, Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn al-Jaz’, Abdullah ibn Unays, Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’, and Ayesha bint Ajrad (RA). Hafiz Abu Ma‘shar Abd al-Karim ibn Abd al-Samad al-Tabari (RA) authored an independent treatise on this subject and compiled therein the narrations that Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) heard from the Noble Companions (RA). In addition to other Companions, he also established Imam Abu Hanifah’s hearing from Jabir ibn Abdullah and Ma‘qil ibn Yasar (RA).
Although Hafiz Ibn Hajar (RA) stated that weakness exists in the chains of all these narrations, no scholar declared them fabricated or invalid. Therefore, when weak narrations are accepted in matters of virtues and merits, how can the scholarly excellence of Imam al-A‘zam (RA) not be affirmed?
Furthermore, Imam al-Suyuti (RA) narrates in Tabyid al-Sahifah, citing Hafiz Abu Ma‘shar Abd al-Karim (RA), the following narration: «ابوحنيفة عن انس بن مالک قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول (طلب العلم فريضة على كل مسلم)» Translation: “Abu Hanifah narrated from Anas ibn Malik, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: ‘Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.’”
Imam al-Suyuti (RA) states regarding this narration that it is comparable in rank and weight to authentic hadith. Likewise, Hafiz al-Mizzi (RA) maintained that due to its numerous chains of transmission, this hadith reaches the level of Hasan (sound).
If the authenticity of this report is established, then no doubt remains regarding Imam Abu Hanifah’s (RA) hearing from the Companions (RA). Even if such direct hearing is not conclusively established, at the very least his meeting with them is certain. Therefore, the status of Imam al-A‘zam (RA) as a Tabi‘i (Successor) is an accepted view among the majority of researchers and scholars.
Imam Ibn Sa‘d (RA), in al-Tabaqat; Hafiz al-Dhahabi (RA), in Tadhkirat al-Huffaz; Hafiz al-Mizzi (RA), in Tahdhib al-Kamal; Allama al-Qastallani (RA), in his commentary (Tafsir) on Sahih al-Bukhari; Imam al-Nawawi (RA), in Tahdhib al-Asma’ wa al-Lughat; and Imam al-Suyuti (RA), all have acknowledged and affirmed the status of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) as a Tabi‘i.
As an example, one of the foremost teachers of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA), and among his senior and leading mentors, was ‘Amir ibn Sharahil, famously known as Imam al-Sha‘bi (RA). He acquired knowledge from approximately five hundred Companions of the Prophet (RA). In other words, he was a student of five hundred Companions and is regarded as one of the greatest teachers of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA).
The memory of Ibn Sharahil (RA) was exceptionally strong. He himself stated that although he was not particularly inclined toward poetry, if he were to begin reciting it, he could continue for an entire month without preparation, study, or referring to the poets’ collections and would not reach its end.
When such a person could memorize matters of secondary importance with such precision, one can only imagine the level of his preservation of the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), especially when the Prophet (PBUH) prayed for those who transmit his teachings, saying the following: «نضر الله عبداً سمع مقالتی فحفظها ووعاها ثم اداها كما سمعها» Translation: “May Allah brighten the face of a servant who hears my statement, preserves it, comprehends it, and then conveys it exactly as he heard it.”
Once, Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) was passing by while Imam al-Sha‘bi (RA), the teacher of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA), was narrating the battles of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Ibn Umar (RA) listened carefully and then said: “I myself participated in those battles with the Prophet (peace be upon him), yet I do not remember their details as accurately as ‘Amir ibn Sharahil (RA) remembers them.” This personality is counted among the foremost teachers of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA).
The second teacher of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) was Hammad ibn Sulayman (RA). He was his primary and special teacher. Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) held such deep respect for him that he would not even stretch his legs in the direction of his teacher’s house. Hammad ibn Sulayman was a recognized authority in Hadith and Fiqh, and his narrations are found in Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, and Sunan al-Tirmidhi.
The third teacher of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) was Abu Ishaq al-Sabi‘i (RA), a scholar who studied under thirty-eight Companions of the Prophet (RA). He later became one of the teachers of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA). Furthermore, many great scholars and leading hadith experts were among the students of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA), including Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak (RA), Makki ibn Ibrahim, Zayd ibn Harun, and ‘Asim al-Nabil.
Likewise, Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qattan (RA), the great authority in Jarh wa Ta‘dil, and other prominent hadith scholars were also among his students.
In addition to the above, renowned hadith scholars such as Hafs ibn Ghiyath al-Nakha‘i, Yahya ibn Zakariyya Abi Za’idah, Mis‘ar ibn Kidam, Abu ‘Asim al-Nabil, Qasim ibn Ma‘n, ‘Ali ibn al-Mushir, Fadl ibn Dukayn, and ‘Abd al-Razzaq ibn al-Hammam (RA), all of whom were highly distinguished muhaddithin, are also counted among the students of Imam al-A‘zam Abu Hanifah (RA).
Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak (RA), a prominent student of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA), said, «لولا اعاننی الله بابی حنیفه رحمه الله و سفیان رحمه الله لکنت کسائر الناس.» Translation: “Had Allah not aided me through Abu Hanifah (RA) and Sufyan (RA), I would have been like the rest of the people.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (RA) narrates in Tahdhib from Yahya al-Qattan that he said, “قد اخذنا باکثر اقواله.” Translation: “We have adopted most of his opinions.”
Similarly, Yahya ibn Ma‘in (RA), in al-Jawahir al-Mudiyyah fi Tabaqat al-Hanafiyyah, and al-Muwaffaq, in Manaqib al-Imam (Vol. 1, p. 191), transmit the following statement of Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qattan (RA): «جالسنا والله اباحنیفه رحمه الله و سمعنامنه و کنت والله إذا نظرت الیهِ عرفت فی وجههِ انه یتقی الله عزوجل» Translation: “By Allah, we sat with Abu Hanifah (RA) and listened to him. By Allah, whenever I looked at him, I recognized in his face that he feared Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.” (Tarikh Baghdad, Vol. 13, p. 352)
Similarly, Waki‘ ibn al-Jarrah (RA), the special teacher of Imam al-Shafi‘i (RA), was also among the students of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA).
The scholars and hadith masters of that era accepted his scholarly status with such clear and explicit acknowledgment that such recognition is rarely granted to anyone else.
Makki ibn Ibrahim (RA), the distinguished teacher of Imam al-Bukhari (RA), from whom Imam al-Bukhari narrated most of his famous thulathiyyat (three-link hadiths), said regarding Imam Abu Hanifah (RA): «و کان امام زمانه» Translation: “He was the Imam of his time.” In another place he said, “و کان اعلم اهل زمانه” (Translation: “He was the most knowledgeable person of his time”).
This means that Imam Abu Hanifah (RA), in the context of his era, was the most distinguished scholar. Since the term “knowledge” in that period was primarily associated with Hadith, Makki ibn Ibrahim’s statement—teacher of Imam al-Bukhari—indicates that Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) was foremost in the science of Hadith.
Zayd ibn Harun (RA) stated: «ادرکت الف من الشيوخ و كتبت منه فما وجدت افقه ولا اورع و لا اعلم من خمسة او لهم امام ابوحنیفه رحمه الله رحمة واسعة.» Translation: “I met one thousand scholars and wrote from them, yet I did not find among them anyone more knowledgeable in jurisprudence, more pious, or more learned than five individuals, the first of whom was Imam Abu Hanifah (RA), may Allah have mercy upon him abundantly.”
Imam Abu Dawud (RA) also said regarding Imam Abu Hanifah (RA): “كان امام زمانه” Translation: “He was the Imam of his time,” meaning he was the leader and authority in Hadith in his era, and people followed him in this field.
Thus, when a person is born in such a great center of learning, raised among the students of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (RA), taught by scholars such as ‘Amir ibn Sharahil (RA), and produces students like Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak (RA), it is entirely unreasonable to assume that his status in Hadith was weak or that he had little connection to this science.
One of the strongest proofs of Imam Abu Hanifah’s (RA) mastery in Hadith is his book al-Athar. He selected and compiled this work from among 40,000 hadiths. Since his era preceded that of Imam al-Bukhari (RA) by a significant period, and the chains and routes of transmission were not yet as widely developed as in later centuries, this selection is comparable to choosing from millions of narrations in later generations.
A unique distinction of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) is that Kitab al-Athar is regarded as the first book in Islamic history systematically arranged according to fiqh chapters. Before him, no one had compiled a structured work based on legal chapters, and he was the first to introduce this scholarly innovation, which remains a source of pride.
In proving Imam Abu Hanifah’s (RA) expertise in Hadith, it is sufficient that he is unanimously recognized as an imam and mujtahid. One of the essential conditions for a mujtahid is deep knowledge and mastery of Hadith. Therefore, if one were to claim any deficiency in this regard, how could his status as an imam and mujtahid still be accepted?
Previously, the statements of major hadith scholars regarding his virtues have been mentioned. Hafiz al-Dhahabi (RA), in Tadhkirat al-Huffaz (Vol. 1, p. 195), narrates through his chain from Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah (RA), who said: «لم يكن في زمان ابي حنيفه رحمه الله بالكوفة رجل افضل منه واورع وافقه عنه.» Translation: “In the time of Abu Hanifah (RA) in Kufa, there was no one better, more pious, or more knowledgeable in jurisprudence than him.”
Imam Abu Yusuf (RA), a student of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA), said, “Whenever Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) derived a legal ruling, his students would strive to please him.” I would go out and gather narrations from the many scholars of Kufa who supported the issue derived by the Imam. I would then present them before him. Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) would carefully examine each narration, pointing out its weaknesses and hidden defects one by one. In the end, he would smile and say, “I am well aware of the knowledge of Kufa,” meaning that the entire scholarly heritage of Kufa was within his knowledge.
Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) was living knowledge embodied in human form, and his entire being reflected scholarship. It is a great honor that Allah Almighty has granted us the opportunity to follow Imam al-A‘zam Abu Hanifah (RA) and adhere to his school of thought.
Scholars have mentioned that the title “Siraj al-Ummah” (Lamp of the Ummah) is derived from the statement of ‘Ali (RA), who said regarding the students of Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (RA): “The companions of Abdullah are the lamps of this Ummah.” Since Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) is also among the followers of that scholarly school, he is likewise called the lamp of this Ummah.
We refer to Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) as “Imam al-A‘zam” (the Greatest Imam). At times, those with little understanding or those harboring hostility towards Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) raise doubts among young people, asking why the Prophet (PBUH) is not called Imam al-A‘zam while Imam Abu Hanifah is given this title.
This is a misunderstanding. We do not place Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) in opposition to the Prophets by calling him Imam al-A‘zam. Rather, the title refers to his superiority among the juristic imams. Similarly, why do we call ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) “Al-Farooq al-A‘zam” and Abu Bakr (RA) “Al-Siddiq al-Akbar” without applying those titles to the Prophet (PBUH)? The answer is that ‘Umar was the greatest Farooq among the Companions, and Abu Bakr was the greatest Siddiq among them. Likewise, Imam Abu Hanifah (RA) is the greatest Imam among the juristic Imams. This does not imply superiority over the Prophet (PBUH); such a claim is a misunderstanding used to mislead people.
In conclusion, we once again pray that Allah Almighty accepts this academic and research-based work of the Kalemaat Organization and grants further success in future beneficial endeavors so that we may recognize the legacy of our predecessors, follow their path, and revive their scholarly heritage.
