Imam al-A‘zam Abu Hanifa (RA): The Role Model (part 32)
Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) and the Science of Hadith
Kufa and the Science of Hadith
Following the conquest of Iraq and al-Mada’in and the collapse of the Sasanian rule, the inhabitants of these regions remained in their lands as protected non-Muslim subjects in return for paying land tax. Meanwhile, their inclination toward Islam increased, and groups of people began embracing the blessed religion of Islam. When Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) observed this situation, he wrote to Saad ibn Abi Waqqas (RA), instructing him to select two areas in Iraq where these new Muslims could be settled in order to preserve their unity and community.
Saad ibn Abi Waqqas (RA) selected the areas of Kufa and Basra and, after establishing the cities, settled them there. Since a large number of the residents were new Muslims, Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) sent the distinguished Companion (Sahaba) Abdullah ibn Masud (RA), one of the earliest Muslims, to Kufa for their education and instruction, saying, “آثرتكم على نفسي ابن أم عبد,” which is, “I have preferred Ibn Umm Abd over myself and have sent him to you.”
Abdullah ibn Masud (RA) began teaching and instructing people in the newly established city of Kufa. Throughout his life, he trained more than seventy outstanding students, each of whom established his own teaching circle and scholarly session. However, the scholarly richness of Kufa was not limited to the presence of Abdullah ibn Masud (RA). Because of its favorable climate, hundreds of other noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) also moved from Madinah and other regions to Kufa for permanent residence.
Some historians have recorded their number as one thousand five hundred. In this way, Kufa developed from a small settlement into a major city.
When Ali (RA) became caliph and transferred the capital of the Caliphate from Madinah al-Munawwarah to Kufa, he observed the scholarly advancement of Kufa and spontaneously said, “رحم الله ابن أم عبد، قد ملأ هذه التربة علما.”Translation: “May Allah have mercy on Ibn Umm Abd. Indeed, he has filled this land with knowledge.”
According to Masruq ibn al-Ajda (RA): “درت فی الصحابة فوجدت علمهم ينتهی إلی ستة، ثم نظرت فوجدت علمهم ينتهي إلى اثنين: على وعبد الله” Translation: “That is, I examined the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) and found that their knowledge ultimately rested with six individuals. Then I examined those six and found that all their knowledge was concentrated in two men: Ali (RA) and Abdullah ibn Masud (RA).”
With the arrival of Ali (RA), the scholarly standing of Kufa increased even further. Through the blessing of the presence of these two eminent Companions, Kufa became, compared with many other Islamic cities, such a center of knowledge that, according to Abu Muhammad al-Ramahurmuzi (RA): “أتيت الكوفة فوجدت بها أربعة آلاف يطلبون الحديث، وأربع مائة قد فقهوا” Translation: “That is, when I came to Kufa, I found four thousand people studying Hadith and four hundred who had attained expertise in jurisprudence.”
It was as though the lamp of Hadith and jurisprudence was shining brightly in every home. (1)
In such a scholarly city and during the golden age of the spread of knowledge, when a person is born, raised, and reaches the highest levels of ijtihad through deriving hundreds of thousands of legal issues from Hadith, his status and mastery in Hadith become evident in their own right.
The Teachers and Students of Imam Abu Hanifa (RA)
In all sciences in general, and particularly in the science of Hadith, one of the greatest proofs of a person’s reliability and scholarly competence is an examination of his teachers and students: Did he acquire knowledge from trustworthy individuals? And are those who studied under him accepted by the majority of scholars?
The teachers of Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) can be divided into two categories:
The first category consists of teachers who were among the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all).
The second category consists of teachers who were among the great Tabiun or Tabi al-Tabiin.
The Teachers of Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) Among the Companions (May Allah be pleased with them all)
The majority of researchers and biographers of Imam Abu Hanifa (RA)—among them Allamah al-Dhahabi and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on them)—agree that, during his childhood, Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) met a number of the noble Companions (may Allah (SWT) be pleased with them all), including Anas ibn Malik (RA). However, scholars differ regarding whether he directly narrated Hadith from the Companions.
Their statements indicate that Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) saw more than sixteen Sahaba and narrated from them. Their names are as follows:
Jabir ibn Abdullah (d. 79 AH).
Abdullah ibn Jafar (d. 80 AH).
Abu Umamah (d. 81 AH).
Wathilah ibn al-Asqa (d. 83 or 85 AH).
Amr ibn Hurayth (d. 85 AH).
Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa (d. 85 or 87 AH).
Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Juz al-Zubaydi (d. 86 AH).
Sahl ibn Saad (d. 88 or 91 AH and thereafter).
al-Saib ibn Khallad ibn Suwayd (d. 91 AH).
al-Saib ibn Yazid ibn Said (d. 91, 92, or 94 AH).
Abdullah ibn Busr (d. 96 AH).
Mahmud ibn al-Rabi (d. 99 AH).
Abu al-Tufayl Amir ibn Wathilah (d. 102 AH).
Anas ibn Malik (d. 99 or 101 AH, and others), may Allah be pleased with them all.
A considerable number of biographers, who state that Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) was born in 80 AH, have raised an objection concerning this issue. They believe that it seems unlikely that Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) could have met and narrated Hadith from the aforementioned Companions, whose deaths occurred between 70 and 85 AH. They have also expressed reservations and doubts concerning the authenticity of certain specific Hadiths attributed to these narrations.
However, considering the research-based view of Allamah Zahid al-Kawthari (RA), who preferred the opinion that Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) was born in 70 AH, there remains no significant question or ambiguity concerning the young age of Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) when he met and possibly narrated from the following Companions:
Jabir ibn Abdullah (d. 79 AH).
Abdullah ibn Jafar (d. 80 AH).
Abu Umamah (d. 81 AH).
Wathilah ibn al-Asqa (d. 83 or 85 AH).
Amr ibn Hurayth (d. 85 AH).
Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa (d. 85 or 87 AH).
Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Juz al-Zubaydi (d. 86 AH).
Sahl ibn Saad (d. 88 or 91 AH and later).
al-Saib ibn Khallad ibn Suwayd (d. 91 AH).
al-Saib ibn Yazid ibn Said (d. 91, 92, or 94 AH).
Abdullah ibn Busr (d. 96 AH).
Mahmud ibn al-Rabi (d. 99 AH).
Abu al-Tufayl Amir ibn Wathilah (d. 102 AH).
Anas ibn Malik (d. 99 or 101 AH, and others), may Allah be pleased with them all.
Regarding the other Companions, it is reported concerning Maqil ibn Yasar (RA) that he died during the caliphate of Muawiyah (RA), whose caliphate ended in 60 AH. It is also narrated concerning Abdullah ibn Unays al-Juhani (RA) that he died in 54 AH. Therefore, narration from these two distinguished Sahaba cannot be established with certainty.
As for Aishah bint Ajrad, Allamah al-Dhahabi and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on them) hold that she was not actually among the Sahabiyat.
However, if we consider the argument of Allamah Zahid al-Kawthari (RA), he maintains that the systematic recording of historical information took place relatively late. This resulted in disagreements among historians regarding the dates of birth and death of the Tabiun and, even more so, the Companions. From this perspective, even the possibility that Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) heard narrations from Maqil ibn Yasar and Abdullah ibn Unays (may Allah be pleased with them both) remains conceivable.
