Post by maruf on Jan 12, 2005 2:27:09 GMT -5
Imam Abu Hanifah
Imam Abu Hanifah was bom in Kufah, Iraq 80 years after the hijra of our Prophet Muhammad to Medina.
Although known by the name of Abu Hanifah, his name was NUMAN BIN THABIT ZUTA BIN MAH.
He was fortunate to live with and hear hadith from the sahaba and was a Tabiin (follower of the sahaha). His father Thabit had asked Imam Ali to pray for him and his family.
One day, when a young man, Abu Hanifah was passing by the house of Imam Sha'bi, a most learned scholar of Kufah, Sha'bi thought he was one of his students and asked him where he was going. When he realised that he was mistaken, he told Abu Hanifah “I see signs of intelligence in you. You ought to sit in the company of learned men". After this Abu Hanifah embarked on the path that was to see him become a great Imam in the Science of jurisprudence (Fiqh).
His fist of teachers is astonishing. They were the leaders of their field and included Qatadah, Shu'bah, Himmad, Ata bin Abi Rabah, Ikramah, Imam Malik, Imam Baqir and Imam Jafar al Sadiq. He began his studies in Kufah where the legacy of Abdullah bin Masud (May Allah satisfy him) still prevailed. He studied fiqh in Kufah and then went to Basrah to study hadith. Regarding
his ability to study, Shu'bah said of him, 'just as I know that the sun is bright, I know for certain that learning and Abu Hanifah are doubles of each other."
This was fine praise, indeed, coming from a man who was known as Amir al-Muminin fil Hadith, ie, the leader of the believers in hadith.
After completing his studies in Iraq, Abu Hanifah went to Mecca and Medina. In Mecca he was enrolled in the class of Ata bin Abi Rabah, the great jurist. Abdullah bin Umar said of him "why do people come to me when Ata bin abi Rabah is there for them to go to."
While enroling him Ata asked him about his beliefs, Abu Hanifah, replied, 'First I do not speak ill of the people of earlier generations, do not call sinners Kafir's (disbelievers) and believe in predestination and freewill".
In Mecca Abu Hanifah also studied under Ikramah the follower of Abdullah bin Abbas.
In Medina, Abu Haifah studied with Imam Baqir and Jafar al-Sadiq. When he first met Imam Baqir, the Imam said:
" So it is you who contradicts the hadith of my grandfather on the basis of analogy (qiyas)." Abu
HanifAh said: "May Allah forbid. Who dare contradict the hadith? After you sit down sir, I shall explain my position." Abu Hanifah then said, " who is the weaker, man or women?". "Woman, " Replied Imam Baqir. "which of them is entitled to the larger share in the inheritance?" Asked Abu Hanifah. "The man," Said Imam Baqir. "Now, if I had been making more deductions through analogy, I should have said that the women should get the larger share, because on the face of it, the weaker one is entitled to more consideration. But I did not say so." Abu Hanifah continued, "To take up another subject, which do you think is the highest duty, prayer or fasting?" Imam Baqir
replied, "Prayer.". "That being the case", said Abu Hanifab, "It should be permissable for women
during the period of her menstruation to postpone her prayers and not her fasts (which is lower than prayers). But the ruling I give is that she must postone her fasting and not her prayers."
Following which Imam Baqir got up and kissed Abu Hanifah's forehead.
Although very well learned and well respected in his early years it was not until he reached forty years of age, with the death of his teacher Hammad, that he settled down to teach. Soon afterwards, however, he became very famous. His students came from all over the Islamic World. In 146 after hijrah the Abbasid Khalifah, Mansoor, offered Abu Hanifah the post of judge. But he declined saying, he was not fit for the post. Mansoor became angry and called him a liar and
imprisoned him. While in prison he was allowed to teach and Imam Mohammad bin al Hasan, the famous student of Abu Hanifah was tutored in prison. It is said that when the Khalifah saw the danger to his authority, caused by the numbers of people who visted the Imam, Mansoor poisoned him.
Hence, in the month of Raiab 150 A.H the great Imam died due to the effect of the poison whilst saying his prayers. His funeral prayers were attended by over 300,000 people and people kept on coming from different places saying funeral prayers for twenty days.
Al-Fajr Magazine, March 1989
Imam Abu Hanifah was bom in Kufah, Iraq 80 years after the hijra of our Prophet Muhammad to Medina.
Although known by the name of Abu Hanifah, his name was NUMAN BIN THABIT ZUTA BIN MAH.
He was fortunate to live with and hear hadith from the sahaba and was a Tabiin (follower of the sahaha). His father Thabit had asked Imam Ali to pray for him and his family.
One day, when a young man, Abu Hanifah was passing by the house of Imam Sha'bi, a most learned scholar of Kufah, Sha'bi thought he was one of his students and asked him where he was going. When he realised that he was mistaken, he told Abu Hanifah “I see signs of intelligence in you. You ought to sit in the company of learned men". After this Abu Hanifah embarked on the path that was to see him become a great Imam in the Science of jurisprudence (Fiqh).
His fist of teachers is astonishing. They were the leaders of their field and included Qatadah, Shu'bah, Himmad, Ata bin Abi Rabah, Ikramah, Imam Malik, Imam Baqir and Imam Jafar al Sadiq. He began his studies in Kufah where the legacy of Abdullah bin Masud (May Allah satisfy him) still prevailed. He studied fiqh in Kufah and then went to Basrah to study hadith. Regarding
his ability to study, Shu'bah said of him, 'just as I know that the sun is bright, I know for certain that learning and Abu Hanifah are doubles of each other."
This was fine praise, indeed, coming from a man who was known as Amir al-Muminin fil Hadith, ie, the leader of the believers in hadith.
After completing his studies in Iraq, Abu Hanifah went to Mecca and Medina. In Mecca he was enrolled in the class of Ata bin Abi Rabah, the great jurist. Abdullah bin Umar said of him "why do people come to me when Ata bin abi Rabah is there for them to go to."
While enroling him Ata asked him about his beliefs, Abu Hanifah, replied, 'First I do not speak ill of the people of earlier generations, do not call sinners Kafir's (disbelievers) and believe in predestination and freewill".
In Mecca Abu Hanifah also studied under Ikramah the follower of Abdullah bin Abbas.
In Medina, Abu Haifah studied with Imam Baqir and Jafar al-Sadiq. When he first met Imam Baqir, the Imam said:
" So it is you who contradicts the hadith of my grandfather on the basis of analogy (qiyas)." Abu
HanifAh said: "May Allah forbid. Who dare contradict the hadith? After you sit down sir, I shall explain my position." Abu Hanifah then said, " who is the weaker, man or women?". "Woman, " Replied Imam Baqir. "which of them is entitled to the larger share in the inheritance?" Asked Abu Hanifah. "The man," Said Imam Baqir. "Now, if I had been making more deductions through analogy, I should have said that the women should get the larger share, because on the face of it, the weaker one is entitled to more consideration. But I did not say so." Abu Hanifah continued, "To take up another subject, which do you think is the highest duty, prayer or fasting?" Imam Baqir
replied, "Prayer.". "That being the case", said Abu Hanifab, "It should be permissable for women
during the period of her menstruation to postpone her prayers and not her fasts (which is lower than prayers). But the ruling I give is that she must postone her fasting and not her prayers."
Following which Imam Baqir got up and kissed Abu Hanifah's forehead.
Although very well learned and well respected in his early years it was not until he reached forty years of age, with the death of his teacher Hammad, that he settled down to teach. Soon afterwards, however, he became very famous. His students came from all over the Islamic World. In 146 after hijrah the Abbasid Khalifah, Mansoor, offered Abu Hanifah the post of judge. But he declined saying, he was not fit for the post. Mansoor became angry and called him a liar and
imprisoned him. While in prison he was allowed to teach and Imam Mohammad bin al Hasan, the famous student of Abu Hanifah was tutored in prison. It is said that when the Khalifah saw the danger to his authority, caused by the numbers of people who visted the Imam, Mansoor poisoned him.
Hence, in the month of Raiab 150 A.H the great Imam died due to the effect of the poison whilst saying his prayers. His funeral prayers were attended by over 300,000 people and people kept on coming from different places saying funeral prayers for twenty days.
Al-Fajr Magazine, March 1989
