“Follow my Sunnah and the example of the righteous Caliphs” - the saying of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
It is said in the Holy Kur`an (Sura “Al-`Ahzab”, Ayat 23):
this means: “Allah the Almighty created among the members of the community of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him, people who make every effort to protect Islam and they confirm the truth of everything that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon Him, said (in words and deeds). They are among the God-fearing and follow the True Path."
One of those who provided great support to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him, in the spread of Islam was the first Caliph - Abu Bakr As-Siddyk.
The real name of Abu Bakr is ‘Abdullah ibn abu Kuh afa ‘Uthman ibn ‘Amr Al-K uraishy. It is also reported that his former name was ‘Abdul-Ka’bah, but the Prophet Muh ammad, peace be upon him, called him ‘Abdullah. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon Him, and Abu Bakr have common ancestor, named Murrah ibn Ka'b. Abu Bakr’s mother’s name was Ummul-Hair Salma (Leila) bintu Sah ribn ‘Amr. She was the daughter of Abu Bakr's father's uncle. The first Caliph was born 3 years after the year of the Elephant. He had fair skin, a thin build, and a large forehead.
Abu Bakr was the first man to accept the Call of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him, and agreed with everything that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon Him, said and did. Therefore, they began to call him “As-Siddyk”. Abu Bakr accepted Islam when he was 37 years old. After that he lived another 26 years.
How did Abu Bakr accept Islam?
When Abu Bakr went to the countries of Sham (the territory of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine) he saw in a dream that the moon and the sun descended on him. He took them and hid them under his clothes. In order to find out what his dream meant, Abu Bakr went to a dream interpreter. He asked Abu Bakr where he came from. He replied that he was from Mecca. Then he was asked what he did. Abu Bakr replied that he was a merchant. The interpreter said: “During your lifetime, a man named Muh ammad, peace be upon him, will appear from the line of Bani Hashim, who will be the last of the Prophets, and you will adhere to his religion, help Him and will be the Caliph after Him. I found mentions of Him in the Torah and the Psalter.” When Abu Bakr returned to Mecca, he saw the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, became attached to Him and began to listen to His words. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon Him, told Abu Bakr to accept Islam. After this, Abu Bakr pronounced the Islamic Testimonies (the words “La `ilaha `illa-llah, Mukh ammadu-r-Rasul-llah” (There is no deity except the One God, Mukh ammad (Abul-Gasim) - the Messenger of God) and became a Muslim. In that day he had 40 thousand dirhams, which he immediately gave in favor of the Islamic Community. It is reported that the first Caliph, both before and after the adoption of Islam, never drank alcohol. Abu Bakr - the chief of the Community of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him , after Him. He was one of those ten people whom the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon Him, during his lifetime delighted with the news of their entry into Paradise. Through Abu Bakr, five of them accepted Islam: 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, Talha ibn 'Ubaydillah, Az -Zubeir ibn Al-'Awu am, Sa'd ibn abu U akk as and 'Abdurrah man ibn 'Auf. Abu Bakr accompanied the Prophet Muh ammad, peace be upon him, during all military battles (Badr, Ukh ud, Tabuk), campaigns and others important events. Abu Bakr was one of the most important and most wise people in the Kuraish tribe. He had great patience, strength, courage and generosity, and was forgiving towards others. It is said that Abu Bakr was the bravest of the Sah aba (companions of the Prophet). He was the best and smartest of them. When they read K ur`an, his eyes always filled with tears. One day, Prophet Muh ammad, peace be upon him, asked Sah aba to give money for the benefit of the Community. ‘Umar ibn Al-Kh attab came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon Him, and gave half of his money. ‘Umar thought that he gave more than anyone. Prophet Muh ammad, peace be upon him, asked about what he left for his family. He replied that half the money. Then Abu Bakr came and gave all his money. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon Him, asked what he left for his family. The first Caliph replied: “Love for Allah and His Messenger.” Abu Bakr accompanied the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, during the Great Migration (Hijr) from Mecca to Medina and was with him in the cave of Sau r. During the Migration of Abu Bakr first I went into this cave to find out if there was any danger lurking there. There he saw many cracks and holes in which snakes, scorpions and spiders could hide and covered them with pieces of his clothing. But he didn't have enough fabric to cover the last gap, and without hesitation, he closed it with his heel. At night, a scorpion stung him on this heel, but Abu Bakr endured the pain and did not say anything to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him. In the morning his leg was swollen. The Messenger of Allah saw this, as well as the fact that Abu Bakr did not have part of his clothes and asked where they were. He replied that he covered the holes and cracks that he noticed in the cave with his clothes. Prophet Muh ammad, peace be upon Him, read the Du'a so that Abu Bakr would be with Him in Paradise, smeared his injured leg with his saliva and the swelling subsided. A number of unusual events occurred during the Hijra. When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon Him, and His companion Abu Bakr stopped in the Sau r cave, Allah created a tree that closed the entrance to the cave with its branches, and ordered two wild pigeons to build a nest and lay eggs, and a spider to cover the entrance to the cave with a web.
When the pagans who were pursuing the Prophet, peace be upon him, approached the cave at a distance of 40 cubits and saw a tree growing at its entrance, pigeons, eggs in their nest and a cobweb, they thought that there had been no one in the cave for a long time, and left this place . This event is described in the Holy Kur`an (Sura “At-Tauba”, Ayat 40). this means: “Although you, the inhabitants of Mecca, did not support Muh ammad, peace be upon Him, but Allah supports Him. When the Prophet Mukhammad left Mecca, and He and his companion (Abu Bakr) were in the cave, he told him: “Do not be sad, Allah is with us!” (that is, “Allah supports us”)!” Then another unusual event occurred. Suraka ibn Malik, having learned that the Quraish had promised a large reward for the capture of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and Abu Bakr, decided to go after them. He knew the terrain well, so he knew which way they could go, and set off after the Prophet, peace be upon Him, and Abu Bakr. When Suraka was in close proximity to them, Abu Bakr, worried about the Messenger of Allah, warned Him about this. The Prophet, peace be upon Him, answered: “Don’t worry, don’t be sad: Allah is with us” (that is, he supports them and grants them victory). At the same moment, Suraki’s horse got stuck in the sand up to his stomach, and he, frightened, fell off it. Prophet Muh Ammad, peace be upon him, passed away on Monday, the 12th of the month of Rabi'ul-au Wal, in the 11th year of Hijri. Abu Bakr, ‘Umar ibn Al-H attab and some Sah Aba gathered and began to decide who would lead the Community after the death of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon Him. ‘Umar told Abu Bakr to give him his hand. He then swore allegiance to Abu Bakr, and all those present followed his example. The next day, all the companions of the Prophet swore allegiance to Abu Bakr. After this, Abu Bakr said: “O Muslims, today I have become the most important of you, but I am not the best of you (he said this out of modesty), Allah sent down the Holy Quran and the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, taught us that , what is best and desirable for us. The best thing is fear of God, and the one who commits sins and oppresses others does bad. Let the oppressed turn to me and I will restore justice. And the oppressor who thinks himself strong will understand that he is weak. I will follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him, and follow His path. If I act fairly, help me; if I’m wrong, correct me.” It is known that after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, some people committed apostasy and some refused to give Zakat, but Abu Bakr equipped an army and restored order. During the reign of Abu Bakr, Musailima Al-Kazzab, who imagined himself to be a Prophet, was killed. In those same years, Islam spread in the Sham countries.
Abu Bakr fell ill and died in the year 13 Hijra, at the age of 63. He was Caliph for 2 years, three months and 13 days. He was buried in the house of ‘A’isha, next to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him, because Abu Bakr bequeathed to bury himself next to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon Him. All Muslims were very saddened by the death of the first Caliph. 'Ali ibn abu Talib approached Abu Bakr and said, turning to him: “May Allah forgive you, you were the first to accept the Call of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him, you always defended the Messenger of Allah and supported Him when many refused to do so, and you were named by the Almighty with the honorary title “As-Siddyk”. This is stated in the Holy Kur`an, in Surah “Az-Zumar”, Ayah 33:
Abu Bakr left behind children: ‘Abdullah, ‘Asma, ‘Abdurrah man, ‘Aisha, Mukh ammad and Umm Kulthum. This short description life of the first Caliph Abu Bakr As-Siddiq a.
1. Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, was brought up in Kufa in a rich, pious and noble family and, most likely, was only son at their parents. His father traded silk in his shop in Kufa, which was inherited by his son after his death. Like some other educated and righteous people He memorized the Koran as a child. Most likely, he did not study with any of the scholars or attend their circles, but sat in his father’s shop until he met al-Sha’bi, a scholar from among the followers. This meeting opened the path to great good for the imam, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him.
2. When he was 16 years old, his father took him with him to Mecca and Medina to perform Hajj and visit the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his mosque.
3. Comprehension of science began for him with the study of the foundations of religion and discussions with atheists and those who fell into error. For this purpose, he came to Basra more than twenty-seven times, where he debated, defending the Sharia from everything dubious and what the lost wanted to associate it with. This continued until Abu Hanifa gained great fame, although he was only 20 years old. From that time on, a circle of his students began to gather in the mosque of Kufa, who were engaged in the study of such sciences.
4. Since Allah was pleased to bring Abu Hanifah himself, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, and with him all Muslims to great good, the imam began studying fiqh. The reason for this is mentioned in the report of Zufar, who reported that he heard Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, say:
“I practiced kalam until I became very famous. One day, when we were sitting near the circle of Hammad bin Abu Sulayman, a woman came up to me and said: “A man who has a wife wants to divorce her in accordance with the sunnah. How many times should he give her a divorce?” I told her to ask Hammad about this, and then come back and tell me everything. She asked this question to Hammad and he said: “He should give her a divorce once after the completion of her menstruation and not enter into relations with her.” sexual intercourse. Then he should wait for the completion of two more menstrual cycles so that together with the first cycle, three in total will pass, and after she has performed a complete ablution, she will be able to marry another.” After listening to him, the woman returned and conveyed Hammad’s words to me, and I said: “I have no need for kalam,” after which I took my sandals, sat down next to Hammad and began to listen to the questions that he analyzed, memorizing his words. The next day he dealt with the same questions that I remembered, while his students were wrong, and he said: “Let no one sit in the center of the circle next to me except Abu Hanifa.”
How Abu Hanifa treated his Sheikh Hammad
Since then, Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, relentlessly followed his Sheikh Hammad, who taught him fiqh until, thanks to his memory and education, he surpassed his peers and those who joined the sheikh’s circle before him, thanks to to which the sheikh brought him closer to him and began to seat Abu Hanifa in the center of the circle. His attitude towards the sheikh was worthy of surprise. So, for example, he came to the sheikh’s house and waited at the door until he went out for prayer or for some business, after which Abu Hanifa began to ask him questions and accompanied him. When the sheikh went out on his business, he served him, and when Abu Hanifa was sitting at home, he did not even stretch his legs towards the house of his Sheikh Hammad, but when Abu Hanifa prayed, he turned to Allah with prayers for his sheikh and his parents .
He spent eighteen years in this position until the death of Hammad, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, and after his death, the Sheikh’s students made a unanimous decision that Sheikh Hammad would be replaced by Abu Hanifa, and they would continue to learn from him, and he became the best successor to the wonderful predecessor.
Sheikh Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on them all
Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, had a lot of sheikhs. Some of them are listed below:
1. Ibrahim bin Muhammad al Muntashir al Kufi.
2. Ibrahim bin Yazid an Naha'i al Kufi.
3. Ismail bin Hammad bin Abu Sulayman al Kufi.
4. Ayyub as Sikhtiyani al Basri.
5. Abu Hind al Harith bin ‘Abd ar Rahman al Hamadani al Kufi.
6. Rabi'a bin 'Abd ar Rahman al Madani.
7. Salim bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.
How he formulated questions for ijtihad and wrote them down
Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, developed his own method of formulating questions for ijtihad, which was as follows. Meeting with his students, he invited those who knew among them to consider this or that issue; at the same time, everyone had to present their arguments and provide the necessary, in their opinion, arguments in support of their point of view. After this, Abu Hanifa commented on the statements of his students, supporting them with references to the Quran and the Sunnah or arguments of reason and approving the judgments of those who found the right solution, and sometimes it took several days to formulate one such question. Such teaching was free in nature, the opinions of all those present were listened to with due respect, and the discussion gave food to the minds of the students and at the same time emphasized the knowledge and dignity of the teacher, and after this or that issue in the field of fiqh was resolved by such a method, it was difficult to subject it to criticism, not to mention declaring the decision made invalid, but leads to the right way and only Allah leads to good.
Ijtihad is the activity of an authoritative expert on religion who has the right to independently resolve issues of a religious and legal nature that are not directly indicated in the Koran and Sunnah. Only persons who had perfect knowledge of Arabic, who knew the Koran and its interpretations by heart, had a good knowledge of the Sunnah and commentaries on it, and met a number of other requirements.
Al Muwaffaq al Makki said:
“When developing the provisions of his madhhab, Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, consulted with his students and followers and did not act solely at his own discretion. He practiced ijtihad, showing exceptional sincerity towards Allah, His Messenger and all believers in general. Considering issue after issue, he comprehensively discussed each of them, listened to the opinions of his followers, spoke out himself and spent a month or more in discussions with them until he finally decided on one or another judgment, after which all this was written down by Qadi Abu Yusuf. If any question seemed difficult to Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, he would tell his followers: “The only reason is that I committed some sin,” and began to ask Allah for forgiveness, and sometimes began to pray, thanking to which he found a solution, and then said: “I hope that my repentance is accepted.” Having learned about this, al Fudayl bin ‘Iyyad burst into tears, and then said: “This is because he has few sins, and others do not attach importance to this!”
Mazhab - theological and legal school;
Abu Yusuf is one of the most prominent students and followers of Imam Abu Hanifa.
The most outstanding students of Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him
Allah the Almighty also honored the imam by the fact that, by His will, Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, had great students, with whom the imam resolved issues and developed the principles of fiqh, which allowed him to avoid mistakes in cases where he was close to their completion.
In the life of Yahya bin Zakariya bin Abu Zayed, which is given in the book of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Qurashi entitled “Al Jawahir al Mudiyya”, it is reported that Asad bin al Furat said:
“The followers of Abu Hanifa who wrote down the notes numbered 40, and the ten most prominent included Abu Yusuf, Zufar, Dawud at Ta'i, Asad bin 'Amr, Yusuf bin Khalid as Samti and Yahya bin Zakariya."
Sheikh Ahmad al Makki al Khorezmi mentioned that there were 730 transmitters of the words of the imam from among the major ulema, each of whom was a Muslim sheikh, and all these people transmitted his words and hadiths transmitted by the imam in different parts of the world.
About the respect of Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, for his students, and how he encouraged people to seek knowledge
It is reported from the words of as Saimari that Qadi Shurayk said: “Abu Hanifa was silent for a long time, thought a lot, carefully considered issues of fiqh, and had an excellent command of subtle methods research and did not require any tuition fees. If the student was poor, he supported both the student and his family at his own expense, and when the training was completed, he said: “Having learned what is permitted and forbidden, you have acquired the greatest wealth.” He was distinguished by great intelligence and argued little with them.”
In his book on the merits of Abu Hanifa al Qardari reports that Abu Yusuf, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, said:
“I studied hadith, but I didn’t have much money. When I was with Imam Abu Hanifa, my father came to me and told me: “Oh, son, do not be equal to him, for he is an experienced man, and you need him!” And then I decided to obey my father and stopped devoting so much time to the search for knowledge. Grabbing me, the imam began to ask about me, and when he saw me, he asked: “What made you leave us?” I answered: “Looking for money,” and when the people returned and I wanted to leave, he gave me a wallet with a hundred dirhams and said: “Spend this money, and when it runs out, let me know and do not leave this circle.” After a while he gave me another hundred dirhams, and every time the money ran out, he gave me more, as if he was informed that it had been spent, although I did not tell him anything, and this continued until I I didn’t learn everything I was striving to know. May Allah’s reward be wonderful for him and may He forgive him!”
This book also contains the following story:
“Al Hassan bin Ziyad, who constantly followed the imam, was poor, and his father told him: “We have daughters, but there is no son except you, so take care of them.” Having learned about this, the imam allocated him the necessary funds and said: “Practice fiqh, for, truly, I have never seen a needy fuqih.”
Shakiq bin Ibrahim is reported to have said:
“Once Abu Hanifa said to Ibrahim bin Adham: “O Ibrahim, you have been given the ability to engage in worship, so do not forget about knowledge, for, truly, knowledge is at the head of worship and is its basis.”
Abu Yusuf is reported to have said:
"One day after morning prayer They began to ask Abu Hanifa various questions, and he answered them. One of those present said: “Previously, at such a time, it was considered undesirable to talk about anything other than good.” To this Abu Hanifa said: “Is there a greater good than this? After all, when they say that one thing is permissible and another is forbidden, this removes people from sins, and when the bag runs out of travel supplies, its owner begins to starve.” In order to gain knowledge, understanding is necessary, and sometimes it happens that the person transmitting knowledge is not himself a faqih, but what benefit can medicine bring to someone who does not know it?
Abu Raja al Harawi said:
“I heard Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, say: “A person who strives to study hadith, but is not capable of reflection, is like a pharmacist who collects medicines, but remains in the dark about what they are needed for, until he until the doctor comes."
Muhammad bin Shuja' al Marwazi is reported to have said:
“Once, when al Fadl was with Abu Hanifa, the imam asked him: “Who does your son Muhammad go to?” He replied: “He goes to different muhaddis and writes down what they say.” Abu Hanifa said: “Bring him to me so that I can see what he has achieved.” When al-Fadl brought his son, Abu Hanifa began to speak softly to him, ordered him to come closer and asked: “Oh, Muhammad, to whom do you go and whose words are you writing down?” He answered the question of the imam, who saw the book on him and said: “Give it to me,” and the young man did so. The Imam opened it, saw that on the first page it was written: “A child born out of wedlock is the worst of the three,” and asked: “O Muhammad, what do the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) mean: “A child born out of wedlock is the worst of the three”? He replied: “He is as it is said in the hadith.” Hearing this, the Imam exclaimed: “Truly, we belong to Allah! You attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) something unacceptable and impermissible, for these words contradict the Book of Allah Almighty and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and are unfair! Allah Almighty said: “Every person (will become) a hostage to what he acquired” (Wrapped, 38). The Almighty also said: “... so that He will reward those who did evil for what they did...” (Star, 31). The Almighty also said: “... and (the reward will go to) a person only for what he did...” (Star, 39). The Almighty also said: “And they will discover (there are records of everything) what they did, and your Lord will not offend anyone” (Cave, 49). The Almighty also said: “And We will establish just scales on the Day of Resurrection, and no one will be offended in anything...” (Prophets, 47). The Almighty also said: “We did not treat them unjustly, it was they who were unjust [to themselves] (by committing sins during their lifetime, they showed injustice to themselves)” (Ornaments, 76). The Almighty also said: “He (will have a reward for) what he has acquired (good deeds for which a reward is promised), and what he has acquired (bad deeds that entail punishment) will (turn against him)” (Cow, 286 ). The Almighty also said: “If you do good, then do it for yourself, and if you do bad, then (to the detriment of) yourself” (Night Journey, 7). The Almighty also said: “... and no one will bear the burden (of the sins) of another” (Scotus, 164), and other similar verses can be cited, but whoever said what you repeated goes against what is said in the Koran and speaks of the obligatory punishment for sin, committed by another, but his words are unfair! “Then al-Fadl asked him: “So what does this mean, may Allah have mercy on you?” In response, Abu Hanifa said: “We believe that this concerns only such an illegitimate child who will commit not only adultery, like his parents, but also other bad deeds such as murder, theft, and so on. They also say that he will be the worst of the three if what his parents committed is limited to adultery, and he falls into unbelief. And since unbelief is worse than adultery, they say that he is the worst of the three.” After listening to him, al Fadl bin ‘Atiyya said: “This is knowledge!” - and then asked his son Muhammad: “Did you hear?” As for Abu Hanifa, he said: “Oh, Muhammad, if a person wants to study hadith, but does not strive to study their interpretation and knowledge of their meaning, his efforts will be in vain, and this will bring him harm,” and after that Muhammad bin Al Fadl began to often come to Abu Hanifa.”
Makki bin Ibrahim, one of the sheikhs of al-Bukhari, is reported to have said:
“I was engaged in trade, and the imam told me: “Trade without knowledge spoils relationships between people,” and then he taught me until I gained knowledge. And since then, every time I remember the imam and his words during my prayers, I turn to Allah with prayers to grant him good, for thanks to him the gates of knowledge have opened before me.”
The need to devote oneself entirely to the acquisition of knowledge
Imam Abu Hanifa said to his best student Abu Yusuf, may Allah Almighty have mercy on both of them: “First of all, engage in the search for knowledge, then - the acquisition of lawful wealth, and then - the search for a wife, for, verily, if first, instead of the search for knowledge, you engage in the acquisition of wealth , then you will not be able to seek knowledge. Wealth will encourage you to buy slaves and male slaves, and you will become bogged down in the affairs of the world below.” Then the Imam said to him: “And when you acquire wealth, take care of the affairs of marriage and treat your wife as I told you. In addition, you should fear Allah Almighty, return what was entrusted, show sincerity towards all people (showing them the path to what will benefit them in the eternal world and in earthly life), and not treat them with disdain. Respect them, communicate with them less, unless they themselves strive to communicate with you, and when meeting with them, examine issues of fiqh, and then those interested in this will engage in the comprehension of knowledge, and those who are not interested in this will begin to shun you even when this way they will neither be angry with you nor surround you.”
About how the imam taught and raised his students.
Abu Sulayman al Juzjani said:
“Allah made it easier for Abu Hanifa to comprehend fiqh, and he was well versed in its subtleties. When the imam discussed this or that issue with his followers, they spoke a lot and loudly, touching various areas knowledge, while Abu Hanifa remained silent. When Abu Hanifa began to explain what they were discussing, everyone fell silent, and it seemed as if there was no one in the meeting, despite the fact that there were fiqh experts and famous scholars there. Once Abu Hanifa spoke, and everyone present remained silent, but when he finished speaking, one of them said: “Glory to the One who made everyone listen to you attentively!”
Abu Sulayman also said: “Abu Hanifa was amazing person, and only those who were unable to understand him did not want to listen to his words.”
One day, Sufyan bin 'Uyaina, who was passing by the mosque where Abu Hanifa and his followers were, heard loud voices and said: “O Abu Hanifa, this is a mosque, and you should not raise your voice here,” to which the imam replied: “Leave them, because otherwise they cannot comprehend fiqh.”
“One rainy day, we, along with other followers of the Imam, among whom were Dawud at Ta'i, 'Afiya al Audi, al Qasim bin Ma'n al Mas'udi, Hafs bin Ghiyas an Naha'i, Wukai' bin al Jarrah, Malik bin Mugawvil, Zufar bin al Huzail and others gathered at Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, who came out to meet us and said: “You have brought joy to my heart and dispelled its sadness. I have saddled and bridled the fiqh for you, and you can ride on it if you wish. And I caused people to follow you around, waiting for you to say something, and I made them subject to you. There is no one among you who is not suitable for the position of judge, and ten of you can become teachers of judges. I ask you for the sake of Allah and the great knowledge that He has given you, do not allow this knowledge to be humiliated! If one of you is put to the test and is offered the position of judge, but he knows that he has a shortcoming that Allah has hidden from His other servants, let him remember that he cannot be a judge, and his lot will not be good; if internally he is the same as externally, then he can be a judge and his lot will be good. And if necessity forces him to become a judge, let him under no circumstances separate himself from people, and attend common prayers, and before each prayer ask if anyone needs anything, and after evening prayer, ask about it three times and only then goes home. If he falls ill and is unable to perform his duties, he will not have to receive his allowance during his illness.”
An excellent warning against vanity
Fadl bin Ghanim is reported to have said:
“When Abu Yusuf fell ill, the imam visited him several times. Once, seeing that the patient was in in serious condition, Abu Hanifa said: “I hoped that after my death you would replace me for Muslims, and, truly, with your death a lot of knowledge will disappear from the world!” After this, the recovered Abu Yusuf began to have a very high opinion of himself and gathered a circle of people in his mosque who wrote down his words. Having learned about this, the Imam sent a man to him and told him to ask Abu Yusuf: “What do you say about a fabric bleacher who at first does not want to admit that an item belongs to another, and then brings the bleached item to the owner and demands payment?” And the imam said: “And if he answers: “He should be paid,” say: “You are mistaken,” and if he answers: “You should not,” also say: “You are mistaken.” This man did just that, after which Abu Yusuf immediately appeared to Abu Hanifa, who told him: “You have come only because of the question about the whitener. Glory be to Allah! A person who talks about religion and gathers disciples, but cannot correctly answer one of the questions regarding payment, is worthy of surprise!” Then Abu Yusuf asked: “Teach me,” and Abu Hanifa said: “If he bleached until failure, you should pay, because he bleached for the owner, but if he bleached after, then you should not pay, because he did it for himself.” " Then the Imam said: “Let the person who thinks that he has nothing more to learn mourn for himself.”
Each lesson must be taught by a teacher
Students should not teach each other and no one except teachers can instill in them a love of knowledge.
One day Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, was told: “People who study fiqh gather in this mosque.” He asked: “Do they have an elder?” They answered him: “No,” and then he said: “They will never learn anything, for they may make a mistake, but will not know about it, and will go against the truth, thinking that they are doing good.”
About sincerity in knowledge, the desire to identify truth and save time
It is reported that Yahya bin Shayban, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, said:
“Once Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, saw that his son Hammad was arguing with some of the imam’s students on issues of kalam, forbade them to engage in this, and when they told him: “We saw how you yourself had such disputes, which you forbid us to conduct,” the imam, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, replied: “We argued as carefully as if birds were sitting on our heads, because we were afraid that our comrade would make a mistake, and you are arguing, wanting your comrade made a mistake, and the one who wants this wants his companion to fall into unbelief.”
Yazid bin al Qumait is reported to have said:
“Once, when the imam was arguing with some person, this person said: “Fear Allah!” Hearing these words, the imam became gloomy, trembled, lowered his head and said: “Oh, my brother, may Allah reward you with goodness! Most of all, people need someone who would remind them of Allah Almighty at such moments when they admire themselves, talking about knowledge, so that they do their deeds for the sake of Allah. Know that whenever I spoke about knowledge, I always remembered that Allah would require an answer from me, and I always strived for salvation.”
Abu Shihab al Hannat is reported to have said:
“I heard Abu Hanifa say: “Whoever acquires knowledge for the sake of this world will be deprived of the grace of knowledge, which will not be established in his heart and will not benefit anyone. For the one who acquired knowledge for the sake of religion, it will become blessed and established in his heart, and those who learn from him will benefit from his knowledge.”
The Imam revered knowledge and knew its value
It is reported that Ismail bin Hammad bin Abu Hanifa said: “When the son of Abu Hanifa learned to recite Surah Al Fatiha well, he gave his teacher five hundred dirhams.” In his book known as Al Kamil, Ibn Jabbar adds to this that the teacher asked: “Why was this sent to me?” And then Abu Hanifa himself came to this teacher, who apologized to him and said: “Oh so and so, do not consider small what you taught my son, for, I swear by Allah, if we had more, we would have given you this too.” out of respect for the Koran!
On the need to demonstrate adab, respect for knowledge
It is reported that Imam Malik, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, transmitted hadith only after he performed a complete ablution, anointed himself with incense and put on his best clothes. In addition, for the sake of preserving knowledge and out of respect for hadith, he did not give fatwas when he was on the road.
Many muhaddith also did not transmit hadith while on the road, but did so only during special meetings, not allowing those who did anything inappropriate to attend them.
It is reported that 'Abd al 'Aziz bin Muslim said:
“At one time, I met Abu Hanifa in Mina, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, greeted him and asked him to convey to me the hadith that talks about cow's milk. Hearing my words, he exclaimed: “Glory be to Allah! The desire makes them neglect decency! Knowledge has dignity and greatness, but the one who strives for knowledge does not know how to behave! Wait until tomorrow for what you need.” The next day I came too early, and again he did not tell me anything, and then I did something else, but I never heard this hadith.”
Knowledge is given to those who strive for it
Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, admonished his students only from time to time, fearing that his instructions might bore them. Musawir bin al Warraq is reported to have said:
“Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, said: “Do not talk about fiqh with someone who does not want to comprehend it, for otherwise you will only cause torment to both this person and your other interlocutors. Do not return to a conversation with someone who interrupts you, for such a person is devoid of love for knowledge and has little education.” And the imam often said: “The Quran is the word of Allah, above which you cannot rise.”
Prohibition of asserting anything without knowledge
Allah Almighty said: “And do not follow what you have no knowledge about: verily, hearing, sight and heart, they will all be asked about it!” (Night Journey, 36).
It is reported that one man's head was broken, and when he had a wet dream in his sleep, his companions advised him to perform a complete ablution, and he performed it and died. Having learned about this, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “They destroyed him, may Allah strike them! Why didn't they ask if they didn't know? Truly, the cure for illness can be found through questions.”
It is reported that Abu Yusuf, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, said:
“Once, when I was listening to Abu Hanifa, someone asked him: “Who is more worthy: Alqama or al Aswad?” to which he gave the following answer: “I swear by Allah, my position is such that out of respect for them I cannot even mention their names without turning to Allah with prayers and requests for forgiveness for them, so how can I give to anyone their preference?!” Abu Hanifa said: “He who talks about knowledge neglects himself and his religion, believing that Allah Almighty will not ask him: “What did you say about the religion of Allah Almighty?” And then Abu Yusuf said: “Abu Hanifa became the successor of those who lived before, but, I swear by Allah, he did not leave behind him on earth like himself!”
Conclusion
Such was this great scientist, the faqih of the Muslim community and the greatest imam Abu Hanifa an Nu'man bin Thabit, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him and may He be pleased with him. He was a true expert in fiqh and hadith, and stood out among everyone for his worship, piety, worthy character, good manners, useful knowledge and sincere desire to pass it on to people.
How much a great example served Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, and what a wonderful imam he was! May Allah Almighty have mercy on him, and may He be pleased with him, and may He exalt him in paradise under the banner of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and greet him, along with the Prophets, the most truthful, those who died for the faith and the righteous! Amine!
Main characteristics
NAME ABU (Әbu)
MEANING OF THE NAME ABU
Origin of the name(Arabic, Semitic, Muslim, Turkic, Tatar, Kazakh)
General characteristics of the name “Abu”
The name "Abu" is of Arabic origin and means "father". Used as an independent name and as part of a compound. IN Arab countries the particle "abu" is used as a descending patronymic for a firstborn son, while the word "ibn" is an ascending patronymic. A man named Abu is an ambitious person, prone to grand gestures. At the same time, people named Abu are active and start new things with great enthusiasm.
Abu in the family
In his youth, Abu can be quite amorous and has fickle feelings. In relationships with women, Abu often manifests himself as a selfish nature and stingy with emotions, so a woman who wants to build with him strong family, must learn to fade into the background in time and adapt to her husband. However, his wife forgives Abu for his self-centeredness, since otherwise he is an excellent family man, caring and reliable. For Abu, the well-being of the family often comes to the fore. Abu can be a strict and at times even harsh father, but the children unquestioningly obey and respect him.
Abu in business, in society
Abu knows how to handle money. When choosing a profession, he usually realizes his childhood love for exact sciences And scientific approach. Abu will make a good engineer, designer, Researcher, teacher with scientific degree, lawyer, programmer. In addition, there is a chance that Abu will line up successful career V security forces: in the police, in criminal investigation departments, in army units. Abu is one of those men who methodically, point by point, implement youthful plans, realizing adult life and comprehending all the wisdom of the chosen specialty, becoming a master of his craft.
Characteristics for children
Abu as a child
Courage - distinguishing feature a boy named Abu. When he gets carried away, Abu is capable of taking unnecessary risks, so it is important for adults to control him. Abu strives to become an adult as soon as possible. This boy is struggling to hold back his tears because his dad once told him that men don't cry. Often, studying at school does not present any particular difficulties for Abu. The boy feels quite free and relaxed among his classmates and teachers, he likes the atmosphere of competition and Abu will try not to miss the chance to prove that he is capable of much. He is often seriously interested in sports, winning awards in various tournaments and competitions of strength and agility.
Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, was brought up in Kufa in a rich, pious and noble family and, most likely, was the only son of his parents. His father traded silk in his shop in Kufa, which was inherited by his son after his death. Like some other educated and righteous people, he memorized the Koran as a child. Most likely, he did not study with any of the scholars or attend their circles, but sat in his father’s shop until he met al-Sha’bi, a scholar from among the followers. This meeting opened the path to great good for the imam, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him.
When he was 16 years old, his father took him with him to Mecca and Medina to perform the Hajj and visit the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his mosque.
Comprehension of science began for him with the study of the foundations of religion and discussions with atheists and those who fell into error. For this purpose, he came to Basra more than twenty-seven times, where he debated, defending the Sharia from everything dubious and what the lost wanted to associate it with. This continued until Abu Hanifa gained great fame, although he was only 20 years old. From that time on, a circle of his students began to gather in the mosque of Kufa, who were engaged in the study of such sciences.
Since Allah was pleased to bring Abu Hanifah himself, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, and with him all Muslims to great good, the imam began studying fiqh. The reason for this is mentioned in the report of Zufar, who reported that he heard Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, say:
“I practiced kalam until I became very famous. One day, when we were sitting near the circle of Hammad bin Abu Sulayman, a woman came up to me and said: “A man who has a wife wants to divorce her in accordance with the sunnah. How many times should he give her a divorce?” I told her to ask Hammad about this, and then come back and tell me everything. She asked this question to Hammad and he said: “He should give her a divorce once after her period and not have sexual intercourse with her. Then he should wait for the completion of two more menstrual cycles so that together with the first cycle a total of three have passed, and after she has performed complete ablution, she will be allowed to marry another.” After listening to him, the woman returned and conveyed Hammad’s words to me, and I said: “I have no need for kalam,” after which I took my sandals, sat down next to Hammad and began to listen to the questions that he analyzed, memorizing his words. The next day he dealt with the same questions that I remembered, while his students were wrong, and he said: “Let no one sit in the center of the circle next to me except Abu Hanifa.”
How Abu Hanifa treated his Sheikh Hammad
Since then, Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, relentlessly followed his Sheikh Hammad, who taught him fiqh until, thanks to his memory and education, he surpassed his peers and those who joined the sheikh’s circle before him, thanks to to which the sheikh brought him closer to him and began to seat Abu Hanifa in the center of the circle. His attitude towards the sheikh was worthy of surprise. So, for example, he came to the sheikh’s house and waited at the door until he went out for prayer or for some business, after which Abu Hanifa began to ask him questions and accompanied him. When the sheikh went out on his business, he served him, and when Abu Hanifa was sitting at home, he did not even stretch his legs towards the house of his Sheikh Hammad, but when Abu Hanifa prayed, he turned to Allah with prayers for his sheikh and his parents .
He spent eighteen years in this position until the death of Hammad, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, and after his death, the Sheikh’s students made a unanimous decision that Sheikh Hammad would be replaced by Abu Hanifa, and they would continue to learn from him, and he became the best successor to the wonderful predecessor.
Sheikh Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on them all
Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, had a lot of sheikhs. Some of them are listed below:
1. Ibrahim bin Muhammad al Muntashir al Kufi.
2. Ibrahim bin Yazid an Naha'i al Kufi.
3. Ismail bin Hammad bin Abu Sulayman al Kufi.
4. Ayyub as Sikhtiyani al Basri.
5. Abu Hind al Harith bin ‘Abd ar Rahman al Hamadani al Kufi.
6. Rabi'a bin 'Abd ar Rahman al Madani.
7. Salim bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.
Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, developed his own method of formulating questions for ijtihad, which was as follows. Meeting with his students, he invited those who knew among them to consider this or that issue; at the same time, everyone had to present their arguments and provide the necessary, in their opinion, arguments in support of their point of view. After this, Abu Hanifa commented on the statements of his students, supporting them with references to the Quran and the Sunnah or arguments of reason and approving the judgments of those who found the right solution, and sometimes it took several days to formulate one such question. Such teaching was free in nature, the opinions of all those present were listened to with due respect, and the discussion gave food to the minds of the students and at the same time emphasized the knowledge and dignity of the teacher, and after this or that issue in the field of fiqh was resolved by such a method, it was difficult to subject it to criticism, not to mention declaring the decision made invalid, but only Allah leads to the right path and leads to good.
Al Muwaffaq al Makki said:
“When developing the provisions of his madhhab, Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, consulted with his students and followers and did not act solely at his own discretion. He practiced ijtihad, showing exceptional sincerity towards Allah, His Messenger and all believers in general. Considering issue after issue, he comprehensively discussed each of them, listened to the opinions of his followers, spoke out himself and spent a month or more in discussions with them until he finally decided on one or another judgment, after which all this was written down by Qadi Abu Yusuf. If any question seemed difficult to Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, he would tell his followers: “The only reason is that I committed some sin,” and began to ask Allah for forgiveness, and sometimes began to pray, thanking to which he found a solution, and then said: “I hope that my repentance is accepted.” Having learned about this, al Fudayl bin ‘Iyyad burst into tears, and then said: “This is because he has few sins, and others do not attach importance to this!”
The most outstanding students of Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him
Allah the Almighty also honored the imam by the fact that, by His will, Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, had great students, with whom the imam resolved issues and developed the principles of fiqh, which allowed him to avoid mistakes in cases where he was close to their completion.
In the life of Yahya bin Zakariya bin Abu Zayed, which is given in the book of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Qurashi entitled “Al Jawahir al Mudiyya”, it is reported that Asad bin al Furat said:
“The followers of Abu Hanifa who wrote down the notes numbered 40, and the ten most prominent included Abu Yusuf, Zufar, Dawud at Ta'i, Asad bin 'Amr, Yusuf bin Khalid as Samti and Yahya bin Zakariya."
Sheikh Ahmad al Makki al Khorezmi mentioned that there were 730 transmitters of the words of the imam from among the major ulema, each of whom was a Muslim sheikh, and all these people transmitted his words and hadiths transmitted by the imam in different parts of the world.
About the respect of Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, for his students, and how he encouraged people to seek knowledge
It is reported from the words of as Saimari that Qadi Shurayk said:
“Abu Hanifa was silent for a long time, thought a lot, carefully considered issues of fiqh, had an excellent command of subtle research methods and did not demand any tuition fees. If the student was poor, he supported both the student and his family at his own expense, and when the training was completed, he said: “Having learned what is permitted and forbidden, you have acquired the greatest wealth.” He was distinguished by great intelligence and argued little with them.”
In his book on the merits of Abu Hanifa al Qardari reports that Abu Yusuf, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, said:
“I studied hadith, but I didn’t have much money. When I was with Imam Abu Hanifa, my father came to me and told me: “Oh, son, do not be equal to him, for he is an experienced man, and you need him!” And then I decided to obey my father and stopped devoting so much time to the search for knowledge. Grabbing me, the imam began to ask about me, and when he saw me, he asked: “What made you leave us?” I answered: “Looking for money,” and when the people returned and I wanted to leave, he gave me a wallet with a hundred dirhams and said: “Spend this money, and when it runs out, let me know and do not leave this circle.” After a while he gave me another hundred dirhams, and every time the money ran out, he gave me more, as if he was informed that it had been spent, although I did not tell him anything, and this continued until I I didn’t learn everything I was striving to know. May Allah’s reward be wonderful for him and may He forgive him!”
This book also contains the following story:
“Al Hassan bin Ziyad, who constantly followed the imam, was poor, and his father told him: “We have daughters, but there is no son except you, so take care of them.” Having learned about this, the imam allocated him the necessary funds and said: “Practice fiqh, for, truly, I have never seen a needy fuqih.”
Shakiq bin Ibrahim is reported to have said:
“Once Abu Hanifa said to Ibrahim bin Adham: “O Ibrahim, you have been given the ability to engage in worship, so do not forget about knowledge, for, truly, knowledge is at the head of worship and is its basis.”
Abu Yusuf is reported to have said:
“One day after morning prayer, Abu Hanifa was asked various questions, and he answered them. One of those present said: “Previously, at such a time, it was considered undesirable to talk about anything other than good.” To this Abu Hanifa said: “Is there a greater good than this? After all, when they say that one thing is permissible and another is forbidden, this removes people from sins, and when the bag runs out of travel supplies, its owner begins to starve.” In order to gain knowledge, understanding is necessary, and sometimes it happens that the person transmitting knowledge is not himself a faqih, but what benefit can medicine bring to someone who does not know it?
Abu Raja al Harawi said:
“I heard Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, say: “A person who strives to study hadith, but is not capable of reflection, is like a pharmacist who collects medicines, but remains in the dark about what they are needed for, until he until the doctor comes."
Muhammad bin Shuja' al Marwazi is reported to have said:
“Once, when al Fadl was with Abu Hanifa, the imam asked him: “Who does your son Muhammad go to?” He replied: “He goes to different muhaddis and writes down what they say.” Abu Hanifa said: “Bring him to me so that I can see what he has achieved.” When al-Fadl brought his son, Abu Hanifa began to speak softly to him, ordered him to come closer and asked: “Oh, Muhammad, to whom do you go and whose words are you writing down?” He answered the question of the imam, who saw the book on him and said: “Give it to me,” and the young man did so. The Imam opened it, saw that on the first page it was written: “A child born out of wedlock is the worst of the three,” and asked: “O Muhammad, what do the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) mean: “A child born out of wedlock is the worst of the three”? He replied: “He is as it is said in the hadith.” Hearing this, the Imam exclaimed: “Truly, we belong to Allah! You attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) something unacceptable and impermissible, for these words contradict the Book of Allah Almighty and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and are unfair! Allah Almighty said: “Every person (will become) a hostage to what he acquired” (Wrapped, 38). The Almighty also said: “...so that He will reward those who did evil for what they did...” (Star, 31). The Almighty also said: “... and (the reward will go to) a person only for what he did ...’’ (Star, 39). The Almighty also said: “And they will discover (there are records of everything) what they did, and your Lord will not offend anyone” (Cave, 49). The Almighty also said: “And We will establish just balances on the Day of Resurrection, and no one will be wronged in anything...” (Prophets, 47). The Almighty also said: “We did not treat them unjustly, it was they who were unjust [to themselves] (by committing sins during their lifetime, they showed injustice to themselves)” (Ornaments, 76). The Almighty also said: “He (will have a reward for) what he has acquired (good deeds for which a reward is promised), and what he has acquired (bad deeds that entail punishment) will (turn against him)” (Cow, 286 ) . The Almighty also said: “If you do good, then do it for yourself, and if you do bad, then (to the detriment of) yourself” (Night Journey, 7). The Almighty also said: “... and no one will bear the burden (sins) of another” (Scotus, 164), and other similar verses can be cited, but the one who said what you repeated goes against what is said in the Koran and speaks of the obligatory punishment for a sin committed by another, but his words are unfair!” Then al-Fadl asked him: “So what does this mean, may Allah have mercy on you?” In response, Abu Hanifa said: “We believe that this concerns only such an illegitimate child who will commit not only adultery, like his parents, but also other bad deeds such as murder, theft, and so on. They also say that he will be the worst of the three if what his parents committed is limited to adultery, and he falls into unbelief. And since unbelief is worse than adultery, they say that he is the worst of the three.” After listening to him, al Fadl bin ‘Atiyya said: “This is knowledge!” - and then asked his son Muhammad: “Did you hear?” As for Abu Hanifa, he said: “Oh, Muhammad, if a person wants to study hadith, but does not strive to study their interpretation and knowledge of their meaning, his efforts will be in vain, and this will bring him harm,” and after that Muhammad bin Al Fadl began to often come to Abu Hanifa.”
Makki bin Ibrahim, one of the sheikhs of al-Bukhari, is reported to have said:
“I was engaged in trade, and the imam told me: “Trade without knowledge spoils relationships between people,” and then he taught me until I gained knowledge. And since then, every time I remember the imam and his words during my prayers, I turn to Allah with prayers to grant him good, for thanks to him the gates of knowledge have opened before me.”
The need to devote oneself entirely to the acquisition of knowledge
Imam Abu Hanifa said to his best student Abu Yusuf, may Allah Almighty have mercy on both of them:
“First of all, engage in the search for knowledge, then - the acquisition of permitted wealth, and then - the search for a wife, for, verily, if first, instead of the search for knowledge, you engage in the acquisition of wealth, you will not be able to seek knowledge. Wealth will encourage you to buy slaves and male slaves, and you will become bogged down in the affairs of the world below.” Then the Imam said to him: “And when you acquire wealth, take care of the affairs of marriage and treat your wife as I told you. In addition, you should fear Allah Almighty, return what was entrusted, show sincerity towards all people (showing them the path to what will benefit them in the eternal world and in earthly life), and not treat them with disdain. Respect them, communicate with them less, unless they themselves strive to communicate with you, and when meeting with them, examine issues of fiqh, and then those interested in this will engage in the comprehension of knowledge, and those who are not interested in this will begin to shun you even when this way they will neither be angry with you nor surround you.”
About how the imam taught and raised his students.
Abu Sulayman al Juzjani said:
“Allah made it easier for Abu Hanifa to comprehend fiqh, and he was well versed in its subtleties. When the imam discussed this or that issue with his followers, they spoke a lot and loudly, touching on various areas of knowledge, while Abu Hanifa remained silent. When Abu Hanifa began to explain what they were discussing, everyone fell silent, and it seemed as if there was no one in the meeting, despite the fact that there were fiqh experts and famous scholars there. Once Abu Hanifa spoke, and everyone present remained silent, but when he finished speaking, one of them said: “Glory to the One who made everyone listen to you attentively!”
Abu Sulayman also said:
“Abu Hanifa was an amazing person, and only those who were unable to understand him did not want to listen to his words.”
One day Sufyan bin ‘Uyaina, who was passing by the mosque where Abu Hanifa was with his followers, heard loud voices and said:
“One rainy day, we, along with other followers of the Imam, among whom were Dawud at Ta'i, 'Afiya al Audi, al Qasim bin Ma'n al Mas'udi, Hafs bin Ghiyas an Naha'i, Wukai' bin al Jarrah, Malik bin Mugawvil, Zufar bin al Huzail and others gathered at Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, who came out to meet us and said: “You have brought joy to my heart and dispelled its sadness. I have saddled and bridled the fiqh for you, and you can ride on it if you wish. And I caused people to follow you around, waiting for you to say something, and I made them subject to you. There is no one among you who is not suitable for the position of judge, and ten of you can become teachers of judges. I ask you for the sake of Allah and the great knowledge that He has given you, do not allow this knowledge to be humiliated! If one of you is put to the test and is offered the position of judge, but he knows that he has a shortcoming that Allah has hidden from His other servants, let him remember that he cannot be a judge, and his lot will not be good; if internally he is the same as externally, then he can be a judge and his lot will be good. And if necessity forces him to become a judge, let him under no circumstances separate himself from people, and attend common prayers, and before each prayer ask if anyone needs anything, and after evening prayer, ask about it three times and only then goes home. If he falls ill and is unable to perform his duties, he will not have to receive his allowance during his illness.”
An excellent warning against vanity
Fadl bin Ghanim is reported to have said:
“When Abu Yusuf fell ill, the imam visited him several times. Once, seeing that the patient was in serious condition, Abu Hanifa said: “I hoped that after my death you would replace me for Muslims, and, truly, with your death a lot of knowledge will disappear from the world!” After this, the recovered Abu Yusuf began to have a very high opinion of himself and gathered a circle of people in his mosque who wrote down his words. Having learned about this, the Imam sent a man to him and told him to ask Abu Yusuf: “What do you say about a fabric bleacher who at first does not want to admit that an item belongs to another, and then brings the bleached item to the owner and demands payment?” And the imam said: “And if he answers: “He should be paid,” say: “You are mistaken,” and if he answers: “You should not,” also say: “You are mistaken.” This man did just that, after which Abu Yusuf immediately appeared to Abu Hanifa, who told him: “You have come only because of the question about the whitener. Glory be to Allah! A person who talks about religion and gathers disciples, but cannot correctly answer one of the questions regarding payment, is worthy of surprise!” Then Abu Yusuf asked: “Teach me,” and Abu Hanifa said: “If he bleached until failure, you should pay, because he bleached for the owner, but if he bleached after, then you should not pay, because he did it for himself.” " Then the Imam said: “Let the person who thinks that he has nothing more to learn mourn for himself.”
Each lesson must be taught by a teacher
Students should not teach each other and no one except teachers can instill in them a love of knowledge.
One day Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, was told:
“People who study fiqh gather in this mosque.” He asked: “Do they have an elder?” They answered him: “No,” and then he said: “They will never learn anything, for they may make a mistake, but will not know about it, and will go against the truth, thinking that they are doing good.”
About sincerity in knowledge, the desire to identify truth and save time
It is reported that Yahya bin Shayban, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, said:
“Once Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, saw that his son Hammad was arguing with some of the imam’s students on issues of kalam, forbade them to engage in this, and when they told him: “We saw how you yourself had such disputes, which you forbid us to conduct,” the imam, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, replied: “We argued as carefully as if birds were sitting on our heads, because we were afraid that our comrade would make a mistake, and you are arguing, wanting your comrade made a mistake, and the one who wants this wants his companion to fall into unbelief.”
Yazid bin al Qumait is reported to have said:
“Once, when the imam was arguing with some person, this person said: “Fear Allah!” Hearing these words, the imam became gloomy, trembled, lowered his head and said: “Oh, my brother, may Allah reward you with goodness! Most of all, people need someone who would remind them of Allah Almighty at such moments when they admire themselves, talking about knowledge, so that they do their deeds for the sake of Allah. Know that whenever I spoke about knowledge, I always remembered that Allah would require an answer from me, and I always strived for salvation.”
Abu Shihab al Hannat is reported to have said:
“I heard Abu Hanifa say: “Whoever acquires knowledge for the sake of this world will be deprived of the grace of knowledge, which will not be established in his heart and will not benefit anyone. For the one who acquired knowledge for the sake of religion, it will become blessed and established in his heart, and those who learn from him will benefit from his knowledge.”
The Imam revered knowledge and knew its value
It is reported that Ismail bin Hammad bin Abu Hanifa said:
“When the son of Abu Hanifa learned to read Surah Al Fatiha well, he presented his teacher with five hundred dirhams.” In his book known as Al Kamil, Ibn Jabbar adds to this that the teacher asked: “Why was this sent to me?” And then Abu Hanifa himself came to this teacher, who apologized to him and said: “Oh so and so, do not consider small what you taught my son, for, I swear by Allah, if we had more, we would have given you this too.” out of respect for the Koran!
On the need to demonstrate adab, respect for knowledge
It is reported that Imam Malik, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, transmitted hadith only after he performed a complete ablution, anointed himself with incense and put on his best clothes. In addition, for the sake of preserving knowledge and out of respect for hadith, he did not give fatwas when he was on the road.
Many muhaddith also did not transmit hadith while on the road, but did so only during special meetings, not allowing those who did anything inappropriate to attend them.
It is reported that 'Abd al 'Aziz bin Muslim said:
“At one time, I met Abu Hanifa in Mina, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, greeted him and asked him to tell me the hadith that talks about cow’s milk. Hearing my words, he exclaimed: “Glory be to Allah! The desire makes them neglect decency! Knowledge has dignity and greatness, but the one who strives for knowledge does not know how to behave! Wait until tomorrow for what you need.” The next day I came too early, and again he did not tell me anything, and then I did something else, but I never heard this hadith.”
Knowledge is given to those who strive for it
Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, admonished his students only from time to time, fearing that his instructions might bore them. Musawir bin al Warraq is reported to have said:
“Abu Hanifa, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, said: “Do not talk about fiqh with someone who does not want to comprehend it, for otherwise you will only cause torment to both this person and your other interlocutors. Do not return to a conversation with someone who interrupts you, for such a person is devoid of love for knowledge and has little education.” And the imam often said: “The Quran is the word of Allah, above which you cannot rise.”
Prohibition of asserting anything without knowledge
Allah Almighty said:
“And do not follow what you have no knowledge about: verily, hearing, sight and heart, they will all be asked about it!” (Night Journey, 36).
It is reported that one man's head was broken, and when he had a wet dream in his sleep, his companions advised him to perform a complete ablution, and he performed it and died. Having learned about this, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “They destroyed him, may Allah strike them! Why didn't they ask if they didn't know? Truly, the cure for illness can be found through questions.”
It is reported that Abu Yusuf, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, said:
“Once, when I was listening to Abu Hanifa, someone asked him: “Who is more worthy: Alqama or al Aswad?” to which he gave the following answer: “I swear by Allah, my position is such that out of respect for them I cannot even mention their names without turning to Allah with prayers and requests for forgiveness for them, so how can I give to anyone their preference?!” Abu Hanifa said: “He who talks about knowledge neglects himself and his religion, believing that Allah Almighty will not ask him: “What did you say about the religion of Allah Almighty?” And then Abu Yusuf said: “Abu Hanifa became the successor of those who lived before, but, I swear by Allah, he did not leave behind him on earth like himself!”
Conclusion
Such was this great scientist, the faqih of the Muslim community and the greatest imam Abu Hanifa an Nu'man bin Thabit, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him and may He be pleased with him. He was a true expert in fiqh and hadith, and stood out among everyone for his worship, piety, worthy character, good manners, useful knowledge and sincere desire to pass it on to people.
What a wonderful example Abu Hanifa set, may Allah Almighty have mercy on him, and what a wonderful imam he was! May Allah Almighty have mercy on him, and may He be pleased with him, and may He exalt him in paradise under the banner of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and greet him, along with the Prophets, the most truthful, those who died for the faith and the righteous! Amine!
Ijtihad is the activity of an authoritative expert on religion who has the right to independently resolve issues of a religious and legal nature for which there are no direct indications in the Koran and Sunnah. Only persons who had a perfect command of the Arabic language, knew the Koran and its interpretations by heart, had a good knowledge of the Sunnah and commentaries on it, and met a number of other requirements could engage in ijtihad.
