Imam Abu Hanifa - His Life, Opinions and Fiqh

It is related that when Zayd ibn ‘Ali Zayn al-‘Abidin rebelled against Hisham in 121 AH, Abu Hanifa said,
“His going forth resembles that of the Messenger of Allah on the Day of Badr.” He was asked, “Did you not
stay behind?” He said, “People’s trusts kept me from him. I offered them to Ibn Abi Layla but he did not
accept them. So I feared that I would die without them being known.” It is reported that he said about not
accompanying Zayd, “If I had known that people would not disappoint him as they did his father, I would
have striven with him because he is a true Imam. Nonetheless I helped him with my property and sent him
10,000 dirhams and told the messenger, ‘Give him my excuse.’” (al-Manaqib, al-Bazzazi, pt. 1, p. 55)
This indicates that he considered the rebellion against the Umayyads to be legally permissible when there
was a just Imam like Imam Zayd and that he wanted to bear arms with him. But the sources do not indicate
that he did not anticipate a good result. The action was correct, but nothing was achieved because of lack of
support. Nonetheless he supported him with money.
Imam Zayd’s rebellion ended in his death in 132 AH, after which his son Yahya rebelled in Khorasan in
135 AH and was also killed. Then ‘Abdullah ibn Yahya continued to pursue their cause and fought against the
general whom Marwan II sent to Yemen at the end of the Umayyad era, and he too was killed as had been the
fate of his fathers before him.
So this illustrates what Abu Hanifa thought of Zayd ibn ‘Ali and how he compared his expedition to that of
the Prophet at Badr. He considered him to be a just Imam and supported him financially so as not to be one of
those who stayed behind. He saw him slain, and then his son was killed after him and then his grandson as
well. It is likely that he was distressed by their deaths. When scholars are angry, their tongues can accomplish
what swords cannot. Their blows are stronger and sharper. What befell him from the Umayyad governor in
Iraq in 130 AH supports that. It is stated in al-Makki’s The Virtues of Abu Hanifa and in other sources and
history books that Yazid ibn ‘Umar ibn Hubayra, Marwan’s governor of Iraq, sought out Abu Hanifa to
appoint him qadi or to put him in charge of the exchequer. Sedition was rife at that time in Iraq, Khorasan and
Persia because of Abbasid agitators.
This is what al-Makki says about what happened:
Ibn Hubayra was the governor of Kufa for the Umayyads. There were seditions in Iraq and he
gathered the fuqaha’ of Iraq at his door, including Ibn Abi Layla, Ibn Shibrama, and Da’ud ibn Abi
Hind. He appointed each of them to high post. Then he sent for Abu Hanifa and wanted to put the seal
in his hand so that no document would be implemented except at the hand of Abu Hanifa. But Abu
Hanifa refused and Ibn Hubayra swore that if he did not accept, he would flog him.
Those fuqaha’ said to him, “We beseech you by Allah not to destroy yourself. We are your brothers
and we all are forced to comply in this business and can find no way to avoid it.”
Abu Hanifa said, “If he wanted me to restore the doors of the Wasit Mosque for him I would not
undertake to do it. What should I do when he wants me to write that a man should have his head cut
off and seal the document? By Allah, I will never become involved in that!”
“Let your companion alone.” said Ibn Abi Layla to the others. “He is right and others are wrong.”
The authorities imprisoned Abu Hanifa and he was flogged on consecutive days. The flogger came
to Ibn Hubayra and told him, “The man will die.”
Ibn Hubayra said, “Tell him: ‘We will banish anyone who lies to us.’”
He asked Abu Hanifa to submit but he said, “If he were to ask me to restore the doors of the mosque
for him, I would not do it.”
Then the flogger met with Ibn Hubayra again who said, “Is there no sincere adviser of this prisoner
to ask me for a reprieve which we can grant him?”
That was mentioned to Abu Hanifa who said, “Let me consult my brothers.” He did so and Ibn
Hubayra commanded that he be let go and he went Makka in 139 AH. He remained in Makka until
the Abbasids came and then returned to Kufa during the time of al-Mansur.”
So al-Makki and others mention that Ibn Hubayra offered a post to Abu Hanifa and he refused. He thought
that Ibn Hubayra wanted to appoint him to some office to confirm his loyalty or prove his suspicions against
him. He offered him the seal but Abu Hanifa refused. He asked him to accept a general post but he refused
even though he was severely beaten until his head was swollen and breathing became difficult for him. He did
not weaken or weep until he learned that his mother was grieved by what had happened to him. Then his eyes
filled with tears as he was pained by her pain and compassionate on her behalf. Such is the truly strong
person; he is not concerned for himself but only concerned for others.