Imam Abu Hanifa - His Life, Opinions and Fiqh

“Who are you?” “One of the people of Kufa,” he replied. He said, “From the people of a city who have
divided their deen into parties?” “Yes,” he replied. ‘Ata’ inquired, “From which are you?” He replied, “From
those who do not curse the Salaf or hold Qadarite views and do not consider a person an unbeliever on
account of a wrong action.” ‘Ata’ said, “You are correct, so stay.” He also went to Malik and discussed fiqh
with him, and he met al-Awza‘i and had discussions with him. That is how he acted when he travelled. He
would present his fatwas and listen to criticism of them and analyse them to see where they were weak.
He was an observant man and, from the time of his youth, was fond of debate and argument in the quest of
knowledge. He used to go to Basra, the home of Islamic sects, and debate with their leaders and argue with
them about their views. It is reported that he debated with twenty-two sects, arguing in defence of Islam. It is
related that once he debated with the Dahrites [materialist atheists] and in order to call their attention to the
necessity of a Creator of the universe, he asked them, “What do you say about someone who tells you, ‘I saw
a laden ship full of goods and cargo which it bore across the deep seas through crashing waves and veering
winds, travelling straight through them without any sailor to direct and guide it or helmsman to move it’?
Would that be logically possible?” “No,” they said, “this is not logically possible and cannot be imagined.”
Abu Hanifa said, “Glory be to Allah! If the existence of a ship on an even keel without a mariner or helmsman
is not conceivable, how can it be possible for this world with all its different circumstances, changing matters
and actions, and vast expanse to be without a Maker, Preserver and Originator?”
His arguments on dogma refined his thought and honed his perception. His thought was further refined by
the debates he had about fiqh in every place he travelled – Makka, Madina and all the areas of the Hijaz where
there were debates about fiqh. He learned hadiths which he did not know before, aspects of analogy which
perhaps he had not thought of, and the fatwas of the Companions.
Abu Hanifa’s method in teaching was like that of his studying; it was not simply giving lessons to students.
So a question would be presented and he would give it to his students and argue with them about its ruling.
Each would give his opinions and mention the analogies relevant to it, as Muhammad ash-Shaybani reports,
and dispute his ijtihad. They might shout at one another until there was a veritable uproar, as was mentioned
by Mis‘ar ibn Kidam. After they had examined the matter from all sides, he would indicate the opinion arrived
at by this study and its distillation and all would affirm it and be pleased with it. Studying in this fashion
instructs both the teacher and student. Its benefit for the teacher does not lessen its benefit for the student. Abu
Hanifa continued to teach like this which made him a seeker of knowledge until he died. His knowledge was
continually growing and his thinking ever moving.
When a hadith was presented to him, he would point out the chief judgements which it contained and
elucidate them. Then he would ramify the questions which concurred with the principles involved. That is
what he considered fiqh to be. He said, “The like of the one who seeks hadith and does not learn fiqh is like
the apothecary who has the tools but does not know what medicine to prepare. So the seeker of hadith does
not know the value of his hadith until the faqih comes.”
To summarise, he debated with his students and cared for them in three separate ways. Firstly, he
supported them with his wealth, helping them in their difficulties such as when someone needed to marry but
did not have the necessary funds. He would send money to each student according to his need. Sharik said
about him, “He was wealthy as well as having knowledge and spent his wealth on himself and his dependants.
When he taught, he stated, ‘I have achieved the greatest wealth by knowing the lawful and unlawful.’”
Secondly, he paid attention to his students and carefully observed them. When he found an aptitude for
knowledge mixed with delusion in one of them, he removed the delusion from him by tests which showed him
that he was still in need of more knowledge which others had.
It is related that Abu Yusuf, his student and companion, felt that he should have his own place to teach.
Abu Hanifa told one of those with him, “Go to the assembly of Ya‘qub (Abu Yusuf) and ask him, ‘What do
you do about the case of a man who gives a fuller a garment to bleach for two dirhams and then asks for his
garment back and the fuller says he has no knowledge of it? Then he returns again and asks for it and is given
it bleached. Is the fuller paid?’ If he says he is, tell him, he is wrong. If he says he is not, tell him he is
wrong.” The man went to him and asked him and he said, “Yes, he has a wage.” He said, “You are wrong.”
He waited a time and then said “No, he does not.” He said, “You are wrong.” He went immediately to Abu
Hanifa and said, “The question of the fuller must have come from you, so tell me about it.” He replied, “If the
bleaching took place after the misappropriation, he has no wage because he did it for himself. If it was before
that he has the wage because he bleached it for its owner.”