The lives of the four Imams #02 – Imam Abu Haneefa

What is interesting is that Imam Abu Hanifa, his initial interest was not in fact, it was in something called canal canal is literally in reference to the science of discourse, which deals with trying to firmly establish their religious beliefs by reducing the proofs and banishing the doubt, that's the science of color.

So Imam Abu Hanifa wanted to debate with the deviant wants to argue a case for Islam to defend it. And he visited the city of Barcelona in Iraq, no less than 27 times for this very purpose to defend the religion to argue a case for orthodox Islam. So he debated people like Jeremy Musa one, he debated the Marta Zilla, the Hawaii bridge and other sects. And so by around the age of 20 years old,

Abu Hanifa had just become an internationally recognized figure he was a star.

Turning to the turning point now in the life of Imam Abu Hanifa, from the field of Kalam to the field of fic, the study of the halal and haram How did that happen? It was during a study circle. When he was teaching and a woman she came to him and she asked him a faith based question about divorce. He didn't know how to answer it. So he referred her to another nearby study circle within the same masjid, which was led by a man called Hamid Ibnu, Abu Sulayman.

And he said to the woman, tell him

to tell me and he said to the woman, when you get the answer, come and tell me what the answer is.

So she came to Abu Hanifa. And she said, I asked him the question, this was the answer that he gave me. Then Abu Hanifa said his same statement, I have just lost interest for color. And so he picked up his shoes. And he made his way to the other side of the mosque. And he said in the fifth study circle of handmade

he sat in the study circle of handmade for a staggering 18 years, serving Him for the duration of the whole period. And not leaving his side till have not had passed away. And her mad, he realized that in front of him was not a normal human being. This was a model of a human being. Hanifa was memorizing what he was teaching word for word and others other students were forgetting, and so hammered. He said, No one is to sit at the forefront of the Halaqaat of the study circle next to me, but Abu Hanifa.

Eventually, our Hanifa became his deputy, teaching in the place of his teacher, when her mad was absent. And then our Hanifa formally succeeded her mad in that study circle in Kufa, what Hannah had passed away. But before her mother had died, there was a very interesting happening that took place between Abu Hanifa and his teacher had mad.

And this happened around 10 years into the study of Abu Hanifa. With his teacher Hamad Abu Hanifa himself, he narrates the story, he said, I accompanied him

for 10 years. After those 10 years passed, my soul began to yearn for a position of authority. He's being honest with himself, I want the position of authority. I've been studying for 10 years. So it occurred to me that maybe I should now break away from her mad study circle, and just set up my own study circle in the masjid. On one evening, I made my way to the mosque with the intention of doing just that to break away I just started my own study circle already. It's been 10 years, but when I saw have not my teacher

couldn't do it.

During that evening, when we were studying with him, news was conveyed to him that a relative of his imbeciles in Iraq had just passed away, and that this relative had left behind him as some of wealth and that hammered was his only inheritor.

So he instructed me Abu Hanifa to go and sit in his place to teach Subhan Allah Have you ever had if awaited, so it came naturally from ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada. So Hannah, the left, and the students, they began to ask me questions of Hanifa said, and they began to ask me questions that I had not heard the 100 answer before. So I would offer them answers, but I would write down the question and the answer for my own record to show him that when he comes back, two months later, Hamid came back. When I showed him the questions that people asked me and how I answered them, there were around 60 Questions hammered approved with my answers to 40 of them, and he disagreed with 20 of them. So I

vowed to myself that I will not leave his side till the day he passes away. Clearly, this is an ocean of knowledge. What was I think? Trying to take a position prematurely, Allahu Akbar.

See brothers and sisters at time

As a person may eagerly aspire for something, right, but you know, that going for it that that moment is not the right thing to do. You yearn for it, but you know, it's premature. So, you went and you exercise so much patience and then guess what happens? Lo and behold, the matter which you are heading towards, is now heading towards you. The time is now right, the outcome is now best. Now.

It is also important to note here before we proceed that Hamid was a scholar take note of this, who was taught by a man called Ibrahim on the high the main jurist of Iraq at his time, who was taught by a man called Al Khanna who was taught by Abdullah Hibino must hold the companion of the Prophet sallallaahu Selim, who was taught by the Messenger of Allah.

Therefore, the fifth of Imam Abu Hanifa, it has its roots in the earliest of traditions, and is a man of Wuhan ephah of trustworthiness and knowledge. And both of these things cannot be doubted about the great Imam Abu Hanifa.

What do we know of the personality and the manners of Imam Abu Hanifa?

I can tell you that he was a man of Zota meaning minimalism. You had pretty much renounced the world and all of his denials, and he was a man of what our meaning he was a person who would steer well away from the doubtful matters he was very cautious to protect his hereafter.

And look at the conversation between Abdullah Hebron Mubarak and Sophia no theory.

Abdullah in Iraq, he said to Sofia and Abu Hanifa is so distant from backstabbing. I mean, I have never even heard him backstab his enemies. What did Sofia and say he said something beautiful. He said one line up admin and use only to Allah has said to him,

he said walleye, Abu Hanifa is wiser than to allow a human being to walk away with his good deeds. Abu Hanifa backstab someone to allow him to walk away with his good deeds on the Day of Judgment. Abu Hanifa is smarter than doing that.

Abu Hanifa also promised himself that every time he takes an oath by Allah's Name Wallahi every time he takes an oath by Allah's Name, to give a dinar of gold in charities not on money, because he was training himself not to abuse oathtaking because it's involving Allah's name. Now as panela I'm sure you're thinking what I'm thinking this is so different to those who are using Allah's name for the pettiest of oats, and the lightest of all matters whether it's about food or games or an Allah He said, My father was a man of God your oats wife, although a mother comes to the name of Allah.

Allah Hanifa was also one of the most generous of people. He actually made a pledge with himself that every every dereham that he spends on his family, he will spend it equivalent in charity. Can we do that amazing Allahu Akbar.

What about the worship of Imam Abu Hanifa

This is a key quality that comes up every single time when passing over the pages of the biographies, biographies of the luminaries of our past, their worship was just on another level.

And this is the core purpose of knowledge. And if this knowledge is not doing this for a person,

then this person has fallen victim to the four elements, which the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sought protection of from Allah in his dua, when he would say memorize it Allahumma inni to becoming a Himalayan fat, woman, Elia will be nothing later Shiva will be doubting like Mr. Buddha, or Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge which is not beneficial, number one, and from a heart that is not humble itself to you, and from having a desire that is never satisfied and from making a dua that is not answered. Number one, you ought to be protecting me from knowledge that is not beneficial.

So you and I, we have to frequently ask ourselves this question in this age of information overload. It is true that my knowledge is growing, you may say, but is it causing me to grow?

And here I remember the words of a boy Jana Abdullah, Allah Itami me who would say even all t Amin and Ami Mala you have key for kunekune and now you're gonna oto Ng and Pharaoh, whoever gains knowledge that does not cause him to weep,

then this person has not gained beneficial knowledge. This was the advice of our predecessors to one another, apply it let it appear in your shoes in your vision in your lowering of the gaze in your Salah and your ambassador, Abu Qaida He will say to his students, a university and he either act as hola hola que Amen. For academics, Allahu wa. Mocha unto him. Be here. If Allah gives you a new bit of knowledge, then make sure you give this knowledge a new bit of worship.

And do not he said, make your main intention

to teach the knowledge that should not be your main intention to benefit others to teach your benefit is to remove ignorance from yourself and to worship Allah so if you don't even know you know, he would say either Academy either kinda now hurry, the hara Sufi hinwil, Aly, Laila Jurgen Firma osnaburgh Anguilla, the act to if I'm spending my hours during the day foolishly

and I'm spending my nights ignorantly what is the point of the knowledge I'm writing? He said, What is the point?

So exemplary bad. Exemplary worship was the hallmark of our predecessors and the sign of True Knowledge. May Allah give us the same number Hanifa was no exception. He carried out Hajj no less than 55 times.

And he would also pray the Fajr the dawn prayer without needing to renew his model from the creation of prayer at night for no less than 32 years, meaning what he didn't speak during that time. Know what I needed from Russia to veggie meat he didn't sleep. He was awake, worshipping Allah.

Miss Hara even Okidata. He said that I saw Imam Abu Hanifa performing the federal prayer that he would sit down until before noon, teaching was at six, seven hours, then he would remain in his place, teaching till sunset, then remain in his place after Salah to Asia light. So I said to myself, when does the Imam find any time to worship Allah? So I saw that the crowds began to lessen in the evening. So Hanifa made his way to the masjid. And he stood in prayer, all the way until the time for fetching from the night until fetcher. And he went into his house. He changed his clothes, he came back out for the Federal new dawn prayer. He said I monitored this behavior of Abu Hanifa.

And I only ever recall him fasting during the day or praying at night. May Allah forgives. You think we're speaking about all these years later for for no reason. That's why

some of his family members mother of his child, she said that Abu Hanifa would sleep just between the harasser that said he would sleep with the harasser in the summer, and in the winter, he would sleep lightly in the first part of the night in the masjid.

I know this may amaze some of us, and it is deserving of amazement. But brothers and sisters of Allah he this is the nature of the soul. This is the nature of the soul. It will become accustomed to whatever we get it used to. If you offer your soul excessive sleep, it starts to demand these quantities. If we discipline the soul, with patience with Doha with consistency, right, and we we train it to minimize its need for sleep, for example, in preparation for the lofty matters of life, the soul eventually will surrender to your wishes,

even if after some time. And maybe it's worth mentioning here that there is no doubt that when Allah subhanho wa Taala sees sincerity in a person and a genuine desire to live a life of goal, the high aspirations and vision setting Allah will facilitate it. Allah will facilitate it in your body, in your soul in your health and your Allah will facilitate it in ways that you cannot imagine show Allah the intention.

On the topic of Abu Hanifa has a bar that worship he wants to recited the Quran from cover to cover in one unit of Salah.

And what Khalifa would also complete the full re citation of the Quran from cover to cover once every three days.

And once Abu Hanifa spent the whole night in silent, repeating just one idea from the Quran over and over again as he wept and shed tears and repeating what was it the higher? Yes

Belissa to my wife was sad to other How much were Allah subhanaw taala said, but the Hour is their appointment. The Day of Judgment is their appointment and the hour is most disastrous and most bitter May Allah protect us and our families.

So a man of this type of work ethic, fear and consciousness of Allah, like Abu Hanifa must never be accused of purposely opposing a part of their religion. God forbid a staff Allah what do we know of the knowledge and the intelligence of Imam Abu Hanifa Imam Malik was asked he met Abu Hanifa they said to you have you have you seen other Hanifa Imam Malik he said Nam Yes. I told Julian no color McAfee has the history yet the annual gala Ha ha, la Cala bow jetty. He said, Look, I saw a man about Hanifa I saw a man

if he wanted to convince you that that pillar over there was made out of gold. He would be able to argue a case right? This was Abu Hanifa his argument was strong.

And Imam was Shafi he also wants said in praise of Imam Abu Hanifa look who was praising him. Map Allah but I had only Faker in the academy.

Allah and Allah subhana wa Denisa O Allah Raju in our country in Abu Hanifa. Every student of fic is dependent upon double Hadith. And a chauffeur, he said no human no woman has ever given birth to a man who was wiser than

in fact about Hanifa himself once saw himself in a in a dream Subhanallah he was exhuming the grief of the Prophet slicin Taking it out. So he sent to Muhammad in new city in the famous dream interpreter to get the stream interpreted, Muhammad mousseline when he heard this dream, he showed so much interest in it. And he said, who saw it, who saw it? And then he said, So I hate to have to hero. You have to? Let me speak who even he had the one who sold his dream. He spills over with knowledge in unprecedented ways. That's what it means.

What do we know of the manners of Imam Abu Hanifa Imam Abu Hanifa had a neighbor in Coover Iraq, and he would spend most of the night drinking. And then when he would become drunk, he would repeat the same couplets over and over again, what were the couplets of our own EUR USD on Ebola yummy curry hatin was a daddy theory, he would say, they have neglected me, they have neglected me, but what they have neglected, they shall realize they are lost during the times of war, he kept repeating that couplet, as if to say that no one has given me the attention I deserve, they have neglected me, but they will realize in war when I missing the title of them, they have neglected. He kept doing

this until he would fall asleep. Now seeing that Abu Hanifa spent the whole night in Salah he was awake, he caught his neighbor's racket from the beginning to the end each evening.

On one evening, I will Hanifa did not hear his noisy neighbor.

So he inquired about him and he discovered that he had been arrested by the city police because of drunkenness and they they taken him to be imprisoned.

And so on the next morning, Imam Abu Hanifa with all of these responsibilities and scholars coming to study with him as we shall find out about Hanifa he carried out his federal prayer. He mounted his right and he made his way to the governor.

And the governor when he set up a honey for he honored him, they know who this man is, in Abu Hanifa made a request, please can you free my neighbor. And so the governor of course honored this request this intercession of Imam Abu Hanifa He created him that he freed him and they freed all of those who had been imprisoned that evening as well.

So Imam, Abu Hanifa and the neighbor they were walking home, and when they arrived home, Abu Hanifa turned to his neighbor and he said to him, yeah, Fattah, Urbanek, young man, have I neglected you? You're always singing at night, right? They've neglected me, they forsaken me. He said, Young man, have I neglected you? And what did the neighbors say? He said, Love. But half of what I just asked Allah Who? And hormetic God, whatever I didn't have to he said, No, no, you have not. You have preserved you have safeguarded me. So may Allah subhanaw taala reward you for being such a good neighbor, and a guardian of this right? And this would mark the beginning of the repentance of this

man, and he would not return to his old ways again.

How beautiful were the words Dear brothers and sisters of Imam Hasan Basri who said about this idea of being neighborly and what does it mean? Is it about giving dishes or food to your neighbor as part of it but it hasn't he said, being neighborly is not simply about not harming your neighbor. being neighborly is about being patient towards harm your Allah may Allah give us this patient's

Imam Abu Hanifa was also a man of immense what are what are meaning caution. With respect to those doubtful matters he wouldn't take any risks pertaining to the hereafter never not not going to risk and he wants actually sent his business partner to sell an item of clothing worth $30,000 home and this item had a defect which Abu Hanifa made clear to his business partner that when you sell it you have to make it clear to the buyer beforehand that there is this problem with it. The item was sold the money was given to Abu Hanifa huge fortune, but then his partner said to him your Allah I have forgotten to tell him about that effect.

So at once Imam Abu Hanifa donated the entire 30,000 entire 30,000 This is what our this is what our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he said about it called What are you talking about the nerves. Be cautious. Be cautious in your conduct. And you will be in Allah's eyes, the most devout of all people

see a sign that Allah subhanaw taala wants to good for a Muslim

is that he inspires him or her to show great caution with respect to matters of religion. Caution with respect to the glances caution when choosing your words. cautious with your choice of dress and how you appear in public. cautious with respect to your finances caution

Caution.

An eye Isha. She said that my father Abu Bakr, radi, Allahu Anhu had a servant who would bring Abu back here from his earnings, which he would eat from.

And on one of those days, Abu Bakr was eating from what his servant brought him. Then the servant said, Do you know where I got this from? Abubaker said, No, I don't. He said,

cool to take a hand to the insane infringer Helia. One or officinal.

In the Annika Datto. He said, once in the days of pre Islamic period of ignorance, I told somebody about his future fortune telling. I told him about his future, although in reality, I have no knowledge of fortune telling. But I cheated him. And when he met me, he gave me some money for the service that I conned them into accepting. And so this is what you're eating from our backyard. What are the work of do?

He wedged his finger into the back of his throat and vomited everything that he had eaten.

No delay, no searching on internet trying to find the fat around it. Instantly he got it out of his system. That's it.

In other narrations, it mentioned that we could actually try to induce from it and he failed. So he began to drink water until his belly was full. Then he tried again, and he vomited and again and vomited till nothing was coming out there when he finished he raised his hands and he said Allahumma in the RTD row in a Cami. Mahama let you know who wahala hula, Oh Allah, I apologize to you for what remains in my veins and has passed into my intestines.

I think they said to him, may Allah have mercy on you, I will back at you do all of this to yourself because of one mouthful. You do all of this because of one mouthful of American who said

loan them to coach in their mind FC Raja to her. If this food was only going to leave my body with the departure of my soul, meaning I had to die, I would have still made sure that it fits my body. And that is because I heard the prophets of Allah Allah who was an MC couldn't know Jessa didn't know that I'm inserting for now will there be anyone whose body grows through impermissible earnings than the Hellfire is worthy of that body?

So don't wait to be taken by surprise today of judgment. don't really ask questions, whilst you still can about every part of your life investigated diligently. Your finances, your clothes, your relationships, your addictions, your doings, every penny that is coming into your account, exercise what our meaning caution and make it part and parcel of every one of your decisions. This was the behavior of Imam Abu Hanifa May Allah knows

what do we know of the school of thought of Imam Abu Hanifa brothers and sisters.

It is very important to note here that the fic of Imam Abu Hanifa was formulated as part of a collective effort. So it's not merely the opinions of Imam Abu Hanifa.

He would sit in the study circle of knowledge that included the likes of Muhammad Abdul Hassan che Mani

I'll call the use of half subdue the earth and other scholars of fic and language and Hadith and judiciary. And this was the main study circle in the city of Kufa. What would happen next is that a masala meeting, a matter of discussion would be posed and every participant would be invited to speak.

And there will be this back and forth, which would sometimes last up to a month try to discuss the conclusion to one masala one matter of discussion of the Hanifa did not impose his opinion on the gathering, that in the end when they have finished talking about Hanifa would give his input.

Then when all of the discussion had ended, and opinion had been settled upon. This opinion would then be documented as part of the film of Imam Abu Hanifa.

So you can say that this study circle was in essence the formation of the very first monument or the very first fifth he Council in our Muslim Ummah. Isn't it amazing.

So that's how his fifth was created. It was a collective effort. And this is why when what year he heard a man saying, Imam Abu Hanifa made a mistake.

What can he said how can he make a mistake? How can he make a mistake, when with Abu Hanifa was the likes of Abu Yusuf and Zophar who are known for their PS, the process of deductive analogy, and he has with him Yeah, even though it is there either. And have him no he us and Dan and Mendel, who are known for their memorization of Hadith

And he has with him Alka Singh, a new man

who is known for his knowledge of the Arabic language. And he has with him download Apache and photolemur IOD who are known for their zoom and, and their their caution there what he said Whoever has such people, as his companions will rarely make mistakes, because if he does, they will correct him.

The point here is to show not faultlessness of lawlessness. The point is to show you it was a collective effort, not just Abu Hanifa, who was weighing in on an opinion by himself.

And subhanAllah if there was a matter that remained unclear to Abu Hanifa, and they certainly struggled to reach a conclusive opinion. What would he say? Yes, he would say to his friends, my mother in law didn't have an epidural for this is because of a sin. This must be because of a sin that I have committed. So he would repent to Allah and He will say Starfield Allah, and at times he will stay in prayer until the matter becomes clear to him. Then he will say to his friends, at our job to a Neville tea Valley, I hope that I have been forgiven.

Allah, conscious of Allah subhanaw taala

in Abu Hanifa was blessed with great students, like Wilson, who would act as the judge for the Khalifa, the caliphs of his era, like how do we not Rashid and he had students like Muhammad Abdul Hassan che burning and students like Zophar. Now, the rest of the three Imams as we shall find out they also had students, they were blessed with dutiful students. But it couldn't be argued that nobody can be compared to the students of Imam Abu Hanifa. Specifically, particularly with respect to the service which they offered to the works of their email,

and the huge role that they played in promoting his mother happy school of thought to the eastern West. Bearing in mind, just how few the books were Which Imam Abu Hanifa actually ordered himself, there are so few that you could attribute directly to him. So it was his students who carried the load on behalf of Abu Hanifa to the world, and his school of thought today is the most widely adopted school of thought.

And as early as their best dynasty,

it was Abu Hanifa school of thought, which they had chose to adopt and spread across the Muslim world. And the same can be said about the Ottoman dynasty. Again, they had adopted Abu Hanifa is a school of thought and they played a huge role in promoting it to the world and playing a role in promoting it to Iraq, a sham and Egypt with the Indian subcontinent and even as far as China.

And in fact, today, there are over maybe half of the Muslim ummah, who are followers of the fake of Imam Abu Hanifa at his school of thought and

finally, what do we know about the death of Imam Abu Hanifa? May Allah have mercy upon him. Abu Hanifa

was invited on at least two occasions to accept the position of the judge, and he refused both occasions he felt inadequate to take this responsibility.

On the second occasion, when he refused the request of Abu Jafar almanzora Allah Darcy Imam Abu Hanifa would endure his first experience of prison life.

And others have suggested that he was actually lashed 110 times because of it. And Abu Hanifa he said kinda morbidity Campbell Carnahan moi lidda T. I said that

he said the grief that I knew that my mother was experiencing because of what I was going through that was more painful to me, than the lashes that were falling on my body. Allahu Akbar, dutiful to his mother as well, and they are behind bars. Imam Abu Hanifa was made to endure grueling conditions. And this was the situation of every imam who left a legacy Allah Jalla Janata who will test them. And he was at the time around 70 years of age, but they didn't show mercy to this old man. His body had fatigued his limbs were weak, but his his resolve Allahu Akbar was unmoved. And this is one of the miraculous properties of Eman it gives us strength cannot be described by its

handler. Nevertheless, there is only so much that the body of an old man can take. And so in the year 150 Ah, after the hijra, in the month of Rajab was fettered in chains, his Blissett soul will return back to its creator. Some have suggested that Alonzo had actually poisoned his food.

And so if this is true, we can also hope that Imam Abu Hanifa had attained in sha Allah the position of shahada martyrdom as well.

Imam Luka theory he said that the funeral prayer of Imam Abu Hanifa was carried out upon him six times, due to the congestion of the people who came to attended and his grave is there in Baghdad May Allah generated Allah who have mercy upon him

However, Allah subhanho wa Taala has mercy upon this Muslim Ummah is vast.

Because in the same year, which Imam Abu Hanifa passed away in in the year 150 After the Hegira, another great Imam would be born.

He is Mohammed Idris, a che, we shall be speaking about in another episode, and therefore the scholars they said about this death and birth they said Mata Cameroon. What will lead a moon has died and another moon was born in Allah was Allah Allah Allah intervener Muhammad will have