Hosam Helal – Saviours of Islamic Spirit Episode 5 Abu Hanifa

Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa

salatu salam ala Mabrouk Rahmatullah al Amin, Sedna Milena

Muhammad Ali who are early on de la sala to attend with the slim.

Welcome back to another episode where we discuss the saviors of

Islam. As we mentioned for the next Inshallah, from we started 28

nights every night, we will look at the life of somebody who

changed Islamic history. And tonight insha Allah to Allah,

we're going to look at one of the most beloved figures to me. And of

course all of these figures are blessed all of them are very

beautiful. But this figure stands out tonight for his wisdom, stands

up for his vision stands up for his focus on really maximizing

maximizing the reward that is available to him. And this

individual is an Imam, Abu Hanifa. Most of us know and know him as

the great Imam who again instilled and installed and set up the

Hanafi school Hanafi madhhab. Remember, Khalifa is very special

and his story is very special. And we're going to focus a Sharla

tonight on the themes that are relevant to winning Allah to

Allah, His wisdom within Allah Tallis focus, his vision and his

focus specifically on maximizing his Azure. So the question then,

before we begin tonight, how many of you know how old Imam Abu

Hanifa was when he started seeking knowledge? Imagine this individual

that remember shelf and he says, everything that we do goes back,

excuse me, goes back to Imam Abu Hanifa. We owe him Jana coluna, il

Allah Fattah, Abu Hanifa. We're all dependent on the work and the

things that will Khalifa set in place. So imagine most of the

scholars that come later go back and base many of the fundamental

assumptions and fundamental systems based on about Hanifa. How

old was he when he started seeking knowledge? Was he five years old?

Was he 10? Was he 15. He was 20 years of age. And the first lesson

that I want us to take here tonight, is it's never too late to

learn. It's never too late to leave a legacy. What's your story?

How did you begin seeking knowledge? How it is How did his

journey begin? So he was an expert in business. Remember, Hanifa his

father was a merchant, he used to have a store that was set up to

trade cloth, silk and other types of cloth. So remember, Hanifa came

to his father and told him I would like to take the business over.

You know, you're you're you're in a position where your health

requires that you rest. Let me take over another lesson here. How

many of us young people are ready to fill the gaps? How many of us

are ready to step up when needed? So remember, honey, because let me

take the business. I think you can do a lot of good with it. His

father trusts him and passes it on how many of us as parents have

groomed our children and set them up so that they're ready to take

on these responsibilities? It's a very good question, and I hope

inshallah all of us are investing in our kids setting them up to be

the next leaders of our community. Abu Hanifa takes on that business

and quickly turns a great profit. You know, some estimations say

that he was netting 200,000 dinars on a monthly basis, which allowed

him to stand out as somebody who again, lived a very beautiful

lifestyle. Some people actually describe they used to wear a soap

or his the beautiful cloth that he would wear would actually cost

1500 dinars. CRLF of luxury. So how did he wasn't interested in

knowledge at the beginning, it was actually one of the shoe as

shabby, who approached him and says, Are you a Khalifa? Are you

Are you a man? Of course it comes to be known as Abu Hanifa. Leader.

Are you a nomad? He says, I am. You've heard about me? Yes, I

have. I've heard a lot about you. I've heard that you're very wise

that you have, again, insight and you have depth in the way that you

think. And I would definitely encourage you to pursue some form

of Islamic knowledge. Are you just going to limit yourself to

business I mean, you've done a lot with what you have. But you can do

so much more. Now listen to this careful, look at the beautiful

power, the power of a kind word, that power of a suggestion. What

does that tell us? Don't underestimate your ability to

inspire someone through a beautiful compliment. Because how

did the shabby begin? You have a beautiful demeanor, you have

wisdom, you have insight. Don't limit yourself just to business.

You've done a lot, move on and do more. So Abu Hanifa no man is he's

inspired and he goes around and let me think about this. And he

thinks about it and he decides, you know, let me actually pursue

Islamic knowledge. So he goes around and he's asking the

scholars of his time, what should I study? Tell me one of the

options available to me. Somebody will say Quran study Quran, he

says Okay, what else Hadith what else? Poetry language, what else?

You could study filk law. So he said to himself, okay, so let me

let me ask you this. If I were to study Quran, what would the final

like what would happen next? What's the final one?

Can I get two ways that you would become a chef? You teach other

people Quran? Okay, and then what? You would have a lot of students,

you could have your own school, and then what? Well, you would

become older and you know, memory would eventually fail you. And you

would have your students they can do new legacies like okay, that's

good. What else? What else can I do? You can be a man of poetry,

then what people could pay you for? I don't need the money. Okay,

what else is available to me? Hadith, same thing, you would be

able to teach and inspire and teach the Prophet Muhammad salams.

Hadith. But eventually, in old age, I would also forget what I've

learned. He said, Tell me more about this discipline. The slip

discipline allows you to, you know, build a system, you know,

bring a hadith and the ayat together and create a structure is

a construct that allows you imagine like, it's a system, you

have a question, you pass it through the system, and you're

able to get an answer. He says, that is challenging enough for me.

And what can happen after that, while you could be promoted to

become a judge, and then eventually have a judge of judges,

and you could do a lot with it, he says, This is exactly what I want.

And from the very beginning, he aim to be not just a student of

knowledge, he aimed to be the best of the best, based on the

questions that he was asking from the very beginning. How many of us

think long term, you want to be a student, you want to be a scholar,

you want to leave a beautiful legacy? But have you thought about

the plan, the vision, what's the final output that I'm looking to

produce that I'm looking to give? What's my ultimate give back?

Subhan Allah, this is, again, a beautiful thing that we can learn.

And this is just, if this is the only thing you can take from Abu

Hanifa Wallah, it is enough. Allah it is enough by Imam Abu Hanifa,

that he learned was he was he zealous to the point where he

said, I'm going to leave, leave my business. And I'm just going to

travel and become a student full time. And I'm going to learn

everything in the first date. No, he was wise. He said, You know

what, I'm going to start slow. And he went and consulted. And he

said, let me find the best shape of fit and learn from him. So you

want to have madness with a man and her madness. Solomon told him

the best and most beloved actions to Allah Subhana Allah, Are they

consistent, even if they are few look at again at the wisdom that

he's hearing from his teacher. So Abu Hanifa decided I'm not going

to leave my business, I'm going to continue working. But what I'm

going to do is I'm going to commit early morning after Fisher first

thing that I do pray in the masjid, and sit with the chef and

learn just three things every single day. That's how he started

slow and steady. And he did this. He did this for 10, whole years,

steadily. And before you know what he eventually found himself to be

one of the best students, eventually the best student and

her medical Salomon, one day had to leave his city to go somewhere

else. So you looked over Hanif, and he told them, You are the one

that will sit in my seat and take over my position. Now some of them

actually say that right before this happened. Abu Hanifa already

was feeling that he's confident enough to take that position and

to do well with it. But remember how he asked his that I'm ready.

So he's excited. He's got the initiative, he's got the drive,

but it was too shy to ask the teacher and out of respect, he

didn't he respected the seniority, but Subhan Allah subhanaw taala

gave it to him when when his teacher had to leave and asked him

to take over. And this is again Subhanallah one of the most

beautiful lessons that we can take, when you have humility with

your with your teachers, when you have humility with knowledge. Yes,

you already have excitement, you you have initiative, you have

desire, you have goal, you have ambition, but also respect the

shoe. And

because in our in his teachers absence and homogenous elements

absence, Abu Hanifa received 60 Questions

20 He answered with ease 40, he had to sink really deeply. And

finally, when his teacher came back, he showed him the 40

questions that he received. And the teacher told him the 3030 of

the 40 questions. You did a great job, no doubt, and 10 he disagreed

with him. So then he sat with him and decided okay, tell me inform

me, why would you disagree with these 10 And he told him where the

weaknesses are in the font, and some of the disagreed upon and

some of the agreed upon. And from that moment onwards, Abu Hanifa

came to realize a very important lesson, you will always have blind

spots in your thoughts. And he thought he sought to always he

ain't always have people around him that would eventually help him

and always help them fill in those gaps and fill in those blind

spots. So when he's eventually now in a position where he's a

teacher, and he's a chef, and he's given back, one of the first

things that he does, is he sets up a surah and sets up a committee, a

group of scholars that would sit with him. And when I say scholars,

I'm not just saying scholars of Islam, scholars of politics,

scholars of language scholars in these

street scholars of various disciplines, even scientists and

medical experts would be brought in when needed.

And their job would be to work. Their job would be to assess the

question and find the best possible answer to it.

SubhanAllah. So imagine from the very beginning, he said that up,

collaborative thinking that's one more thing that we take from oboe.

Hanif is legacy, how many of us are willing to collaborate, how

many of us are willing to invest? And how many of us just want to be

in the spotlight and we don't want to give room for other people to

develop and grow with us. And also to give and to be part of that

task force that gives them produces, we're not going to

succeed alone, my brothers and my sisters, we need to recognize our

gaps. We need to recognize our flaws. We need to recognize our

voids our blind spots, and look around for people that will fill

it up. Where do we learn this from from the Quran? When Allah Subhana

Allah told Musa go is that enough that I won't know. What did Musa

say?

What if he had rune will have Sahami nearly Santa Fe out of

salumeria read and use of Deccani and my brother Aaron, he's better

than me and eloquence. Send him with me. Yeah, Allah as a backbone

as a support as someone that will give me that strength. When my

motivation feels me Subhan Allah, the collaborative mindset and an

abuse of Salam surrounded himself with Abu Bakr and Omar. Now, Abu

Hanifa as a teacher, Abu Hanifa as a as a scholar of a Hanif as the

scholar, amazing, amazing moments in his life. And I'm going to pick

Inshallah, few for the next few minutes meeting Allah Tala. What I

want to focus on is the ability to win people over especially his

opponents and his enemies. What do I mean, Abu Hanifa had an

incredible vision, he sought to create a system like I mentioned

earlier, that allows us to make sense of the reality and the

change that happens. So he sat down with some of you students and

said, the Quran has, you know, limited as we can count on them.

But life has unlimited infinite, unlimited questions, many, many

questions that can happen, that are not directly addressed by the

Quran and Sunnah. And I'm afraid that life would change so much,

that we wouldn't be able to the Quran and Hadith if we just focus

on the text, they would become irrelevant. So what I want to

create, I want to create a system based on the primary text of

Islam, that allows us to come up with principles that would answer

each and every question as it arises. Now, of course, people

were taken aback by this, this is what he means you're using your

own opinion, you're preferring logic over revelation. And he was

insulted and accused and hurt. And he was really really, you know,

affected and upset by what people said about him. But eventually he

realized and came to accept that you know what, I see this as the

best for my community. And it doesn't matter what people say,

I'm going to be committed for the sake of Allah Subhana Allah, and

I'm going to make sure that I leave that legacy regardless of

the obstacles. But in dealing with those people who voiced their

concerns, and opinions, he was genuine and humble, and beautiful

example standout. One is one one of the great grandchildren of the

Prophet Mohammed Salim himself Muhammad about he comes to a honey

village, I heard that you are the man who's changing my great

grandfather's legacy. You're changing Islam, you're preferring

mind over revenue. What are you doing? An Abu Hanifa said welcome

my brother. Welcome. Welcome my master, my say you welcome. Now. I

don't want us to have a conversation standing up. I want

you to be comfortable. Are you comfortable? Take Take me to

wherever you're comfortable. Look at Abu Hanifa has humility. Take

me wherever you're comfortable. He takes him to a corner in the

masjid. Now sit in a position that you're comfortable. He sits on one

of the one of the seats available in the masjid. Abu Hanifa sits on

the ground. And he says now that you're comfortable where you are,

allow me to be comfortable where I am. The way that I look at you is

the way that the Companions looked at the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu

alayhi wa sallam with absolute respect.

Now, let me ask you a few questions.

In your perception, does it seem that the man is stronger

physically or the woman? He says, Well, the you know the man is

stronger. The woman seems to be physically weaker, seems to be

physically weaker as well. If I was choosing mine over revelation,

I would have changed the inheritance law and I would have

said because the woman seems weaker physically, she's entitled

to more inheritance, but I have not changed that because I

I value what the Prophet Muhammad SAW Salam has brought. And then he

gives him a few more examples like this to assert the point by asking

questions by asking questions, putting the person in a position

where they're secure, where they're respected, where the love

is manifested. And then finally probing and asking those

questions. And then finally, by the end of them hammered back and

he got up and he kissed Abu Hanifa and the forehead, on the forehead,

and he says, You are someone who's come to preserve the legacy of my

great great grandfather Allahumma Salli wa Sallim wa Barik, ala

Muhammad, the Hawa Raj, who are known for their extreme positions

in Islam once came with to Abu Hanifa, with swords drawn, and

they said to him, we want you to answer this question immediately.

This man died while drinking and this woman died while she was, you

know, or she was pregnant by a uniform from Xena? Are they

considered to be Muslim, and they were of the position that anybody

who committed major sins is not going to be considered a Muslim?

So Hanifa he's in a position now where he's cornered. What is he

going to do? He says, My brother's the swords drawn, are not going to

allow me to think clearly and I want to give you the clearest

answer. Well, we're not gonna put the swords down, because the

swords are here to you, we're gonna be drawn closer to Allah

subhanaw taala drop by drawing these swords, in your face,

looking at the SubhanAllah. Abu Hanifa then turns to them, and he

says, He gives them some time to pause. I forgot to ask you, the

people that you're asking about, are they Jewish? No other non

Jewish. Are they a Christian? No, they're not Christian. What are

they then? Their Muslim? says Okay, wait a second, you

yourselves said that they're Muslim.

And the Quran makes it clear in the light in the words of Ibrahim

fermented biani for in the whole mini woman Asante. Nikka afford on

Rahim, my lord who fought Whoever follows me is one of me. And

Whoever disobeys you are the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. And

in the words of the ISA, Isa salaam, into our living room for a

nominee bad went off yellow fin, Nick analyzes will hacking, if you

punish them, they are Your servants. And if you forgive them,

you are the most honorable, the Exalted the wise. So what am I and

who am I to change what the prophets legacy is?

And subhanAllah he turned, he asked those questions, probing

questions, and they turned to him and he said, You are a man of

sense, you make sense. Now, two more wrapping points. Inshallah,

quickly we wrap up with this May Allah subhana, Allah bless you,

and your family. And the vision that furthers one of the students

of Abu Hanifa, who left a great legacy behind is Abu Yusuf. And

the story with Abu Hanifa is incredible. Once this met this

little child, this young person walks into the Halacha of Abu

Hanifa. And he looks very wise looks very calculated, very

polished, in terms of his focus, and you know, he's wanting to

really pay attention. So Abu Hanifa pays close attention to

him. And then finally, a few weeks later, oh, Hanifa doesn't see the

child and Halaqaat anymore, so it looks for him. And he sends for

his men to find it. And they tell him his father is really any

difficult financial position, and he needs somebody to take care of

the house, he needs some extra support. So he goes in, he finds

the young child in the market, selling or buying fish, you know,

making some money for that house. And he turns to the Father, and he

says, Your son could be learning so much more, could be investing

in his long term,

financial position. And it could be a source of knowledge for

people. No, I don't want my son to do that. I want my son to be here

making money with me all this abstract stuff that you guys are

discussing. I want to have nothing to do with that we want to focus

on, you know, feeding and going to sleep tonight, making sure that

we're not hungry.

So what did EVO Hanifa do? Abu Hanifa said, I will pay I will pay

so that your your son goes to school goes to school with me

comes to learn. And one day you be shocked Maybe Allah subhanaw taala

has written for this son of yours to be one of the greatest students

and teachers in Islam.

So he paid he was one of the earliest Muslims to have a

scholarship system or he would pay for his students to learn about

Islam. And finally, the editor of Abu Hanifa stands out.

You know, he said I learned with my teacher and he lived seven

houses down and I wouldn't be able to point my feet towards his house

out of respect when I'm lying down, or I'm resting. And not only

that, even when I flip the paper in his presence, I would flip it

with quiet calculated movements as to not disrespect my teacher and

in the salon. I make dua for my teacher

Every single Salam because I will never be able to forget the legacy

and the beautiful involvement that he had in bringing me to the

position that I am

in my brothers and my sisters May Allah Subhana Allah bless you,

bless your families individually for those, we need to revive the

legacy of Abu Hanifa. The kindness, the Edit, the demeanor,

the vision, the long term focus, the look for gap, look for the gap

and fill it in the best of ways is that Kamala and for tuning in May

a lot of words you and your families, we're going to be going

live every night at 8:30pm Inshallah, during the weekdays

we're going to be live aiming for 20 minutes, and over the weekend

aiming for a little bit longer than that, looking every night at

one or a few people that change the course of Islamic history.

Does that come on the hyaluron Subhanallah, the hemlock mesh of

Allah Allah, Allah and Mr. Furukawa to Willeke was Salam

alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh