Noman Ibn Thabit Azzuti; Imam Abu Hanifa, known to the Muslim world as Imam Al Azam (the Greatest Imam) was born in Kufa, an intellectual centre in Iraq in 80 AH, 69 years after the demise of the Holy Prophet (saw). He travelled extensively and was of a Persian origin.
Personality/Household
He had a very commanding, forceful, authoritative personality. Whenever he entered a room everyone automatically knew that he was someone important. He was medium built, dark skinned, tall and had a long beard. Like Imam Malik he was also well dressed and wore a lot of perfume. His student once remarked that they knew if Imam Hanifa had passed by because of the fragrance he left behind.
His father was a silk trader and was not very learned. His mother was a simple straightforward woman who was not very encouraging towards her son; she once said “What has this knowledge brought you, except for pain and grief?” However, despite the lack of support and encouragement from his family, Imam Hanifa was extremely attached and influenced by his mother. Every night in the month of Ramadan, Imam Hanifa used to take his mother to the mosque riding on a horse/donkey. He was a man of a great calibre but was not embarrassed to be seen in public with his mother. Once he was unjustly beaten, which left terrible facial scars on his face and he cried after seeing his face in the mirror ONLY because he knew how heartbroken his mother would be after seeing her beloved son in pain.
Everyone in society, the Caliphs, Rulers and the ordinary people recognised and acknowledged the scholarship of Imam Hanifa-except for his own mother. Once a drop of blood fell on his mother’s clothes and she asked her son what she should do, Imam Hanifa gave his mother a Fatwa but she refused to accept it. She was adamant that Abu Zuhra (a story teller) should give her a Fatwa. So Imam Hanifa, took his mother to the Mosque where Abu Zuhra was telling stories. When Abu Zuhra saw Imam Hanifa approaching, he quietened everyone down and showed him the respect that was worthy of him. Imam Hanifa asked Abu Zuhra to give his mother a Fatwa, Abu Zuhra told him that he did not know the answer to his mothers problem, so Imam Hanifa whispered the answer in his ear and told him to tell his mother. So Abu Zuhra told Imam Hanifa’s mother the answer to her problem. Imam Hanifa’s mother later told Imam Hanifa “your Fatwa was correct, because it has been confirmed by Abu Zuhra”.
Such was the extreme amount of love that Imam Hanifa possessed for his mother, not once did he show any hint of annoyance or irritation at her for refusing to acknowledge his great status. Imam Hanifa never prayed without mentioning his parents, teachers or students. His also used to weekly donate 20 dirhams in charity for them.
Turning Point
Imam Hanifa spent 20 years working in the market as a silk trader. He acquired customer service skills and interacted with all sorts of people because the market was the centre point of society. Once a man came from Madina to purchase silk for his daughter, he was told not to argue with Imam Hanifa regarding the price. He bought silk from the student of Imam Hanifa for 1000 dirhams (who he assumed was Imam Hanifa). Later on when the student of Imam Hanifa told Imam Hanifa that he had sold silk to a customer from Madina for 1000 dirhams, Imam Hanifa became angry because the silk was only 400 dirhams. Imam Hanifa then travelled to Madina to find the man who had purchased his silk, he recognised him because he was wearing some of that silk. Imam Hanifa approached him and would not leave until the man gave him the silk back and took 1000 dirhams back or accepted 600 dirhams. The man finally accepted 600 dirhams.
Once Imam Hanifa was walking through the Market place and was stopped by Amir As Shabi (one of the teachers of Hammad). Amir As Shabi asked Imam Hanifa “Where do you go?” Imam Hanifa misunderstood what Amir As Shabi meant and told him “I go to the market” Amir As Shabi told him that he had meant “Who is your Shiekh?” Imam Hanifa told him that he has no Sheikh. Amir As Shabi told Imam Hanifa “Do not be heedless, I see potential/alertness in you-Seek knowledge”.
Imam Hanifa later said “Since that day, I hated the market place and never felt comfortable there ever again”.
He decided to seek knowledge but didn’t know where to begin, he went through a period of uncertainty and considered being a Mufasir (teach Quran), a Muhadis (teach Hadith) but finally decided to take up Fiqh because it involved solving the problems of people.
He was fortunate enough to have experience of working in the market so he was already familiar with the needs of people. It is important for Scholars to interact with people in society; they should not cut themselves away.
Problems He Solved
Once a man came to Imam Hanifa and said “I am in a state of impurity, but I have said if I take a bath, my wife is divorced three times. I am a Muslim so I must take a bath but at the same time I do not want to divorce my wife, what should I do?” Imam Hanifa took the man to the river and pushed him in and informed the man that “you are now purified”.
In another instance a bad tempered man in a fit of anger said to his wife who was climbing a ladder “If you take one more step up, you are divorced and if you take one more step down, you are divorced”. Later when he calmed down, he realised the errors of his ways and felt sorry for his poor wife stuck on a ladder. He this matter to Imam Hanifa and told him to solve his problem. Imam Hanifa told him to get some men who can lift the ladder from each side and place it on the floor so that he wife can off the ladder, or he can get some women to climb on the ladder and his wife can get down climbing on their shoulders.
Once Imam Hanifa told his hairdresser to pluck out all his grey hair, his hairdresser told him that if he was to do that his grey hair will increase. Imam Hanifa told him that if this is the case then he should pluck out all his black hair instead.
There was a Shia man who believed that Hadrat Usmaan (ra) was a Jew. Imam Abu Hanifa visited his house and told him that he has brought a proposal for his daughter. He told the Shia man that this man whom he had in mind for his daughter was young, modest, handsome, wealthy, pious, and generous. The Shia accepted the proposal almost immediately. Imam Abu Hanifa pointed out that the only problem with the suitor is that he was a Jew. The Shia was furious and asked Imam Hanifa, how he could accept such a proposal. Imam Abu Hanifa calmly told him that “If the idea of accepting a Jew for your own daughter is so ludicrous, then how can you believe that the Holy Prophet (saw) accepted such a man for his own daughter’s twice-Are you more intelligent then him?”
The man repented and promised that he would no longer spread such lies.
Once a man came to visit Imam Hanifah from Basra, this man was a true devotee of the Great Teacher Hassan Al Basri. He asked Imam Hanifah a question and the Imam told him the answer. The man told him that his answer contradicted the teaching of Hassan Al Basri. Imam Hanifah calmly told him that “Hassan Al Basri must be wrong”. The man became furious and called Imam Hanifah the son of a Fornicator. Imam Hanifah with no hint of annoyance or irritation on his face told the man again that “Hassan Al Basri is wrong”. Imam Hanifa loved his mother yet he didn’t show any hints of irritation when the man deeply insulted his beloved mother. Nor did he remind the man of his great Caliber and position in society. And then there’s us who do not come anywhere near the stature, piety, and knowledge of Imam Hanifa who nonetheless are so easily offended when someone insults us.
His also manifested self control in the mosque when a snake fell on his lap and he calmly removed it. People called him an innovator and even a Kafir yet he never retaliated.
Imam Hanifa served his teacher Hammad for 20 years, every day Hammad taught Imam Hanifa three things. And at the age of 40 Imam Hanifah started up his own school.
His Worship/Devotions to Allah (swt)
Imam Hanifa used to read the entire Qur’an once a day. The muezzin (person who calls for prayer) used to leave the Mosque at Isha time, see the Great Imam overcome with extreme remorse, crying over the “sins” that he had committed, return to the Mosque at Fajr time and find the Imam still crying.
He spent 40 years reading his Fajr prayer with the same Wudhu as his Isha prayer.
In fact a typical day of his would consist of him seeing to his silk trade from Fajr to Zuhr, from Zuhr to Asr he used to teach, from Asr to Magrib he used to see to the needs of the community, i.e. attend funerals, visit the sick, solve people’s problems etc and from Magrib to Isha he used to have some time to himself/family and then from Isha to Fajr he used to devote himself Allah (swt).
Prepared by
Shaykh Muhammad Ramadhan al Qadri (Minhaj Youth Training Co-ordinator).
Alveena Salim
