Biography of Imam Abu Hanifa (al-Nu'man ibn Thabit)

Oumar ibn Dharr: Moujahid informed me, from Abou Hourayra:

From the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in the hadith he mentioned: "And the earth was made for me a mosque and a means of purification wherever I may be. If I find no water, I perform dry ablution with the dust, then I pray, and it was for me a mosque and a purification. That was not done for anyone before me."

Khalid ibn Abd ar-Rahman al-Makhzoumi: weak.

No. 163: Abou Hanifa, An-Nou'man ibn Thabit at-Taymi.

The imam, the jurist of the community, the scholar of Iraq, Abou Hanifa An-Nou'man ibn Thabit ibn Zouta at-Taymi, the Koufi, client of Banou Taym-Allah ibn Tha'laba.

It is said he was of the descendants of the Persians.

The birth and the teachers of Imam Abu Hanifa

He was born in the year eighty, during the lifetime of the youngest Companions.

He saw Anas ibn Malik when the latter came to them in Koufa, but no word from any of them was established as transmitted by him.

He narrated from: Ata' ibn Abi Rabah, who was his most senior master and the best of them, according to his saying.

And from ach-Cha'bi; and from Tawous, though that is not established.

And from Jabala ibn Souhaym; Adi ibn Thabit; Ikrima, whose neglect concerning him calls for examination; Abd ar-Rahman ibn Hormouz the one-eyed; Amr ibn Dinar; Abou Soufyan Talha ibn Nafi'; Nafi', client of Ibn Umar; Qatada; Qays ibn Mouslim; Awn ibn Abdallah ibn Outba; al-Qasim ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abdallah ibn Mas'oud.

He also narrated from: Mouharib ibn Dithar; Abdallah ibn Dinar; al-Hakam ibn Outayba; Alqama ibn Marthad; Ali ibn al-Aqmar; Abd al-Aziz ibn Roufay'; Atiyya al-Awfi; Hammåd ibn Abi Sulayman, under whom he studied fiqh; Ziyad ibn Illaqa; Salama ibn Kouhayl; Asim ibn Koulayb; Simak ibn Harb; Asim ibn Bahdala; Sa'id ibn Masrouq; Abd al-Malik ibn Oumayr; Abou Ja'far al-Baqir; Ibn Chihab az-Zouhri; Muhammad ibn al-Mounkadir; Abou Ishaq as-Sabi'i; Mansour ibn al-Mou'tamir; Mouslim al-Batine; Yazid ibn Souhayb the poor; Abou az-Zoubayr; Abou Hassine al-Asadi; Ata' ibn as-Sa'ib; Nasih al-Mouhallami; Hicham ibn Ourwa; and a crowd besides.

To the point that he narrated from Chayban the grammarian, who was younger than he, and from Malik ibn Anas, who was likewise.

He devoted himself to seeking the traditions and travelled for that. As for fiqh and the precision in opinion and its hidden depths, the limit is reached in him, and the people in that depend upon him.

The narrators of Imam Abu Hanifa

A great many narrated from him. Our sheikh Abou al-Hajjaj mentioned, in his "Tahdhib", these in alphabetical order:

Ibrahim ibn Tahman, scholar of Khurasan; Abyad ibn al-Agharr ibn as-Sabbah al-Minqari; Asbat ibn Muhammad; Ishaq al-Azraq; Asad ibn Amr al-Bajali; Isma'il ibn Yahya as-Sayrafi; Ayyoub ibn Hani'; al-Jaroud ibn Yazid an-Nisabouri; Ja'far ibn Awn; al-Harith ibn Nabhan; Hayyan ibn Ali al-Anazi; al-Hasan ibn Ziyad al-Lu'lu'i; al-Hasan ibn Fourat al-Qazzaz; al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan ibn Atiyya al-Awfi; Hafs ibn Abd ar-Rahman the judge; Houkkam ibn Salm; Abou Mouți' al-Hakam ibn Abdallah; his son Hammåd ibn Abi Hanifa; Hamza az-Zayyat, who was his contemporary; Kharidja ibn Mou'sab; Dawoud at-Ta'i; Zoufar ibn al-Houdhayl at-Tamimi the jurist.

He also had as disciples: Zayd ibn al-Houbbab; Sabiq ar-Raqqi; Sa'd ibn as-Salt the judge; Sa'id ibn Abi al-Jahm al-Qabousi; Sa'id ibn Sallam al-Attar; Salm ibn Salim al-Balkhi; Sulayman ibn Amr an-Nakha'i; Sahl ibn Mouzahim; Chou'ayb ibn Ishaq; as-Sabbah ibn Mouharib; as-Salt ibn al-Hajjaj; Abou Asim an-Nabil; Amir ibn al-Fourat; A'idh ibn Habib; Abbad ibn al-Awamm; Abdallah ibn al-Moubarak; Abdallah ibn Yazid the reciter; Abou Yahya Abd al-Hamid al-Himmani; Abd ar-Razzaq; Abd al-Aziz ibn Khalid of Tirmidh; Abd al-Karim ibn Muhammad al-Jurjani; Abd al-Majid ibn Abi Rawwad; Abd al-Warith at-Tannouri; Ubaydallah ibn az-Zoubayr al-Qourachi; Ubaydallah ibn Amr ar-Raqqi; Ubaydallah ibn Moussa; Attab ibn Muhammad; Ali ibn Dhabyan the judge; Ali ibn Asim; Ali ibn Moussir the judge; Amr ibn Muhammad al-Anqazi; Abou Qoutn Amr ibn al-Haytham; 'Isa ibn Younous; Abou Nu'aym; al-Fadl ibn Moussa; al-Qasim ibn al-Hakam al-Ourani; al-Qasim ibn Ma'n.

He further had as disciples: Qays ibn ar-Rabi'; Muhammad ibn Aban al-Anbari, Koufi; Muhammad ibn Bichr; Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Atach; Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ach-Chaybani; Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Wahbi; Muhammad ibn Abdallah al-Ansari; Muhammad ibn al-Fadl ibn Atiyya; Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Asadi; Muhammad ibn Masrouq al-Koufi; Muhammad ibn Yazid al-Wasiti; Marwan ibn Salim; Mou'sab ibn al-Miqdam; al-Mou'afa ibn Imran; Makki ibn Ibrahim; Nasr ibn Abd al-Karim al-Balkhi the polisher; Nasr ibn Abd al-Malik al-Ataki; Abou Ghalib an-Nadr ibn Abdallah al-Azdi; an-Nadr ibn Muhammad al-Marwazi; an-Nu'man ibn Abd as-Salam al-Isbahani; Nouh ibn Darraj the judge; Nouh ibn Abi Maryam the compiler; Houchaym; Hawdha; Hayyaj ibn Bistam; Waki'; Yahya ibn Ayyoub the Egyptian; Yahya ibn Nasr ibn Hajib; Yahya ibn Yaman; Yazid ibn Zouray'; Yazid ibn Haroun; Younous ibn Boukayr; Abou Ishaq al-Fazari; Abou Hamza as-Soukkari; Abou Sa'd as-Saghani; Abou Chihab the gatherer of grain; Abou Mouqatil as-Samarqandi; and the judge Abou Youssouf.

Ahmad al-Ijli said: "Abou Hanifa: Taymite, of the clan of Hamza az-Zayyat. He was a tanner, selling leather."

Umar ibn Hammåd ibn Abi Hanifa said: "As for Zouta, he was of the people of Kabul, and Thabit was born in Islam."

Zouta was a slave of Banou Taym-Allah ibn Tha'laba; he was freed, and his allegiance belonged to them, then to Banou Qafl.

He said: "Abou Hanifa was a tanner, and his shop was known in the house of Amr ibn Hourayth."

An-Nadr ibn Muhammad al-Marwazi said, from Yahya ibn an-Nadr: "The father of Abou Hanifa was from Nasa."

Sulayman ibn ar-Rabi' related, from al-Harith ibn Idris: "Abou Hanifa is originally from Tirmidh."

Abou Abd ar-Rahman al-Muqri said: "Abou Hanifa is of the people of Babylon."

Abou Ja'far Ahmad ibn Ishaq ibn Bouhloul related, from his father, from his grandfather: "Thabit, the father of Abou Hanifa, is of the people of Anbar."

Moukram ibn Ahmad the judge: Ahmad ibn Abdallah ibn Chadhan al-Marwazi related to us, from his father, from his grandfather: "I heard Isma'il say: Isma'il ibn Hammåd ibn Abi Hanifa informed us: An-Nou'man ibn Thabit ibn al-Marzban was among the free-born children of the Persians. By Allah, slavery never touched us. My grandfather was born in the year eighty. Thabit went to Ali while he was small. He prayed for blessing in him and in his progeny. We hope from Allah that Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was answered in our favour."

He said: "An-Nou'man ibn al-Marzban, father of Thabit, is the one who offered the faloudhaj to Ali on the day of Nawrouz."

Ali said: "May every day be for us a Nawrouz."

It is said: that was at the Mahradjan, and he said: "May every day be for us a Mahradjan."

Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Awfi said: "I heard Yahya ibn Ma'in say: Abou Hanifa was trustworthy: he transmitted no hadith except what he memorized, and did not transmit what he did not memorize."

Salih ibn Muhammad said: "I heard Yahya ibn Ma'in say: Abou Hanifa was trustworthy in hadith."

Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Qasim ibn Mouhriz related, from Ibn Ma'in: "Abou Hanifa: there is no harm in him."

And he said once: "He is for us among the people of truth, and he was never accused of lying. Ibn Houhayra struck him with the judicial office, and he refused to be a judge."

Ibn Allane the secretary informed us: al-Kindi informed us: al-Qazzaz informed us: al-Khatib informed us: al-Khallal informed us: Ali ibn Amr al-Hariri informed us: Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Kas an-Nakha'i related to us: Muhammad ibn Mahmoud as-Saydanani related to us: Muhammad ibn Chouja' ibn ath-Thalji related to us: al-Hasan ibn Abi Malik related to us, from Abou Youssouf, who said:

The childhood and studies of Imam Abu Hanifa

Abou Hanifa said: "When I wished to pursue knowledge, I began choosing the disciplines and asking about their outcomes. It was said: learn the Quran. I said: when I have memorized it, what is the end of it? They said: you sit in the mosque, the children and the young read to you, then it is not long before one more memorizing than you, or your equal, comes forth among them, and your precedence departs."

"I said: one who seeks knowledge for precedence may reflect on that; otherwise the word of the Chosen One, may the prayers of Allah be upon him, stands established: 'The best of you is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it.' Glory be to Allah! Is there any place better than the mosque? And is there any exposition of knowledge that approaches the teaching of the Quran? No, by Allah! And are there students better than these children who have not committed sins?"

I consider this account forged, for its chain contains a man who is not trustworthy.

Continuation of the account: he said: "I said: if I hear the hadith and write it, until there is no one in the world more memorizing than I? They said: when you grow old and weaken, you will transmit, and these youths and children will crowd around you, then you cannot be sure you will not err, so they will cast lying at you, and it will become a shame upon you in your posterity. I said: I have no need of that."

I say: now that I have resolved it to be a fabricated account: the imam Abou Hanifa did seek hadith and narrated much of it in the year one hundred and after, and children did not at that time hear hadith: that is a convention that arose after three hundred years. Rather it was the great scholars who sought it; and the jurists had no knowledge after the Quran other than it, and the books of fiqh had not even yet been set down in writing.

Then he said: "I said: I shall learn grammar. I say: when I have memorized grammar and the Arabic language, what will be the end of my affair? They said: you sit as a teacher, and your greatest income will be two to three dinars. I said: and that has no outcome. I said: if I turn to poetry, will there not be anyone more poetic than I? They said: you will praise this one and he will give you, or clothe you with honour; and if he deprives you, you will satirize him. I said: I have no need of it. I said: if I turn to theological dialectic, what will be its end? They said: whoever looks into dialectic does not escape the extravagances of dialectic: he will be accused of heresy and killed, or he escapes blameworthy. I said: may Allah fight the one who forged this fable! And did the science of dialectic even exist at that time?!"

He said: "I said: what if I learn fiqh? They said: you will be asked, you will give the people rulings, you will be sought for the judiciary, even if you are young. I said: there is nothing in the disciplines more beneficial than this. So I attached myself to fiqh and learned it."

By way of Ibn Kas, Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Khazim related to me: al-Walid ibn Hammåd related to us, from al-Hasan ibn Ziyad, from Zoufar ibn al-Houdhayl: "I heard Abou Hanifa say: I considered theological dialectic until I reached in it a rank at which I was pointed to with fingers. We used to sit near the circle of Hammåd ibn Abi Sulayman. One day a woman came to me and said: a man has a female slave whom he wishes to repudiate according to the Sunna: how many repudiations? I did not know what to say, and I ordered her to ask Hammåd and then return and inform me. She asked him, and he said: he repudiates her, pure of her menses and of intercourse, a single repudiation, then leaves her until two menses; when she has bathed, she becomes lawful to him again. She returned and informed me. I said: I have no need of dialectic. I took my sandals and sat with Hammåd. I would hear his questions and memorize his word, then he would repeat them the next day and I would memorize them, while his companions erred. He said: no one but Abou Hanifa shall sit at the head of the circle wearing my sandals."

"I remained with him ten years, then my soul pressed me toward seeking precedence. I wished to leave him and sit in a circle of my own. One evening I went out resolved to do it. But when I saw him, it did not please my soul to leave him. That very night there came to him news of the death of a relative of his who had died in Bassora, leaving wealth, and he had no heir but him. He ordered me to sit in his place. He had scarcely gone out when questions came to me that I had never heard from him. I would answer and write my answers. He was absent two months, then returned."

"I presented the questions to him: they were about sixty. He concurred with me on forty and differed on twenty. I vowed to myself never to part from him until he died."

This too: Allah knows best its truth. And we do not know that dialectic existed at that time, and Allah knows best.

Ahmad ibn Abdallah al-Ijli said: my father related to me that Abou Hanifa said: "I came to Bassora, thinking I would not be asked anything without my answering it. They asked me things for which I had no answer. I resolved not to leave Hammåd until he died, and I remained with him eighteen years."

Chou'ayb ibn Ayyoub as-Sarifini: Abou Yahya al-Himmani related to us: I heard Abou Hanifa say: "I saw a dream that alarmed me: I saw as if I were digging up the grave of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. I came to Bassora and charged a man to question Muhammad ibn Sirine. He questioned him, and he said: this is a man digging up the news of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."

The traditionist Mahmoud ibn Muhammad al-Marwazi: Hamid ibn Adam related to us: Abou Wahb Muhammad ibn Mouzahim related to us: I heard Abdallah ibn al-Moubarak say: "Had Allah not aided me with Abou Hanifa and Soufyan, I would have been like the rest of the people."

Ahmad ibn Zouhayr: Sulayman ibn Abi Chaykh related to us: Houjr ibn Abd al-Jabbar related to me: "Al-Qasim ibn Ma'n was told: would you consent to be among the servants of Abou Hanifa? He said: the people never sat with anyone more beneficial than sitting with Abou Hanifa." And al-Qasim said to him: "Come with me to him." When he came to him, he attached himself to him and said: "I have seen nothing like this."

Muhammad ibn Ayyoub ibn ad-Daris: Ahmad ibn as-Sabbah related to us: I heard ash-Chafi'i say: "Malik was told: have you seen Abou Hanifa? He said: yes, I saw a man who, if you said to him that this pillar was gold, he would establish his proof of it."

From Asad ibn Amr: that Abou Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, prayed the 'icha and the dawn prayer with a single ablution for forty years.

Bichr ibn al-Walid related, from the judge Abou Youssouf: "While I was walking with Abou Hanifa, I heard a man say to another: this is Abou Hanifa, who does not sleep at night. Abou Hanifa said: by Allah, nothing will be said of me that I have not done." He would spend the night in prayer, supplication, and invocation.

It has been related in two ways that Abou Hanifa recited the whole Quran in a single bow.

Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn al-Moughira said: "I saw Abou Hanifa, an old man, giving the people rulings in the mosque of Koufa, upon his head a long black turban."

An-Nadr ibn Muhammad said: "Abou Hanifa had a beautiful face, fine clothing, a fragrant scent. I came to him for a need, wearing a ragged garment. He ordered his mule saddled, then said: give me your garment and take mine. I did so. When he returned, he said: O Nadr, you have shamed me with your garment: it is coarse." He said: "I had bought it for five dinars, then I saw him wearing a garment I valued at thirty dinars."

From Abou Youssouf: "Abou Hanifa was short, among the most beautiful of people in appearance, the most eloquent in speech, the sweetest in voice, the clearest of them about what was within himself."

From Hammåd ibn Abi Hanifa: "My father was handsome, tending to brown, of fine bearing, much perfumed, majestic. He spoke only in answer, and he never, may Allah have mercy on him, ventured into what did not concern him."

From Ibn al-Moubarak: "I never saw a man graver in his circle, nor finer in patience and forbearance, than Abou Hanifa."

Ibrahim ibn Sa'id the jeweller related, from al-Mouthanna ibn Raja': "Abou Hanifa bound himself that if he swore by Allah truthfully he would give a dinar in charity, and whenever he spent on his family a provision, he gave its like in charity."

Joubara ibn al-Moughallis related, from Qays ibn ar-Rabi': "Abou Hanifa was devout, Allah-fearing, generous toward his brothers."

Al-Khouraybi said: "We were with Abou Hanifa when a man said: I composed a book in your handwriting to so-and-so, and he gave me four thousand dirhams. Abou Hanifa said: if you profit by this, then do it."

Charik said: "Abou Hanifa was long in silence, abundant in intelligence."

Abou Asim an-Nabil said: "Abou Hanifa was called the Peg, because of the length of his prayer."

Ibn Ishaq as-Samarqandi related, from the judge Abou Youssouf: "Abou Hanifa completed the Quran every night in a single bow."

Yahya ibn Abd al-Hamid al-Himmani related from his father that he accompanied Abou Hanifa six months. He said: "I never saw him pray the dawn except with the ablutions of the last night prayer, and he completed the Quran every night at dawn."

Zayd ibn Koumayt heard a man say to Abou Hanifa: "Fear Allah." He started, turned pale, lowered his head, and said: "May Allah reward you well: how the people, at all times, need one who says to them the like of this."

It is related that Abou Hanifa completed the Quran seven thousand times.

Mis'ar ibn Kidam said: "I saw Abou Hanifa recite the Quran in a single bow."

Ibn Sam'a related, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, from al-Qasim ibn Ma'n: that Abou Hanifa stood one night repeating the word of the Most High: "But the Hour is their appointed time, and the Hour is more terrible and more bitter" (Surah al-Qamar, verse 46), weeping and supplicating until dawn.

It has been related in another way that the imam Abou Hanifa was struck more than once to take up the judiciary, and he did not comply.

Yazid ibn Haroun said: "I have not seen anyone more magnanimous than Abou Hanifa."

Al-Hasan ibn Ziyad al-Lu'lu'i said: Abou Hanifa said: "When a judge lets himself be bought, he is dismissed, even if he is not dismissed."

Nouh al-Jami' related from Abou Hanifa that he said: "What comes from the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: it is taken with the head and the eye. What comes from the Companions: we choose. And what is from other than that: they are men and we are men."

Waki' said: "I heard Abou Hanifa say: urinating in the mosque is finer than some analogical reasoning."

Abou Youssouf said: Abou Hanifa said: "It is not fitting for a man to transmit anything but what he retains, from the time he heard it."

From Abou Mu'awiya the blind: "Love of Abou Hanifa is part of the Sunna."

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim az-Zouhri related, from Bichr ibn al-Walid, who said: "Al-Mansour summoned Abou Hanifa and wanted him for the judiciary, swearing that he would make him comply. He refused, and swore: I shall not do it. Ar-Rabi' the chamberlain said: you see the commander of the faithful swear, and you swear? He said: the commander of the faithful is more capable than I of expiating his oath."

The death of Imam Abu Hanifa

"He ordered him taken to prison, and he died there in Baghdad."

It is said: Abou Ja'far handed him to the chief of his police, Houmayd at-Tousi, who said: "O sheikh! The commander of the faithful hands me a man, then says to me: kill him, or cut off something of him, or strike him, and I do not know his case. What shall I do?" He said: "Does the commander of the faithful order you a thing that is obligatory, or a thing not obligatory?" He said: rather what is obligatory. He said: "Then hasten to the obligatory."

Moughith ibn Boudayl said: "Al-Mansour summoned Abou Hanifa to the judiciary, and he declined. He said: do you turn away from what we are in? He said: I am not sound. He said: you lie. He said: the commander of the faithful has thus judged that I am not sound: if I am a liar, then I am not sound; if I am truthful, I have informed you that I am not sound. He imprisoned him."

Isma'il ibn Abi Oways related the like of it, from ar-Rabi' the chamberlain, and in it: Abou Hanifa said: "By Allah, I am not one to be trusted in favour: how should I be trusted in wrath? I am not fit for that." Al-Mansour said: you lie; rather you are fit. He said: "How is it lawful to appoint one who lies?"

It is said: Abou Hanifa took up the office for him, judged a single case, remained two days, then fell ill six days and died.

The jurist Abou Abdallah as-Saymari said: "He did not accept the covenant of the judiciary; he was struck, imprisoned, and died in prison."

Hayyan ibn Moussa al-Marwazi related: "Ibn al-Moubarak was asked: is Malik the more learned in fiqh, or Abou Hanifa? He said: Abou Hanifa."

Al-Khouraybi said: "None falls upon Abou Hanifa but an envier or an ignoramus."

Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan said: "Let us not lie about Allah: we heard nothing finer than the opinion of Abou Hanifa, and we have adopted most of his sayings."

Ali ibn Asim said: "Were the knowledge of the imam Abou Hanifa weighed against the knowledge of the people of his time, it would outweigh theirs."

Hafs ibn Ghiyath said: "The discourse of Abou Hanifa in fiqh is finer than hair: none criticizes it but an ignoramus."

It is related from al-A'mach that he was asked about a question and said: "Only this An-Nou'man ibn Thabit the tanner does it well, and I think he was blessed in his knowledge."

Jarir said: "Moughira said to me: sit with Abou Hanifa, that you may learn fiqh: were Ibrahim an-Nakha'i alive, he would sit with him."

Ibn al-Moubarak said: "Abou Hanifa is the most learned of the people in fiqh."

Ash-Chafi'i said: "The people, in the matter of fiqh, are the dependants of Abou Hanifa."

I say: the imamate in fiqh and its subtleties is conceded to this imam: that is a matter without doubt. And nothing stands in the intellects, when the day has need of a proof. His conduct could bear being set apart in two volumes, may Allah be pleased with him and have mercy on him.

He died: poisoned, given poison to drink, in the year one hundred fifty. He was seventy years old. A great dome stands over him, with a magnificent shrine in Baghdad, and Allah knows best.

His son the jurist Hammåd ibn Abi Hanifa possessed knowledge, religion, uprightness, and complete piety. When his father died, there were with him many deposits whose owners were absent. Hammåd carried them to al-Hakim for him to receive them. He said: "Rather leave them with you: you are worthy." He said: "Weigh them and take them, until the trust of my father is discharged of them; then do as you see." The judge did that, and days passed in weighing and counting them. Hammåd kept out of sight and did not appear, until the judge deposited them with a trustworthy man.

Hammåd died in the year one hundred sixty-seven, in mature age. He narrated from his father and others. His son the imam Isma'il ibn Hammåd, judge of Bassora, narrated from him.