Biographies of the Four Imams | Episode (1) | Imam Abu Hanifa, may God have mercy on him

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:03 “And of men and beasts and cattle, in like manner, divers hues? The erudite among His bondmen fear Allah alone. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Forgiving.” (35:28)

0:08 The biographies of the Four Imams.

0:17 Four biographies brimming with beauty and majesty.

0:24 Carefully abridged.

0:26 From the peerless, magnificent book,

0:29 Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' (Lives of Noble Figures).

0:32 By Imam al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him.

0:36 Prepared by Shaykh Muhammad al-Muhanna,

0:41 May Allah preserve him.

0:43 Imam Abu Hanifah, may Allah have mercy on him,

0:50 The jurist of the Ummah and the scholar of Iraq.

0:56 Imam Abu Hanifah,

0:58 Al-Nu'man ibn Thabit al-Taymi al-Kufi.

1:02 A client (mawla) of the tribe of Taym Allah ibn Tha'labah.

1:05 It is said that he was of Persian descent.

1:09 He was born in the year 80 AH,

1:11 During the lifetime of the younger Companions.

1:13 Yet, not a single letter is authentically attributed to him from any of them.

1:17 He did, however, see Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him,

1:20 When he came to Kufa.

1:23 He narrated from 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah,

1:26 Who was his greatest and most excellent teacher, as he himself stated.

1:30 He also narrated from Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman,

1:33 Under whom he studied fiqh.

1:34 And from al-Sha'bi,

1:36 Nafi', the client of Ibn 'Umar,

1:38 Qatadah, 'Asim ibn Bahdalah,

1:41 Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir,

1:43 Hisham ibn 'Urwah,

1:45 And a host of others.

1:47 He even narrated from Shayban al-Nahwi,

1:50 Though he was younger than him.

1:52 And from Malik ibn Anas,

1:54 Who was likewise younger than him.

1:57 He devoted himself to the pursuit of hadiths (al-athar),

1:59 And traveled extensively for that purpose.

2:01 As for fiqh, legal precision, and its intricacies,

2:05 He reached the absolute pinnacle.

2:07 People are dependent upon him in this regard.

2:10 A great many people narrated from him.

2:13 Our shaykh, Abu al-Hajjaj al-Mizzi, mentioned these in his Tahdhib:

2:19 Ibrahim ibn Tahman,

2:21 The scholar of Khurasan,

2:23 Hamzah al-Zayyat,

2:25 Who was one of his peers,

2:26 Abu 'Asim al-Nabil,

2:28 'Abd al-Razzaq,

2:30 'Ali ibn Mushir al-Qadi,

2:33 Who was a distinguished figure,

2:34 Yazid ibn Harun,

2:36 And Qadi Abu Yusuf,

2:38 As well as his son, Hammad ibn Abi Hanifah.

2:41 Isma'il ibn Hammad ibn Abi Hanifah said:

2:46 My grandfather, Abu Hanifah,

2:49 Al-Nu'man ibn Thabit, was born

2:51 In the year 80 AH.

2:53 His father, Thabit, went to 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him,

2:57 While he (Abu Hanifah) was a child,

2:58 And 'Ali prayed for blessing upon him and his descendants.

3:01 We hope that Allah answered that prayer of 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, regarding us.

3:08 Al-Nadr ibn Muhammad said:

3:11 Abu Hanifah was handsome of face,

3:14 Elegant in dress, and fragrant in scent.

3:17 Abu Yusuf said:

3:19 Abu Hanifah was of medium stature,

3:22 One of the most handsome of people,

3:24 The most eloquent in speech,

3:26 The sweetest in tone, and the clearest in expressing what was in his mind.

3:30 Hammad ibn Abi Hanifah said:

3:33 My father was handsome,

3:35 With a slight tan,

3:37 Of good appearance, and he used perfume frequently.

3:40 He would not speak unless in response to a question,

3:43 And he would not, may Allah have mercy on him, involve himself in what did not concern him.

3:47 Ibn al-Mubarak said:

3:49 I have never seen a man more dignified in his gathering,

3:53 Nor more excellent in conduct and forbearance, than Abu Hanifah.

3:57 Qays ibn al-Rabi' said:

4:01 Abu Hanifah was pious and God-fearing,

4:05 Preferring his brothers over himself.

4:07 Sharik said:

4:09 Abu Hanifah was long-silenced and possessed great intellect.

4:13 Yazid ibn Harun said:

4:16 I have never seen anyone more forbearing than Abu Hanifah.

4:20 Al-'Ijli said:

4:22 Abu Hanifah was a khazzaz; he sold khazz.

4:26 Khazz is a fine fabric resembling silk.

4:30 Al-'Ijli also said:

4:32 Abu Hanifah said:

4:34 I came to Basra,

4:36 And I thought that I would not be asked about anything without having an answer.

4:41 But they asked me about things for which I had no answer.

4:45 So I pledged to myself:

4:47 I will not leave Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman until he dies.

4:52 I accompanied him for eighteen years.

4:55 Ahmad ibn al-Sabah said:

4:58 I heard al-Shafi'i say:

5:00 It was said to Malik:

5:02 "Have you seen Abu Hanifah?"

5:04 He replied, "Yes."

5:06 "I saw a man who, if he were to argue with you that this pillar was made of gold,

5:12 He would provide evidence to support his claim."

5:15 Qadi Abu Yusuf said:

5:17 While I was walking with Abu Hanifah,

5:20 I heard a man say to another:

5:23 "This is Abu Hanifah,

5:25 He does not sleep at night."

5:27 Abu Hanifah then said:

5:29 "By Allah, I will not be spoken of for something I do not do."

5:33 So he would spend the night in prayer, supplication, and invocation.

5:38 Abu 'Asim al-Nabil said:

5:42 Abu Hanifah was called "the Peg" (al-watad),

5:45 Because of his frequent prayer.

5:47 Mis'ar ibn Kidam said:

5:50 I saw Abu Hanifah recite the entire Qur'an in a single rak'ah.

5:54 Al-Qasim ibn Ma'n said:

5:57 Abu Hanifah stood one night repeating the words of Allah:

6:02 ﴾Nay, the Hour is their appointed time, ﴿

6:04 ﴾And the Hour is more grievous and more bitter.﴿

6:07 He was weeping and supplicating until dawn.

6:11 Zayd ibn Kumayt said:

6:13 I heard a man say to Abu Hanifah:

6:16 "Fear Allah."

6:18 He trembled, turned pale, and bowed his head.

6:21 He said, "May Allah reward you with good.

6:24 How much people need, at all times, someone to say such things to them."

6:30 Bishr ibn al-Walid said:

6:32 Abu Ja'far al-Mansur summoned Abu Hanifah,

6:36 And pressured him to accept the position of judge.

6:38 He swore an oath that he must accept the judgeship,

6:41 But he refused and swore that he would not do it.

6:45 Al-Rabi' the chamberlain said to him:

6:48 "O Abu Hanifah,

6:50 Do you see the Commander of the Faithful swearing an oath, and you are swearing too?"

6:54 He replied, "The Commander of the Faithful is more capable of paying the expiation for his oath than I am."

7:00 So he ordered him to be imprisoned,

7:02 And he died there in Baghdad.

7:05 Mughith ibn Budayl said:

7:08 Al-Mansur invited Abu Hanifah to the judiciary,

7:11 But he refused.

7:13 Al-Mansur said:

7:14 "Do you turn away from what we are offering?"

7:17 Abu Hanifah replied:

7:19 "I am not fit for it."

7:21 He said, "You are lying."

7:23 He replied:

7:24 "The Commander of the Faithful has already ruled that I am not fit.

7:28 If I am a liar, then I am not fit.

7:32 And if I am truthful,

7:34 Then I have already informed you that I am not fit."

7:37 So he imprisoned him.

7:39 The jurist Abu 'Abd Allah al-Saymari said:

7:42 Abu Hanifah did not accept the appointment to the judiciary,

7:46 So he was beaten, imprisoned, and died in prison.

7:51 Ibn al-Mubarak said:

7:53 Abu Hanifah is the most learned of people in fiqh.

7:56 Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan said:

7:59 We will not lie about Allah:

8:01 We have never heard anything better than the opinions of Abu Hanifah,

8:04 And we have adopted most of his views.

8:07 'Ali ibn 'Asim said:

8:10 If the knowledge of Imam Abu Hanifah were weighed

8:13 Against the knowledge of the people of his time,

8:15 It would outweigh them.

8:17 Hafs ibn Ghiyath said:

8:19 The speech of Abu Hanifah on fiqh

8:22 Is finer than a hair;

8:24 None criticizes it but an ignorant person.

8:27 Al-Shafi'i said:

8:29 People are dependent upon Abu Hanifah in fiqh.

8:33 I say:

8:34 Leadership in fiqh and its subtleties

8:37 Is granted to this Imam,

8:40 And this is a matter beyond doubt.

8:43 For nothing is true in the mind

8:46 If the day itself requires proof.

8:50 His biography could fill two volumes.

8:54 May Allah be pleased with him and have mercy on him.

8:57 He died a martyr, poisoned,

9:00 Meaning he was given poison to drink, causing his death,

9:03 In the year 150 AH,

9:06 At the age of seventy.

9:08 His son, the jurist Hammad ibn Abi Hanifah,

9:12 Was a man of knowledge, religion, and righteousness,

9:15 And complete piety.

9:17 Hammad died in the year 176 AH.

9:22 The biographies of the Four Imams.

Biographies of the Four Imams | Episode (1) | Imam Abu Hanifa, may God have mercy on him

Transcript