The fallacious contention that Imam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullahi alaih) either did not have access to
many Hadith or that he was weak in the science of Hadith is based on prejudice and
ignorance. The truth is that even non - Hanafi scholars and scholars of Hadith have
testified to his acumen and expertise in the field. This short treatise does not permit the
possibility of elaboration, but a selected number of quotations from a few scholars of
Hadith will suffice.

Imam Ibn Juraij was a renowned scholar of Hadith. In fact. Imam Shaf'iee's school
of thought is derived mostly from his collections. Ibn Hajjar has narrated that when Ibn
Juraij heard of Imam Abu Hanifa's death he exclaimed in an anguished voice:
"What knowledge has gone!" [153]

Makki Ibn Ibrahim, teacher of Imam Bukhari; and any Hadith which Imam
Bukhari has narrated with only three narrators in it's chain are mostly through Ibn
Ibrahim. Makki Ibn Ibrahim was also the student of Imam Abu Hanifa, he stated
"Imam Abu Hanifa was the most knowledgeable person of his time." [154]

It should be noted that the word for knowledge ('Ilm) in the language of the early
scholars referred to the science of Hadith exclusively. Shu'ba ibn Hajjaj was known as the
"Commander of the Faithful" in the science of Hadith and he was also the first scholar
who specialized in the evaluation of narrators (Jarh wa Ta'deel). Speaking of Imam Abu
Hanifa:
"He was, by Allah, a person with good understanding and excellent memory."

And when Shu'ba heard the news of Imam Abu Hanifa's death, he said:
"The light of knowledge has been extinguished in Kufa. They [the people of Kufa]
may never see the like of him." [155]

Abu Dawood said that Imam Abu Hanifa was an Imam. [156]

Yahya ibn Mu'een. an expert in Jarh wa Ta'deel stated :
"Imam Abu Hanifa was extremely reliable in Hadith as he never narrated any Hadith
which he had not memorized."
Both Yahya ibn Mu'een and Ibn Sa'eed Qattan declared that they had applied
many of his opinions. [157]

Someone once asked Yahya ibn Mu'een if Imam Abu Haneefa was reliable in Hadith to
which he retorted: "Yes. very reliable, very reliable." [158]

These quotations are merely for elucidation, needless to say Imam Abu
Hanifa (ra) had written his book: Kitabul Aathaar at a time when even the earliest of
canonical books of Hadith such as Muwaata Imam Malik, the Musannaf of Abdur Razzaq
and Ibn Abu Shaibah had as of yet not been compiled. Imam Zaranjari confirmed that
Imam Abu Hanifa wrote his book (on the quotations of the Companions) from a
collection of 40,000 narrations. [159] There have many scholars of Hadith who have
compiled 70 books on the narrations of Imam Abu Hanifa (known as Musnad) which
are no less voluminous than the compilations of Imam Shaf'iee.

Ibn 'Adi , a critic of Hadith, very much antagonistic to
Imam Abu Hanifa initially, had realised his lapse in
judgement only later, as an expression of remorse he compiled a Musnad of lmam Abu Hanifa's narrations. [160]

The great expert on Hadith Nawab Siddiqui Hasan Khan wrote:
"Imam Abu Hanifa was a good scholar, a practicing and pious servant who was
very devout in his worship and humble in front of Allah."

Notes:
153 Tadhibul Tahdeeb, vol. 10, page 540
154 Narrated by Hafiz Muzzi in the footnotes of Tadhibul Tahdeeb above page 451
155 Al-Khayratul Hisaan by Ibn Hajar of Makkah, page 32 and 71, also from Injaal watan, page 8 and 17
156 Tadhkiratul Huffaz, by Dahabi: vol.1, page 160
157 Ibid: vol. 10 page 450
158 The virtues of The Great Imam (Imam Abu Hanifa), by Muwaffiq: vol.1, page 192 (printed in
Hyderabad in 1321 H)
159 Ibid: vol. 1 :page 95/96
160 The issue of Imam Abu Hanifa and Hadith has been dealt with by Maulana Muhammed Ali of
Khandala in his book "The Great Imam and the Sceince of Hadith" and also in Arabic by Maulana Zafar
Ahamed Uthmani in his book Injal Watan.

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 2nd November 2010

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