Problems He Solved

Once a man came to Imam Abu 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 Abu 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 Abu Hanifa and told him to solve his problem. Imam Abu 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 Abu 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 Abu 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 Abu 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 Abu Hanifah from Basra, this man was a true devotee of the Great Teacher Hassan Al Basri. He asked Imam Abu 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 Abu Hanifah calmly told him that “Hassan Al Basri must be wrong”. The man became furious and called Imam Abu Hanifah the son of a Fornicator. Imam Abu Hanifah with no hint of annoyance or irritation on his face told the man again that “Hassan Al Basri is wrong”. Imam Abu 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 Calibre and position in society. And then there’s us who do not come anywhere near the stature, piety, and knowledge of Imam Abu 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 Abu Hanifa served his teacher Hammad for 20 years, every day Hammad taught Imam Abu Hanifa three things. And at the age of 40 Imam Abu Hanifah started up his own school.