Hadith about Imam Abu Hanifa (Rh)

Narrated Abu Huraira: While we were sitting with the Prophet Surat Al-Jumu'a was revealed to him, and when the Verse, "And He (Allah) has sent him (Muhammad) also to other (Muslims).....' (62.3) was recited by the Prophet, I said, "Who are they, O Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet did not reply till I repeated my question thrice. At that time, Salman Al-farisi was with us. So Allah's Apostle put his hand on Salman, saying, "If Faith were at (the place of) Ath-Thuraiya (pleiades, the highest star), even then (some men or man from these people (i.e. Salman's folk) would attain it."

(Book 60, Hadith 420,Sahih Bukhari)


Allamah Jalaluddin Suyuti [r.h] writes:

اقول قد بشر صلى اللّه عليه واله وسلم بالامام ابى حنيفه فى الحديث

"I say that Prophet Muhammed [s.a.w] has given the glad tidings of Imam Abu Hanifa [r.h] in this hadith [of Abu Hurayra] [r.a]."

[Tabyeed al-Sahifa, page 403]

Allamah ibn Hajar Makki [r.h] has also quoted this view of Allamah Suyuti [r.h] in al-Khayrat al-Hisaan.

Imam Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlwi [r.h] has mentioned in his Maktubaat that Imam Abu Hanifa [r.h] falls under the above mentioned hadith. [Kalmat al-Tayyibaat, page 168]

Famous Wahabi scholar Nawab Saddiq Hassan Khan [r.h]( Who later accepted Islam) also wrote that this hadith refers to Imam Abu Hanifa [r.h]. [Ithaf al-Nubla, page 424]

Imam Abu Hanifa Numan ibn Thabit ibn Numan ibn Marzuban [Narrated by Ismail ibn Hammad ibn Abu Hanifa], called "The Imam" by Abu Dawud, and "The Imam, one of those who have reached the sky" by Ibn Hajar, he is known in the Islamic world as Imam Al Azam (The greatest Imam) and his school has the largest number of followers among the four schools of Ahly Sunna. He was a successor and met such Sahaba as Anas bin Malik, Sahl bin Sa'd, Ibn Abi Awfa etc. He was the first to organize Fiqh in written form under subheadings.

The main source of this biography is Uqudul Jamman Fi Manaqibil Imami Al Azam Abi Hanifa An Numan by Muhaddith Allamah Shamsudin Muhammad ibn Yusuf Dimashqi. It was translated in Urdu by Maulana Abdullah ibn Bastawi Madani. I advise everyone to get this valuable book as it has also been translated into English.