Hanafi Fiqh Exposed

Abu Ḥanifa also known as 'Nu'man ibn Thabit,' was the founder of the present day Hanafi sect of the so called 'Ahl us Sunnah.' The Hanafi school is the oldest and by far the largest from the four schools along with the Shaf'i, Maliki and Hanbali. 

It is also important to mention, Fiqh Hanafi was the official madhab of the Abbasid empire, who had been responsible for the massacre of the Imams of Ahlulbayt (a.s). Abu Ḥanifa is regarded by some as 'Al-Imam Al-A'zam' (the Great Imam). 

Let us take a look at this great Imam and his contribution to the Islamic world in light of the opinion of the Salaf.

FATWA OF AL-BUKHARI

Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Mughirah al-Bukhari:

Chapter "N":

Al Numan Ibn Thabit, Abu Hanifah, Al Kufi.

He died in the year 150 AH. 

Narrated Naim ibn Hammad from Yahyah ibn Sa'eed and Ma'adh Ibn Ma'adh, who heard Al Thawri saying: "Abu Hanifah repented from Kufr twice!" 

Narrated Naim from Al Fazari, who said: I was with Al Thawri, and Abu Hanifah's obituary was mentioned, and so he said: Alhamdulillah and he prostrated. He said: he used to contradict Islam cubit by cubit. He said, meaning Al Thawri: there has been no one more degenerate than him. 

Narrated a companion of ours, from Hamdaway, who said: I said to Muhammad ibn Maslamah: "What's your opinion about that Abu Hanifah visited all the lands except Al Madinah? He said: the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: The dajjal and the plague will not enter it (Medinah). And he (Abu Hanifah) was a dajjal from among the dajjals.

Source: Al Du'afah Al Saghir. Pg. # 132. Person. # 382.

FATWA OF AHMAD IBN HANBAL

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported Al Utaiqi, he said, narrated Yusuf, he said, Al Uqaili reported, he said Sulayman ibn Dawood Al Uqaili narrated: who said I heard Ahmad ibn Al Hassan Al Tirmidhi used to say.  And reported Ubaydullah ibn Umar Al Wa'ez who said: narrated his father, who said narrated Usman ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad Al Subai'e, who said narrated Al Farryabi Ja'far ibn Muhammad, who said: narrated Ahmad ibn Al Hassan Al Tirmidhi, he said: I heard Ahmad Ibn Hanbal say: Abu Hanifah (used to) lie(s). Al Uqaili did not say "used to" (kan).

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; Footnote 4: It has not been proven Sahih (Authentic) about Imam Ahmad this statement except in this report. And the Rijal (chain) of this report are Thuqat (Trustworthy). Except that the meaning of kadhib can be interpreted to mean "he used to make mistakes" or "he used to be deluded" as it is known in the language of the people of Hijaz

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 579.

Hassan ibn Ali Al-Saqqaf:

Chapter: The hatred for Abu Hanifah with the Salafis

“The Hanbalis believe that Abu Hanifa was an Imam of misguidance.”

Source: Al-Salafiya Al-Wahabia. Pg. # 73.

FATWA OF IMAM MALIK

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Ali ibn Muhammad Al Muaddal reported, he said reported: Abu Ali ibn Al Sawwaf reported, he said reported: Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, he said: narrated Mansoor ibn Abi Muzahim, he said: Abu Hanifah was mentioned and Malik Ibn Anas responded: "He plotted against religion, he plotted against religion". (2)

Ibn Rizq reported, he said informed us Abi Bakr Al Shaf'i, narrated Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Al Hassan Al Qadi, who said: I heard Mansour ibn Muzahim say I heard Malik used to say: "Abu Hanifah plotted against the religion. And he who plots against the Deen does not have Deen". (3)

Ja'far said: narrated Al Hassan Ibn Ali Al Hulwani, who said I heard Mutarraf say I heard Malik say: "The incurable disease is destruction in religion. And Abu Hanifah is from the incurable disease". (4)

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof;

Footnote 2: Sahih (Authentic).

Footnote 3: Sahih (Authentic).

Footnote 4: Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 569.

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported Ali ibn Muhammad Al Muaddal, who said reported Muhammad ibn Ahmad Al Hassan Al Sawwaf, who said, reported Abdallah ibn Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, who said: narrated Abu Maamar, from Al Walid Ibn Muslim, who said: Malik Ibn Anas said to me: "Is Abu Hanifah mentioned in your town? I said yes. He said: it is not befitting that your town should be inhabited. (Meaning where the name of Abu Hanifah is mentioned)".

 Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; Footnote: Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 551.

Ibn Abdul Barr:

And from Khaled Ibn Nizsr, who said: I heard Malik saying: "Had Abu Hanifah appeared upon this Ummah with the sword, it would have been easier for them over what he appeared with; that is from qiyas and opinions or views".

Source: Jami'a Bayan Al-Ilm. Vol. 3, Pg. # 334.

FATWA OF IMAM SHAF'I

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Al Utaiqi and Al Hussain Ibn Jaafar Al Salmasi and Al Hassan Ibn Ali Al Jawhari: they said: reported Ali ibn Abdul Aziz Al Bardha'ie, he said:  reported Abu Muhammad Abdul Rahman Ibn Abi Hatim, who said: reported he said: Muhammad Ibn Idris Al Shaf'i said to me: I have looked into the books of the companions of Abu Hanifah: there are 130 pages. I counted 80 pages which go in opposition to the Kitab and Sunnah. 

He also said: narrated my father: he said: narrated Haroon Ibn Saeed Al Aili, who said: I heard Al Shaf'i say: I have no knowledge of anyone who made a book indicating his own lacking in his statements than Abu Hanifah.

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; Footnote: Hasan (Reliable).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 7, Pg. # 566.

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported Ahmad ibn Muhammad Al Utaiqi and Al Hassan Ibn Ja'far Al Sulmasi,  and Al Hassan Ibn Ali Al Jawhari, they said, reported Ali Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Bardha'ie, reported Abu Muhammad Abdul Rahman Ibn Abi Hatim, reported Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Hakam, who said, Muhammad Ibn Idris Al Shaf'i said: I've looked into the books of the companions of Abu Hanifah, and there is in it 130 Pages. I've counted in it 80 Pages contrary to the Qur'aan and Sunnah. (1)

Abu Muhammad said: because the asl was in error so the furoo also continued in error.

And Ibn Abi Hatim said: narrated Al Rabie Ibn Sulaiman Al Muradi, who said I heard Al Shafi say: Abu Hanifah placed the beginning of his writing on error and then he rests the remaining of his book on that using guesswork.  And he also said: my father narrated, narrated Haoon Ibn Sa'eed Al Aili, who said: I heard Al Shaf'i say: I've not found anyone who wrote a book that proves his error like that of Abu Hanifah. (3)

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof;

Footnote 2: Sahih (Authentic).

Footnote 4: Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 8, Pg. # 567 .

FATWA OF SUFYAN AL-THAWRI

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported Abu Al Alaa, Muhammad ibn Hassan ibn Muhammad Al Warraq, who said: reported Ahmad ibn Kamel Al Qadi, and reported Muhammad ibn Umar Al Norsi, he said: reported Muhammad Ibn Abdallah Al Shaf'i. And reported Abdul Malik ibn Muhammad ibn Abdallah Al Wa'ez. He said, reported: Muhammad ibn Al Fadhl ibn Khuzaimah, they said: narrated Abu Ismaeel Al-Tirmidhi, he said narrated Abu Tawbah, he said narrated Fazari: "I heard Al-Awza'i and Sufyan Al-Thawri saying: 'No one was born in Islam more evil.' and Shaf'i said: 'More mischief than Abu Hanifa.'

Reported ibn Rizq, who said: reported Usman ibn Ahmad, who said narrated Hanbal ibn Ishaq and reported Abu Naeem Al Hafiz, who said narrated Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Al Hassan Al Sawwaf, who said narrated Al Bishr ibn Musa, both said: narrated Al Humaidi, who said: I heard Sufyan saying:: "No one was born in Islam more harmful than Abu Hanifa." 

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; 

Footnote: Hadeeth Sahih (Authentic).

Footnote: Hadeeth Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 549.

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

And reported Hasnaway, who said: reported Al Khashab, who said: narrated Ahmad Ibn Mehdi, who said narrated Ahmad Ibn Ibraheem who said: narrated Sulaiman Ibn Ubaydullah , who said narrated Jarir from Thalabah, who said: I heard Sufyan Al Thawri said: "No one was born in Islam more unfortunate on the Muslims other than him."

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof;  Footnote: Hadeeth Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 548.

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported ibn Rizq, he said reported Ahmad ibn Abdallah Al Warraq, he said narrated Abu Al Hasan Ali Ibn Ishaq Ibn Isah Ibn Zatiyah Al Makhrami, he said: I heard Ibraheem Ibn Sa'eed Al Jawhari saying: I heard Maa'dh ibn Maa'dh. And reported Ibn Fadhl. Reported Usman Ibn Ahmad Al Daqqaq, he said: narrated Sahl ibn Sahl Al Wasiti, he said: narrated Abu Hafs Amro Ibn Ali,  he said I heard Maa'dh Ibn Maa'dh saying: I heard Sufyan Al Thawri saying: Abu Hanifah was made to repent from kufr twice.

 Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; Footnote: Hadeeth Sahih (Authentic); The chain is Sahih (Authentic) and the Rijal are Thuqat (Reliable). Perhaps those who made him repent from the alleged Kufr were the Khawarij who takfir anyone who doesn't takfir sinners.

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 524 - 525.

Abdullah bin Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal al-Shaybani:

Narrated Abu Al Fadhl Al Khurasani, narrated Salamah ibn Shabib, narrated Al Farryabi: I heard Sufyan Al Thawri saying: Aboo Hanifah was made to repent from the statements of the Zanadiqah (heretics) many times. 

Dr Muhammad ibn Sa'eed Ibn Salem Al Qahtani; Footnote: It's Chain Are Thuqat (Reliable).

Source: Kitab Al-Sunnah. Vol. 1, Pg. # 193. Report. # 269.

FATWA OF IMAM AWZA'I

Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal al-Shaybani:

Narrated Al Hassan ibn Abdul Aziz Al Jaraway Al Judhami, who said: I heard Abu Hafs Amro ibn Abi Salamah Al Tanisi say: I heard Al Awza'i say: None was born more harmful to Islam than Abu Hanifah and Abu Muslim...

Dr Wasiullah Abbas; Footnote: It's chain is Hasan (Reliable).

Source:  Al Ilal Wa Maarifat Al Rijal. Vol. 2, Pg. # 546.  Person. # 3589.

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported ibn Rizq and Barqani, they both said: Reported Muhammad Ibn Jaf'ar Al Ibn Al Haytham Al Anbari, who said: narrated Jaf'ar ibn Muhammad Ibn Shakir, who said: narrated Raja Ibn Al Sundi, who said: I heard Sulayman ibn Hassaan Al Halabi say: I heard Awza'i what I cannot express: Abu Hanifah intended to destroy Islam and he did cubit by cubit.

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; Footnote: Hadeeth Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 547.

Abdullah bin Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal al-Shaybani:

Narrated Ibraheem ibn Sa'eed, narrated Abu Tawbah from Salamah ibn Kulthum, from Al Ouzaiee, that when Abu Hanifah died, Ouzaiee said: "Praise be to Allah who has caused him to die. He used to destroy Islam cubit by cubit".

Dr Wasiullah Abbas; Footnote: Hadeeth Hasan (Reliable).

Source:  Al Ilal Wa Maarifat Al Rijal. Vol. 1, Pg. # 207.

FATWA OF IMAM SUFYAN BIN UYAINA

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported Ibn Rizq, he said: reported Usman ibn Ahmad Al Daqqaq, who said: narrated Hanbal ibn Ishaq, who said: narrated Al Humaydi, who said: I heard Sufyan Ibn Uyaynah say: "Abu Hanifah repented from disbelief thrice!"

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; Footnote: Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 526.

FATWA OF IMAM ABDULLAH BIN MUBARAK

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Narrated Al Ashari, who said: reported Muhammad ibn Abbas, who said: narrated Abdallah Ibn Ishaq Al Madaini, who said: narrated Ahmad Ibn Musa Al Huzami, who said: narrated Hadiyah, and he's Ibn Abdul Wahab, who said: narrated Abu Ishaq Al Talaqani, who said: I heard Abdallah Ibn Mubarak say: whoever had the book of Abu Hanifah that he uses it or passes fatwa based on it, his hujjah is void and his marriage. The Mawla of Ibn Mubarak said: O Aba Abdul Rahman, I do not reward the book (Al Heel) of Abu Hanifah was written except by Shaitan. Ibn Mubarak said: I do not consider the one who wrote the book except worse than shaitan

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; Footnote: Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 556.

FATWA OF ABDUL RAHMAN IBN MAHDI


Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported Al Utaiqi, he said: narrated Yusuf ibn Ahmad Al Saidalani, he said: narrated Muhammad Ibn Amro Al Uqaili, he said: narrated Zakariyyah ibn Yahyah Al Holwani, he said: I heard Muhammad Ibn Bashar Al Abdi Al Bundara saying: "Whenever Abdul Rahman ibn Mahdi used to mention Abu Hanifah he used to say: between him and the truth there is a veil"

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; Footnote: Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 561.

FATWA IMAM HAMAAD BIN SALAMA AL-BASRI & SHU'ABA BIN AL-HAJAJ

Abdullah bin Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal al-Shaybani:

Narrated Muhammad ibn Abi Atab Al Ayun, narrated Mansour Ibn Salamah Al Khuza'i, he said: "I have heard Hammad ibn Salamah used to send lanah on Abu Hanifah. Abu Salamah said: "Shu'bah used to send lanah on Abu Hanifah".

Dr Muhammad ibn Sa'eed Al Qahtani; Footnote: Hadeeth Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Kitab Al-Sunnah. Vol. 1, Pg. # 211.

FATWA IBN HIBBAN

Abu Hatim Muhammad ibn Hibban al-Busti:

It is not permissible to adhere to him, because he was propagating to Irja and according to our scholars it is impermissible to adhere to one that propagates innovations (Bid'ah, I don’t know any disagreement among the Muslim scholars and the pious religious (people) in all the countries about dispraising him (Abu Hanifa), every one dispraised him one by one.

Source: Kitab Al-Majruhin. Vol. 3, Pg. # 63-64.

FATWA OF IMAM AYUB

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported Al Qadi Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Al Hassan Al Hairi, and Abu Al Qassim Abdul Rahman ibn Muhammad Al Sarraj and Abu Sa'eed Muhammad ibn Musa Al Sairafi, they said: narrated Abu Al Abbas Muhammad ibn Yaqoob Al Asam, he said: narrated Muhammad ibn Ishaq Al Saghani, he said: narrated Sa'eed ibn Amir, he said: narrated Sallam ibn Abu Mutie, he said: Ayoub was sitting in masjid al Haram, Abu Hanifah met him and came towards him. When Ayun noticed Abu Hanifah was proceeding towards him, he told his companions: get up, "we don't want him to pollute us with lice!". So they stood up and dispersed.

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; Footnote: Hadeeth Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 547.

FATWA OF IMAM ABOO MUHAMMAD

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported Ahmad ibn Muhammad Al Utaiqi and Al Hassan ibn Ja'far Al Sulmasi, and Al Hassan ibn Ali Al Jawhari, they said: reported Ali ibn Abdul Aziz Al Bardha'ie, he said: reported Abu Muhammad Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Hatim Al Razi , he said: narrated his father, who said: narrated Ibn Abi Suraij, who said: I heard Al Shaf'i say: I heard Malik ibn Anas and it was said to him: Do you know Abu Hanifah? So he said: Yes! what do you think of a man who says something is gold and gets up until he turns it into gold and it is made from stone or wood?  Abu Muhammad said: he meant that he used to settle or establish up on error and he argued with other than it and will not return to the truth when his error is shown.

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; Footnote: Hadeeth Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 551.

FATWA OF SCHOLARS OF SHAAM

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported Al Barqani, he said: reported Bishr ibn Ahmad Al Isfarayini, he said: narrated Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn Sayyar Al Farhayani, he said; I heard Al Qassim ibn Abdul Malik Aba Usman, he said: I heard Mishar say: The imams used to send LANAH on Aba-Fulan (Aba somebody) on this minbar, and he pointed to the minbar in Dimashq (Damascus). Al Farhayani said: he is Abu Hanifah.

Dr Bashir Awaad Mar'oof; Footnote: Hadeeth Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. # 570.

FATWA OF AL-ASWAD BIN SAALIM 

Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi:

Reported Al Hassan ibn Ali ibn Abdallah Al Muqri, he said: narrated Muhammad ibn Bakran Al Bazzaz, he said: narrated Muhammad ibn Mukhallad, he said: narrated Muhammad ibn Hafs and he is Al Doori, he said: I heard Aba Ubaid say: I was sitting with Al Aswad ibn Salim in Masjid Al Jami and an issue was raised: I said Abu Hanifah used to say so and so about the issue. Al Aswad said: Do you mention Abu Hanifah in the masjid? Then he never spoke to me until he died.

Footnote: Hadeeth Sahih (Authentic).

Source: Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 13, Pg. # 564.

FATWA OF GHAZZLI

Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali al-Tusi:

"Abu Hanifa was not a Mujtahid because he acquired no knowledge in (Arabic) grammar; this is proven by the fact that he read the words Babu Qays. Abu Hanifa had no knowledge of Hadeeth, he would ignore Sahih Hadeeth and would embrace weak ones, he had no capacity to interpret the Sharia, on the contrary he would contradict their rules."

Source: Al-Mankhul. Pg. # 471. 

Al Shafi' said: Nine tenths of the madhab of Abu Hanifah was in error.

Source: Al-Mankhul. Pg. # 439. 

Shafi said: "Whoever practiced Istihsan (legal ruling without evidence) made a new law. Well first of all it is recommended to explain the reality of Istihsan. Some of Abu Hanifa's companions said: 'Istehsan is a method which lacks proof. Verily it is Kufr whoever believed in it or permitted its practise.'"

Source: Al-Mankhul. Pg. # 374 - 375. 

"It must be known for every religious person that God would never send a Prophet for such Salaat (Referring to Salaat of Abu Hanifa) and Muhammad wasn’t sent to propagate the people for this (Salaat)."

Source: Al-Mankhul. Pg. # 501.