3- Mu’âmalât, which has many divisions, such as buying and selling, rent, companies, interest, birthright.
4- ’Uqûbât (penal code), that is, the punishments called hadd, which is mainly divided into six sections: Qisâs (lex talions), drunkenness, sirqât (theft), zinâ (fornication), qazf (accusing a woman falsely of adultery), riddat (turning renegade), and the punishments for these. Because the punishment come after the sin, they are called ’Uqûbât.
It is fard for everybody to learn the ’ibâdât (worship) part of fiqh. It is fard-i kifâya to learn parts of Munâkahât and Mu’âmalât. That is, it is fard to learn these for those who meet with such circumstances. [It is a must for every Muslim to learn the four parts of fiqh and give ’ushr in dâr-ul harb, too. For instance, it is also harâm in dâr-ul-harb to look at the private parts, heads, arms, or legs of kafîr and murtad women there. Only, it is permissible for Muslims not to follow the Sharî’at in mu’âmalat with disbelievers in dâr-ul-harb. Countrymen have to learn branches of ’uqûbât and mu’âmalât, for the Sharî’at also commands the zimmî to obey the rules of ’uqûbât and mu’âmalât. A disbeliever who lives in Dâr-ul-Islâm but who has another nationality has to obey only the rules of mu’âmalât.
After the branches of knowledge of tafsîr, hadîth and kalâm, the most honoured branch of knowledge is fiqh. It brings more thawâb to study the knowledge of fiqh than to perform supererogatory prayers of namâz at night. And it brings more thawâb to learn it from a teacher than to study it alone. The following six hadîths are sufficient to indicate the honour in fiqh:
When Allâhu ta’âlâ wishes to do a favour to a slave of His, He makes him a faqîh in religion.
If a person becomes a faqîh, Allâhu ta’âlâ sends the things which he longs for and his food by means unanticipated by him.
The person whom Allâhu ta’âlâ calls the highest is the one who is a faqîh in the Dîn. This hadîth alone would suffice to show the greatness of Imâm-i a’zâm.
Against the devil, one faqîh is stronger than a thousand ’âbîds (those who worship much).
Everything is based upon a pillar. The basic pillar of the Dîn is the knowledge of fiqh.
The best, the most valuable act of worship is to learn and teach fiqh.
The rules of the Shârî’at in the Hanafî Madhhab were brought to materialization through a way beginning with Hadrat Abdullah Ibni Mas’ûd, one of the Sahâba. This means to say that the chief of the Madhhab, Imâm-i a’zâm Abû Hanîfa, learned the knowledge of fiqh from Hammâd, who learned it from Ibrâhim-i Nahâ’i, who from Alqama, who from Abdullah bin Mas’ud, who learned it from Rasûlullah ‘sallallâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’.
Abû Yûsuf, Muhammad, Zufar bin Huzayl and Hasan bin Ziyâd are all Imâm-i a’zam’s disciples. Of these, Imâm-i Muhammad wrote some thousand books on the knowledge of the Dîn. Because he married the mother of Imâm-i Shâfi’î, who was one of his disciples, when he died his books were inherited by Imâm-i Shâfi’î and this caused his knowledge to increase. For this reason, Imâm-i Shâfi’î said, “I swear that my knowledge on fiqh has increased by reading Imâm-i Muhammad’s books. He who wants to deepen in the knowledge of fiqh should keep company with Abû Hanîfa’s disciples.” And once he said, “All Muslims are like Imâm-i a’zâm’s household, children.” That is, as a man earns his household’s subsistence, so Imâm-i a’zam undertook the task of uncovering the knowledge of the Dîn which people need, thus rescuing everybody from a very difficult job. Imâm-i Shâfi’î’s establishing a different Madhhab does not mean that he disliked Imâm-i a’zam or that he disagreed with him. The Sahâba had different madhhabs, too. Despite this, they liked and respected each other. The last âyat of Fat-h Sûra is a document for this fact.
Imâm-i a’zam Abû Hanîfa not only gathered the knowledge of fiqh, divided it into branches, and put ways and methods, but also gathered the knowledge of fiqh coming from Rasûlullah and from the Sahâba and conveyed it to hundreds of his disciples. Of these, some were educated and trained as specialists in ’Ilm-i kalâm, that is, in the knowledge of îmân. Of these, Abû Suleymân Jurjânî, one of those educated by Imâm-i Muhammad Shaybânî, and Abû Bakr-i Jurjânî, one of his disciples, became famous. And of these disciples, Abû Nasr-i Iyâd educated Abû Mansûr-i Mâturîdî in the knowledge of kalâm. Abû Mansûr recorded the knowledge of kalâm that came from Imâm-i a’zam in books. Struggling against those who had deviated from the right way, he strengthened the belief of the Ahl as-sunnat. He spread it everywhere.
Everyday Imâm-i a’zam Abû Hanîfa ‘rahmatullâhi ’aleyh’ performed morning prayer in the mosque and then answered his students till noon. Before midday, he performed Qaylûla sitting. It is written in Shir’a-tul-Islâm, in Ibnî Âbidîn, in its chapter about bay’i fâsid, and in Mawâhib-i ladunniyya, in its chapter about dream interpretation, that it is sunnat to perform Qaylûla, that is, to sleep for a while as the sun approaches noon. It is written in Mîzân that Qaylûla can be performed in the afternoon, too.
After the early afternoon prayer he taught knowledge to his disciples until the night prayer. After the night prayer he went home and rested for a while. Then he went to the mosque and worshipped until the morning prayer. This fact has been communicated by Mis’ar bin Kadâm-i Kûfî, one of the Salaf-i sâlihîn, and by many other noble people.
He traded and earned his living by means of the halâl. Sending goods to other places, he bought his disciples’ needs with his earnings. He spent much for his own home, and gave as much as he spent for his home to the poor as alms. Every Friday he distributed twenty gold coins to the poor for the souls of his parents. He would not stretch his legs towards his master and teacher Hammâd’s house. However, there was a distance of seven streets between them. Once he heard that one of his partners had sold a great amount of goods incompatibly with the Sharî’at; he distributed all ninety thousand aqcha earned from this merchandise, thus accepting not even a penny of it. The villages of Kûfa city had been raided by brigands, who had driven away the sheep. Thinking that these stolen sheep might have been slaughtered and sold to the people, he did not buy or eat mutton for seven years from then on, for he had learned that a sheep lived at most seven years. He avoided the harâm very much and observed the Sharî’at in everything he did.
For forty years Imâm-i a’zam performed the morning prayers with the ablution which he performed for the night prayers, [that is, he did not sleep after the night prayers]. This fact is written with documents in Mavdû’âtul’ulûm, in Durr-ul-mukhtâr, in the preface of Ibnî Âbîdîn, and in Mizân-ul-kubrâ. [The wives of these great people, like they themselves, made it a pleasure for themselves to worship Allâhu ta’âlâ, to serve His Dîn, and sacrificed their rights and pleasures for Allah’s way. Also, all the Sahâba, with the wishes and permission of their wives, had gone to distant places for jihâd in order to spread Allah’s Dîn, and many of them became martyrs and did not come back. And their wives were happy because they shared these thawâbs.] He performed hajj fifty-five times. During his last hajj, he entered the Ka’ba and performed a na’mâz of two rak’ats. He recited the entire Qur’ân in the namâz. Then he wept and prayed, “Yâ Rabbî! I haven’t been able to do the worships in a manner worthy of Thee. But I have understood very well that Thou couldst not be understood through mind. Forgive my faults in my service for the sake of this understanding of mine!” At that moment a voice was heard saying, “O Abû Hanîfa! You have known Me well and served Me beautifully. I have forgiven you and those who are in your madhhab and those who will follow your way until the end of the world.” He read the entire Qur’ân al-kerîm once every day and once every night. These facts are written in Durr-ul-muhktâr, in the preface of Ibni Âbidîn, in Khayrât-ul-hisân, in Mir’ât-i kâinât, and also at the end of Hazânat-ul-muftîn. Reciting the entire Qur’ân al-kerîm in one rak’at of namâz has been the lot of only ’Uthmân bin Affân, Tamîm-i Dârî, Sa’îd bin Jubayr and Imâm-i a’zâm Abû Hanîfa. It is written in Shir’a-tul-Islam, “It is mustahab to read the entire Qur’ân al-kerîm in forty days. Rasûlullah used to read it all once a year, for it had settled in his blessed heart. While reading Qur’ân al-kerîm it is necessary to meditate over its meaning and to have it settle into the heart. For this reason, he prohibited it from being read entirely in a period of time shorter than three days. ’Uthmân bin Affân, Zayd bin Thâbit, Abdullah ibni Mas’ud, Ubayy-ibnu Qa’b-il-hadrajî and many of the Sahâba used to read it all once a week. ’Âbids (those who worship much) should read it twice a week and those who spread knowledge should read it once a week.” It is declared in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “He who reads the entire Qur’ân al-kerîm in less than three days cannot understand its meaning.” The hadîth does not prohibit the performing of one prayer of namâz by reciting the entire Qur’ân. Those who asked Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ were ordered to read it through according to the time that was suitable with their states and jobs.
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ stated that Imâm-i a’zam would come. In a hadîth, which is written in Diyâ-i ma’nawî, in Mawdû’âtul’ulûm, in Khayrât-ul-hisân,and which is said to be sahîh in the book Ibni Âbidîn, is declared, “As Âdam and all prophets boast about me, so I boast about a person with the surname Abû Hanîfa and with the name Nu’mân, who will be the light of my Ummat. He will protect them against deviating from the right way and from falling into the darkness of nescience.” He died in 150 A.H., when he was seventy years old. The great savant Hadrat Ibni Hajar-i Makkî states that the hadîth-i-sherîf “In the year one hundred and fifty the world’s ornament will go away” is intended for Imâm-i a’zâm.
Shamsaddîn Sâmî Bey writes as follows in his Qâmûs-ul a’lâm:
“The name of Imâm-i a’zam Abû Hanîfa is Nu’mân. His father’s name was Thâbit. He is the first of the four great imâms of the Ahl as-sunnat. He is a great pillar of the brilliant Sharî’at of Muhammad ‘alaihis-salâm’. He is a descendant of one of the notables of Persia. His grandfather had accepted Islam. He was born in the city of Kûfa in 80 A.H. He was born early enough to live during the times of Anas bin Mâlik, Abdullah bin Abî Awfâ, Sahl bin Sa’d-i Sâ’idî and Abut-tufail Âmir bin Wâsila, who were Sahâbîs. He learned the knowledge of fiqh from Hammâd bin Abî Suleymân. He kept company with many great persons of the Tâbi’în, especially with Imâm-i Ja’far Sâdiq. He memorized many hadîths. If he had not become a Madhhab leader, he was brought up so as to become a great judge, a man of ideas. He had a superior intellect and a wisdom which bewildered everybody. In the knowledge of fiqh he reached a grade that did not have an equal or a likeness. Yazîd bin Amr, who was the Governor of Iraq during the time of Merwân, offered him the judgeship to a law-court of Kûfa. But because he had much zuhd, taqwâ and wara’ as well as knowledge and wisdom, he did not accept it. He was afraid of failing to observe the people’s rights because of human weaknesses. Though he was whipped a hundred and ten times on the head with Yazîd’s command, he persisted in refusing. He was invited to Baghdad by the second Abbâsî Khalifa Abû Ja’far Mansûr. He was offered a judgeship, but he refused it again.
He was the first to divide the knowledge of fiqh into branches; he gathered the sections of information belonging to each branch, and wrote the books Farâid and Shurût. There are innumerable books describing his extensive knowledge in fiqh, his miraculous power in qiyâs, and his dumbfounding superiority in zuhd, taqwâ, mildness and piety. He had very many disciples, some of whom became mujtahids. He died in 150 A.H., when he was seventy years old. Because he would not accept the presidency of the Supreme Court of Appeal offered by Abû Ja’far Mansûr, he was sent to jail. There he was whipped. He was whipped ten times more for each following day. He became a martyr when the number of whippings became a hundred. Abû Sa’d-i Hârazmî, one of the viziers of the Seljuki Emperor Sultan Melikshah, had a wonderful tomb built over Hadrat Abû Hanîfa’s grave. Later on, this tomb was restored and embellished various times by Ottoman Sultâns.
The Hanafî Madhhab spread everywhere during the time of Ottoman Empire. It was almost the official Madhhab of the State. Today, more than half of the Muslim population over the world and the majority of the Ahl as-sunnat worship according to the principles of the Hanafî Madhhab.”
It is written as follows in the book Mir’ât-i kâinât:
Imâm-î a’zam’s father, Thâbit, had met Hadrat Imâm-i Alî in Kûfa and Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ had invoked a blessing on him and on his children. [This fact is written in the books Durr-ul-mukhtâr, Mawdû’ât-ul-ulûm and Ghâliyya, and especially in Ibnî Âbidîn, which gives even its documents.] He saw Anas bin Mâlik and also three or seven more of the Sahâba. He learned hadîths from them.
It is declared in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “Of my Ummat, a person named Abû Hanîfa will come. He will be the light of my Ummat on the Day of Resurrection.” It is declared in another hadîth-i-sherîf: “A person named Nu’mân bin Thâbit and called Abû Hanîfa will come, and will enliven Allah’s Dîn and my Sunnat.” The hadîth-i sherîfs such as“There will come a person named Abû Hanîfa. He is the most useful of this Ummat,” “One of my Ummat will enliven my Sunnat and kill the bid’ats. His name is Nu’mân bin Thâbit,” “In every century there will be those who will get exalted among my Ummat. Abû Hanîfa is the highest of his time,” “Of my Ummat, there will come a person named Abû Hanîfa. There is a beauty-spot between his two shoulder-blades. Allâhu ta’âlâ will enliven His Dîn through his hand,” are well known. One of the savants asked Rasûlullah in his dream. “What would you say about the knowledge of Abû Hanîfa!” He declared in responce: “Everybody needs his knowledge.” Another savant asked in his dream, “O Rasûlallah! What would you say about the knowledge of Nu’mân bin Thâbit, who is from Kûfa city?” He declared: “Learn from him, and act as he teaches you. He is a very good person.” Imâm-i Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anh’ said, “Let me inform you about a person named Abû Hanîfa, in Kûfa city. His heart will be full of knowledge and ultimate divine meanings. During the latest time period, many people will perish because they will not appreciate him. As a matter of fact, Râfidîs will perish on account of Abû Bakr and ’Umar,” Imâm-i Muhammad Bâqir ‘rahmatullâhi ’aleyh’ looked at Abû Hanîfa ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’aleyh’ and said, “When those who defile my ancestor’s Sharî’at are on the increase, you will enliven it. You will be the savior of those who fear and the refuge of those who are confused! You will bring heretics round to the right course! Allâhu ta’âlâ will help you!”
Of the above-said hadhîths, the first, the second and the fifth are written in Khayrât-ul-Hisân, and also in Mawdû’atul’ulûm, by Allâme Taşköprülü. In the preface of a valuable book of fiqh, Durr-ul-mukhtâr, the author quotes the hadîths “As Adam ‘alaihis-salâm’ boasts about me, so I boast about a person among my Ummat. His name is Nu’mân and his surname is Abû Hanîfa. He is the light of my Ummat” and “As Prophets boast about me, so I boast about Abû Hanîfa. He who loves him has loved me. He who dislikes him has disliked me,” and states that Abû Jawzî says that they are mawdû’. This is bigotry, for they have been reported by various people. Ibni Âbidîn writes that these hadîths are sahîh, and explains these lines as follows: “As is reported in the book Khayrât-ul-hisân by Ibni Hajar-i Makkî, it is declared in a hadîth-i-sherîf in Bukhârî and Muslim, ‘Even if îmân goes up to the planet of Venus, one of the sons of Fâris will certainly bring it back.’ Fâris means the people in that part of Iran called Fars. Imâm-i a’zam’s grandfather was from there. It is obvious that this hadîth-i-sherîf denotes Imâm-i a’zam. There is no doubt about it.”
Such hadîth savants as Suyûtî, Zahabî and Asqalânî said mawdû’ about some hadîths; yet these words of theirs mean “They do not have the conditions which sahîh hadîths should have according to my Madhhab.” They did not mean that they were concocted hadîths. We should not say concocted about these hadîths, which exist in valuable books, by being deceived by the obstinate, envious articles of such people as Ibni Taymiyya, Ibni Jawzî and Aliyyulqârî, who have dissented from the Ahl as-sunnat, or of those heretics called Wahhâbîs. Please read the fifth chapter! It is written on the three hundred and tenth page of the book Berîqa that it is declared in a hadîth-i-sherîf in Bukhârî and Muslim, “The most useful of people are those Muslims who are in my century. (That is, they are the Sahâba.) After them the best ones are those who come after them. (That is, they are the Tâbi’în.) And after them the best ones are those who will come after them. Lies will spread among those who will come after them. Do not believe their words or deeds!” This hadîth-i-sherîf is also written in the book Fath-ul-majîd by Wahhâbîs. All the Sahâba, and also most of those who came in the centuries after them are as they are described in the hadîth-i-sherîf. Imâm-i a’zam is one of the Tâbi’în, who are praised in this hadîth-i-sherîf. In fact, it is known by all Muslims and even by all men of knowledge, whether they are religious or irreligious, that he is one of the highest of the Tabi’în. Since Imâm-i a’zam ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’aleyh’ is one of the greatest of those who have been celebrated through this hadîth-i-sherîf, it would be unnecessary to look for another hadîth-i-sherîf for explaining his greatness. A person who says mawdû’ about the hadîth-i-sherîfs that are written above and which praise him has disbelieved also this sahîh hadîth-i-sherîf. It is understood that the person is not a Sunnî.
As our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wassalam’ praises the imâms of Madhhabs in the hadîth above, let us see what he declares about the Wahhâbîs and about those men of the Dîn who, like Wahhâbîs, have appeared recently. It is declared in the two hadîth-i-sherîfs that are written in Tanbîh and Mukhtasar-i Tazkîra: “Towards the end of the world there will be a decrease in knowledge and an increase in ignorance” and “The decrease in knowledge indicates a decrease in the number of savants. Ignorant men of the Dîn will cause fitna by giving fatwâs according to their own points of view. They will cause people to deviate from the right way.” These hadîth-i-sherîfs inform us that in the latter time period ignorant, sinful and heretical men of the Dîn will be on the increase and will mislead Muslims.”
Studying the knowledge of kalâm and ma’rifat in his youth, he became very well-versed. Then, by serving Imâm-i-Hammâd for twenty-eight years, he reached maturity. When Hammâd died, he replaced him as a mujtahid and muftî. His knowledge, his superiority became known far and near. On account of his knowledge, virtue, intellect, comprehension, zuhd, taqwâ, trustworthiness, quickness to reply and repartee, devoutness, trueness and all other human maturities, he was superior to everybody. All the mujtahids contemporary with him or succeeding him, other savants and great people, and even Christians have praised him. It is written in Khayrât-ul-hisân, in Mîzân-ul-kubrâ, in Mir’ât-i-kâinât, and in Mawdû’atul’ulûm that Imam-î Shâfi’î said, “In the knowledge of fiqh, all people are Abû Hanîfa’s children.” Again, it is written in Hâfiz Zahabî’s book As-sahîfa fî manâkib-i Abî Hanîfa, Ibni Hajar-i Makkî’s Kalâid-ul-ukbân fî-manâkib-in Nu’mân, Hamawî’s Ashbâh, Muhammad bin Yûsuf’s Sîrat-i Shâmî and in Mahmûd Pishâwurî’s Persian book Hujjat-ul-islâm that Imâm-i Shâfi’î said, “He who wants to become a fiqh scholar should read the books of Abû Hanîfa,” and they wrote that this was also reported by Imâm-i Muzanî. Once he said, “I get benefits from Abû Hanîfa. I visit his grave every day. When I am in a difficult situation I go to his grave and perform a namâz of two rak’ats. I beg Allâhu ta’âlâ. And He gives me what I wish for.” This is explained in the preface of Ibni Âbidîn and also on the hundred and sixty-sixth page of Shawâhid-ul-haqq. It is written in Ghâliyya: “Imâm-i Shâfi’î used to perform morning prayers near Abû Hanîfa’s grave, but he would not recite the prayers of the Qunût out of his respect towards him. There was no savant on earth who was superior to Abû Hanîfa.” Imâm-i Shâfi’î was a disciple of Imâm-i Muhammad, who was Imâm-i a’zâm’s second disciple. He said, “Allâhu ta’âlâ bestowed knowledge upon me through two people. I learned hadîth from Sufyân bin Uyayna and fiqh from Muhammad Shaybânî.” And he said once, “There is one person to whom I am grateful concerning the knowledge of the Dîn and in worldly affairs. He is Imâm-i Muhammad.” Imâm-i Shâfi’î, again, said, “I wrote enough books to load a beast of burden with what I learned from Imâm-i Muhammad. Had it not been for him, I wouldn’t have acquired anything of knowledge. In knowledge, all people are the children of the savants of Iraq. The savants of Iraq are the disciples of the savants of Kûfa. And the savants of Kûfa are Abû Hanifa’s disciples.” Imâm-i a’zam acquired knowledge from four thousand people.
Various books have been written by savants coming in each century who have explained the greatness of Imâm-i a’zam.
Five hundred thousand matters of the Dîn have been solved and answered in the Hanafî Madhhab.
Imâm-i a’zam’s taqwâ was very great. He used to trade in order to earn halâl food. He had commercial partners. He used to distribute earnings of thousands of aqchas which he considered doubtful to the poor and to men of the Dîn. He used to support his hundreds of disciples and meet their needs with his own earnings. For thirty years he fasted every day. [He ate for five days in a year, on the days of ’Iyd.] He used to perform namâz at nights. He used to spend most of the hours of his days giving lectures and answering the questions of the people in the mosque. At nights he used to worship his Owner in the mosque or in his home. For forty years he performed the morning prayers with the ablution he had made for the night prayers. He often used to read the entire Qur’ân in one rak’at or in two rak’ats. And sometimes, whether in namâz or not, he would recite an âyat describing Allah’s torment or mercy, time after time, and then weep, moan and sob. Those who heard him would pity him. He would dress like the poor. But sometimes he would wear very valuable garments in order to exhibit the blessings of Allâhu ta’âlâ. He performed hajj fifty-five times and stayed in the blessed city of Mekka for several years. At the place where his soul was taken away he recited the entire Qur’ân seven thousand times. He said, “I have laughed once in my life. And I repent for it.” He would talk infrequently, but think much. He used to discuss some subjects of the Dîn with his disciples. One night, after performing the night prayer in jamâ’at, he was going out of the mosque, when he began to talk to his disciple Zufar on some matter. One of his feet was outside the door and the other inside the mosque yet. They talked until the morning adhân and then went back into the mosque to perform the morning prayer before he had time to take his other foot out. Saying that Hadrat Imâm-i Alî had said, “It is permissible to spend up to four thousand dirhams for livelihood,” he used to distribute the excess of the four thousand dirhams of his earnings to the poor. Yazid bin ’Amr wanted to make him the governor and the judge of Kûfa city. He would not accept it. He imprisoned him and had him beaten. His blessed head and face swelled. The next day he took the imâm out and repeated his offer with oppression. The imâm said. “Let me consult,” and obtained permission. He went to the blessed city of Mekka and stayed there for five or six years.
The Khalîfa Mansûr used to respect the îmâm very much. He sent him ten thousand aqcha and a concubine as a present. The imâm did not accept them. One aqcha was worth one dirham of silver. Mansûr was cruel. In 145 A.H., Ibrâhîm bin Abdullah bin Hadrat Hasan had been recruiting soldiers in order to help his brother Muhammad, who had declared his caliphate in the blessed city of Medina. He had come to Kûfa. It was rumoured that Abû Hanîfa had been helping him. Upon hearing this, Mansûr had the îmâm brought to Baghdad from Kûfa. He told him to tell everybody that Mansûr was the rightful Khalifa. He would give him the presidency of the Supreme Court of Appeal in return for this. He oppressed him very much. The imâm, having too much taqwâ to esteem worldly ranks, did not accept it. Being hurt, Mansûr imprisoned him. He had him thrashed. Having received thirty blows, his blessed feet bled. Mansûr repented and sent him thirty thousand aqcha, but he did not accept it. He imprisoned him again and had him thrashed, each day ten blows more than the day before were added. On the eleventh day, because Mansûr was afraid that the people might attack, he was forced to lie down on his back. Poisonous sherbet was poured into his mouth. He performed sajda (prostration) while dying in 150 A.H. Some fifty thousand people performed his janâza prayer. There was such a great crowd that the prayer was accomplished with difficulty, not before the afternoon prayer. For twenty days many people came to his grave and performed his janâza prayer there.
He had seven hundred and thirty disciples. His son Hammâd was one of his notable disciples.
There have been some disagreements among the disciples of Imâm-i a’zam. The hadîth, “Disagreements among the savants of my Ummat is Allah’s compassion,” informs us that these disagreements are useful. He used to fear Allah very much, and was very careful in obeying Qur’ân al-kerîm. He used to say to his disciples, “On any matter, if you happen to obtain a document that disagrees with my word, leave my word aside and follow the document!” For his disciples, like he himself, were mujtahids. All his disciples swear, “We have stated even our disagreements with him based on a proof, a document which we had heard from him.”
Muftîs should act in accordance with Imâm-i a’zam’s word. If his word cannot be found they should follow Imâm-i Yûsuf’s word. Next to him, Imâm-i Muhammad’s word should be followed. When the word of Imâm-i Yûsuf and that of Imâm-i Muhammad are on one side and Imâm-i a’zam’s word is on the other side, a muftî can give a fatwâ according to either side.
It is written in the introductions to Radd-ul-muhtâr and Majmû’a-i zuhdiyyâ (in Turkish), and in Waqfun-niyyât by Shaykh-ul-Islâm Ahmad bin Suleymân bin Kemâl Pashâ, “There are seven grades of fiqh savants. The highest of them are the mujtahids in the Sharî’at. These are called ‘mujtahîd-i mutlaq.’ The imâms of the four Madhhabs are in this grade. The second from the highest are those great ’âlims who are called ‘mujtahid fi-l-madhhab.’ Imam-i Abû Yûsuf, Imâm-i Muhammad Shaybânî and the other desciples of Imâm-i a’zam are among them. They derive ahkâm (rules) from the Adilla-i shar’iyya following the methods and principles formulated by Imâm-i a’zam Abû Hanîfa. Some of the ahkâm derived by them may not be agreeable with the ahkâm derived by Imâm-i a’zam. [It is written in Al-mîzân-ul-kubrâ, page 17 that they are called ‘mujtahid-i mutlaq fi-l-madhhab,’ too.] The third group are the ’ulamâ who are mujtahid fi-l-mas’ala. They find out the ahkâm for new matters. The ahkâm found by them have to be agreeable with the ahkâm of the afore-mentioned two groups. Khassâf, Tahâwî, Karkhî, Shams-ul-aimma Halwânî, Shams-ul-aimma Sarakhsî, Pazdawî, Qâdîkhân and the similar profound ’ulamâ are among the mujtahids of the third group. The ’âlims who are in the groups other th