Jan 15
Death of Imam Abu Hanifa
Wednesday 15 Rajab, 1446
Jan 15
Wednesday 15 Rajab, 1446
Imam Abu Hanifa was born in the city of Kufa in Iraq (80 AH). He belonged to a Persian lineage. His name was Numan ibn Thabit, and he is one of the greatest scholars of Islam. He is the founder of the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, which is the most followed around the world. He spent most of his life seeking knowledge and devoted himself to analyzing the Quran and Hadith so that Muslims have a systematic approach towards religion. He led a great spiritual life, but his death was a tragic incident due to political issues.
Imam Abu Hanifa spent most of his life in Kufa but continued to travel to Makkah, Madinah, and other places to seek knowledge. He memorized the Quran at an early age under the supervision of his father. Firstly, he followed family tradition and began trading silk cloth, for which he built a reputation for honesty. He was an honest and kind person even before he entered the scholarly field. Due to his sharp memory and intelligence, he soon entered the pursuit of Islamic knowledge.
He started his journey of knowledge by studying religion (theology). After getting hold of theology, he shifted his interest to the knowledge of Fiqh in Kufa. Kufa was one of the most prominent centers for scholars of Fiqh. Hammad ibn Sulaiman was the teacher of Abu Hanifa, from whom he learnt the knowledge of Fiqh. He was one of the most expert and well-read scholars of fiqh at that time. The time of lessons was between Maghrib and Isha. Abu Hanifa got to learn from Hammad for 18 years till he passed away. After his passing, Abu Hanifa was appointed the head of the Madrassah, on which everyone agreed.
Abu Hanifa explored every field related to the Islamic religion. He kept on traveling to Basrah, Makkah, and Madinah to gain more knowledgeable insights. In Makkah, he learnt from one of the best, Ata Ibn Rabah. He was the student of Abdullah ibn Abbas رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ. Abu Hanifa studied Hadith from him, and he taught him with great care. According to some sources, Abu Hanifa learnt from as many as 4000 teachers. Some of them were companions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, known as Sahabas, while some were companions of Sahabas, known as Tabieen. Other included Tabi Tabieen, who were companions of Tabieen. It is, though not the exact number, as he kept on traveling to different cities to acquire as much knowledge as he could. He performed Hajj multiple times.
The Calipha of his time, Abu Jafar Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al-Mnasur, offered the post of Chief Judge to Abu Hanifa, but he declined the offer politely. He was well aware that he would not be able to provide justice, as Calipha would pressure him to pass the rulings according to his desires. It did not go well with Al-Mansur, and he accused him of lying, thus giving him the punishment of imprisonment and flogging. Some sources suggest that he was given the punishment of 10 lashes per day until the count reached 110. His health deteriorated, and he died in prison at the age of 70. Some say that he was given poison in jail. It is also said that when Imam Abu Hanifa died, he was in the state of prostration. He died around 150 AH in Baghdad.
He took his last breaths in Baghdad and was also buried there. The news broke out, and there was a wave of sadness all around Baghdad. Many people gathered to pay their last respects to him. Due to the large number of people, his funeral prayer was offered six times so everyone could be part of it. His son led the final funeral prayer.
He was buried in Baghdad in the cemetery of Al-Khayzaran. There is now a mosque built around his tomb, known as Jamia Imam Al-Azam. It is one of the most significant Sunni mosques in Baghdad.
The life and death of Imam Abu Hanifa taught us many lessons. He set many examples through his way so that Muslims can benefit from it. Even his death teaches us a great lesson that we should not indulge in worldly powers. The true life is not in this world but the life hereafter. He refused to accept the tyranny of the ruler and preferred to choose punishment. This shows us his strong faith in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. He was courageous and ready to sacrifice himself for the truth. He is the inspiration for many Muslim scholars that always on the side of justice, no matter what.
Imam Abu Hanifa led an exemplary life, showing great strength and having strong faith in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. He was the founder of the Hanafi school of thought, which is the most widely followed Fiqh in the Muslim community. He was an intelligent scholar with a sharp memory. He kept his strong faith in Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, during the time of tyranny and did not accept the decision of an unjust ruler. Due to this, he later faced imprisonment and died there. This resilience is an example for us that one should not accept the command of an unjust ruler.
His teachings are still studied by many and inspire us to live an honest and just life. Another thing that we can learn from his death is that worldly punishment is better than the punishment in the afterlife. Thus, always choose to be on the right path and do not stray. Be sincere and committed to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.
He passed away in 150 AH during the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, Iraq, where he spent most of his life teaching and spreading Islamic teachings.
According to some sources, he was imprisoned by the Abbasid ruler Al-Mansur and was being poisoned there. Imprisonment was the punishment for his refusal of the offer to become Chief Judge (Qadi-al-Qudah). It was against his belief to serve under an unjust ruler. This is why he got imprisoned and died there.
He said that accepting this position means I will somehow be a part of unjust decisions, while if I do not accept the offer, I might be punished. Thus, it is better to choose the punishment of this life rather than the afterlife.
Many scholars agree that he was martyred, as the circumstances of his death indicate. He was imprisoned, tortured, and said to have been poisoned there as he was taking a stand for justice.
His resting place is in Baghdad, Iraq. A mosque is built there, known as Masjid al-Imam al-Azam. It is a place of great respect, visited every year by many Muslims.
There are differing opinions, but many say that his son, Hammad ibn Abi Hanifa, led the funeral prayer. Some say one of his close students may have led the Janazah prayer.
He is widely known as Imam al-Azam. He showed immense resilience and did not bow to injustice. He chose to be on the right path despite facing immense difficulty and even imprisonment. His Hanafi Fiqh is the most widely followed school of Islamic jurisprudence.