Imam Azam Abu Hanifa - The teacher of Hadith-experts

Imam Azam – Teacher of Hadith-experts

 

Imam Azam is a great Hadith-Expert (Hadith-expert).  The narrations of his students are present in Sihah Sittah (The 6 most authentic books in Hadith) like Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Jame’ Tirmidhi and others.

When the beginning verses of Surah Juma’a was revealed:

It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom― although they had been, before, in manifest error― (2) As well as (to confer all these benefits upon) others of them, who have not already joined them: and He is Exalted in Might, Wise.  Surah Juma’a (62:2, 3)

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) asked the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam): O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)! Who are the ones who will come after and You will recite the verses of the Holy Quran to them and purify them? The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) did not answer and held His peace.  The question was repeated thrice.  Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) says: At that time, Hadhrat Salman Farsi (May Allah be well pleased with him) was present with us.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) kept His hand on Hadhrat Salman Farsi (May Allah be well pleased with him) and said: If faith (Iman) is as far as the planet Venus, then some people among them (i.e. the people of Hadhrat Salman Farsi), why some only one person will get it from there also.

Hadhrat Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) writes in “ Tabyeez Us Saheefa ” that this Hadith is perfectly correct, which gives glad tidings of the coming of Imam Azam Abu Hanifa and expresses his superiority.

All the scholars agree that this Hadith has the prophecy of the coming of Imam Azam Abu Hanifa and his superiority, because in the people of “Faras,” there is no one more knowledgeable than him.

The books of Hadith are filled with the Hadith narrated by the illustrious students of Imam Azam Abu Hanifa.  His teachers only of Hadith are 4000.  Most of them are Companions or Taba’een.

Imam Bukhari (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) has recorded 22 Hadith in Sahih Bukhari in which there are only 3 links (narrators) between him and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  This is a great honor for him.  In 20 out of these 22 Hadith, the teachers of Imam Bukhari are all Hanafi Hadith-experts.

Makki bin Ibrahim (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) is a Hanafi Hadith-expert, he is an close student of Imam Azam Abu Hanifa from whom Imam Bukhari took 11 out of his 22 Hadith.  Imam Bukhari took 6 of those Hadith from Imam Abu A’asim Zahaak An Nabeel and took 3 of these Hadith from Muhammad bin Abdullah Ansari (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  Thus, in 20 Hadith, the teachers of Imam Bukhari are the students of Imam Azam Abu Hanifa.  Without these Hanafi Hadith-experts (Muhadditheen), Imam Bukhari would have only 2 of these Hadith.