The whole world draws benefit from the knowledge of Imam Azam Abu Hanifa (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

The whole world draws benefit from the knowledge of Imam Azam Abu Hanifa

(May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

Almighty Allah has granted many excellences and accomplishments to Imam Azam Abu Hanifa (May Allah be well pleased with him).  He was granted such deep knowledge of the Holy Quran and Hadith that gauging it is well nigh impossible.  Imam Abu Hanifa (May Allah be well pleased with him) is the Imam of both the jurisprudents (Fuqaha) and the Hadith-experts (Muhadditheen).  Almighty Allah has granted him really high stations.  His services to Islamic jurisprudence are illuminating the whole world.

 

The actual name of the Imam is No’man bin Thabit.  He was born in either 61 Hijri or 70 Hijri or 80 Hijri and he passed away on 2^nd Sha’aban in 150 Hijri.

 

These are the words of Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi, Professor, Islamic Law, Jamia Nizamia, Founder-Director, Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center, in the weekly lecture conducted under the aegis of AHIRC in Masjid Abul Hasanaat.

 

The revered Mufti said that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Himself had given glad tidings of the birth of the Imam.  The revered Mufti quoted the following verses of Surah Juma’a:

 

Surah Juma’a-2,3

 

There is a Hadith in Sahih Bukhari, Kitaab Ut Tafseer:  When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) recited the aforementioned verses of the Holy Quran, Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) asked:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  Who is it who has not yet come, but the Holy Quran has mentioned him and Your blessings grace him as well?  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) held His peace.  When the question was repeated, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) placed His blessed hand on the head of Hadhrat Salman Farsi (May Allah be well pleased with him), who was present there, and said:  Even if faith is as far as the galaxies, then people from the land of this Salman, nay only one man will acquire it from there and spread it among the people.

 

After relating this Hadith, Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says:  This Hadith which has been related by both Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim is a reliable Hadith in which the coming of Imam Abu Hanifa (May Allah be well pleased with him) is indicated and glad tidings of his coming are given.

 

The famous student of Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says:  This, which our Shaykh has believed in, that this Hadith suggests Imam Azam Abu Hanifa (May Allah be well pleased with him) is a very clear thing as among all the scholars who have come from the land of Persia, none have even approached the high status which Imam Abu Hanifa achieved.

 

          Among the 4 Great Imams, Imam Abu Hanifa (May Allah be well pleased with him) has the honor of having only one teacher between him and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  He met the Companions and had the honor of hearing some Hadith directly from them.

 

The revered Mufti said that Imam Shafa’ee (May Allah be well pleased with him) who himself is the founder of a school of jurisprudence and a great jurisprudent is a student of the closest student of Imam Abu Hanifa (May Allah be well pleased with him), Imam Muhammad bin Hasan Shaibani (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).

 

Imam Bukhari (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) has related 22 Hadith in Sahih Bukhari which have only 3 persons between Imam Bukhari (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  From among them in 20 Hadith the teachers of Imam Bukhari (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) are students of Imam Azam Abu Hanifa (May Allah be well pleased with him).

 

Hadhrat Makki bin Ibrahim (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) is also a Hanafi Hadith-expert from whom Imam Bukhari (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) took 11 of the aforementioned Hadith.  Imam Bukhari (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) took 6 Hadith from Imam Zahhak and 3 from Imam Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah.  This is as if Imam Bukhari (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) has expressed pride in studying under teachers who were students of Imam Abu Hanifa and followed him.  If these Hadith are ignored, only 2 such Hadith will be left in Sahih Bukhari.

 

At the end of the lecture, students who successfully completed the course in the summer camp held under the aegis of Abu Hanifa Welfare and Education Trust were awarded their certificates at the hands of Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi himself.

 

Before the lecture, Maulana Khalid Ali Qadri, Teacher, Jamia Nizamia, briefly described the working of AHIRC and the unique summer course launched by them in which students can get Islamic and modern education under one roof.

 

Apart from the people, scholars, Imams and speakers of different mosques, also attended the lecture.  The session ended with Salaam and Dua.  Maulana Hafidh Muhammad Rafiuddin, Teacher, Dar Ul Uloom An Nomaniya, led the proceedings.