Book Name:Faizan e Imam Azam
contains a miracle of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم as he gave news of the unseen, informing us about something that was yet to happen.[1]
Dear Islamic brothers, it is اَظْہَرُ مِنَ الشَّمْسِ وَ اَبْیَنُ مِنَ الْاَمْس (i.e., clearer than the sun and more certain than yesterday) that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was granted knowledge of the unseen by Allah Almighty. Otherwise, how would he be able to inform us of Imam Abu Hanifa رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه and his rank in knowledge? What the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said manifested into reality. Imam Abu Hanifa رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه was born, and his reputation in knowledge spread across the world.
The imam was called “Nu’man”, and if we look at its meaning, we learn the imam was a true reflection of his name. Shaykh al-Islam Shihab al-Din Imam Ahmad bin Hajr Haytami Makki Shafi’i رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه states:
The scholars have unanimously agreed the name of the imam was “Nu’man”. There is a subtle point to note with regards to his name. “Nu’man” means blood, which is a fundamental component of the human body. Likewise, Imam Abu Hanifa رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه is called Nu’man because he is the foundation of Islamic jurisprudence.[2]
صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
Let us now listen to a brief introduction to him and hear just a few aspects of his life. His name was Nu’man, his father’s name was Thabit, and his teknonym was Abu Hanifa (al-Imam al-A’zam is one of his titles). He was born in Kufa in the year 80 AH and passed away at the age of 70