# Why does Shaykh Atabek want to restore the early Hanafi school?

*Restoring the early Hanafi school: Abu Hanifa's independence and reason*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/rtwywca2-pq/s/10/
- Date: 2021-01-29 · Kind: discussion · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Shaykh Atabek Shukurov | Mortgages, Madhabs & Molvi-ism | MindTrap 48 | Mufti Abu Layth (46:49–50:40)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtwyWCa2-pQ&t=2809s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/rtwywca2-pq/

**Topics:** The Hanafi school and Imam Abu Hanifa; Scholars and imams of the past

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The guest wants to restore the early Hanafi school of a fully independent Abu Hanifa; Mufti Abu Layth says Abu Hanifa championed reason but his school later became almost his opposite.

## Longer summary

The guest reminds Mufti Abu Layth that in 2006 he said his main aim was to restore the early Hanafi school, and Mufti recalls telling him he did not think he could. The guest says Abu Hanifa was fully academic and independent, a very rich merchant who supported the scholars and students of Kufa, which let him express his opinion, while scholars today, especially of closed-minded schools, are limited. Mufti agrees that most scholars are dogmatic, and says Abu Hanifa was a legend and among the champions of reason, but that his madhhab later became almost the opposite of him, citing his fatwa that someone whose Arabic is poor may recite in Persian in prayer. He asks whether a hijacking took place early on, with Abu Yusuf rising to power and Imam Zufar sidelined; the guest jokes that Mufti wants to provoke a second wave of reactions and says the subject needs time, as it is nearly one in the morning for him.

## Sources and names cited

- Shaykh Atabek Shukurov (guest)
- Abu Hanifa
- Abu Yusuf
- Imam Muhammad (al-Shaybani)
- Zufar
- Hanafi school

## Transcript (machine tier, 46:49–50:40)

[46:22] purely academic independent which is not the case. Yeah. Over 99% of the times scholars are not fully academically independent. Okay. So they are scholars but also they are politicians they have their own audience and um maybe they could be dependent on the salary also of course understand. So all of that will put some limitation on their tongue also.

[46:49] So many things which they know they may not speak out because of these affiliations political or sectarian or you can say financial dependence or so. So uh I think it brings back the um if you remember in 2006 we have discussed if you remember I told you that um my main position is early hafi school and I want to um restore it if you remember it.

[47:15] Yes I do and I I I said to you that I don't think you'll be able to I remember [laughter] yeah no but obviously do you know Abu Hanifam he's 100% pure academic and fully independent. Yeah. does not depend on anyone regardless like political affiliation or even financial because he was multi-billionaire okay he used to maintain the scholars and the students of not of entire kufa okay so very rich person merchant so which made him to express his opinion so that's why I think um um uh one of the things which have attracted me to the early hani

[47:54] school you know so definitely um the scholars of our time they will be limited especially if um it is the scholars who uh they belong to very very you can say uh close-minded or lockminded um schools of thought I'm not going to mention any of them but we do have quite a lot of them isn't it of course of course majority outright majority of scholars unfortunately are very dogmatic but you know Imam Abu Hanifh uh I I've said and I've said this previously when I've been asked about him was unquestionably a legend of a man

[48:32] but he was amongst the champions of the voice of reason but I have said that I felt as well like how you're saying that there was almost you see his madhab later on became the opposite of of him um but going to the early people you know because when you mention Imam Abu Hanifh and he's you know he's thinking out the box he's thinking he's giving fatwas like People are saying to him, "Oh, I can't, you know, my Arabic isn't good." And he's saying, "Well, you know, read it in Persian." You know, far, reads in your salah.

[49:06] Read this. Read that. And, you know, for his day and age, radical radical fatawa to help people make the dean easy. But you see the early school is there, do you feel there's a hijacking that takes place early on? I mean, I know the Sahiban, you know, Abu Ysef rises to power, Imam Muhammad, uh, what's what's going on? Because there's there's people like Imam Zufur who is, you know, been with Imam Abu Hanifh for so many years, you don't really hear about him.

[49:37] And I remember you once mentioning about some other Hannfi as well that have been kind of sidelined. They were from the early school. I mean, tell us a bit about that because that sounds very interesting. [laughter] No, no. I think I think you want to um you want to provoke the second wave of these um reactions. I think [laughter] naughty naughty mutis. Um this discussion is very interesting and it's going to take a time.

[50:06] Um normally for for how long time do you hold this um this type of um um we're we're with you. We're holding your hand. You walk we are with you. [laughter] No, no, don't because it's it's nearly 1:00 in the morning, you know. Uh, right. Yeah. I mean, okay. Normally, I mean, we've got plenty we've got plenty. I think we've got plenty of time, but if you're feeling tired at some point, we can wrap it up, and whenever you say, you just give me the signal, blink twice, and I'll be like, "Okay." Yeah.

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment rtwyWCa2-pQ/s/10. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/rtwywca2-pq/s/10/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.