# What is the story of the woman who tricked Abu Hanifa into a marriage proposal?

*His death in 150 AH, and the woman who tricked him in return for a marriage reference*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/s-vm6mgbll8/s/11/
- Date: 2022-12-10 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Imam Abu Hanifa | Mufti Abu Layth (56:24–1:08:15)
- Status: latest answer on its topic; general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Vm6mgbLl8&t=3384s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/s-vm6mgbll8/

**Topics:** Strength in Stories and why history matters; Choosing a spouse; The Hanafi school and Imam Abu Hanifa

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Abu Hanifa died in 150 AH and is buried in Baghdad. In a story of uncertain accuracy, a woman tricked him into a marriage with a different bride to get him back for the clever reference he once gave a poor suitor.

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth says Abu Hanifa died in 150 AH and is buried in Baghdad, where a structure marks his tomb, and that in the same year another imam [?] was born. He then tells a story whose accuracy he says is unknown: a beautiful woman came to Abu Hanifa's consultation, removed her hijab despite his request, and asked him to marry her, saying her father, a grocer, always put off suitors by describing her as cross-eyed, hunched and with learning difficulties. Abu Hanifa agreed, the father gave the same description, the nikah was contracted with a few witnesses, which Mufti links to a hadith that the simplest marriages have the most barakah, and the bride turned out to be the daughter described; Abu Hanifa apologised, released her and paid the expenses. Weeks later the first woman returned and explained that she had done this to get him back for vouching for her husband: when a poor suitor needed a reference, Abu Hanifa had asked him whether he would sell a limb for twelve thousand dinars, and then told her family only that the man had turned down twelve thousand gold pieces in front of him. Abu Hanifa replied that he had not meant to deceive but to help a good man who should not be turned down for money.

## Sources and names cited

- Abu Hanifa
- report: the nikah with the least burden has the most barakah
- nikah
- hijab
- polygamy

## Transcript (machine tier, 56:24–1:08:15)

[56:20] it's this is uh honestly there's wow so these were you know the stories of of Imam and there's so many funny stories as well about Imam and I wanted to share it because I thought look yeah he's he passes away in 150 hijri he's buried uh in Baghdad he's buried in Baghdad I believe and there is a um a site that's set up structure a structure um of with his with Imam of hanifa's Tomb this in the same year that he passed his

[56:59] way Imam is born so you know just a what a thing you know this I'll I'll leave you guys with another little story I don't know whether this one you know some of these stories we see them we don't know how people transmit them we don't know how accurate they are but hey they say that um you know this one time Imam of hanifa was um he was because you know he was working doing his thing and his Imam thing that he used to like have a clinic if you like people would come and

[57:37] he's doing that and this woman comes in and she takes off her hijab and stuff she comes in like all I mean she's got clothes on but she's taking all her job off and very kind of like um showing how she is you know glamorous here all this kind of so Imam he looks at her and she's very pretty very beautiful and and he says to her that look please you know like put that back on please because obviously because he's the only one there and you know there could be a scandal man this Scandal you I can't handle this candle you know so

[58:16] he says look don't he says it's please he says he says put it back on and she says no it's important because it's part of what I'm about to ask you she says it's important you can see me and my looks so anyway she sits and she starts talking introducing herself and being very friendly being very polite and very decent and um so she says look uh I've got an issue I she says look I says it's a bit embarrassing but I'd like to say that look I want to get married and uh and she says that I

[58:56] every time um I'm about to marry my father who she says you notice that at the bottom of the street around the corner whatever there's this gross grocery store this Grocers green crosses so he says yeah they call it bakal in Arabic he says yeah he says she says I'm his daughter so he says oh okay he says look what it is is I I'm going to be honest with you I want to get married I want to but and every time some Suitor comes and asks for Mahan my dad always says let me tell you before because you know you probably

[59:33] haven't seen her she's uh cross-eyed and she's got learning difficulties and she's uh you know uh what is it I think she's uh she's kind of hunched hunched over or so so basically a bunch of disabilities and and so the guys always go turn away and so I've got nobody to marry and so um so she starts talking says look you know I've reached a certain age and uh so this this is how the story goes so she says to the Imam look

[1:00:11] I'll uh if she says look I you know I'd want to get married so she says look if you wouldn't mind would you marry me so he says what this problem man why this so he's you know first he's not she says look come on look out you know this is why I thought it's important that you see me I'm reasonable you know there's nothing wrong you know I can do this I can do that I'm very understanding you know in that day and age as well polygamous

[1:00:50] marriages you know days when men were men I have to be careful yeah cancel culture cancer I'm joking I'm joking you know in that day and age where polygamous relationships were more uh the norm so um especially within Muslims environments so uh says look and then he says you know what she says look come on look you know if there's anything wrong you know you can see look I'm I'll serve you I'll do this you know I'm very dis educated I'm like this

[1:01:28] so he says look so he thinks about he says he says okay this is fine you know if that's if that's what you want it's just fine he said I don't object I'll take you as a wife so she says okay she says but you've got to come and take you've got to come and propose you know to my father you've got to ask for my hand not here right now like this you come tomorrow or something you know come to the green Grocers and ask for my hand

[1:02:01] goes the next day and uh and he says to the green girls that he says look listen he says I've come to ask for your daughter's hand so he says okay he says but you know I better be open with you she's cross-eyed and she's got learning difficulties and she's a bit kind of like I think hunched over and so he says yeah he says

[1:02:28] no problem that's not a problem he says okay I so the father's law says look I've accepted and you know you can um you know when do you want to do this knicker so we can do this in a car fine let's exchange so in that day and age they just say look let's get some of these people together we're going to do this uh you know a few Witnesses and he's the Imam and it's known Tikka you know you can um uh you can they would just because marriages were quite simple as this is another thing as well that the more complex you know there's a Hadith that that the um

[1:03:05] that the the uh those Nikas that are the most simple have the most Baraka and blessing so in that day and age they were very simple kind of so Tiki he goes they say you know that's your wife's in in this room she's going to be getting ready you can come you know speak to a collectors you can take uh go with so he comes after in the afternoon he comes back and goes in the room the woman in the room is cross-eyed and we'd love it this so if I'm already if it's like what

[1:03:43] what who the hell is this he says he goes out and he says to the father that what he says that's that's not your daughter she go he goes that's her I told you you know she's cross-eyed and she's hunched back and she's got these uh I told you that's what and he says no no look there's been this terrible Mission you have a mistake I said look I can't I'm ever so sorry I will you know all these expenses that I said that I would pay you can have that money but uh sorry I can't keep this in the car so he so they say uh okay fine so they just you

[1:04:23] know they he says look consider it at the lock but I'll pay for these expenses I'll do all of that that's fine and he goes now a week or two later I love that first woman comes to visit Imam of hanifa again [Laughter] so she comes to see the Imam looks at her and he says you she says aha me and she says how do you feel and he and he says that what that wasn't right what you what you did she goes really and she she says well I hope you feel I did that

[1:05:03] to get you back and and he says to get me back for what and she says that look a man came and proposed to our family before and he needed a reference like you know in that day and age people would say I cannot ask any mom and can you ask somebody vouch for you is he a decent guy how is his wealth and she said everything was okay with him but his financial condition was a bit poor a bit poor he wasn't totally important he's a bit poor so he was worried that and he came to

[1:05:42] you saying do you remember the case remembered the case that there was a time this man came and he he found a nice match and he was a great guy but he was just a bit poor and the family if he said to them he was a bit poor they would have uh refused the the Nika so he asked Imam of hanifa could you be my witness like could you kind of like vouch for me so Imam said to him that you know he said that they won't marry me because I'm a bit poor and blah blah blah said to him this is what the story goes he said to him okay would you sell a

[1:06:21] limb of yours to me right now for twelve thousand dinars if I was to say sell me your hand or your arm or your would you 12 000 doll pieces and the guy said no he said seriously he said no I said good he said don't worry look when can we all go SP you know you get ready for the knicker and he went to see the the people as a reference and he said oh yeah you know yeah I've met the person and they said how is his financial condition he said look you know Allah provides all I can say is the man was offered twelve thousand

[1:06:59] Dirhams Dinars for a goal a 12 000 gold pieces for a transaction and he turned it down in front of me that's all I can say so they thought well she must be you know very wealthy you know so they did the nikah so this was the woman that was married to him so she said that to be fair he was a he's a great guy but I felt duped about his financial situation and you you misrepresented it so I wanted you to to get you back on that they say that

[1:07:40] said that look you misunderstood me I wasn't trying to misrepresent him I was just trying to help him in getting in the car and I wasn't trying to con someone I was just trying to you know he's a great he's a good person and he had a great heart and he would make a great husband and you shouldn't have just been turned down for money that's all but that story was true but it was a fascinating read I tell you that so guys that was this Legend of an Imam who really just left us so much to think about they say you know when he was asked about Imam Malik what do you think of

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment s-Vm6mgbLl8/s/11. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/s-vm6mgbll8/s/11/

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