# Why did Abu Hanifa allow things like praying in Persian?

*Malik's verdict, the gathering of imams, and legal stratagems as a way of creating ease*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/s-vm6mgbll8/s/4/
- Date: 2022-12-10 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Imam Abu Hanifa | Mufti Abu Layth (17:01–22:16)
- Status: latest answer on its topic; general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Vm6mgbLl8&t=1021s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/s-vm6mgbll8/

**Topics:** The Hanafi school and Imam Abu Hanifa; Legal theory and method; Conditions of a valid prayer

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Abu Hanifa's legal stratagems, such as letting someone who knew no Arabic pray in Persian, were meant to create ease for new Muslims, not to change Islam, and Mufti Abu Layth says that spirit is needed today.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says Abu Hanifa's legal stratagems, such as allowing prayer in Persian, were meant to create ease and welcome people rather than to change Islam, and that this spirit is the one needed today.

**Evidence, his words at 21:03:** “he wasn't trying to say change Islam he was trying to make it easy for them” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Vm6mgbLl8&t=1263s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth says Imam Malik felt Abu Hanifa's opinions missed the mark yet did not disrespect him, saying he had met a man of great understanding who should have built on a firm foundation. He describes a gathering in the Prophet's mosque of Imam Malik, Abu Hanifa, al-Awza'i [?] and Sufyan al-Thawri or Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, after which Malik said Abu Hanifa could argue that a pillar was made of gold and win, a sign of his quick wit. He says people came to Abu Hanifa when stuck in religious matters and he found legal ways out for them, and his student Muhammad wrote a book of such stratagems; critics saw them as loopholes, but Mufti says Abu Hanifa saw them as facilitating, so that people would fall in love with a faith that is not rigid. He cites his fatwa that someone who struggled with Arabic could pray in Persian, which was weaponised against him, and explains that in the early Umayyad era many new Muslims did not speak Arabic, so the aim was ease until they learnt it. He says this spirit is the one needed today.

## Sources and names cited

- Abu Hanifa
- Imam Malik
- al-Awza'i [?]
- Sufyan al-Thawri
- Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak
- Imam Muhammad (al-Shaybani)
- hiyal (legal stratagems, loopholes)
- fatwa

## Transcript (machine tier, 17:01–22:16)

[16:39] Allah forced the love of Imam Malik in their hearts so they couldn't you know there was just this thing about Imam Ali he was on another but him and obviously see even when they criticize each other that um they um but they keep it reasonably they always respectful dignified Imam Malik Imam Malik also felt that you know his opinions weren't they missed the mark but he didn't disrespect him like he did say that you know he said he said I met a man who had great

[17:19] understanding and knowledge but he says if only he built on a firm foundation Legends you know I'll tell you something there was this time where all these imams got together wow and just imagine if you could be a fly on the wall so it's in the prophet's mask they all got together you had Imam Malik Imam you had Imam you had a little bit and I believe you also had sofian Toby um I'm not so sure whether it was sufyan or

[17:58] it was Abdullah Mubarak but there was these top four I mean these were the heavyweights of the world you know oh lazy wow and they just really sat there and just discussed they just sat there for hours talking to each other it was beautiful honestly just knowing that they met it excites me

[18:27] and it's interesting that afterwards they asked Imam Malik what do you think because Imam Malik was the dawn of Madina you know use the the Imam he's the legend isn't it so they asked Imam Malik afterwards what did you think of him he says yeah he says that you know he says that if he wanted to debate you that this pillar was made out of gold he he would do it and he would win meaning that the pillar isn't made out of gold but he would still not only would he if he wanted to debate you on it would he do it but he would win

[19:06] it's very sharp you see your mama hanifa was so he was so quick-witted this was the thing about him and yeah and the thing you know so his width so you have many cases in his day and age many people would come to him where they would be stuck in religious things and he would find loopholes for them and and now some people criticize this they said that why was he finding loopholes and you know and this is why his student Muhammad he also has a book A book of loopholes these kind of legal loopholes now you see so they're seeing it as

[19:44] always a loophole as in you're trying to but hanifa wasn't seeing it like that you see he was seeing it as that I'm he was seeing it like that I'm helping people to I'm welcoming them and creating ease for them in this faith that this faith is not rigid I'm facilitating that they fall in love with Islam this was his way that he would often you know his fatawa were things like he used to say

[20:22] imam's wife a person struggled with Arabic he could uh read Salah in Persian Farsi he could if a person never knew a lot of his fatawas are like that they're like well oh if you don't know this just say this if you don't know that just say it look weird if you don't know this you could do a lot of his fatawa are just about making E's and E's and ease and people obviously they took it the wrong way and they weaponized it against him tried to say oh my God you know you said oh you couldn't you know oh you could pray in Farsi you could pray in Persian but

[21:03] he was you see it's not it's not they they missed the mark like they're missing the point he wasn't trying to say change Islam he was trying to make it easy for them you know people not everybody in his day and age spoke well Arabic a lot of people remember it's the early tabern era a lot of people are embracing Islam is the omeyad era and he was trying to create ease for them you know you can still pray don't worry when you learn it then do it now right now oh you only know Farsi do it in Farsi

[21:40] you know this this honestly there's so much to admire about the Imam and I feel in many ways his his spirit is the same spirit that is needed in this day and age yeah and he um he did he did get into he found himself in some difficult times at least on on two he at least found himself in two major uh inquisitions okay a victim of one was in the time of body Armenia and then one but an Abbas and that's his Imam Abu hanifa's political side

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment s-Vm6mgbLl8/s/4. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/s-vm6mgbll8/s/4/

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