# How did Abu Hanifa die, and what was he known for among people? *Imprisonment under the Abbasids, and the compassion and generosity that won hearts* - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/s-vm6mgbll8/s/9/ - Date: 2022-12-10 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Imam Abu Hanifa | Mufti Abu Layth (41:54–45:49) - Status: general teaching - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Vm6mgbLl8&t=2514s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/s-vm6mgbll8/ **Topics:** The Hanafi school and Imam Abu Hanifa; Umayyads and Abbasids; Character and virtue **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Abu Hanifa was imprisoned by the Abbasids for supporting an uprising from the Prophet's family and died, perhaps poisoned, in prison; he was loved above all for his compassion and generosity. **Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says the feature that most made Abu Hanifa's legacy glow and won people's hearts was his compassion and generosity towards students, teachers and people in need. **Evidence, his words at 42:15:** “the thing about Imam one of that that really stands out was his compassion for people you know this is what really won the heart of so many people around him was his compassion” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Vm6mgbLl8&t=2535s) ## Longer summary Mufti Abu Layth says Abu Hanifa got into trouble again in the time of Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya, a movement from the family of the Prophet that arose in Madinah, by extending solidarity to his brother Ibrahim [?] in Kufa, for which he was punished and imprisoned and eventually died, or arguably was poisoned, in prison by the caliph or the politics of the time. He says what really stands out, and won the hearts of so many, was Abu Hanifa's compassion: being very wealthy, he spent on his students, teachers and people in need, for example funding a struggling family's wedding. He relates that Abu Hanifa once kept back after class a student who always dressed as if impoverished and offered him a purse of gold to buy good clothes; the student said he was in fact well off, and Abu Hanifa replied that if Allah has blessed you, then let the signs of His blessing be seen on you, not boastfully. Mufti adds that he is not speaking of the disheveled wandering Sufi mystics, who had their own way, but of people living in society who act as if they were struggling. ## Sources and names cited - Abu Hanifa - Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya - Ibrahim, brother of al-Nafs al-Zakiyya [?] - the Abbasids - ahl al-bayt (the family of the Prophet) - Sufi wandering mystics ## Transcript (machine tier, 41:54–45:49) [41:37] one may say he had a social particular like a political side if you want to say political or a stature he was known by the caliph he was um you know he stood with Imam Zaid when I say stored as in he was in solidarity with him he got in trouble uh then in the time of Imam Muhammad Naf zakiya which is another movement from the family of the prophecy which arose in uh which arose in Medina and he stood in defense with him because Imam Muhammad had a brother in kufa I [42:15] believe Ibrahim who Abu hanifa was extending his solidarity to and this is why he was punished and put in prison and then eventually he died or arguably was poisoned in prison by the caliph or by you know the the politics of the time so you he had this side where he took these stances and he had this Innovative it's the hard side and this Spirit of Islam and making Islam easy for people and trying to all of this and he had the criticism but you know the thing about Imam one of that that really stands out [42:53] was his compassion for people you know this is what really won the heart of so many people around him was his compassion he would spend money on people because he was he was very wealthy a lot you know blessed him with risk he would spend money on his students on his teachers on people he would if he found out somebody was struggling with something he would try to go and you know somebody's struggling to get their child married and they don't have the funds he would go and fund it he would he would you would do so much where he [43:31] could just help people just bring a smile to their face this this is the the really the the winning feature that really makes his legacy glow and he um there's several incidents you know there's an incident where a somebody used to attend his study Circle and always dressed like you know dressed a bit like a let's say he'll dress really like oh like it's impoverished [44:08] saw this one time when the class is over not in front of the rest of the people Imam asks him to stay behind he says he says hang back a little while so he does everybody goes he says to him look come here and he moves this he has this bag he opens it and Imam has got this purse of gold pieces in there of peanuts he says to him take this and buy yourself some some good clothes and the person looks at Imam about hanifa and says oh oh no you've completely misread me he says I'm actually quite well to do he says Allah has blessed me [44:48] he says I appreciate what you're doing but he says I've actually got money I've you know imagine looked at him and he said because because the person in Arabic said look Allah has already given His blessings his name to me meaning I've got money then Imam said to him then where are the signs of his name upon you know [45:15] he said if Allah has gifted you with risk then dress well so let it be known not in a boastful way but don't appear as though you are you know like in this like homeless kind of state almost and by the way I'm not speaking about I know in Islam there is a tradition of the Mystic Wanderers you know like the Great disheveled kind of wandering Mystics the Great sufis and the great who I don't ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment s-Vm6mgbLl8/s/9. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/s-vm6mgbll8/s/9/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.