كان أبو حنيفة يُثني تلاميذه عن تدوين آرائه، لأنها كانت في الغالب مبنية على القياس. غير أنه استثنى من ذلك تلك الآراء التي نُوقشت مناقشة مستفيضة واتفق عليها جميع تلاميذه. وقد روى تلميذه أبو يوسف أن الإمام قال له مرةً: «ويحك يا يعقوب، لا تكتب كل ما تسمعه مني، فإني قد أرى الرأي اليوم وأتركه غدًا، وأرى غيره غدًا فأتركه بعد غد». وقد منع هذا الموقف من الإمام تلاميذَه من التقليد الأعمى لآرائه، وساعد على أن ينمّي فيهم احترام آرائهم الخاصة كما احترام آراء غيرهم. وأكثر الإمام أبو حنيفة كذلك من الأقوال الصريحة في النهي عن تقليد آرائه وآراء تلاميذه تقليدًا أعمى؛ بل إنه حرّم تحريمًا قاطعًا على كل من لا يعرف أدلته أن يُفتي أو يحكم بأقواله، إلا إذا كان عارفًا بالأدلة التي استند إليها هو وتلاميذه، وبالمصادر التي استنبطوا منها تلك الأحكام. وقد روى تلميذه زُفَر عنه أنه قال: «لا يحلّ لمن لا يعرف دليلي أن يُفتي بكلامي، فإنما نحن بشر، نقول القول اليوم ونرجع عنه غدًا».200

Abu Haneefah used to discourage his students from recording his opinions, since they were often based on Qiyaas (analogical deduction). However, he made an exception of those opinions which were thoroughly debated and agreed upon by all his students. His student, Abu Yoosuf, reported that the Imaam once told him, “woe be on you, Ya’qoob. Do not write down all you hear from me, for surely I may hold an opinion today and leave it tomorrow, hold another tomorrow and leave it the day after.”199 This attitude of the Imaam kept his students from blind imitation of his views, and helped to develop in them a respect for their own opinions as well as that of others. Imaam Abu Haneefah also made many strong statements concerning the blind following of his opinions and those of his students. In fact he strictly forbade anyone from following their opinions or making legal rulings based on them unless such a person was familiar with the proofs which he and his students had used and the sources from whence they had deduced them. The Imaam was reported by his student Zufar to have said, “It is forbidden for anyone who does not know my proofs to make a ruling according to my statements, for verily we are only humans we may say something’s today and reject it tomorrow.”200

كان أبو حنيفة دائمًا مدركًا لحدوده.

Abu Haneefah was always aware of his limitations.

وعلى هذا، بيّن لطلابه ولكل من ينتفع بفهمه العميق للإسلام أن المعيار الأخير للحق والباطل هو القرآن والسنة؛ فما وافقهما فهو حق، وما خالفهما فهو باطل. روى عنه تلميذه محمد بن الحسن أنه قال: «إذا قلتُ قولاً يخالف كتاب الله عز وجل، أو خبر رسول الله ﷺ، فاتركوا قولي». ويُروى أيضاً أنه نبّه إلى أن الأصل الذي يُتّبع، لمن أراد أن يتبع مذهبه على الوجه الذي قصده، هو الأخذ بالحديث الصحيح. قال الإمام ابن عبد البر: قال أبو حنيفة: «إذا صح الحديث فهو مذهبي».202

Accordingly, he defined for his students and all who would benefit from his deep understanding of Islaam that the ultimate criterion for right and wrong was the Qur’aan and the Sunnah; what was in accordance with them was right and what was not was wrong. His student, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, reported that he said, “If I have made a ruling which contradicts Allaah’s book or the messenger’s (s.w.) Hadeeth, reject my ruling.”201 It is also recorded that the pointed out the fact that the principle to follow, if one wanted to follow his Madh-hab as he intended it to be followed, is the acceptance of sound Hadeeth. Imaam Ibn’ Abdul-Barr reported that Imaam Abu Haneefah said, “If a Hadeeth is found to be Saheeh (authentic), it is my Madh-hab.”202