Abu Haneefah biasanya melarang murid-muridnya mencatat pendapat-pendapatnya, karena pendapat tersebut sering didasarkan pada Qiyaas (penalaran analogi). Namun, beliau memberi pengecualian untuk pendapat-pendapat yang telah dibahas secara mendalam dan disepakati oleh seluruh muridnya. Muridnya, Abu Yoosuf, meriwayatkan bahwa Imaam pernah berkata kepadanya, "Celakalah engkau, Ya'qoob. Jangan catat semua yang engkau dengar dariku, karena sesungguhnya hari ini aku mungkin berpendapat lalu meninggalkannya besok, dan besok aku berpendapat lagi lalu meninggalkannya lusa."199 Sikap Imaam ini mencegah murid-muridnya dari mengikuti pendapatnya secara membabi buta, dan membantu menumbuhkan dalam diri mereka penghargaan terhadap pendapat mereka sendiri maupun pendapat orang lain. Imaam Abu Haneefah juga banyak menyampaikan pernyataan tegas mengenai larangan mengikuti pendapatnya dan pendapat murid-muridnya secara membabi buta. Bahkan beliau dengan tegas melarang siapa pun mengikuti pendapat mereka atau menetapkan hukum berdasarkan pendapat tersebut, kecuali bagi orang yang mengetahui dalil-dalil yang beliau dan murid-muridnya gunakan serta sumber-sumber darimana mereka menyimpulkan pendapat itu. Imaam diriwayatkan oleh muridnya, Zufar, pernah berkata, "Haram bagi siapa pun yang tidak mengetahui dalil-dalilku untuk menetapkan hukum berdasarkan ucapanku, karena sesungguhnya kita hanyalah manusia, kita bisa saja mengatakan sesuatu hari ini lalu menolaknya besok."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

Abu Hanifah selalu menyadari keterbatasannya.

Abu Haneefah was always aware of his limitations.

Oleh karena itu, ia menetapkan bagi murid-muridnya dan bagi semua orang yang mendapat manfaat dari pemahamannya yang mendalam tentang Islam, bahwa kriteria pamungkas untuk benar dan salah adalah Al-Qur'an dan Sunnah; apa yang sesuai dengan keduanya adalah benar, dan apa yang tidak sesuai adalah salah. Muridnya, Muhammad bin al-Hasan, meriwayatkan bahwa ia berkata, "Jika aku telah membuat suatu keputusan yang bertentangan dengan Kitab Allah atau Hadits Rasulullah ﷺ, maka tolaklah keputusanku." Juga tercatat bahwa ia menunjukkan bahwa prinsip yang harus diikuti, jika seseorang ingin mengikuti mazhabnya sebagaimana ia menghendaki mazhabnya diikuti, adalah penerimaan terhadap Hadits yang shahih. Imam Ibnu Abdil-Barr meriwayatkan bahwa Imam Abu Hanifah berkata, "Jika sebuah Hadits terbukti shahih (otentik), maka itulah mazhabku."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