Abu Haneefah biasa menegah murid-muridnya daripada mencatat pendapat-pendapatnya, kerana pendapat-pendapat tersebut sering berdasarkan Qiyaas (penaakulan secara analogi). Namun, beliau membuat pengecualian bagi pendapat-pendapat yang telah dibahaskan secara mendalam dan disepakati oleh semua muridnya. Muridnya, Abu Yoosuf, meriwayatkan bahawa Imaam pernah berkata kepadanya, "Celakalah engkau, wahai Ya'qoob. Janganlah engkau mencatat semua yang engkau dengar daripadaku, kerana sesungguhnya aku mungkin berpegang pada suatu pendapat hari ini dan meninggalkannya esok, dan berpegang pada pendapat lain esok dan meninggalkannya lusa."199 Sikap Imaam ini mencegah murid-muridnya daripada mengikut pandangan-pandangannya secara membuta tuli, dan membantu membentuk dalam diri mereka sikap menghormati pendapat mereka sendiri serta pendapat orang lain. Imaam Abu Haneefah juga banyak membuat kenyataan tegas mengenai larangan mengikut secara membuta tuli pendapat-pendapatnya dan pendapat murid-muridnya. Malah, beliau dengan tegas melarang sesiapa sahaja daripada mengikut pendapat mereka atau membuat hukum berdasarkan pendapat tersebut, kecuali orang itu mengetahui dalil-dalil yang beliau dan murid-muridnya gunakan serta sumber-sumber tempat mereka membuat kesimpulan hukum itu. Imaam diriwayatkan oleh muridnya Zufar telah berkata, "Haram bagi sesiapa yang tidak mengetahui dalil-dalilku untuk membuat hukum mengikut kenyataanku, kerana sesungguhnya kami hanyalah manusia, kami mungkin berkata sesuatu hari ini dan menolaknya esok."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 Haneefah sentiasa menyedari batas kemampuannya.

Abu Haneefah was always aware of his limitations.

Oleh itu, beliau menegaskan kepada murid-muridnya dan semua orang yang akan mendapat manfaat daripada kefahaman mendalamnya tentang Islam bahawa kriteria muktamad untuk benar dan salah ialah al-Qur'an dan Sunnah; apa yang selaras dengannya adalah benar, dan apa yang tidak selaras adalah salah. Muridnya, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, meriwayatkan bahawa beliau berkata, "Jika aku telah membuat satu hukum yang bercanggah dengan kitab Allah atau Hadis Rasulullah ﷺ, maka tolaklah hukumku itu." Turut direkodkan bahawa beliau menegaskan bahawa prinsip yang perlu diikuti, jika seseorang mahu mengikuti mazhabnya sebagaimana yang beliau kehendaki, ialah menerima Hadis yang sahih. Imam Ibn 'Abdul-Barr meriwayatkan bahawa Imam Abu Haneefah berkata, "Jika sesuatu Hadis didapati sahih, 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