Abu Haneefah costumava desencorajar os seus alunos de registrar as suas opiniões, pois elas eram frequentemente baseadas em Qiyaas (dedução analógica). No entanto, ele fazia uma exceção para aquelas opiniões que foram minuciosamente debatidas e acordadas por todos os seus alunos. Seu aluno, Abu Yoosuf, relatou que o Imaam lhe disse certa vez: “Ai de ti, Ya’qoob. Não escrevas tudo o que ouves de mim, pois é certo que hoje posso ter uma opinião e amanhã abandoná-la, e amanhã ter outra e depois de amanhã abandoná-la.”199 Essa atitude do Imaam impedia os seus alunos de seguir cegamente as suas opiniões e ajudou a desenvolver neles o respeito pelas suas próprias opiniões, assim como pelas dos outros. O Imaam Abu Haneefah também fez muitas declarações firmes contra o seguimento cego das suas opiniões e das de seus alunos. De fato, ele proibia estritamente que qualquer pessoa seguisse as suas opiniões ou emitisse vereditos jurídicos com base nelas, a menos que tal pessoa estivesse familiarizada com as provas que ele e seus alunos haviam utilizado e com as fontes de onde as haviam deduzido. Foi relatado por seu aluno Zufar que o Imaam disse: “É proibido a quem não conhece as minhas provas emitir um veredito de acordo com as minhas declarações, pois somos apenas seres humanos; podemos dizer algo hoje e rejeitá-lo amanhã.”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 estava sempre consciente de suas limitações.

Abu Haneefah was always aware of his limitations.

Assim, ele estabeleceu para os seus alunos e para todos aqueles que se beneficiariam de sua profunda compreensão do Islã que o critério definitivo para o certo e o errado era o Alcorão e a Sunnah; o que estivesse de acordo com eles era certo, e o que não estivesse era errado. Seu aluno, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, relatou que ele disse: "Se eu emitir um parecer que contradiga o Livro de Allah ou o Hadith do Mensageiro de Allah ﷺ (s.w.), rejeitem o meu parecer." Também se registra que ele apontou o fato de que o princípio a seguir, caso alguém quisesse seguir o seu Madh-hab da maneira como ele pretendia que fosse seguido, é a aceitação do Hadith sahih. O Imam Ibn 'Abdul-Barr relatou que o Imam Abu Haneefah disse: "Se um Hadith for considerado sahih (autêntico), então ele é o meu Madh-hab."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