Abu Haneefah kwa kawaida aliwakataza wanafunzi wake kuandika maoni yake, kwa sababu mara nyingi yalitokana na Qiyaas (hoja ya kulinganisha kwa akili). Hata hivyo, alifanya ubaguzi kwa yale maoni ambayo yalijadiliwa kwa kina na kukubaliwa na wanafunzi wake wote. Mwanafunzi wake, Abu Yoosuf, alipokea kutoka kwake kwamba Imaam alimwambia mara moja, "Ole wako, Ya'qoob. Usiandike kila unachosikia kutoka kwangu, kwa hakika leo naweza kuwa na maoni fulani kisha kuyaacha kesho, na kesho kuwa na mengine kisha kuyaacha siku inayofuata."199 Mtazamo huu wa Imaam uliwazuia wanafunzi wake kufuata maoni yake bila kuchunguza, na ulisaidia kuwajengea heshima kwa maoni yao wenyewe pamoja na ya wengine. Imaam Abu Haneefah pia alitoa kauli kali nyingi kuhusu kufuata maoni yake na ya wanafunzi wake bila kuchunguza. Kwa kweli alikataza kabisa mtu yeyote kufuata maoni yao au kutoa hukumu za kisheria kwa msingi wake, isipokuwa mtu huyo awe anajua hoja walizozitumia yeye na wanafunzi wake, na vyanzo ambavyo walivipata kutoka kwake. Imaam alipokewa na mwanafunzi wake Zufar kwamba alisema, "Ni haramu kwa mtu asiyejua hoja zangu kutoa hukumu kwa kufuata kauli zangu, kwa kuwa sisi ni binadamu tu; leo tunaweza kusema jambo fulani kesho tukalikataa."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 alikuwa daima anajua mipaka yake.

Abu Haneefah was always aware of his limitations.

Kwa hiyo, aliwaeleza wanafunzi wake na wote ambao wangeweza kunufaika na uelewa wake wa kina wa Uislamu kwamba kigezo cha mwisho cha haki na batili ni Qur'aan na Sunnah; kilichokuwa kinalingana nazo ni haki, na kisichokuwa nazo ni batili. Mwanafunzi wake, Muhammad bin al-Hasan, alisimulia kwamba alisema: "Iwapo nimetoa hukumu inayopingana na Kitabu cha Allaah au Hadiyth ya Mtume ﷺ, basi itupilie mbali hukumu yangu." Pia imepokelewa kwamba alisisitiza kwamba kanuni ya kufuatwa, kama mtu anataka kufuata Madh-hab yake kama alivyokusudia ifuatwe, ni kukubali Hadiyth sahihi. Imaam Ibn 'Abdul-Barr alisimulia kwamba Imaam Abu Haneefah alisema: "Hadiyth inapopatikana kuwa Sahiyh (sahihi), hiyo ndiyo Madh-hab yangu."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