Abu Hanifa o‘z shogirdlarini uning fikrlarini yozib olishdan qaytarar edi, chunki bu fikrlar ko‘pincha qiyos (analogik xulosa chiqarish)ga asoslangan edi. Biroq u shogirdlari to‘liq muhokama qilib, barchasi kelishib olgan fikrlarni bundan mustasno qilar edi. Uning shogirdi Abu Yusuf xabar berishicha, imom bir kuni unga shunday degan: “Voy holingga, Ya’qub! Mendan eshitgan hamma narsani yozib olma, chunki men bugun bir fikrda bo‘lib, ertaga undan voz kechishim, ertaga boshqa fikrga kelib, indinga yana uni tark etishim mumkin.”199 Imomning bu munosabati shogirdlarini uning fikrlariga ko‘r-ko‘rona ergashishdan saqladi va ularda o‘z fikrlariga, shuningdek boshqalarning fikrlariga hurmat tuyg‘usini shakllantirishga yordam berdi. Imom Abu Hanifa, shuningdek, o‘z fikrlariga va shogirdlarining fikrlariga ko‘r-ko‘rona ergashish haqida kuchli bayonotlar bergan. Darhaqiqat, u kimki o‘zi va shogirdlari foydalangan dalillar hamda ularni chiqarib olgan manbalarni bilmasa, bunday shaxsning ularning fikrlariga ergashishini yoki ularga asoslanib hukm chiqarishini qat’iyan man etgan. Uning shogirdi Zufar rivoyat qilishicha, imom shunday degan: “Mening dalillarimni bilmagan kishi mening so‘zlarimga ko‘ra hukm chiqarishi harom, chunki biz faqat insonlarmiz: bugun bir narsani aytishimiz, ertaga uni rad etishimiz mumkin.”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 Hanifa doim o'zining chegaralarini bilib yurardi.

Abu Haneefah was always aware of his limitations.

Shunga ko‘ra, u o‘z shogirdlari va Islomning chuqur mohiyatidan foyda olishni istagan barcha kishilar uchun haq va nohaqni ajratishning oliy mezoni Qur’on va Sunnat ekanligini belgilab berdi; ularga muvofiq kelgan narsa haq, muvofiq kelmagan narsa esa nohaqdir. Uning shogirdi Muhammad ibn al-Hasan rivoyat qilishicha, u shunday degan: “Agar men Allohning kitobiga yoki Rasulullohning ﷺ hadisiga zid keladigan hukm chiqargan bo‘lsam, mening hukmimni rad eting.”201 Shuningdek, rivoyat qilinadiki, agar kimdir uning mazhabiga u xohlaganidek ergashmoqchi bo‘lsa, unga amal qilish kerak bo‘lgan asos – sahih hadisni qabul qilishdir. Imom Ibn Abdul-Barr rivoyat qilishicha, Imom Abu Hanifa shunday degan: “Agar biror hadis sahih (ishonchli) deb topilsa, u mening mazhabimdir.”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