What is the creed of Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him), and does he have a book on it?
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The questioner : Our teacher, since we have spoken about creed and the creeds of the schools of jurisprudence, let us shed light on the creed of Abu Hanifah.
The Shaykh : First, Abu Hanifah did not have a written creed. Second, there is a book attributed to him called *Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar*. Abu Hanifah, given his early standing in the generations, as he was from the people of the second century and died in the year 150 of the Hijrah, did not leave behind a book, but he left behind students. This book attributed to him, *Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar*, actually represents the position of those who claim affiliation with Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him). As for Abu Hanifah’s view regarding faith, as we said, it is that faith neither increases nor decreases. This is the creed of all the Hanafis from the beginning of time to the present day. The problem lies in their rigidity in following scholars without knowledge of their evidence, especially in creed. Among their wonders is that they say in their books of creed that following scholars without knowledge of their evidence in creed is not permissible, and yet they remain rigid in their adherence to the Maturidi school, the Maturidis and the Ash'aris, over the passage of all the centuries. Where is the prohibition of following scholars without knowledge of their evidence in creed, while you are rigid in this following? As for the followers of Abu Hanifah, if it is correct for us—and we find no way to that—to say that they represent the creed of Abu Hanifah, then Abu Hanifah said that faith neither increases nor decreases, and his followers agree with him in this and transmit it from him without any disagreement. Meanwhile, in jurisprudential issues, they transmit from the Imam some contradictory and conflicting opinions on the same issue, and there is no wonder in that, for the Imam exercises independent legal reasoning in an opinion and then another opinion becomes apparent to him; there is absolutely no objection to that. But none of them transmitted from Abu Hanifah a view that goes against the text of the Qur'an, in more than one verse[Al-Ahzab 33:22]. Faith increases by the text of the Qur'an in more than one verse of the Noble Qur'an. They did not transmit any report from Abu Hanifah, even a weak one, that faith increases and decreases, and that its increase is through obedience and its decrease through disobedience.
The questioner :[Al-Kahf 18:13] .
The Shaykh: How.
The questioner :[Al-Kahf 18:13] .
The Shaykh : In many verses, in many verses.
The questioner :[Al-Anfal 8:2] .
The Shaykh : Yes, the point is, in *Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar*, they transmit a phrase where this creed aligns with the creed of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding the rising above the Throne of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). They said that Abu Hanifah said: "Whoever believes that Allah is not in the sky has committed disbelief." This creed is found among some of the Maturidis, not all of them, for otherwise the Maturidis are like the Ash'aris in the matter of the attribute of rising above the Throne of the Most High, the Most Exalted. They believe, unfortunately, that Allah is everywhere. But Abu Hanifah, in this statement transmitted from him, is in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah, and with the people of the Sunnah and the hadith. Some of his followers in the sixth century affirmed this; one of them has a poem called *Qasidat Ba'd al-Amali*, in which he says:
"The servant in the beginning of the dictations, for the oneness of Allah, the Possessor of Majesty."
I memorized it long ago, and then it went with neglect and forgetfulness. In summary, he says a verse of poetry:
"And the Lord of the Throne is above the Throne, but without description of settling or connection."
This is the creed of the people of the Sunnah and the meaning of the words of Abu Hanifah: "Whoever believes that Allah is not in the sky has committed disbelief," because he contradicted the Book and the Sunnah. In summary, Abu Hanifah and the four Imams are on the Salafi line, except that, necessarily, each one has a slip. But the followers are in one place, and the Imams themselves are in another.
The Shaykh : First, Abu Hanifah did not have a written creed. Second, there is a book attributed to him called *Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar*. Abu Hanifah, given his early standing in the generations, as he was from the people of the second century and died in the year 150 of the Hijrah, did not leave behind a book, but he left behind students. This book attributed to him, *Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar*, actually represents the position of those who claim affiliation with Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him). As for Abu Hanifah’s view regarding faith, as we said, it is that faith neither increases nor decreases. This is the creed of all the Hanafis from the beginning of time to the present day. The problem lies in their rigidity in following scholars without knowledge of their evidence, especially in creed. Among their wonders is that they say in their books of creed that following scholars without knowledge of their evidence in creed is not permissible, and yet they remain rigid in their adherence to the Maturidi school, the Maturidis and the Ash'aris, over the passage of all the centuries. Where is the prohibition of following scholars without knowledge of their evidence in creed, while you are rigid in this following? As for the followers of Abu Hanifah, if it is correct for us—and we find no way to that—to say that they represent the creed of Abu Hanifah, then Abu Hanifah said that faith neither increases nor decreases, and his followers agree with him in this and transmit it from him without any disagreement. Meanwhile, in jurisprudential issues, they transmit from the Imam some contradictory and conflicting opinions on the same issue, and there is no wonder in that, for the Imam exercises independent legal reasoning in an opinion and then another opinion becomes apparent to him; there is absolutely no objection to that. But none of them transmitted from Abu Hanifah a view that goes against the text of the Qur'an, in more than one verse
And it increased them only in faith
وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّا إِيمَانًاThe questioner :
who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.
آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًىThe Shaykh: How.
The questioner :
who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.
آمَنُوا بربهم وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًىThe Shaykh : In many verses, in many verses.
The questioner :
and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith; and upon their Lord they rely -
وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آياتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَThe Shaykh : Yes, the point is, in *Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar*, they transmit a phrase where this creed aligns with the creed of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding the rising above the Throne of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). They said that Abu Hanifah said: "Whoever believes that Allah is not in the sky has committed disbelief." This creed is found among some of the Maturidis, not all of them, for otherwise the Maturidis are like the Ash'aris in the matter of the attribute of rising above the Throne of the Most High, the Most Exalted. They believe, unfortunately, that Allah is everywhere. But Abu Hanifah, in this statement transmitted from him, is in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah, and with the people of the Sunnah and the hadith. Some of his followers in the sixth century affirmed this; one of them has a poem called *Qasidat Ba'd al-Amali*, in which he says:
"The servant in the beginning of the dictations, for the oneness of Allah, the Possessor of Majesty."
I memorized it long ago, and then it went with neglect and forgetfulness. In summary, he says a verse of poetry:
"And the Lord of the Throne is above the Throne, but without description of settling or connection."
This is the creed of the people of the Sunnah and the meaning of the words of Abu Hanifah: "Whoever believes that Allah is not in the sky has committed disbelief," because he contradicted the Book and the Sunnah. In summary, Abu Hanifah and the four Imams are on the Salafi line, except that, necessarily, each one has a slip. But the followers are in one place, and the Imams themselves are in another.
Source
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