Explanation of al-‘Aqeedatu at-Tahawiyyah – 2. The Biographies of the Hanafee Imaams, may Allaah have mercy upon them
The ‘allaamah and proof of Islaam Abu Ja’far al-Warraaq’at-Tahaawee said, May Allaah have mercy upon him, in Egypt:
This is an explanation of the ‘aqeedah of Ahlus Sunnaah wa’l Jama’ah, upon the mathhab of the fuqahaa of the religion, Abu Haneefah an-Nu’maan bin Thaabit al-Koofee; Abu Yusuf Ya’qoob bin Ibraheem al-Ansaaree and Abu ‘Abdillah Muhmmad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaanee – may Allaah’s pleasure be upon them all – that which they believe from the fundamentals of the religion and that by which they worship [lit. have their religion for] the Lord of all creation.
He is the Imaam an-Nu’maan bin Thaabit al-Koofee, born in 80AH. He met a number of the sahaabah. Al-Khateeb said that he saw Anas bi Maalik. He was, may Allaah have mercy upon him, a scholar, person of action, aesthetic, worshipper, an individual of righteousness and piety, with abundant submissiveness [to Allaah]and constant humbling to Allaah, the High.
He died 150AH – the year in which Imaam ash-Shaafi’i was born, may Allaah have mercy upon him.
Shaykh ‘Ali Hassan al-Halabi comments,
It is not established that Abu Haneefah saw Anas bin Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, nd he has no narration on him.
See at-Tankeel (1/180-185) by the ‘Allaamah and Muhaddith ‘Abdur Rahmaan bin Yahya al-Mu’allimee al-Yamaanee; Naqdu Qawaa’id fi ‘Uloom il-Hadeeth of at-Tahaanawee (p. 253 onwards) by our Shaykh in Ijaazah al-‘Allaamah and Muhaddith Badee ud-Deen ar-Raashidee, who died 1416AH, may Allaah have mercy upon him.
The Shaykh Muhammad bin ‘Abdil Azeez bin Maani’, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said:
Abu Yusuf, who is the skilful Imaam and Mujtahid al-Mutlaq Abu Yusuf, Ya’qoob bin Ibraheem al-Ansaari al-Bajalee. He was born in 113AH and took knowledge from Abu Haneefah and others. And a number took knowledge from him – from them Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy upon him.
Ar-Rasheed appointed him as a judge, a role he continued in until his death in 183AH. When Abu Yusuf died, Haaroon ar-Rasheed appointed his son Yusuf as a judge until Yusuf died.
When the funeral procession of Abu Yusuf proceeded, the masses began saying, ‘Fiqh has died, fiqh has died.’ So some recited [in response]:
O announcer of the death of fiqh to its people If Ya’qoob dies, and that which you know
Fiqh has not died but has been transferred from chest to chest.
He is Muhammad bin al-Hassan bin Farqad ash-Shaybaani. Ar-Rasheed appointed him as a judge. He accompanied ar-Rasheed in his travels to Khurasaan and died and was buried in Reey.
His father was in the army of the people of Shaam and went to Waasit, where Muhammad was born in 132AH. He grew up in Koofah and took knowledge from Abu Haneefah, Maalik, Abu Yusuf, and other than them.
He had a [knowledge-based] sitting in the Koofah Masjid at the age of 20.
Ibraheem al-Harbee said, ‘I asked Imaam Ahmad, “From where did you benefit these intricate points of knowledge?” He replied, ‘From the books of Muhammad bin al-Hassan.’’
He died, may Allaah have mercy upon him, in 189AH. As-Sam’aanee said, ‘Muhammad bin al-Hassan and al-Kisaa’ee died on the same day in Reey and it is said that ar-Rasheed used to say, “Fiqh and Arabic have been buried in Reey”’.
And Muhammad bin al-Hassan was the cousin of al-Faraa’a, the famous Imaam of grammar and [Arabic] language.
May Allaah have mercy upon them all.
Shaykh ‘Ali Hassan al-Halabee comments
Shaykh al-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah cited the author’s introduction while discussing the issue of the Speech of Allaah in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (12/507). See that which is to come on p. 97. Ath-Thahabee did similarly in al-‘Uloow lil ‘Alee il’Atheem (2/1236-1237, with al-Barraak’s checking) and then quotes from various parts of it.