Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl

Abū ʿUbayd Allāh al-Marzubānī informed us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Miskī related to us: Ibn Abī Khaythama related to us, from Abū al-Ḥasan al-Madāʾinī: Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl, Abū Ḥanīfa’s companion, was an ʿAnbarī.

Abū ʿUbayd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿImrān ibn Mūsā al-Marzubānī informed us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Miskī related to us: Ibn Abī Khaythama related to us, from Abū al-Ḥasan al-Madāʾinī: Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl, Abū Ḥanīfa’s companion, was an ʿAnbarī.

Al-Marzubānī informed us: Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad al-Mukharrimī related to us: Muḥammad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shayba related to us: I asked my father and my uncle Abū Bakr about Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl. Both said, “Zufar was among the most learned jurists of his time.” My father said: Abū Nuʿaym held Zufar in high esteem and said, “He was a noble, learned jurist.”

Al-Marzubānī informed us: Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad al-Mukharrimī related to us: Muḥammad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shayba related to us: I asked my father and my uncle Abū Bakr about Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl. Both said, “Zufar was among the most learned jurists of his time.” My father said: Abū Nuʿaym held Zufar in high esteem and said, “He was a noble, learned jurist.”

Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥasan al-Rāzī related to us: Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Zaʿfarānī, resident of Wāsiṭ, related to us: Aḥmad ibn Abī Khaythama related to us: Sulaymān ibn Abī Shaykh related to us: ʿAmr ibn Sulaymān al-ʿAṭṭār related to me: In Kufa I used to sit with Abū Ḥanīfa. Zufar married, and Abū Ḥanīfa attended. Zufar asked him to speak. In his wedding address he said, “This is Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl, an imam among the imams of the Muslims and a distinguished figure of religion in his lineage, nobility, and learning.” Some of his people told him, “We would not have wished anyone but Abū Ḥanīfa to give the address,” because he had mentioned his qualities and praised him. Others disliked it, saying, “Your cousins and the nobles of your people attend, and you ask Abū Ḥanīfa to give the address?” He replied, “If my own father were present, I would give Abū Ḥanīfa precedence over him.”

Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥasan al-Rāzī related to us: Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Zaʿfarānī, resident of Wāsiṭ, related to us: Aḥmad ibn Abī Khaythama related to us: Sulaymān ibn Abī Shaykh related to us: ʿAmr ibn Sulaymān al-ʿAṭṭār related to me: In Kufa I used to sit with Abū Ḥanīfa. Zufar married, and Abū Ḥanīfa attended. Zufar asked him to speak. In his wedding address he said, “This is Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl, an imam among the imams of the Muslims and a distinguished figure of religion in his lineage, nobility, and learning.” Some of his people told him, “We would not have wished anyone but Abū Ḥanīfa to give the address,” because he had mentioned his qualities and praised him. Others disliked it, saying, “Your cousins and the nobles of your people attend, and you ask Abū Ḥanīfa to give the address?” He replied, “If my own father were present, I would give Abū Ḥanīfa precedence over him.”

Abū al-Ḥasan al-ʿAbbās ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Faḍl al-Hāshimī related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Miskī related to us: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us: Ibrāhīm ibn Isḥāq related to us: ʿAlī ibn Mudrik related to us, from al-Ḥasan ibn Ziyād: Zufar and Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī were closely bound as brothers. As for Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī, he abandoned jurisprudence and turned to worship. Zufar, however, combined jurisprudence with worship.

Abū al-Ḥasan al-ʿAbbās ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Faḍl al-Hāshimī related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Miskī related to us: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us: Ibrāhīm ibn Isḥāq related to us: ʿAlī ibn Mudrik related to us, from al-Ḥasan ibn Ziyād: Zufar and Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī were closely bound as brothers. As for Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī, he abandoned jurisprudence and turned to worship. Zufar, however, combined jurisprudence with worship.

Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Ṣayrafī informed us: ʿAlī ibn ʿAmr al-Ḥarīrī related to us: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us: Judge Abū Khāzim related to us: Bakr al-ʿAmmī related to us, from Hilāl ibn Yaḥyā: Zufar followed Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī, such that if Dāwūd sat on a rubbish heap, Zufar came and sat with him on it. Zufar came to Basra only to visit Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī; God have mercy on both.

Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Ṣayrafī informed us: ʿAlī ibn ʿAmr al-Ḥarīrī related to us: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us: Judge Abū Khāzim related to us: Bakr al-ʿAmmī related to us, from Hilāl ibn Yaḥyā: Zufar followed Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī, such that if Dāwūd sat on a rubbish heap, Zufar came and sat with him on it. Zufar came to Basra only to visit Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī; God have mercy on both.

Abū al-Ḥasan al-ʿAbbās ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Faḍl al-Hāshimī related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Miskī related to us: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us: Judge Abū Khāzim related to us, from Bakr, from Hilāl ibn Abī Yaḥyā: Yūsuf ibn Khālid al-Samtī travelled from Basra to Kufa and studied jurisprudence with Abū Ḥanīfa. When he wanted to return to Basra, Abū Ḥanīfa told him, “When you arrive in Basra, you will come to people with established leadership. Do not hasten to sit at a pillar, form a study circle, and say, ‘Abū Ḥanīfa said, Abū Ḥanīfa said.’ If you do, you will soon be made to leave.” Yūsuf departed, became pleased with himself, sat at a pillar, and said, “Abū Ḥanīfa said.” They expelled him from the mosque. No one mentioned Abū Ḥanīfa until Zufar came to Basra. He sat with the elders whose leadership was established, supporting their opinions with arguments they did not possess, which impressed them. Then he said, “There is another opinion here, better than this,” and stated it and argued for it without its being known that it was Abū Ḥanīfa’s. Once they approved of it, he said, “It is Abū Ḥanīfa’s opinion.” They replied, “It is a good opinion; we do not care who held it.” He continued until he brought them to Abū Ḥanīfa’s opinion.

Abū al-Ḥasan al-ʿAbbās ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Faḍl al-Hāshimī related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Miskī related to us: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us: Judge Abū Khāzim related to us, from Bakr, from Hilāl ibn Yaḥyā: Yūsuf ibn Khālid al-Samtī travelled from Basra to Kufa and studied jurisprudence with Abū Ḥanīfa. When he wanted to return to Basra, Abū Ḥanīfa told him, “When you arrive in Basra, you will come to people with established leadership. Do not hasten to sit at a pillar, form a study circle, and say, ‘Abū Ḥanīfa said, Abū Ḥanīfa said.’ If you do, you will soon be made to leave.” Yūsuf departed, became pleased with himself, sat at a pillar, and said, “Abū Ḥanīfa said.” They expelled him from the mosque. No one mentioned Abū Ḥanīfa until Zufar came to Basra. He sat with the elders whose leadership was established, supporting their opinions with arguments they did not possess, which impressed them. Then he said, “There is another opinion here, better than this,” and stated it and argued for it without its being known that it was Abū Ḥanīfa’s. Once they approved of it, he said, “It is Abū Ḥanīfa’s opinion.” They replied, “It is a good opinion; we do not care who held it.” He continued until he brought them to Abū Ḥanīfa’s opinion.

Judge Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Ṣaymarī related to us in Baghdad, in the mosque of Darb al-Zarrādīn, in Ramadan 404: Abū al-Ḥasan al-ʿAbbās ibn Aḥmad al-Hāshimī related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Miskī related to us: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us: Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿAffān related to us: Walīd ibn Ḥammād related to us, from al-Ḥasan ibn Ziyād: I never saw anyone debate Zufar without feeling sorry for him. Zufar said, “I do not debate anyone until he says, ‘I was wrong’; rather, I debate him until he goes mad.” He was asked, “How does he go mad?” He replied, “He says something no one has ever said.”

Abū al-Ḥasan al-ʿAbbās ibn Aḥmad al-Hāshimī related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Miskī related to us: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us: Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿAffān related to us: Walīd ibn Ḥammād related to us, from al-Ḥasan ibn Ziyād: I never saw anyone debate Zufar without feeling sorry for him. Zufar said, “I do not debate anyone until he says, ‘I was wrong’; rather, I debate him until he goes mad.” He was asked, “How does he go mad?” He replied, “He says something no one has ever said.”

ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm the Qurʾan reciter informed us: Makram ibn Aḥmad related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad related to us: Mulayḥ ibn Wakīʿ related to us: I heard my father say: Zufar was intensely scrupulous, skilled in analogy, and sparing in writing; he memorized what he wrote.

ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm the Qurʾan reciter informed us: Makram ibn Aḥmad related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad related to us: Mulayḥ ibn Wakīʿ related to us: I heard my father say: Zufar was intensely scrupulous, skilled in analogy, and sparing in writing; he memorized what he wrote.

ʿUmar informed us: Makram related to us: ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn Muḥammad related to us: Aḥmad ibn al-Qāsim related to me: Judge al-Birtī related to us: I heard Abū Nuʿaym say: Zufar sat opposite Abū Ḥanīfa, while Abū Yūsuf sat beside him.

ʿUmar informed us: Makram related to us: ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn Muḥammad related to us: Aḥmad ibn al-Qāsim related to me: Judge al-Birtī related to us: I heard Abū Nuʿaym say: Zufar sat opposite Abū Ḥanīfa, while Abū Yūsuf sat beside him.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Bazzāz informed us: Makram related to us: ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn Muḥammad related to us: Ibn Shujāʿ related to us: Muḥammad ibn Samāʿa related to me: Zufar and Abū Yūsuf sat in Kufa’s mosque. Zufar leaned against a pillar; he was composed and would sit upright without moving. When debating him, Abū Yūsuf moved about frequently until he came and sat before him, or he said near him. Zufar would say, “There are many doors here; if you want to flee, take whichever you wish.”

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Bazzāz informed us: Makram related to us: ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn Muḥammad related to us: Ibn Shujāʿ related to us: Muḥammad ibn Samāʿa related to me: Zufar and Abū Yūsuf sat in Kufa’s mosque. Zufar leaned against a pillar; he was composed and would sit upright without moving. When debating him, Abū Yūsuf moved about frequently until he came and sat before him, or he said near him. Zufar would say, “There are many doors here; if you want to flee, take whichever you wish.”

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad the witness informed us: Makram related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad related to us: Mulayḥ ibn Wakīʿ related to us, from his father: When Abū Ḥanīfa died, people flocked to Zufar, while only a few came to Abū Yūsuf—two or three. Zufar was called Abū Khālid and Abū al-Hudhayl and was from Isfahan. His brother died, and he afterwards married his brother’s widow. When he was dying, Abū Yūsuf and others visited him and said, “Will you not give your testamentary directions, Abū al-Hudhayl?” He said, “These furnishings you see belong to this woman, and these three thousand dirhams belong to my brother’s children. I owe no one anything, and no one owes me anything.” Zufar was intensely devoted to worship and exertion.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad the witness informed us: Makram related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad related to us: Mulayḥ ibn Wakīʿ related to us, from his father: When Abū Ḥanīfa died, people flocked to Zufar, while only a few came to Abū Yūsuf—two or three. Zufar was called Abū Khālid and Abū al-Hudhayl and was from Isfahan. His brother died, and he afterwards married his brother’s widow. When he was dying, Abū Yūsuf and others visited him and said, “Will you not give your testamentary directions, Abū al-Hudhayl?” He said, “These furnishings you see belong to this woman, and these three thousand dirhams belong to my brother’s children. I owe no one anything, and no one owes me anything.” Zufar was intensely devoted to worship and exertion.

ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm informed us: Makram related to us: Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Sadūsī related to us: My grandfather related to us: Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl was an ʿAnbarī of the tribe itself, called Abū al-Hudhayl. He heard hadith and examined legal reasoning, which came to predominate in him and to which he was associated. He died in Basra, entrusting his testamentary affairs to Khālid ibn al-Ḥārith and ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Ziyād. His father al-Hudhayl held administrative offices and died while governor of Isfahan. His brother Ṣabāḥ ibn al-Hudhayl was responsible for the alms of the Banū Tamīm. Zufar was married to Khālid ibn al-Ḥārith’s sister. He died at the beginning of al-Mahdī’s caliphate, in 158.

ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm informed us: Makram related to us: Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Sadūsī related to us: My grandfather related to us: Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl was an ʿAnbarī of the tribe itself, called Abū al-Hudhayl. He heard hadith and examined legal reasoning, which came to predominate in him and to which he was associated. He died in Basra, entrusting his testamentary affairs to Khālid ibn al-Ḥārith and ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Ziyād. His father al-Hudhayl held all the administrative offices and died while governor of Isfahan. His brother Ṣabāḥ ibn al-Hudhayl was responsible for the alms of the Banū Tamīm. Zufar was married to Khālid ibn al-Ḥārith’s sister. He died at the beginning of al-Mahdī’s caliphate, in 158.

ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm informed us: Makram informed us: Judge Abū Khāzim related to us: Ibn Abī ʿImrān related to us: Zufar was of the Banū al-ʿAnbar, from a noble household among them. His mother was an enslaved woman, so his face resembled non-Arab faces because of her, while his speech resembled Arab speech. He attended al-Ḥajjāj ibn Arṭāʾa’s gathering. Al-Ḥajjāj held judicial office in Kufa and was prone to foul speech; the Nakhaʿ cast aspersions on his lineage. Zufar spoke and commanded the gathering, filling al-Ḥajjāj’s heart [with disquiet, implicitly]. He turned to him and said, “As for the tongue, it is Arab; as for the face, it is not an Arab face.” Zufar replied, “As for me, my people have accepted me.”

ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm informed us: Makram informed us: Judge Abū Khāzim related to us: Ibn Abī ʿImrān related to us: Zufar was of the Banū al-ʿAnbar, from a noble household among them. His mother was an enslaved woman, so his face resembled non-Arab faces because of her, while his speech resembled Arab speech. He attended al-Ḥajjāj ibn Arṭāʾa’s gathering. Al-Ḥajjāj held judicial office in Kufa and was prone to self-conceit; the Nakhaʿ cast aspersions on his lineage. Zufar spoke and commanded the gathering, filling al-Ḥajjāj’s heart [with disquiet, implicitly]. He turned to him and said, “As for the tongue, it is Arab; as for the face, it is not an Arab face.” Zufar replied, “As for me, my people have accepted me.”

Judge ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad informed us: The jurist Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī related to us: Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭaḥāwī related to us: I heard Ibn Abī ʿImrān relate from al-Walīd ibn Ḥammād al-Luʾluʾī, the nephew of al-Ḥasan ibn Ziyād al-Luʾluʾī: I asked my uncle al-Ḥasan ibn Ziyād al-Luʾluʾī, “You saw Zufar and Abū Yūsuf with Abū Ḥanīfa; how did you find them?” He replied, “I saw them like two sparrows upon whom a hawk had swooped.”

Judge ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad informed us: The jurist Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī related to us: Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭaḥāwī related to us: I heard Ibn Abī ʿImrān relate from al-Walīd ibn Ḥammād al-Luʾluʾī, the nephew of al-Ḥasan ibn Ziyād al-Luʾluʾī: I asked my uncle al-Ḥasan ibn Ziyād al-Luʾluʾī, “You saw Zufar and Abū Yūsuf with Abū Ḥanīfa; how did you find them?” He replied, “I saw them like two sparrows upon whom a hawk had swooped.”

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Asadī informed us: The jurist Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī informed us: Al-Ṭaḥāwī informed us: Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Thawr informed us: Muḥammad ibn Wahb informed me: Zufar’s move to Abū Ḥanīfa arose because he belonged to the hadith scholars. A question befell him and his companions and defeated them. He came to Abū Ḥanīfa, asked him about it, and received an answer. He asked him, “From where do you derive this?” He said, “From such-and-such hadith, and analogy from such-and-such direction.” Abū Ḥanīfa then asked him, “If the question were such-and-such, what would its answer be?” He said: I was more blind to it than to the first. He said, “The answer is such-and-such, on such-and-such grounds.” He added another question, answered it for me, and explained its basis. I went to my companions and asked them the questions. They were more blind to them than I was, so I gave them the answers and explained their grounds. They asked, “Where did you get this?” I replied, “From Abū Ḥanīfa.” I became head of the circle through three questions. He then transferred to Abū Ḥanīfa and became one of the ten senior figures who recorded the books with him.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Asadī informed us: The jurist Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī informed us: Al-Ṭaḥāwī informed us: Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Thawr informed us: Muḥammad ibn Wahb informed me: Zufar’s move to Abū Ḥanīfa arose because he belonged to the hadith scholars. A question befell him and his companions and defeated them. He came to Abū Ḥanīfa, asked him about it, and received an answer. He asked him, “From where do you derive this?” He said, “From such-and-such hadith, and analogy from such-and-such direction.” Abū Ḥanīfa then asked him, “If the question were such-and-such, what would its answer be?” He said: I was more blind to it than to the first. He said, “The answer is such-and-such, on such-and-such grounds.” He added another question, answered it for me, and explained its basis. I went to my companions and asked them the questions. They were more blind to them than I was, so I gave them the answers and explained their grounds. They asked, “Where did you get this?” I replied, “From Abū Ḥanīfa.” I became head of the circle through three questions. He then transferred to Abū Ḥanīfa and became one of the ten senior figures who recorded the books with him.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Asadī informed us: The jurist Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī informed us: Al-Ṭaḥāwī informed us: Sulaymān ibn [Ay] ʿImrān informed us: Asad informed me: Zufar came to Basra and entered its mosque, and the circles of the Followers’ companions dispersed toward him.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Asadī informed us: The jurist Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī informed us: Al-Ṭaḥāwī informed us: Sulaymān ibn Abī ʿImrān informed us: Asad informed me: Zufar came to Basra and entered its mosque, and the circles of the Followers’ companions dispersed toward him.

Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Marzubānī informed us: Aḥmad ibn Khalaf and ʿAbd al-Bāqī ibn Qāniʿ related to us: Zufar died in 158, the same year al-Manṣūr and Isrāʾīl ibn Yūnus died.

Abū ʿUbayd Allāh al-Marzubānī informed us: Aḥmad ibn Khalaf and ʿAbd al-Bāqī ibn Qāniʿ related to us: Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl died in 158, the same year al-Manṣūr and Isrāʾīl ibn Yūnus died.

Al-ʿAbbās ibn Aḥmad al-Hāshimī related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn Manṣūr al-Manṣūrī related to us, saying: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Bahlūl related to us, saying: al-Qāsim ibn Muḥammad al-Bajalī related to us, saying: I heard Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa say: Abū Ḥanīfa said one day: “These companions of ours number thirty-six. Twenty-eight are suited to judicial office, six are suited to issuing legal opinions, and two instruct the judges and those who issue legal opinions.” He pointed to Abū Yūsuf and Zufar.

Al-ʿAbbās ibn Aḥmad al-Hāshimī related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn Manṣūr al-Manṣūrī related to us, saying: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Bahlūl related to us, saying: al-Qāsim ibn Muḥammad al-Bajalī related to us, saying: I heard Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa say: Abū Ḥanīfa said one day: “These companions of ours number thirty-six. Twenty-eight are suited to judicial office, six are suited to issuing legal opinions, and two are suited to instructing the judges and those who issue legal opinions.” He pointed to Abū Yūsuf and Zufar.

ʿAbbās ibn al-Faḍl al-Hāshimī informed us, saying: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us, saying: Nujayḥ related to us, saying: Ibn Karāma related to us, saying: We were with Wakīʿ one day when a man said Abū Ḥanīfa made a mistake.” Wakīʿ said: “Could Abū Ḥanīfa make a mistake when he had with him the likes of Abū Yūsuf and Zufar in their analogical reasoning, the likes of Yaḥyā ibn Abī Zāʾida, Ḥafṣ ibn Ghiyāth, Ḥibbān, and Mandal in their memorization of hadith, al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn in his knowledge of language and Arabic, and al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ and Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī in their renunciation and scrupulousness? Someone whose companions were these people would not err, because if he erred they would correct him.”

ʿAbbās ibn al-Faḍl al-Hāshimī informed us, saying: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Nakhaʿī related to us, saying: Nujayḥ related to us, saying: Ibn Karāma related to us, saying: We were with Wakīʿ one day when a man said Abū Ḥanīfa made a mistake.” Wakīʿ said: “Could Abū Ḥanīfa make a mistake when he had with him the likes of Abū Yūsuf and Zufar in their analogical reasoning, the likes of Yaḥyā ibn Abī Zāʾida, Ḥafṣ ibn Ghiyāth, Ḥibbān, and Mandal in their memorization of hadith, al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn in his knowledge of language and Arabic, and Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī and al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ in their renunciation and scrupulousness? Someone whose companions were these people would not err, because if he erred they would correct him.”

Abū Ḥafṣ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm the Qurʾān reciter informed us: Makram ibn Aḥmad narrated to us: Ibn Mughallis narrated to us: Ibn ʿĀbis narrated to us: I heard Ḥammād ibn Salama say: After Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī’s death, the mufti of Kufa and the person to whom people looked in jurisprudence was Ḥammād ibn Abī Sulaymān. He supplied the people’s needs. When he died, they needed someone to sit and teach them. His companions feared that his memory would die and knowledge disappear. Ḥammād had a son with good knowledge, and they agreed upon him. His father’s companions—Abū Bakr al-Nahshalī, Abū Burda al-ʿUtbī, Muḥammad ibn Jābir al-Ḥanafī, and others—came and attended him. But grammar and Arab speech predominated in his interests, and he could not patiently remain sitting with them. Their opinion then settled on Abū Bakr al-Nahshalī. They asked him, but he declined. They asked Abū Burda, but he declined. Then they asked Abū Ḥanīfa. He said: I do not wish knowledge to die. He agreed and sat to teach them, and they attended him. After them came Abū Yūsuf, Asad ibn ʿAmr, al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn, Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl, al-Walīd, and men from Kufa. Abū Ḥanīfa taught them understanding of religion, showing them great kindness and continual care. Ibn Abī Laylā, Ibn Shubruma, Sharīk, and Sufyān opposed him and sought to discredit him. This continued until his position became firmly established, the governors needed him, and the caliphs spoke of him.

Abū Ḥafṣ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm the Qurʾān reciter informed us: Makram ibn Aḥmad narrated to us: Ibn Mughallis narrated to us: Ibn ʿĀbis narrated to us: I heard Ḥammād ibn Salama say: After Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī’s death, the mufti of Kufa and the person to whom people looked in jurisprudence was Ḥammād ibn Abī Sulaymān. He supplied the people’s needs. When he died, they needed someone to sit and teach them. His companions feared that his memory would die and knowledge disappear. Ḥammād had a son with good knowledge, and they agreed upon him. His father’s companions—Abū Bakr al-Nahshalī, Abū Burda al-ʿUtbī, Muḥammad ibn Jābir al-Ḥanafī, and others—came and attended him. But grammar and Arab speech predominated in his interests, and he could not patiently remain sitting with them. Their opinion then settled on Abū Bakr al-Nahshalī. They asked him, but he declined. They asked Abū Burda, but he declined. Then they asked Abū Ḥanīfa. He said: I do not wish knowledge to die. He agreed and sat to teach them, and they attended him. After them came Abū Yūsuf, Asad ibn ʿAmr, al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn, Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl, al-Walīd, and men from Kufa. Abū Ḥanīfa taught them understanding of religion, showing them great kindness and continual care. Ibn Abī Laylā, Ibn Shubruma, Sharīk, and Sufyān opposed him and sought to discredit him. This continued until his position became firmly established, the governors needed him, and the caliphs spoke of him.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Bazzāz narrated to us: Makram narrated to us: Aḥmad narrated to us: al-Ḥusayn ibn Ḥammād narrated to us, saying: The companions of Abū Ḥanīfa who regularly attended his study circle numbered ten. Four of them memorized jurisprudence as the Qurʾān is memorized: Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl, Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm, Asad ibn ʿAmr, and ʿAlī ibn Mushir. They report that Sufyān used to learn jurisprudence based on Abū Ḥanīfa’s positions from ʿAlī ibn Mushir, and that he relied on him and on their discussions when composing the book that he called al-Jāmiʿ.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Bazzāz narrated to us: Makram narrated to us: Aḥmad narrated to us: al-Ḥusayn ibn Ḥammād narrated to us, saying: The companions of Abū Ḥanīfa who regularly attended his study circle numbered ten. Four of them memorized jurisprudence as the Qurʾān is memorized: Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl, Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm, Asad ibn ʿAmr, and ʿAlī ibn Mushir. They report that Sufyān used to learn jurisprudence based on Abū Ḥanīfa’s positions from ʿAlī ibn Mushir, and that he relied on him and on their discussions when composing the book that he called al-Jāmiʿ.

Al-Ḥusayn ibn Hārūn related to us: Aḥmad ibn Saʿīd informed us: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Bahlūl related to me, saying, “This is my grandfather Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād’s book.” I read in it: Al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn related to me: Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl informed me: One day Dāwūd discussed a question with me. I gave an opinion, and he said, “You are wrong.” I explained it until he retracted and felt ashamed, then recited Ibn Shubruma’s verse:

“His foot almost slipped from a lofty height, / had Nūḥ ibn Darrāj not caught it.” He then said, “Abū al-Hudhayl, love of boasting has ruined me.”

Al-Ḥusayn ibn Hārūn related to us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad informed us: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Bahlūl related to me, saying, “This is my grandfather Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād’s book.” I read in it: Al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn related to me: Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl informed me: One day Dāwūd discussed a question with me. I gave an opinion, and he said, “You are wrong.” I explained it until he retracted and felt ashamed, then recited Ibn Shubruma’s verse: “His foot almost slipped from a lofty height, / had Nūḥ ibn Darrāj not caught it.” He then said, “Abū al-Hudhayl, love of boasting has ruined me.”

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad the judge informed us, saying: Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī informed us, saying: al-Ṭaḥāwī informed us, saying: I heard Abū Khāzim say: I heard ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Nāʾil the judge say: I used to ask Hilāl and Abū ʿĀṣim about Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan’s legal questions in al-Jāmiʿ al-Kabīr. Abū ʿĀṣim remembered them better than Hilāl. He said: They would sit beside the same pillar in the congregational mosque of Basra. Abū ʿĀṣim attached himself to Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl after Abū Ḥanīfa and studied jurisprudence under him. He was the one who gave him the epithet “al-Nabīl”.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad the judge informed us, saying: Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī informed us, saying: al-Ṭaḥāwī informed us, saying: I heard Abū Khāzim say: I heard ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Nāʾil the judge say: I used to ask Hilāl and Abū ʿĀṣim about Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan’s legal questions in al-Jāmiʿ al-Kabīr. Abū ʿĀṣim remembered them better than Hilāl. He said: They would sit beside the same pillar in the congregational mosque of Basra. Abū ʿĀṣim attached himself to Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl after Abū Ḥanīfa and studied jurisprudence under him. He was the one who gave him the epithet “al-Nabīl”.

Abū ʿUbayd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿImrān ibn Mūsā al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad al-Mukharrimī narrated to us: Muḥammad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shayba narrated to us: Naṣr ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Washshāʾ narrated to us: al-Faḍl ibn Dukayn narrated to us: I heard Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl say: When Ibrāhīm rose in Basra, Abū Ḥanīfa spoke out very strongly. I told him, “By God, you will not stop until we are seized and ropes are put around our necks.” Abū Nuʿaym said: Later al-Manṣūr wrote to ʿĪsā ibn Mūsā, governor of Kufa, ordering him to send Abū Ḥanīfa to Baghdad. Abū Nuʿaym said: I went in the morning to see Abū Ḥanīfa and met him riding to bid farewell to ʿĪsā; his face had almost darkened with fear. He came to Baghdad and died there at seventy. Abū Nuʿaym said: He was given a drink and died from it. I was told that when he appeared before al-Manṣūr, the latter called for sawīq and ordered him to drink. He refused. He said, “You shall drink it,” but he refused, so he compelled him until he drank. He then rose quickly. Abū Jaʿfar asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “To where you have sent me.” He was taken to prison and died there.

Abū ʿUbayd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿImrān ibn Mūsā al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad al-Mukharrimī narrated to us: Muḥammad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shayba narrated to us: Naṣr ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Washshāʾ narrated to us: al-Faḍl ibn Dukayn narrated to us: I heard Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl say: When Ibrāhīm rose in Basra, Abū Ḥanīfa spoke out very strongly. I told him, “By God, you will not stop until we are seized and ropes are put around our necks.” Abū Nuʿaym said: Later al-Manṣūr wrote to ʿĪsā ibn Mūsā, governor of Kufa, ordering him to send Abū Ḥanīfa to Baghdad. Abū Nuʿaym said: I went in the morning to see Abū Ḥanīfa and met him riding to bid farewell to ʿĪsā; his face had almost darkened with fear. He came to Baghdad and died there at seventy. Abū Nuʿaym said: He was given a drink and died from it. I was told that when he appeared before al-Manṣūr, the latter called for sawīq and ordered him to drink. He refused. He said, “You shall drink it,” but he refused, so he compelled him until he drank. He then rose quickly. Abū Jaʿfar asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “To where you have sent me.” He was taken to prison and died there.