AL IMAM AL AZAM - THE GREAT IMAM

At the time when Imam Ali the Commander of the Faithful (may Allah's pleasure & blessing be upon
him) was Khalifa, he was visited by Thabit Abu Numan, a young kinsmen of Salman al Farsi (may
Allah be pleased with him). During their meeting, Thabit Abu Numan was awe struck by Imam Ali.
Imam Ali too enjoyed Thabit Abu Numan's company and bestowed benediction to him and his
descendants. This supplication manifested in the year AD 698 when Thabit Abu Numan got a son who
became known as Imam Abu Hanifa.

Imam Abu Hanifa was among the tabiun, the students of the disciples of Messenger Muhammed
(peace and blessings be upon him and his family). Much is credited to Imam Abu Hanifa as he was the
first who compiled and classified Islamic jurisprudence, and gathered information for each branch of
knowledge. The extent of the knowledge on jurisprudence and his extraordinary ability in qiyas
(analogical deduction), and his astounding superiority on inner matters attracted many disciples, some
of whom became great teachers themselves.

It is also known that Imam Abu Hanifa for two years set aside all his worldly occupations, duties and
disciples, and attended the muhabbet of Imam Jafar Sadiq, the great grandson of the Messenger
Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). There he acquired an Abundance of lore
from Imam Jafar Sadiq's ocean of knowledge. He stated, "for two years I accompanied Sayyidina Jafar
as Sadiq and I acquired the spiritual knowledge that made me a gnostic in the Way." Imam Abu Hanifa
also said, "If it was not for those two years, I would have perished." Maturing through the knowledge
acquired from Imam Jafar Sadiq, Imam Abu Hanifa rose to high degree, unattained by most others. It
is also narrated that Imam Jafar Sadiq said to him, "You will establish my father's tradition everywhere.
You will show the right way to those who have lost their way. You will help those who are in peril. You
will be a guide to salvation. May Allahu ta'ala help you!"

Imam Abu Hanifa was an ardent defender of the Ahlal Bayt, the Household of the Messenger
Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). His defense later proved to be his end in
this world. He was imprisoned, on the orders of the Abbasid Khalifa al Mansur, who had him beaten
and finally poisoned. Reluctant to submit to unjust demands, Imam Abu Hanifa was martyred AD 771.

The epistemology of Imam Abu Hanifa was recognized by the peers of his time. His methodology was
highly regarded and emulated by later scholars. One of the later and eminent scholars Imam Shafi, has
said: “We are all the children of Imam Abu Hanifa when it concerns Islamic jurisprudence.” The legacy
of Imam Abu Hanifa gave rise to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, which spread far and wide during
the time of the Ottoman Empire. Today, more than half of the Muslims of the world perform their faith
in accordance to the Hanafi school.
 KITAB AL WASIYYA
BOOK OF THE TESTAMENT
Attributed to Imam al Azam, Abu Hanifa Muhammed al Numan ibn al Thabit

All praise belongs to Allah, the Sustainer of all the worlds, and may blessings be upon the Chief of the
Messengers, Muhammed, and upon his family and upon all of his companions. This is the Book of the
Testament by the Greatest of Imams, Abu Hanifa Muhammed al Numan ibn al Thabit, Allah have
mercy on him.

When the Imam (Imam Abu Hanifa) of the Muslims fell severely ill, he gathered his companions and
his pupils around himself and they requested from him a testament based on the path of the tradition.
So, he ordered his servant that he be helped up, and his servant who sat behind his back, propped him
against himself. Thereafter he (Imam Abu Hanifa), may Allah have mercy on him, said:

You should all know, my companions and my brothers, that the creed of the People of the tradition and
to those who belong to Ahlul Sunnah wal Jamah, is based upon twelve characteristics. Among you who
is firm with these characteristics shall not be an (awful) innovator nor a dissenter. So, it is incumbent
upon you to hold firm to these characteristics so that you may be included in the intercession of our
Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, on the Day of Judgment and Resurrection.

He said:

Iman, Faith is confession by the tongue, harmonized with the soul and acknowledged with the heart.
Confession alone does not make up Faith, because if confession was Faith, then all of the hypocrites
would be believers. Likewise, acknowledgement does not alone make up Faith, because if it was Faith
then all of the People of the Books would be believers. With regards to the hypocrites, Allah the
Exalted says: “and Allah bears witness that surely the hypocrites are liars.” (63:1)
With regards to the People of the Book, Allah the Exalted says: “Those to whom We have given the
Scripture, they recognize it [the Quran] just as they recognize their own sons.” (6:20).

Iman, Faith does not increase nor decrease, for the reason that decreasing of Faith is inconceivable
except for the increasing of disbelief, and increasing of Faith is inconceivable except for the decreasing
of disbelief.
How is it plausible that a person be in the same state a believer and a disbeliever? A believer is truly a
believer, and a disbeliever is truly a disbeliever. There is no doubt in Faith, just as there is no doubt in
disbelief, because it is revealed in the Quran the word of Allah the Exalted: “They are, truly, the
believers.” (8:4), and because: “They are, truly, the disbelievers.” (4:151) The sinners of the nation of
Muhammed, peace be upon him, are all truly believers, and they are not disbelievers.

Amal, action is different from Iman, Faith and Faith is different from Action. According to empirical
evidence it is seen that an obligation of an action is exempted from the believer, and at that point of
time, it is not permissible to say Faith has been lifted from the believer.
So, when a woman menstruates and when a woman gives birth Allah exempts them from the
obligations of prayer and fasting, and it is not possible to say He (Allah) has lifted Faith from them, or
He (Allah) has ordered them with the abandonment of Faith. The ruling advises her to: “Leave the
fasting, thereafter, fulfill the obligation later.”, but it is not possible to say: “Leave the Faith, thereafter,
fulfill the obligation later.”, It is permissible to say: “There is no obligation of paying Zakat on the poor
man.”, but it is not possible to say: “There is no obligation of Faith on the poor man.” The
predetermination of good and bad is entirely from Allah the Exalted, because if one assumes that the
predetermination of good and bad is from other than He (Allah), he shall become a disbeliever in Allah,
and Tawhid monotheism will be negated if Tawhid was for the believer a conviction.

II

We affirm that actions can be classified in three category: obligatory, optional and sinful. The
obligatory actions are according to the order of Allah the Exalted, His will, His love, His pleasure, His
decree, His foreordainment, His creation, His judgment, His knowledge, His aid and His writing in
Lawful Mahfuz the Preserved Tablet. The optional actions are not according to the order of Allah the
Exalted, although they are with His will, His love, His pleasure, His foreordainment, His judgment, His
knowledge, His aid, His creation and His
writing in the Preserved Tablet. The sinful actions are not according to the order of Allah the Exalted,
although they are with His will, not with His love but with His decree, not with His pleasure but with
His foreordainment and His creation, not with His aid but with His forsaking and His knowledge and
His writing in the Preserved Tablet.

III

We affirm that Allah the Exalted has established Himself on the Throne. The istawa establishment is
devoid of wujub necessity nor having to istiqrar settle on the Throne. He (Allah) is the Custodian of the
Throne and also of everything else other than the Throne, however Himself with no need of it. If He
(Allah) was in need, then He would not have been able to bring the world into existence or dispose of
it, this can be compared to the two creations (jinn and insan). If He ever was in need of julus sitting and
qarar settling on the Throne, then where was Allah before the creation of the Throne? Allah is exalted
over that, in that He is High and Great.

IV

We affirm that the Quran is the Kalamullah the Speech of Allah the Exalted, which is uncreated,
founded on His inspiration, His revelation and His quality. However it is not Him nor is it anything
other than Him, save for His quality in reality. The Quran is written in copies, recited by tongues,
preserved in the chest, yet the Quran is not dependent on these copies, narrators or memorizers. Letters,
paper and writing, they are all created, because they are the actions of that which is created.
The Speech of Allah the Exalted is uncreated because writing, letters, words and verses are all
indication, that the created beings are in need of Quran in the form of writing, letters, words and verses.
The Speech of Allah the Exalted is from Him and its meaning are understood through speech, writing,
letters, words, verses etc. So, whoever says that the Speech of Allah the Exalted is created, he is a
disbeliever in Allah the Great. Allah the Exalted is worshipped. He does not cease to be what He was.
His Speech is recited, written and preserved without it being disconnected from Him.
 V

We affirm that the most excellent of people of this nation, after our Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon
him, are Abu Babr as Siddiq, Umar al Khattab, Uthman al Affan, and Imam Ali Abu Turab, pleasure of
Allah the Exalted be upon them all, because it is mentioned from the Word of Allah the Exalted: “The
foremost ones, the foremost ones, they are the close ones.” (56:10 – 11). Each of them are excellent.
Every pious believer loves them, and every abject hypocrite hates them.

VI

We affirm that every living being, who is dependant on actions, expressions and knowledge, are all
created. So, when one does an act which is created, it is all the more an action which is created.

VII

We affirm that Allah the Exalted created the creation and the creation had no power for it was frail and
meek, and Allah the Exalted is its Creator, Sustainer, the Word of Allah the Exalted states:“Allah is the
one Who created you, thereafter sustained you, thereafter He will cause you to die, thereafter will give
you life.” (30:40) Acheiving wealth is lawful, the accumulation of wealth from lawful sources is lawful,
and the accumulation of wealth from unlawful sources is unlawful. People are of three kinds; 1. the
believer who is sincere in his faith, 2. the disbeliever who is stubborn in his infidelity and 3. the
hypocrite who is covered in hypocrisy. Allah the Exalted has prescribed rightous action for the believer,
belief for the disbeliever and sincerity for the hypocrite, the Word of Allah states: “ O Mankind! Fear
your Lord.” (4:1), and is interrupted with, “ O believers! Be dutiful.”, “ O Disbelievers!
Believe.” And “ O Hypocrites! Be sincere.”

VIII

We affirm that an abilty occurs with the action, not prior to an action, nor occurring after an action. For
if an abilty was prior to an action, then at the time of performing an action, the living being would be
independent of Allah the Exalted, and this would negate the affirmation in Quran, for the Word Allah
the Exalted, states: “ And Allah is independent, and you are poor.” (47:38) If an abilty was to occur
after an action, it would be impossible because the succesion acquires an action without abilty or
power.

IX

We affirm that [for abolution] al massah alal khaffain, wiping over that which covers the feet is
permitted. The one who is not a traveller should do this seldomly, whilst the traveller is allowed to do
this more frequently. This is the way the tradition has been revealed to us. So, whoever denies this
tradition, disbelief is feared for that person, for this tradition is Khabar al mutawatir widely reported.
Shortening the prayer and breaking of fast during travel, are according to the Holy Quran valid
exemptions, because the of Word of Allah the Exalted states: “And when you travel in the land, there is
no blame on you that you make short of your prayer.”(4:101). When breaking the fast, the Word of
Allah the Exalted states: “And whoever amongst you is ill or on a journey then make the number of
days later.” (2:184)

We affirm that the [Hadith Qudsi narrated by 'Ibadah bin Al-Samit] that Allah the Exalted ordered the
Pen with, ‘Write!’ The Pen, thus said, ‘What shall I write, O’ Lord?’ Allah the Exalted said, ‘Write
down the everything until the Final Hour.’ Because the Word of Allah the Exalted states: “and
everything they do is written in the Books [of Deeds], every minor and major affair is recorded
[therein].” (54:52-53)

XI

We affirm that the torment of the grave exists, there is no doubt. The questioning by Munkar and Nakir
is a reality. This is the way the tradition has been revealed to us. Paradise and the Fire are a reality, and
both of them are created, existing right now, they will not perish and nor shall their dwellers perish, for
the Word of Allah the Exalted, with regards to the believers, states: “[Paradise is] prepared for the
righteous.” (3:133), and with regards to the disbelievers: “[Hell is] prepared for the disbelievers.”
(3:131). Allah the Exalted created Paradise and the Fire both for reward and punishment. Mizan the
Balance is a reality, for the Word of Allah the Exalted, states: “ We shall set up just balances on the
Day of Resurrection.” (21:47) The reading of the Record is a reality, because His Word states: “ Read
your Record. You yourself are enough today as a reckoner against your own self.” (17:14)

XII

We affirm that Allah the Almighty will bring souls back to life after death, and He will raise them up on
one day, which will last fifty thousand years, for requital, reward and the furnishing of rights, because
of the Word of Allah the Exalted: "And Allah will surely raise up those in the graves." (22:7) The
meeting with Allah the Exalted, for the dwellers of Paradise, is a reality, and without modality,
anthropomorphisation or directive. The Messenger Muhammad, Allah bless him and grant him peace,
will intercede for whosoever is a believer of Paradise, even though if one has committed Major sins.
Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, is kept pure from the lies and free from whatever the Rawafid say,
who accuse her of fornication. The dwellers of Paradise shall remain forever in Paradise, and the
dwellers of the Fire shall remain in the Fire forever, because the Word of Allah the Exalted states in
regards to the believers: "They are the inmates of Paradise; in it shall they remain forever." (2:82), and
with regards to the disbelievers: "They are the inmates of the Fire; in it shall they remain forever."
(2:81).”