A Call for Coexistence

Episode 4

In the name of Allah[1], the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.  Peace and blessings of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad (SAWS[2]). 

Let me welcome you all and let us continue our "Call for Coexistence"

In this day and age, we find ourselves unable to communicate and understand each other, hence we felt it our duty to present our program “A Call for Coexistence.”  We need to discover the art of understanding, communicating with the other, and creating an attractive dialogue.

Abu-Hanifa is the founder of the first and greatest school of jurisprudence in Islam.  Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) left Muslims with the Qur’an and sunnah[3], yet Muslims needed to know how to solve their everyday problems through these two sources.  That was the role of jurisprudence and this is what the four Imams did.  Abu-Hanifa is considered the only ‘follower’ among the four Imams; since he has seen one of the companions of the Prophet (SAWS), Anas Ibn-Malik (RA[4]).  Abu Hanifa is considered to be a truly extraordinary person; considered to be the first to set classification for the subjects of jurisprudence. Abu-Hanifa was also the first to issue Islamic law, although he did not publish a book himself on the subject, his students later did.  

Abu-Hanifa looked around himself and found out what the needs of his society were. This is often the first step for coexistence; to build a bridge of understanding with your society, to look around you, and find out what you can offer to meet people’s needs. 

Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) lived in al-Hijaz, and so did Abu-Bakr, Omar, and Othman (RA) during their reign.  The Islamic rule then moved to Iraq and consequently it became the center of the Islamic world, and that is where Abu-Hanifa lived.  During his era, Baghdad was an international capital enjoying a very powerful economy.  Moreover, it witnessed continuous development, new thoughts and new inventions that appeared every day.  In addition, there were many people of different races embracing Islam; all of whom were lodging in Baghdad.  Translation was very important at that time; importing different thoughts from all languages into the Arabic language.  Consequently, the needs of the society have effectively changed.

On the other hand, life was stable and calm in al-Hijaz.  Makkah and Madinah did not witness such daily progress.  Jurisprudence was based on the exact wording of the Qur'an and hadith[5] as they are.  This approach to jurisprudence was efficiently addressing the needs there, but with the great development and daily changes in Iraq, the matter became different.

Abu Hanifa's Contributions:

Abu-Hanifa had a different approach to jurisprudence; focusing on the needs and circumstances around him.  He built his jurisprudence school on measuring relative cases with equivalents in Qur’an and sunnah to address the daily changes in life.  The approach was based on searching for solutions in the Qur’an and sunnah, then the sayings of the Prophet’s companions.  If that failed, then Abu-Hanifa had to think and create his own opinion based on measuring new problems with relatively similar ones in Qur’an and sunnah, and then finding a solution by analogy.  This is the basic juristic deduction.  The Qur’an and sunnah are inherently universal and we can find in them answers to all questions just by making up our minds.  This is what Abu-Hanifa’s school of jurisprudence is based on.

This was Abu-Hanifa’s approach to the daily changes in his society.  He had no other solution than to coexist with what is going on.  Al-Hijaz school of jurisprudence contradicted him to the extent that they accused him of being an atheist.  Later on, they understood his point of view when life changed in al-Hijaz and they encountered the same circumstances and changes.  It is very important to understand the circumstances of the other.  Abu-Hanifa wanted to make Islam fill the gap and go in parallel with daily needs of life.  Hence, Islam can coexist with changes.

Abu-Hanifa did not stop at this; he wanted to let Islam precede the needs.  He was very innovative and courageous and that made him the greatest Imam in Islam.  He started to suppose problems that may happen in the coming 30 years and find out relevant solutions for them.  This is what we call ‘hypothetical jurisprudence’.  He was the first one to speak about translating the Qur’an to different languages.  Truly, he was a pioneer speaking about different matters that we see happening nowadays. 

It was not an easy job to think of the needs of a nation, search for solutions in Qur’an and sunnah, then measure and establish juristic deduction.  He could have never done this task individually.  Abu-Hanifa was the first to establish a jurisprudence school.  He was deeply convinced with collaborative opinions and teamwork. 

The fourth innovation of Abu-Hanifa was establishing the ‘freedom of thought’ principle.  He would not impose his ideas on his students, and they would be free to differ with him in whatever they wanted.  He did not want them to be duplicates of him but to have their own personality and rationale.  Although its name is Abu-Hanifa's school of jurisprudence, many ideas in it are different from Abu-Hanifa's views.  They are his students' opinions which they have logically proved.

Thus, he allowed religious jurisprudence to pave the way for development of other sciences.  What he accomplished caused the stimulation of minds to foresee the problems of the future and to come up with solutions for them.  He also placed an example of a team that can produce ideas together.  Thus, his work allowed an expansive revival of all sciences. 

Abu-Hanifa and ash-Shafi'y were the founders of deductive reasoning and thus, without exaggeration, helped in the initiation of the scientific development that came later on in Europe.  Jabir Ibn-Hayan and Ibn-Rushd (in Andalusia) known as Averroës, transferred this scientific methodology to the West.  In Europe, religion contradicted science, and was thus weakened in order to develop science.  However, in our case, religion was the base of science.

Abu Hanifa's Seminar:

In Abu-Hanifa's seminar, the first row comprised 40 prominent scholars in different fields: in religious jurisprudence, the Prophet's sayings, interpretation of the Qur'an, linguistics, poetry, literature, social matters, and so on.  When they discussed topics requiring other specializations, they would ask an authority to join them or they would themselves go to him.  For example, when discussing the jurisprudence of dyes and paints, Abu-Hanifa sent a student, Muhammad Ibnul-Hasan, to sit and watch dyers for a few weeks so they have an expert when they talk about dyeing. 

We miss this teamwork due to our inability to listen or coexist with each other.  In this episode, we want to provide a model of thinking.  Let us talk with each other and do things together despite being different.  The scholars in al-Hijaz held to their basics and those in Iraq foresaw the future.  Thus, both completed the broad integrated picture of Islamic thought.  We need both to enrich our culture.  Thus, differences should never be a cause for dispute, but rather we should accept diversity and benefit from it.  Allah says what can be translated as, “And if your Lord had (so) decided, He would indeed have made mankind one nation; and (i.e., but) they do not cease differing (among themselves),” (TMQ[6], 11: 118).

The seminar started when Abu-Hanifa was 40 years old and continued daily for 30 years, from the year 120 A.H[7]. and until 150 A.H.  The participants would go to work in the morning, and hold this meeting from maghrib (sunset) prayer until after the isha' (evening) prayer.  Abu-Hanifa continued being a very rich merchant.  He was a scholar with a profession.

Sitting on his right side in the seminar would be his student Abu-Yusuf, and on the left, there would be Thufar or Muhammad Ibnul-Hasan.  Each of them sat with a pen and paper in hand.  Hundreds would be sitting in front of them.  Abu-Hanifa would begin the discussion, in economics, agriculture or any other subject.  “What would the opinion of Islam be in so and so?”  An expert would start analyzing the subject from his standpoint.  Then the conversation begins by feedback from the audience.  The priority to speak was to the foremost rows and by the raising of hands. 

Abu-Hanifa would not give his ideas right away.  Sometimes he would say his views.  He would then tell Abu-Yusuf to write down what the gathering agreed upon, which sometimes amounted to several opinions.  The other student would write everything in the conversation, as Abu-Hanifa wanted to explain the reasons behind the different views. When differences were greater than any reconciliation, he would ask each side to debate using the other side's view to guarantee the objective outlook and disentangle them from anything but the truth. 

When in pilgrimage, he would discuss issues with the scholars of al-Hijaz, and sometimes came back saying, “I used to say the so-and-so ruling, and now I see it otherwise.”  He once admonished Abu-Yusuf for writing Abu-Hanifa's view right away, saying, “That was only my view.  Wait until we take all the views.”  In that freethinking atmosphere, sometimes voices would get louder. Once, when he commented on a certain issue, a man told him that he was wrong. Abu-Hanifa remained silent.  When he commented again, another man told him that he was wrong.  An older member of the seminar wondered how he allowed that.  Abu-Hanifa explained that this does not contradict with respect and said, “That is what I accustomed them to.”  He once said, “Omar accepted it when a woman corrected him when he was on the pulpit.” 

What do you think now about our history?  Do you ever allow someone to tell you that you are wrong?  Do you accustom people to tell you when you are mistaken?

Abu-Hanifa was not only good at bringing people together, but he was also highly distinguished for his knowledge and wisdom.  Imam Malik said, “By Allah, if this man wanted to convince you that a wooden pillar is gold, he would be able to.”  His student, Abu-Yusuf narrates, “We would differ with Abu-Hanifa, but by Allah, days would pass and we would return to what Abu-Hanifa said.”  Thufar mentioned, “We collected knowledge from different people, and we found it scattered between them, but we found all of it with Abu-Hanifa.”  Ash-Shafi'y said, “I have not known that on Earth someone is more able at deducing jurisprudence than Abu-Hanifa.”  The Caliph al-Mansoor asked Abu-Hanifa from where he got his knowledge.  He replied that he received it from Omar’s companions, Ibn-Masood’s companions, and Ali’s companions.  Al-Mansoor stopped him and said, “You have gathered enough knowledge.”  We on the other hand, refuse to hear that we are wrong. 

In the seminar, when they would reach a solution after days of debate, people from outside the seminar would hurry to them at the call, “Allah is Great” knowing that a solution was reached.  Members of the seminar used to leave or hasten important private matters for that enlightening atmosphere.  Muhammad Ibnul-Hasan later became a teacher of ash-Shafi'y.  Abu-Yusuf became the judge for the entire Islamic State later on, and an advisor for Caliph Haroon ar-Rasheed.  When Abu-Yusuf was dying, his wealth amounted to 2 million dinars.  They asked him to have a wish.  He said, “I wish I could be in a seminar of Abu-Hanifa for half my wealth.”  Ultimately, people become creative when others respect their ideas.    

Let us look at some examples of what happened in the seminars.  Abu-Hanifa once asked, “Imagine that the Tigris and Euphrates would start receding.”  People started providing their ideas of what would happen.  Abu-Hanifa then said, “What if, after the water receded, islands of land are formed and a man takes a part of the land and plants it.”  It took some time before they reached a conclusion that it is lawful to allow that for the development of the whole nation.  Then, they would start to branch the topic. 

“Does he have to take permission from the ruler?”  Some agreed and others did not, Abu-Yusuf  had to write both views. 

“What if someone starts throwing waste into the Tigris and Euphrates?”  This happens now in our rivers.  “He must be warned and pay a fine. Because it is for all Muslims and non-Muslims and must be respected.”  Abu-Hanifa then went to the Emir and suggested assigning a panel to supervise over the Tigris and Euphrates so no one throw waste in them. 

Here is another issue.  As a lot of non-Arabs embraced Islam, they asked a question. “Is it lawful for a non-Arab to read al-Fatiha (The opening chapter of the Qur’an) in his own language in prayer?”  They decided it was lawful, and many people from outside the seminar disagreed with that.  A messenger came from al-Hijaz warning how this could lead to the loss of the Arabic language.  When Abu-Hanifa heard the messenger, he informed the seminar of the new view.  Later, they decided that it is lawful only until he learns Arabic, and then it becomes unlawful, thus balancing the ruling.  Can you see how this understanding of coexistence added to humanity?  This methodology was not present in the West except in the 19^th century. 

Abu-Hanifa was able to look at the problems of the community and find a solution through collaboration and dialogue. 

To the west, Islam has a favor over the world for providing this civilized and organized form of coexistence. 

To Muslims, start thinking of bridging your differences with others through dialogue.

Good night, and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all.

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