Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa

Abū ʿUbayd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿImrān ibn Mūsā al-Marzubānī informed us: Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad the scribe narrated to us: Abū al-ʿAynāʾ Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim narrated to us, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa attended the funeral of a woman from the descendants of ʿAlī in Kufa, while he was its judge. People crowded around her and touched her for blessing. A man approached Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād and said, “May God set you right! Do you not see what these ignorant people are doing?” He replied, “Be quiet. If God’s Messenger, God bless him and grant him peace, were alive, condolences would be offered to him for her.”

Abū ʿUbayd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿImrān ibn Mūsā al-Marzubānī informed us: Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad the scribe narrated to us: Abū al-ʿAynāʾ Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim narrated to us, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa attended the funeral of a woman from the descendants of ʿAlī in Kufa, while he was its judge. People crowded around her and touched her for blessing. A man approached Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād and said, “May God set you right! Do you not see what these ignorant people are doing?” He replied, “Be quiet. If God’s Messenger, God bless him and grant him peace, were alive, condolences would be offered to him for her.”

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ḥakīmī narrated to us: Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim narrated to us, saying: When Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa was dismissed from the judgeship of Basra, Yaḥyā ibn Aktham accompanied him on departure; he was the one who had removed him. The people prayed for Ismāʿīl and said, “You refrained from taking our property and shedding our blood.” Ismāʿīl replied, “And from your sons,” making an insinuation against Yaḥyā concerning sodomy. [This is the source’s allegation, not an independently established fact.]

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ḥakīmī narrated to us: Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim narrated to us, saying: When Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa was dismissed from the judgeship of Basra, Yaḥyā ibn Aktham accompanied him on departure; he was the one who had removed him. The people prayed for Ismāʿīl and said, “You refrained from taking our property and shedding our blood.” Ismāʿīl replied, “And from your sons,” making an insinuation against Yaḥyā concerning sodomy. [This is the source’s allegation, not an independently established fact.]

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad the scribe narrated to us: Abū al-ʿAynāʾ Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim narrated to us, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa said, “Nothing has ever come before me like a woman who approached me and said, ‘Judge, my cousin married me to this man without my knowledge. When I learned of it, I rejected it.’ I asked, ‘When did you reject it?’ She replied, ‘When I learned of it.’ I asked, ‘When did you learn of it?’ She replied, ‘When I rejected it.’ I have never seen anyone like her.”

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad the scribe narrated to us: Abū al-ʿAynāʾ Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim narrated to us, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa said, “Nothing has ever come before me like a woman who approached me and said, ‘Judge, my cousin married me to this man without my knowledge. When I learned of it, I rejected it.’ I asked, ‘When did you reject it?’ She replied, ‘When I learned of it.’ I asked, ‘When did you learn of it?’ She replied, ‘When I rejected it.’ I have never seen anyone like her.”

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ḥakīmī narrated to us: Abū al-ʿAynāʾ narrated to us, saying: A man told Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād, “Half of you has gone.” He replied, “If only a hair of me remained, there would still remain in it enough to give judgment against you.”

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ḥakīmī narrated to us: Abū al-ʿAynāʾ narrated to us, saying: A man told Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād, “Half of you has gone.” He replied, “If only a hair of me remained, there would still remain in it enough to give judgment against you.”

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ṣūlī informed us: al-Mubarrad narrated to me: al-Tawwazī narrated to me, saying: I often heard Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād quote these verses: From all he gathered he took no provisions but embalming perfume and cloths on the morning of departure, and the scent of aromatic wood lit for him; little provision indeed for one setting out. In whatever land his death is decreed, if he does not go there willingly, he will be driven.

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ṣūlī informed us: al-Mubarrad narrated to me: al-Tawwazī narrated to me, saying: I often heard Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād quote these verses: From all he gathered he took no provisions but embalming perfume and cloths on the morning of departure, and the scent of aromatic wood lit for him; little provision indeed for one setting out. In whatever land his death is decreed, if he does not go there willingly, he will be driven.

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ḥakīmī narrated to us: Ibn Abī Khaythama narrated to us: Sulaymān ibn Abī Shaykh informed me, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād recited to me: Alas for a dead man whom no one wept for— yes, and whom no one missed! Neither the mother of his children mourned him, nor did a child weep at his loss. Neither a sister’s son nor a brother’s son wept, nor any relative whose heart softened for him. Rather, they say his family, in joy, prostrated when news of his death reached them.

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ḥakīmī narrated to us: Ibn Abī Khaythama narrated to us: Sulaymān ibn Abī Shaykh informed me, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād recited to me: Alas for a dead man whom no one wept for— yes, and whom no one missed! Neither the mother of his children mourned him, nor did a child weep at his loss. Neither a sister’s son nor a brother’s son wept, nor any relative whose heart softened for him. Rather, they say his family, in joy, prostrated when news of his death reached them.

Abū ʿUbayd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿImrān ibn Mūsā narrated to us: Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm narrated to us: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Saʿd the copyist narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn ʿImrān, who said: ʿAmmār ibn Abī Mālik al-Janbī narrated to me: Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa narrated to us, saying: ʿĪsā ibn Mūsā asked Ibn Abī Laylā and Ibn Shubruma about a question. Ibn Shubruma answered correctly and Ibn Abī Laylā erred. Ibn Shubruma said: They could not descend, so we descended; the man of war is the one who can descend to the field. Then he asked them another question. Ibn Shubruma erred and Ibn Abī Laylā answered correctly. Ibn Abī Laylā said: A young camel, when yoked beside a mature one, cannot withstand the charge of mighty full-grown camels.

Abū ʿUbayd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿImrān ibn Mūsā narrated to us: Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm narrated to us: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Saʿd the copyist narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn ʿImrān, who said: ʿAmmār ibn Abī Mālik al-Janbī narrated to me: Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa narrated to us, saying: ʿĪsā ibn Mūsā asked Ibn Abī Laylā and Ibn Shubruma about a question. Ibn Shubruma answered correctly and Ibn Abī Laylā erred. Ibn Shubruma said: They could not descend, so we descended; the man of war is the one who can descend to the field. Then he asked them another question. Ibn Shubruma erred and Ibn Abī Laylā answered correctly. Ibn Abī Laylā said: A young camel, when yoked beside a mature one, cannot withstand the charge of mighty full-grown camels.

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ḥakīmī narrated to us: Abū al-ʿAynāʾ narrated to us, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād used to call the court’s trusted officers “the ambushers.” [A wordplay on al-umanāʾ, “trusted officers,” and al-kumanāʾ, “those lying in ambush.”]

Al-Marzubānī narrated to us: al-Ḥakīmī narrated to us: Abū al-ʿAynāʾ narrated to us, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād used to call the court’s trusted officers “the ambushers.” [A wordplay on al-umanāʾ, “trusted officers,” and al-kumanāʾ, “those lying in ambush.”]

The judge ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad informed us: Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī the jurist narrated to us: Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭaḥāwī narrated to us: I heard Ibn Abī ʿImrān say: I heard Muḥammad ibn Marwān al-Khaffāf—one of our school’s jurists—say: I heard Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa say: I held a document against a man for eight thousand dirhams. He paid me six thousand, leaving two thousand owing, which he denied. The judge then was Sharīk ibn ʿAbd Allāh. I brought the man before him and said, “May God honor the judge! I have a document against this man for eight thousand dirhams, of which I demand two thousand.” Sharīk said, “What is this talk? Would you, grandson of Abū Ḥanīfa, leave even two dirhams to anyone?” He made me leave. I went to al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn and told him my case. Al-Qāsim said, “You asked Sharīk to deal with something he does not understand. I will take care of him for you.” He met him and explained it. Then he met me and told me to appear before him. I did so and made the same claim as before. Sharīk said, “Yes, that is how to put it, grandson of Abū Ḥanīfa.” He asked for evidence; I brought my witnesses, and he ruled for me. When I wanted to appear before him, I had been kept back until I gave some dirhams to the man standing beside his head, who then brought me forward. I went to al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn and told him all this, saying, “I saw an objectionable thing in his session: the man standing beside him advances whomever he wishes and delays whomever he wishes. I was among those he advanced for dirhams he took from me.” He replied, “You too, Ismāʿīl, did something objectionable: you gave dirhams so that he delayed those who should have preceded you.” Sharīk was later dismissed and al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn appointed; Ismāʿīl was appointed after him. All these men judged in Kufa. Ismāʿīl additionally judged in all districts of Baghdad and in Basra. He remained there until paralysis afflicted him, and he wrote asking leave to depart, which was granted.

The judge ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad informed us: Abū Bakr al-Dāmghānī the jurist narrated to us: Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭaḥāwī narrated to us: I heard Ibn Abī ʿImrān say: I heard Muḥammad ibn Marwān al-Khaffāf—one of our school’s jurists—say: I heard Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa say: I held a document against a man for eight thousand dirhams. He paid me six thousand, leaving two thousand owing, which he denied. The judge then was Sharīk ibn ʿAbd Allāh. I brought the man before him and said, “May God honor the judge! I have a document against this man for eight thousand dirhams, of which I demand two thousand.” Sharīk said, “What is this talk? Would you, grandson of Abū Ḥanīfa, leave even two dirhams to anyone?” He made me leave. I went to al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn and told him my case. Al-Qāsim said, “You asked Sharīk to deal with something he does not understand. I will take care of him for you.” He met him and explained it. Then he met me and told me to appear before him. I did so and made the same claim as before. Sharīk said, “Yes, that is how to put it, grandson of Abū Ḥanīfa.” He asked for evidence; I brought my witnesses, and he ruled for me. When I wanted to appear before him, I had been kept back until I gave some dirhams to the man standing beside his head, who then brought me forward. I went to al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn and told him all this, saying, “I saw an objectionable thing in his session: the man standing beside him advances whomever he wishes and delays whomever he wishes. I was among those he advanced for dirhams he took from me.” He replied, “You too, Ismāʿīl, did something objectionable: you gave dirhams so that he delayed those who should have preceded you.” Sharīk was later dismissed and al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn appointed; Ismāʿīl was appointed after him. All these men judged in Kufa. Ismāʿīl additionally judged in all districts of Baghdad and in Basra. He remained there until paralysis afflicted him, and he wrote asking leave to depart, which was granted.