Abū Yūsuf Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm

This Aflaḥ did not see Abū Ḥanīfa; he met only Judge Abū Yūsuf. Aflaḥ was the first to bring Abū Ḥanīfa’s teachings to Bukhara. Abū Ḥafṣ al-Kabīr learned from him, then went to Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan.

Abū Yūsuf had been Ibn Abī Laylā’s student. He left him and came to Abū Ḥanīfa. Ibn Abī Laylā then said: “Stay with him: you have never seen a jurist like him.”

Abū Ḥanīfa gave Abū Yūsuf a hundred dirhams from time to time. He bound himself to give a dirham in charity whenever he swore truthfully, then increased this to a quarter dinar, half a dinar, and finally a dinar. He collected profits from trade to clothe needy elderly scholars and give them dinars. When he ate something, he gave its like to a poor person; when he wore a new garment, he gave its like to someone needy. A companion gave him a garment worth ten dirhams, and he reciprocated with silk worth fifty. He gave a man a thousand dirhams for praising him. When his son Ḥammād learned the Opening Chapter from his teacher, he gave the teacher a thousand dirhams.

Ḥammād's companions included Abū Bakr al-Nahshalī, Abū Burda al-ʿUtbī and Muḥammad ibn Jābir al-Ḥanafī—or, in another version, al-Juʿfī. When Ḥammād died, his son did not take his teaching seat because he was not a jurist. Abū Bakr al-Nahshalī did not take it because he was easily wearied, and Abū Burda did not take it. Abū Ḥanīfa therefore took the seat to teach jurisprudence, and Ḥammād's companions gathered around him.

Ibn Abī Laylā, Ibn Shubruma, Sharīk ibn ʿAbd Allāh, Sufyān al-Thawrī and al-Aʿmash opposed him. He continued until his position became established, without becoming weary. His companions gathered around him: Abū Yūsuf, Zufar, Asad ibn ʿAmr, al-Qāsim ibn Maʿn, al-Walīd, al-Ḥasan ibn Ziyād, Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī, Yūsuf ibn Khālid al-Samtī, Zakariyyā ibn Abī Zāʾida, Nūḥ ibn Abī Maryam, ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak, al-Mughīra ibn Ḥamza and Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan. Forty men among Abū Ḥanīfa's companions composed books on jurisprudence, including the men just mentioned.

It is related that Abū Yūsuf stopped attending Abū Ḥanīfa's sessions and stopped studying jurisprudence, thinking he had learned it all. Abū Ḥanīfa sent a man to ask him: “A man handed a garment to a fuller. When he requested it, the fuller denied receiving it. Some days later he admitted receiving it and returned it fulled. Does he deserve payment from the owner?” Abū Yūsuf said yes. The man said, “You are wrong.” He then said no. The man again said, “You are wrong.” Abū Yūsuf became confused, returned to Abū Ḥanīfa and asked him. Abū Ḥanīfa said: “If he fulled it first, then denied receiving it, then admitted it, payment is due. If he denied it before fulling it, then fulled it and admitted receiving it, he must return the garment but receives no payment.” Abū Yūsuf resumed attending him. Abū Ḥanīfa said: “Whoever thinks he can dispense with learning should weep for himself.”

When Muḥammad ibn Abī Rajāʾ saw Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan in a dream, he asked: “What has God done with you?” He replied: “God said to me, ‘I did not place My wisdom in you in order to punish you.’” He was asked about Abū Yūsuf and replied: “He is one degree above me.” Asked about Abū Ḥanīfa, he said: “Far, far above, in the highest heights!” May God Most High have mercy on them.