Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī

Know that Abū Ḥanīfa was more knowledgeable about sound hadith and the interpretation of hadith, while others took the outward wording. It is related that ʿAbd al-Wārith ibn Saʿīd said: “I performed the pilgrimage with the people of Basra in the year when the people of Kufa also performed it. On the second day of the sacrifice—the day called the Day of Rest, because people remain at Minā and do not leave—I saw Abū Ḥanīfa sitting with his companions at Minā. I also saw Ibn Abī Laylā sitting elsewhere with his companions, and Ibn Shubruma elsewhere with his companions. I asked Abū Ḥanīfa about a sale subject to a condition. He answered, ‘The sale is defective.’ I asked Ibn Abī Laylā, who answered, ‘The sale is valid, but the condition is void.’ I asked Ibn Shubruma, who answered, ‘The sale is valid and the condition is effective.’ I wondered to myself how these scholars differed over this question.”

“I asked Ibn Shubruma for his evidence. He said: ‘Abū al-Zubayr informed me, from Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Anṣārī, that Jābir was travelling with the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, riding a camel and falling behind his companions. The Prophet saw him and asked, “Jābir, why have you fallen behind?” I said, “My mount is slow.” The Prophet took a whip and struck the animal gently, and it began moving ahead of his companions. The Prophet asked, “Will you sell this animal?” Jābir said yes. He asked, “For how much?” I replied, “Messenger of God, how much will you pay?” The Prophet asked, “Will you sell it for ten dirhams?” I said no. “For a hundred?” I said no. He kept increasing the offer until it reached two hundred, and I said no; then three hundred, and I said no; then four hundred, and I said, “Yes, but on condition that I do not hand it over to you now: I shall ride it to Medina and then send it to you.” I sold it on that condition. When we reached Medina, I unloaded my baggage at home and brought the animal to the Prophet. He gave me four hundred dirhams.’”

“Then I went to Ibn Abī Laylā and asked for his evidence. He said: ‘Hishām informed me, from ʿUrwa, from ʿĀʾisha—God be pleased with them—that she wanted to buy Barīra. The seller said, “I will sell her on condition that if you free her, the patronage belongs to us.” ʿĀʾisha told the Prophet, who said: “Buy her and stipulate the patronage for them: patronage belongs to the one who frees.”’”

“Then I went to Abū Ḥanīfa and asked for his evidence. He said: ‘Ḥammād informed me, from Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī, from ʿAlqama, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, that the Prophet prohibited a sale combined with a condition.’ He then explained the interpretation of ʿĀʾisha's hadith: ‘Stipulate the patronage for them’ means ‘against them,’ as in God's words, ‘For them is the curse, and for them is the evil abode’ (Qurʾān 40:52), meaning ‘against them.’”

He also explained the other hadith: the transaction between the Prophet and Jābir. When the Prophet paid the four hundred, he said, “Jābir, the price is yours and the animal is yours.” This demonstrates that Abū Ḥanīfa was more knowledgeable about interpreting hadith.

It is related that al-Awzāʿī said: “I prayed beside Abū Ḥanīfa. I raised my hands when bowing, but Abū Ḥanīfa did not. When I finished praying, he asked, ‘Why did you raise your hands when bowing?’ I replied: ‘Al-Zuhrī related to me, from Sālim, from Ibn ʿUmar, that the Messenger of God raised his hands when bowing and when lifting his head.’”

Abū Ḥanīfa replied: “Ḥammād related to me, from Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī, from ʿAlqama, from ʿUmar, that the Messenger of God raised his hands the first time and did not repeat it.” He then said: “Ḥammād is more learned in jurisprudence than [al-Zuhrī], Ibrāhīm more learned than Sālim, and ʿAlqama was no less than Ibn ʿUmar; and ʿUmar is ʿUmar.” Al-Awzāʿī was astonished.