ʿAmr ibn Sulaymān al-ʿAṭṭār

Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Kūfī related to us: Aḥmad ibn Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb related to us: Sulaymān ibn Abī Shaykh related to us: ʿAmr ibn Sulaymān al-ʿAṭṭār related to me: I used to sit with Abū Ḥanīfa—may God have mercy on him. Zufar married, and Abū Ḥanīfa attended. He said to him, ‘Speak.’ He delivered an address, saying, ‘This is Zufar ibn al-Hudhayl, an imam among the Muslims’ imams and a distinguished figure among them in his lineage, honor, and knowledge.’ Some of those present said, ‘We would not have wished anyone other than Abū Ḥanīfa to give the address,’ for he had mentioned his qualities and praised him. Some of Zufar’s people disliked this and said to him, ‘Your cousins and the nobles of your people are present, yet you ask Abū Ḥanīfa to deliver the address?’ He said, ‘Even if my father were present, I would give Abū Ḥanīfa precedence over him.’