منهج الإمام أبي حنيفة في توثيق السنة : دراسة مقارنة مع منهج أهل الحديث

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the study of the methodology of Imam Abu Hanifah (R) in his dealing with the Prophetic Tradition (al-sunnah al-nababawiyyah) in terms of its authenticity and derivation of al-ahqam al-fiqhiyyah (jurisprudential issues). The study covers a methodological comparison between the Imam and the muhadithin. To accomplish this, the researcher employed three main methodologies namely inductive for data collection, analytical for data analysis and comparative in comparing Imam Abu Hanifah (R) with muhaddithin. The researcher has reached the conclusion that Immm Abu Hanifah (R) was strict accepting the solitary Hadith (khabar al-wahid). However, he had taken the well-known (al-Mashhur) Hadith without conditions, and the recurrent (al-mutawatir) Hadith had been given the first priority. Indeed, according to him, the well-known Hadith can be an independent additional rule upon the Qur'anic rules, and he allowed naskh al-Qur'an by the Hadith masher, although ahlul Hadith did not allow it. Imam Abu Hanifah (R) accepted Hadith al-mursal, especially mursal of first three generations and of trustworthy transmitters, but muhaddithun only accepted mursal of companions. According to Imam Abu Hanifah (R), a transmitter of the solitary Hadith should be a faqih (jurist); the Imam also preferred the narration which was reported by a faqih transmitter to the one narrated by someone who was not a faqih. The muhaddithun did not impose such condition for the acceptance of a solitary Hadith. However, they judged the acceptance of the transmitter based on his trustworthiness; justice and piety (al-'adalah) and retentive memory. Imam Abu Hanifah (R) imposed some conditions for accepting the solitary Hadith of which the following are the most important: the narrator should not act against his narration and must not issue fatwa contrary to it; it should not be related to those aspects which are needed by general public (fima' t'ummu bihi al-balwa) and it should not contradict al-qiyas. However, the muhaddithun did not impose these conditions as appropriate for the soundness of the solitary Hadith and practicing it. Thus, the issue of the acceptance of the solitary Hadith and its application has resulted in divergence of opinions between Imam Abu Hanifah (R) and the majority of muhaddithun.