His role in building Baghdad
His long experience in financial and commercial transactions has given him insight and insight into many sections and branches of the law that are not available to those who know the law from a theoretical academic standpoint only. This experience helped him greatly in codifying Islamic jurisprudence, in addition to his insight and skill in dealings and worldly matters, which happened when Al-Mansur began building Baghdad in the year 145 AH (762 AD), when he appointed Abu Hanifa to supervise it. He was the general supervisor of its construction for four years, and when the construction was completed, he transferred his knowledge to the councils. To her, until he died in the year 150 AH.
His first ordeal and his escape to Mecca
lived 52 years of his life in the Umayyad era, and 18 years in the Abbasid era, so he achieved two Islamic states. It is narrated that when Zaid bin Ali Zain al-Abidin went out against Hisham bin Abd al-Malik in the year 121 AH, Abu Hanifa was a supporter of Imam Zaid. Abu Hanifa said: “His exit rivaled that of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, on the day of Badr.” It is narrated that he said in an apology for not going out with him: “ If I had known that people would not let him down like they let his father down, I would have struggled with him because he is a true imam, but I would help him with my money, so he sent him ten thousand dirhams.” Imam Zaid's revolution ended with his killing in the year 132 AH. He also killed his son Yahya in Khorasan, and his son Abdullah bin Yahya in Yemen. Zayd bin Ali had a special status in the heart of Abu Hanifa, and he valued him for his knowledge, character, and religion. The Imam treated him with justice and provided him with money. Then he saw him killed by the sword of the Umayyads, then his son was killed after him, then after him his grandson, and all of that made him angry.
Yazid bin Omar bin Hubayra was the governor of Kufa at the time, so he sent to Abu Hanifa wanting to put the ring on his hand, and no letter can be executed except from under the hand of Abu Hanifa. Abu Hanifa refused to do that, so the governor swore that he would strike him if he did not accept, so the people advised Abu Hanifa to He accepted that position, so Abu Hanifa said: “If he wanted me to prepare the doors of the Wasit Mosque for him, I would not have entered into that, so how come he wanted me to write down the blood of a man who beheaded him, and I would seal that book. By God, I will never enter into that.” So the police officer imprisoned him. He beat him for days in a row, then the attacker came to the governor and said to him: “The man is dead.” Then the governor said: “Tell him: Should we come out from our right?” So he asked him, and Abu Hanifa said: “If he had asked me to prepare the doors of the mosque for him, I would not have done.” Then the governor ordered By releasing him, he mounted his animals and fled to Mecca after the executioner provided him with the means of escape. This was in the year 130 AH. He found security in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, so he devoted himself to hadith and jurisprudence, seeking them in Mecca, which inherited the knowledge of Ibn Abbas. Abu Hanifa met his students there, and he taught them his knowledge and they taught him what they had. He remained residing in Mecca until the caliphate became the Abbasids, then he came to Kufa during the time of Abu Jaafar Al-Mansur.
His second ordeal and death
Abu Hanifa received the era of the Abbasids with satisfaction. He saw the Umayyad persecution of the children of Ali bin Abi Talib and the family of the Prophet Muhammad, and he continued his loyalty to the Abbasid state out of his love for all of the family of the Prophet. The Caliph Abu Jaafar al-Mansur used to bring him near and high, raise his status and give him great gifts, but he refused them and did not accept them. Giving, and it was not known about Abu Hanifa that he spoke about the rule of the Abbasids until the sons of Ali bin Abi Talib rose against them, and the rivalry between them intensified. Abu Hanifa’s loyalty was to the sons of Ali, so it was natural for him to become angry because of their anger, especially since the one who revolted against the government of Abu Jaafar was Muhammad al-Nafs. Al-Zakia bin Abdullah bin Al-Hassan, and his brother Ibrahim bin Abdullah bin Al-Hassan, and their father Abdullah was one of those Abu Hanifa had scientific contact with. Abdullah was in Abu Jaafar prison when his two sons were released, and he died there after the killing of his two sons.
Abu Hanifa’s position on Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakia’s revolt against al-Mansur was severe. He openly supported him in his studies, and it even went so far as to discourage some of al-Mansur’s commanders from going out to fight him. In Al-Mansur’s view, this work was one of the most dangerous works for his state, because Abu Hanifa went beyond the limit of mere criticism and heartfelt loyalty to positive work. Al-Mansur wanted to test Abu Hanifa’s obedience and loyalty to him, and he was building Baghdad at the time, so he wanted to make him a judge, but Abu Hanifa refused. Al-Mansour insisted on taking on any job for him, so Abu Hanifa agreed to do some construction work, such as preparing bricks and the like, so he was able to protect Al-Mansour from his eyes.
After Bani Ali’s opposition to Al-Mansur, his harming them, and his killing of their heads, Abu Hanifa was not comfortable with his government, and he was able to protect himself from harm, and devoted himself to knowledge, but from time to time he would say some things, or there would be things from him that revealed his opinion of him and his government, and among these The people of Mosul had risen up against Al-Mansur, and Al-Mansur had stipulated that if they rose up, their blood would be permissible for him. So Al-Mansur gathered the jurists, including Abu Hanifa, and said: “Isn’t it true that he, peace be upon him, said: ‘The believers are subject to their conditions?’ And the people of Mosul had stipulated that they would not revolt against me.” They have revolted against my workers, and their blood has been lawful for me.” Then a man said: “Your hand is spread out over them, and your words are accepted by them. If you pardon, then you are worthy of pardon, and if you punish, then it will be according to what they deserve.” So he said to Abu Hanifa: “What do you say, Sheikh?” Are we not in the caliphate of prophethood and a safe house?” He said: “They stipulated for you what they do not have, and you stipulated for them what you do not have, because the blood of a Muslim is not permissible except in one of three senses. If you take them, you take what is not permissible, and God’s condition is more deserving of being fulfilled.” Al-Mansour ordered them to stand up and they dispersed. Then he called him and said: “O Sheikh, the word is what you said. Go to your country and do not issue fatwas to the people about anything that is offensive to your imam, lest the hands of the Kharijites be spread.”
Abu Hanifa was in favor of the sons of Ali bin Abi Talib, and this was evident in his speech in his study circle and among his students. He openly disagreed with Al-Mansur in his goals when he asked him for a fatwa. He also refrained from accepting a gift from Al-Mansur, and he used to criticize the judiciary bitterly if he found anything wrong with it. It contradicts the truth in his view, without paying attention to the loss of the splendor of the rulings that this criticism leads to.
When Abu Jaafar Al-Mansur called Abu Hanifa to take over the judiciary, he refused, so he asked him to refer the judges to him regarding what he would ask them to issue fatwas. He refused, so he was subjected to torment by beating and imprisonment, or imprisonment alone according to different narratives. It is narrated that Abu Jafar imprisoned Abu Hanifa on the condition that he take over the judiciary and become the judge of the judges. He refused until he was beaten with one hundred and ten lashes, and he was taken out of prison on the condition that he remained at the door. He was asked to issue a fatwa regarding the rulings that were submitted to him. Questions were sent to him, but he did not issue a fatwa, so he ordered him to be returned to prison. He was sent back and severely subjected to harsh conditions. The narrators agreed that he was imprisoned, and that he did not sit to give fatwas and teach after that, as he died after or with this ordeal, but the narration differed: did he die imprisoned after the beating, which the narrations also almost agree on? Or did he die trapped in poison, and they not only beat him, but also watered him with poison to hasten his death? Or was he released from prison before his death, so he died in his home after the ordeal and was prevented from teaching and communicating with people? All these stories have been told.
Abu Hanifa died in the month of Rajab, and it was said in Sha`ban, and it was said that it occurred on the eleven nights of Jumada al-Ula in the year 150 AH, and it was said that it was in the year 151 AH, and it was said that it was in the year 153 AH, and it was said that he died on the day that Imam al-Shafi’i was born, and his death was in Baghdad, and he was buried in the Al-Adhamiya cemetery in a place called Later on, there was the Khaizuran Cemetery, and his grave there was famous and visited, and it became a place for him there. “Abu Hanifa’s Place” was added to his name, and then it was attributed to his description (the greatest), so it was called Al-Adhamiyah. It is true that when the Imam felt death, he prostrated, so he died while prostrating. Abu Hanifa recommended that he be buried in good land that had not been usurped, and that he should not be buried in land that the prince had been accused of usurping. It is even narrated that when Abu Jaafar learned of this, he said: “Who will excuse me from Abu Hanifa, alive or dead?”, and all of Baghdad celebrated the funeral of the Iraqi jurist. The greatest Imam, and the number of people who prayed for him was estimated at fifty thousand, and even Abu Jaafar himself prayed at his grave after his burial.