It is a well known fact throughout the Muslim world that Imam Abu Hanifah had almost 4000 teachers رحمه الله thought his life time. Some of the most famous teachers include; Imam As-Sha’bi رحمه الله , Imam Hammad ibn Abu Sulayman رحمه الله and Imam Muhammad al-Baqir رحمه الله , Imam Ata ibn Abi rabah رحمه الله and Awn ibn Abd Allah ibn Utbah ibn Masud الله. Imam Hammad ibn Abu Sulayman The following report from al-Khatib’s Tarikh illustrates the importance of the close apprenticeship to a master teacher in order to develop the ability of ijtihad and fiqh. Just as Alqamah and Aswad closely accompanied Ibn Mas’ud and as a consequence acquired his adeptness at fatwa, and Ibrahim al-Nakha’i likewise earned this quality from his close companionship of them, and then Hammad as is clear from the biographical notices on him was the closest and most adept student of Ibrahim, Abu Hanifah gained the quality of faqahah by a close attachment to his shaykh. And, consequently, the group of fuqaha in this chain were the greatest jurists of their times as stated by Imam al-Dhahabi in his Siyar A’lam al-Nubala. Imam Abu Ismail Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman al-Ashari d. 120 was the first and primary teacher of Imam Abu Hanifah. His narrations are found in all six collections of hadith, although in Sahih al-Bukhari they are without chain muallaq. He narrated from the Sahabi Sayyedina Anas ibn Malik d. 93, and from the famous Tabii, Said ibn Jubayr 38-95 H, and others. His primary teacher was Ibrahim al-Nakhai, a major scholar of hadith and fiqh from the Tabiin, who was the most learned regarding the opinions of Abd Allah ibn Masud and his students. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated with his chain from Abd al-Malik ibn Iyas “I asked Ibrahim [al-Nakhai] Who should we ask after you?’ He said Hammad.’” Yahya ibn Main and al-Nasa’i said he is thiqah. Al-Ijli said “Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman, a Kufan, trustworthy. He was the greatest jurist from the companions of Ibrahim.” Dawud al-Ta’i said “Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman was generous with food and he was generous with dinars and dirhams.” Tahdhib al-Kamal 7269-79 Al-Dhahabi said under the biography of Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman in Siyar Alam al-Nubala’ “The greatest faqih from the inhabitants of Kufa were Ali and Ibn Mas’ud. The greatest faqihfrom their companions was Alqamah. The greatest faqih from his companions was Ibrahim [al-Nakha’i]. The greatest faqih from the companions of Ibrahim was Hammad [ibn Abi Sulayman]. The greatest faqih from the companions of Hammad was Abu Hanifah. The greatest faqih from his companions was Abu Yusuf. The companions of Abu Yusuf spread to the furthest regions, and the greatest faqih from them is Muhammad [ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani]. The greatest faqih from the companions of Muhammad is Muhammad Abu Abd Allah al-Shafi’i. Allah Exalted is He have mercy on them all.” Siyar A’lam al-Nubala 5236 Imam Ata ibn Abi Rabah Ata ibn Abi Rabah was a great teacher of Imam Abu Hanifah’s and he has many narrations found in all six of the famous collections of hadith. He met 200 companions of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, and he would issue fatwa in the presence of the Noble companions, such that Ibn Abbas RA would say “O people of Makkah! Do you gather your questions to me, when Ibn Abi Rabah is amongst you?!” Tahdhib al-Kamal 2069-86 The two reports of Abu Hanifah reporting from him in the Musannaf are in the form of fatwas which he took from him. In the first, Abu Hanifah asked Ata’ about an illegitimately born man leading the people in prayer, and he replied “There is no harm in it – is there not from amongst them those who pray and fast more than us?” This indicates that Imam Abu Hanifah took both fiqh and hadith an example was given in the previous post from Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah. Imam Awn ibn Abd Allah Awn ibn Abd Allah ibn Utbah ibn Masud al-Kufi al-Zahid was the grandson of the Sahabi Utbah ibn Masud ra, and he is a narrator found in the six collections of hadith besides Sahih al-Bukhari. He was a Tabii who narrated from a number of the younger companions. Al-Ijli, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Yahya ibn Main, Ibn Sad and al-Nasa’i said he is thiqah. Awn ibn Abd Allah said he prayed behind Abu Hurayrah d. 59 situating his birth around the middle of the first century. He was known as an ascetic who would frequently remember the afterlife and weep. Musa ibn Abi Isa narrated that when Awn would narrate to them, his beard would become wet with tears. Maslamah ibn Jafar narrated that Awn would say “May I be destroyed! How can I become heedless of my soul while the Angel of Death is not heedless of my soul?! May I be destroyed! How can I claim I have my intellect while I put to waste my share of the afterlife?! May I be destroyed! May I be destroyed! Nay, woe to me! Woe to me! Destruction is inevitable for me if I die proceeding upon the disobedience of my Lord.” Then he would cry until his beard became wet with tears. At his death, he distributed all his properties to the poor. It was reported from Awn that he said “Those before us would assign for their worldly life whatever was left over from their afterlife, while you assign for your afterlife whatever is left over from your worldly life.” He also said “I don’t think a person looks at the faults of men but from a heedlessness which has made him to forget himself.” Tahdhib al-Kamal 22453-61 Imam Muhammad al-Baqir

Beforehis conversion, 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud took care of 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt's sheep. Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman, Sufyan al-Thawri, and especially Imam Abu Hanifa, the founder of the largest Islamic legal school. Ikrima was the son of Abu Jahl, the harsh and inflexible leader of the Qurayshi unbelievers. Finally, after the Conquest

hammad ibn abi sulayman