The untold truth about

Abu Hanifa
Bismillah ar Rahman ar Rahim

All praise belongs to Allah. Peace and blessings be on His last Prophet
Muhammad, salliAllahu alayhi wa sallam, his family and his ashaab.

In many books, lessons, lectures and sermons we can see a lot of praise
for Abu Hanifa. These books tell us about the “great worshipper”, the
“noble and generous man”, the “wise and learned scholar” who was
“gifted with logic and quick-wittedness”. While some of these, or maybe
even all of these might be true, there is something what this books,
lecturers and preachers don't tell you. There is a very dark side to Abu
Hanifa, which they want to you to know since centuries.

So who was he really? What did the Salaf say about him? And what is
written in his own books?

This small booklet will tell you the untold truth about Abu Hanifa. All
quotes in this booklet are from the books of the Salaf and from his own
works. And though some of these quotes are weak in the chain of
narration, the amount of quotes and the fact, that a lot of these quotes
are saheeh shows that the Salaf agreed upon the kufr and Irja of Abu
Hanifa.

Al-Bukhari has mentioned in his book Khalq Af'al Al-‘ibaad:

Ahmad bin Al-Hasan said: Abu Nu'aym told us, he said: Sulayman Al-
Qari told us: "I heard Sufyan Al-Thawri say," Hammad bin Abi
Sulayman said to me, "Let the mushrik Abu Hanifa know that I have
nothing to do with his religion, because he says, "The Quran is created".
Also mentioned in Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahlu Sunnah - Al-Laalkaie nr:
393

Awzai said: "No one was born into Islam more harmful than Aboo
Hanifa.” Kitab al-`Ilal wa Ma'rifat al-Rijal of Ahmad bin Hanbal. Vol.
2, Pg. 546

Hammad said, "I heard Shu'ba cursing Abu Hanifa." Al-Du'afaa of Al-
Uqayli 1876

Yahya bin Ma'een said, "Abu Hanifa was a murji and he called people to
this and he was nothing in hadith." Al-Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmad
402

Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal said: I heard my father saying: don’t
narrate anything from the companions of Abu Hanifa. Dhamm Al-
Kalam 460

Abdillah > Abu al-Fadl informed me > Aswad bin Saalim who said: 'If
the Athar comes we throw the opinions of Abu Hanfah and his
companions in the garbage.' Then Aswad said to me: 'Upon you are the
narrations so abide by them, I've come to know about the people of
knowledges' hatred for the opinions of Abu Hanifah and they shame
him.' [Al Sunnah]

Ibrahim Al-Harbi said: "The people are doing well as long as they take
their knowledge from the great people (scholars)" this means: someone
who is young is great if he follows the words of the prophet (salliAllahu
alayhi wa sallam) the sahaba and the tabi'in, and an old person is small
if he follows the words of Abu Hanifa and leaves the sunnah.”
Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahlu Sunnah - Al-Laalkaie 1/95 nr:103

Abu Ishaq Al-Fizari said: I told Abu Hanifa a hadith of the prophet
about the prohibition of rebellion with the sword, then he said, "that's a
nonsense hadith." Al-Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal 322

The chapter of the letter Al-Nu'man bin Thabit Abu Hanifa Al-Kuf. He
died in the year 150 H. Nu'aym bin Hammad told us that Yahya bin
Said and Mu'adh bin Muadh said: "We heard Sufyan Al-Thawri say:
"Abu Hanifa did istitaba (repenting) twice for kufr." Al-Du'afa of Al-
Bukhari p.132 nr388

Al-Bukhaari said that Sufyan Al-Thawri said when Abu Haneefah died:
Praise be to Allaah. He would invalidate the handles of Islam one by
one. There was no one born in Islam more hated than him. (Al-Tarikh
Al-Saghir 2/93)

Al-Bukhari said about Abu Hanifa: He was a Murji'. They were silent
about his opinion and about his hadeeth. (Al-Tarikh Al-Kabir 8/81)
Abu Zur'a Al-Razi said: "Abu Hanifa was a jahmi." Tarikh Baghdad
2/179 and 14/253

Suwayd bin Said told me: Abdullah bin Yazid told us, he said: "Abu
Hanifa has invited me to al-irjaa." Al-Sunnah - Abdullah bin Ahmad
408

Aboo Ishaq Al-Taleqani said: "I heard Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak saying:
'Anyone that owns the book of Aboo Hanifa and uses it and spreads the
opinions with it, will cause his Hajj to become void and his wife shall no
longer remain lawful for him.' Then the slave of ibn Al-Mubarak said: 'I
think the one who wrote the book is Satan.' Ibn Al-Mubarak replied:
'The one who wrote the book is worse than Satan.' Tarikh Baghdad Vol.
15, Pg. # 556

Ahmad bin Hanbal rahimahullah said, who has Kitab Al-Hiyal in his
home and gives Fatawa with it, then he is a disbeliever in what has been
revealed to Muhammad (SallaAllahu alayhi wa sallam). Tabaqat Al-
Hanabila

Ahmad bin Ibrahim said that Khalid bin Khaddash said that Abd Al-
Malik bin Qurayb Al-Asma'i said Hazim Al-Tafawi -of Ashab Al-
Hadith- said: Abu Hanifa worked with the books of Jahm which he got
from Khorasan. Al-Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmad 237

Sufyan bin Waki 'I heard Omar bin Hammad bin Abu Hanifa say: My
father Hammad bin Abi Hanifa said to me: Ibn Abi Layla wrote a letter
to my father saying: you should do tawba of what you say about the
Qur'an that it is created or else I will do something that you hate: so he
did what was asked. I said: Father, why did you do that? He said, "My
son, I was afraid he would come to me, so I gave him Taqiyya (that is,
hiding your faith)." Al-Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmad 238

Waki bin Al-Jarrah said: ibn Abi Layla, Al-Hasan bin Salih, Sufyan bin
Said Al-Thawri and Shareek bin Abdillah gathered and they asked Abu
Hanifa to come, so he came. They asked him: “what do you say about
someone who marries his mother, and kills his father and drinks
alcohol? He said: “he is a believer (mumin). So Ibn Abi Layla said: I will
never accept your testimony. Al-Hasan bin Salih said: it is forbidden for
me that I ever look at your face. And Shareek said: if I had any power I
would have beheaded you. Al-Thawri said: your statements are haram
for me forever. Sharh Usul I'tiqad Ahlu Sunnah - Al-Laalkaie nr:1833
Sulayman bin Harb said: Abu Hanifa passed by a drunk guy, so he said
to him: O Aba Hanifa, O Murji! So Abu Hanifa said: “you said the truth,
it is my fault, I came and called you a believer with perfect faith. Sharh
Usul I'tiqad Ahlu Sunnah - Al-Laalkaie nr:1838

Bishr bin Al-Mufaddal said: "I said to Abu Hanifa: Naf 'said that Ibn
Umar said that the prophet (salliAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said: the
buyer and the seller can both choose what they want as long as they are
not separated (ie they are still in the same place together.) Then Abu
Hanifa said: that is nonsense, then I said: Qatada said that Anas said
that a Jew had crushed the head of a slave girl between two stones so
then the prophet (salliAllahu alayhi wa sallam) crushed his head
between two stones, Abu Hanifa said: gibberish. Al-Sunnah of
Abdullah bin Ahmad

Salama bin Kulthum said: "When Aboo Hanifa died, Awzai said: 'Praise
be to Allah for killing him, he used to destroy the pillars of Islam one by
one.'" Al-Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmad. Vol. 1, Pg. # 207

Abu Bakr bin Abi Dawud said: "Bad talk about Abu Hanifa is an ijmaa
among scholars, because the Imam of Al-Basra Ayyub Al-Sikhtiyani has
spoken of him and the imam of Al-Kufa Sufyan Al-Thawri's spoke
about him and the Imam of Al-Hijaz Malik bin Anas has spoken of him
and the Imam of Egypt Al- Layth bin Sa'd has spoken of him and the
Imam of Al-Sham Al- Awzaai has spoken of him and the Imam of
Khorasan Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak has spoken about him, so speaking
badly about him is an ijmaa in all territories." Al-Kaamil of Ibn Adi
8/241

Abu Hanifa said: if the prophet had met me, or I had met the prophet,
he would have taken many sayings from me, what is religion except
sound opinion? Al-Sunnah of Abdullah

Abu Ja’far Al-Tirmidhi said: i saw the prophet in a dream so i asked: o

rasulallah should we take the opinion of abu hanifa? he said: no dhamm
al kalam 377

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Sarif told us: "I was with Jaafar ibn
Muhammad, and then Abu Hanifa came.” and Ibn Shubramah said I
and Abu Hanifa entered upon Jaafar and he said to Abu Hanifa, fear
Allah and do not make analogies in the religion with your opinion,
because the frst who used analogy (qiyaas) was the devil. Dhamm Al-
Kalaam 2/199
Ibn Shubruma said, "Abu Hanifa and I arrived at Jaafar As-Saadiq's
house. Jaafar said this to Abu Hanifa: "Fear Allah! Do not rely on the
Qiyas in regards to belief. Because Iblis was the frst to practice Qiyas.
Hilyat Al-Awliya (3/197)

Yusuf bin Asbat said: Abu Hanifa rejected 400 ahadith of the prophet
salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, or more.

Ahmad b. Hanbal said "Even the weak hadith is better than Abu
Hanifa's opinion." (Abdullah b. Ahmad b. Hanbal, as-Sunnah, 229)

Ishaq bin Mansur Al Kawsaj said: "I said to Ahmad bin Hanbal; Is a man
rewarded for hating Abi Hanifah and his companions?" He said: "Yes,
by Allah!" (Sunnah by Abdullah bin Ahmad 228)

Said bin Salim said, "I asked Abu Yusuf when he was in Djirdjan about
Abu Hanifa, then he said," What do you need from him while he died as
a jahmi?" Al-Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmad

How do you say if it is said, where is Allah? He said, it is said to him:

"Allah was and there was no place. Majmuat Rasa'il Abi Hanifa of Al-
Kawthari p.25 and also in Al-Fiqh Al- Absat of Abu Hanifa

Sufyan Al-Thawri said: "Aboo Hanifa repented from his heretic

opinions many times." Kitab Al-Sunnah. Vol. 1, Pg. 193

Salama bin Kulthum said: "When Aboo Hanifa died, Awzai said: 'Praise
be to Allah for killing him, he used to destroy the pillars of Islam one by
one.'" Kitab Al-Sunnah. Vol. 1, Pg. 207

Imam Malik said: "Had Aboo Hanifa rebelled against the nation with
the sword it would have been less harmful." Jami'a Bayan Al-Elm. Vol.
3, Pg. # 334

A friend of ours told us that Hamdawayh said: "I said to Muhammad

bin Maslama:
"Why is the opinion of Al-Nu'man (Abu Hanifa) widespread in all the
cities except in Medina? He replied: "The Prophet (salliAllahu alayhi wa
sallam) said: "the dajjal will not enter her (ie Medina) nor the plague,
and he (Abu Hanifa) is a dajjal amongst the dajjals." Al-Duafaa of Al-
Bukhari p.132 nr. 388 chapter letter "nun" about al-Nu'man bin Thabit
Abu Hanifa
Harb bin Ismail Al-Karmani reported that Ishaq bin Rahawayh said:
Mu'ammal bin Ismail said that Sufyan Al-Thawri said that Abbad asked
Abu Hanifa: O Abu Hanifa a man says "I know that the Ka'ba exists. But
I do not know if it's in Khorasan or in Mecca." is that a believer? He said,
"Yes." Muammal said: Al-Thawri said: "I testify that he is a disbeliever to
Allah, until it is clear to him that the Ka'ba is in the holy mosque."
And he (Abbad) asked Abu Hanifa: A man says, "I know that
Muhammad is a prophet and a messenger, but I do not know if it was
Muhammed who was in Medina and belonged to the tribe Quraysh or if
it is another Muhammad", is that a believer? He said, "Yes, he's a
believer." Muammal said: Al-Thawri said, "I testify that he is a
disbeliever to Allah.” Al-Sunnah of Abu Bakr bin Al-Khallal 4/28
number: 1104 and a similar narration is mentioned in Sharh Usul
I'tiqad Ahlu Sunnah - Al-Laalkaie nr:1831 and al-ilal wa marifat al-
rijaal of Ahmad bin Hanbal 2/546 nr 3590

Said bin Salim said: I said to Abu Yusuf: I heard the inhabitants of
Khorasan say: Abu Hanifa was a Jahmi and Murji. He said: "They say
the truth and he saw (it as allowed to revolt against the Muslims with)
the sword."

I was told by Musa bin Ismail, Abu 'Awana told me: he said: i heard
Abu Hanifa and he was asked about alcoholic beverages, so he said:
"Halal". Then he was asked about strong wine, so he said: "Halal". Then
he was asked about Al-Dadhi (another alcoholic drink), so he said:
"Halal". Al-Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmed nr: 393

Abu Dawood said: A Shaykh from the people of Wasit said to us: Abu
Mansur al-Harith ibn Mansour told us: I heard Sufyan al- Thawri, and
he was asked about al-Dadhi. He said: The Messenger of Allah
(salliAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said: people of my Ummah will drink
alcohol and call it by another name.» Abu Dawood said: "Sufyan Al-
Thawri said Dadhi is the drink of the sinners." Sunan Abi Dawud 3689

Narrated by Abu al-Fadl that Yahya bin Ayoub said: Ali bin Asim said: i
told Abu Hanifa a hadith about marriage or divorce, so he said: «This is
the devil's judgment.» Al-Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmed 401

Muhammad bin Jabir said: I heard Abu Hanifa, saying: «"Omar ibn al-
Khattab erred" so i took a handful of gravel and hit him with it in his
face» Al-Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmed 391

I was told that Musarrif Al-Yasari said, Malik bin Anas said: "The
bloody disease is the destruction of religion, and Abu Hanifa is the
bloody disease." Al-Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Hanbal 387

Abu al-Fadl told us Al-Hussein bin al-Faraj Khayat told us Ibrahim bin
Abi Suwaid told us, he said: I heard Hammad bin Salamah saying: «this
Abu Hanifa wallahi, I hope that Allah will make him enter the hell» Al-
Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Hanbal 385

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim told me, Ahmed bin Manee told me, and also more
than one person told me this, and one of them is Abu Osman Said ibn
Sabih, he told me Abu Amr Shibani, said: "When Ismail bin Hammad
bin Abu Hanifa was appointed as a judge, I went until I entered upon
him and I said: You say: The Qu'ran is the word of God and it is
created?, he said: This is my religion and my father's religion. then it
was said to him: when did he spoke this? before He created it or after
He created it or while He created it?, he said: so he didn't say a word, I
said: Hey you, Fear Allah and think about what you say, so i jumped on
my donkey and left." Al-Sunnah of Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal
406

I once heard Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Daud As Sijistaani saying to his
companions: "What do you say about a matter about which Malik and
his companions, and Ash Shaf'i and his companions, and Al Awza'i and
his companions, and Al Hasan bin Saalih and his companions, and
Sufyan Ath Thawri and his companions, and Ahmad bin Hanbal and his
companions, have all agreed upon??" They said: 'O Aba Bakr there isn't
a matter more correct than this!' He then said: "They, all of them, agreed
regarding the misguidance of Abi Hanifah!" Tarikh Baghdad 15/516

Muhammad bin Mansur Al-Jawwar said: ''I saw Al-Humaydi read

aloud from the book "the refutation of Abu Hanifa" in the holy mosque.
And he said: "Some people said: .." so I asked: how is it that you do not
name him by name? He replied: I hate to mention his name in the holy
mosque." Al-Majruhin of Ibn Hibban 1127

Aba Ubaid said: "I was sitting with Al-Aswad bin Saalim in Rasafa's
mosque, they then began discussing an issue. I therefore said: 'Aboo
Hanifa's opinion is so & so.' Al-Aswad said to me: 'You mention Aboo
Hanifa in the mosque!' Then he (Al-Aswad) never talked to me again
until he died." Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 13, Pg. 564

Yusuf bin Asbat said: The prophet (salliAllahu alayhi wa sallam) used to
let his wifes pull straws when he wanted to go on a journey, and his
companions pulled straws. But Abu Hanifa said: pulling straws is
gambling. Tarikh Baghdad 13/390
Amr bin Ali Al-Fallas said: I heard Yahya al-Qattan and someone next
to him said: Abu Yusuf (the companion and student of Abu Hanif) said
Abu Hanifa said that Al-Taymi said ... then he said (Al Qattan): a murji
said that a murji said that a murji said.” Tarikh Baghdad 16/372

I heard Abu Qudama say: I heard Salama bin Sulayman say: a man
asked Ibn Al-Mubarak: "was Abu Hanifa a scholar?" He said, "No, he
was not ft for that, he left Ataa and went to Abu Al-'Atuf." Tarikh
Baghdad 13/407

Abu Al-Fadl Al-Khorasani told me and Muhammad bin Abi Umar told
us that he heard Sufyan bin Uyayna say: "There is no one born in Islam
that is more harmful to Islam than Abu Hanifa." Al-Sunnah of
Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal 1/217 nr:361

Abu Hanifa had a thick coat that he dragged over the ground. Then it
was said to him: "Isn’t that forbidden?" He replied: "It is only forbidden
for someone who does it out of pride and we are not." Al-Adab Al-
Shar'iyya of Ibn Mufih 3/521
Waki said: Ibn Al-Mubarak asked Abu Hanifa about the lifting of the
hands at the ruku'. Then Abu Hanifa said: will he raise his hands to fy?
Ibn Al-Mubarak was a sensible man, so he said: if he few during the
frst time (when he raised his hands) he fies the second time too. Then
Abu Hanifa was quiet and did not say anything. Tarikh Baghdad 13/389

Yahya bin Hamza and Said bin Abd Al-Aziz said: we both heard Abu
Hanifa say: "If someone worships a mule to come closer to Allah then I
think there is nothing wrong with that." Al-Majruhin of Ibn Hibban
3/73

Abdullah bin Amr bin Abi Najih told: Abd Al-Warith said: I was in
Mecca and Abu Hanifa was there so I went to him and there were a
number of people with him. A man then asked Abu Hanifa something
and he gave an answer, then the man said: what about what has been
narrated from Omar about this? Then Abu Hanifa said: the words of a
shaytan. Then I praised Allah, and someone said to me: Are you
surprised? Before this, a man came to him and asked about something
and he responded. Then he was asked, what about the hadeeth of the
Prophet (salliAllahu alayhi wa sallam) about that the fasting of the one
who does the hijama and the one to whom it is done to, is invalid? Then
he said, "that's bullshit." Then I said to myself: This is a meeting I will
never return to. Tareekh Baghdad 13/388
Al-Waleed bin Muslim said: Malik bin Anas asked me: "is Abu Hanifa
mentioned in your city? I said: yes. He said: your city should not be
lived in." Tarikh Baghdad 13/400

Imam Malik bin Anas said: "The ftna of Aboo Hanifa is more harmful
than the ftna of Iblees."

Imam Malik bin Anas said: "No one was born in Islam more harmful
than Aboo Hanifa." Tarikh Baghdad Vol. 15, Pg. 545

"It must be known for every religious person that God would never
send a Prophet for such Salaat (Refering to Salaat of Aboo Hanifa) and
Muhammad wasn’t sent to propagate the people for this (Salaat)." Al-
Mankhul. Pg. 501

"Aboo Hanifa had turned jurisprudence on its head and unsettled its
method and changed its system." Al-Mankhul. Pg. 500

Shaf said: "Whoever practiced Istihsan made a new law. Well frst of all
it is recomended to explain the reality of Istihsan. Some of Aboo
Hanifa's companions said: 'Istihsan is a method which lacks proof.
Verily it is kufr whoever believed in it or permitted its practise.'" Al-
Mankhul, Pg. 374 - 375

"Aboo Hanifa was not a Mujtahid because he acquired no knowledge in

(Arabic) grammar; this is proven by the fact that he read the words Babu
Qays. Aboo Hanifa had no knowledge of Hadeeth, he would ignore
Saheeh Hadeeth and would embrace weak ones, he had no capacity to
interpret the Sharia, on the contrary he would contradict their rules." Al-
Mankhul, Pg. 471

It is not permissible to adhere to him, because he was propagating to Irja

and according to our scholars it is impermissible to adhere to one that
propagates innovations (Bid'ah), I don’t know any disagreement among
the Muslim scholars and the pious religious (people) in all the countries
about dispraising him (Aboo Hanifa), every one dispraised him one by
one. Kitab Al-Majruhin, Vol. 3, Pg. 64

Abdul Rahman bin Mahdi said: "There was a wall between Aboo Hanifa
and the truth." Tarikh Baghdad. Vol. 15, Pg. 561

Sulayman bin Hassan Al-Halabi said: "I heard Awzai on several

occasions saying that Aboo Hanifa destroyed the pillars of Islam one by
one." Tarikh Baghdad, Vol. 15, Pg. 547
Sufyan said: "Aboo Hanifa repented from Kufr twice." Tarikh Baghdad,
Vol. 15, Pg. 524 - 525

Al-Awzaaie said: we don't mind that Abu Hanifa spoke with opinion
but we mind that the hadeeth of the prophet, salliAllahu alayhi wa
sallam, came to him and he would give fatwa with something else.
Dhamm Al-Kalam of Al-Harawi 3/2-3

Sufyan Al-Thawri said: "No one was born in Islam more unfortunate on
the Muslims other than him." Tarikh Baghdad, Vol. 15, Pg. 548

Narrated Al-Fazari: "I heard Al-Awzai and Sufyan Al-Thawri saying:

'No one was born in Islam more evil.' and Shaf said: 'More mischief
than Aboo Hanifa.' Sufyan said: "No one was born in Islam more
harmful than Aboo Hanifa." Tarikh Baghdad, Vol. 15, Pg. 549

Imam Shaf said: "I don’t know anyone who wrote a book proving his
errors except Aboo Hanifa." Tarikh Baghdad, Vol. 8, Pg. 567

Imam Shaf said: "I saw the books of Aboo Hanifa's companions and
they comprised of 130 pages, I found in them 80 pages that contradicted
the Qur'aan and Sunnah." Tarikh Baghdad, Vol. 7, Pg. 566

Al-Shafi said: "I saw the book of Aboo Hanifa and they claim that they
say whatever is in Allah's (swt) book and His Prophet’s tradition, whilst
they actually go against them." Tabaqat Al-Shafyyia Al-Kubra, Vol. 2,
Pg. 122

From Abu Hanifa’s own book:

Concerning the Quran

"His attributes are eternal, they have not been originated or created, and
who says that it is created or originated is a disbeliever in Allah
Almighty, and the Quran is the word of Allah the Almighty, it is written
in the Quran books (Masahif) and stored in the hearts and it is recited by
the tongues of the people and it has been revealed to the Prophet
(salliAllahu alayhi wa sallam) and our wording of the Quran is created
and when we write it it is created and our recitation of it is created, and
the Quran is uncreated. Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar of Abu Hanifa Al-Nu'man
p.20
Takfr of the individual Jahmi who claims the wording of the Quran is
created and testifying that he's in the Fire forever:
Ahmad bin Shadhaan bin Khalid Al-Hamadhaaniy said 'I heard Ahmad
bin Hanbal saying: "He who says my wording of Quran is Makhluq
(created) is a Jahmi, Mukhalad (forever inhabiting) the Fire." Then he
said: "And he's a Mushrik (polytheist) with Allah The most Great!"' [Al-
Maqsad Il-Arshad by Ibn Mufih]

Also Al-Aqidah Al-Tahawiyyah -which is the creed of Abu Hanifah-

contains Irjaa and Tajahhum. That Imaan is speech without actions and
claiming Allah is not in a direction and that He does not have limbs.
Refer to: Al-Aqidah Al-Tahawiyyah point 38 and point 62

Conclusion:

The quotes mentioned above make clear that Abu Hanifa was a heretic
and he was not a scholar. Not everyone mentioned the same things
about him. Some said he was a Jahmi and others said he was a Murji.
And some said that he rejected hadith. And some mentioned all of this.
Anyways it was clear that he was misguided and kafr, all the salaf
agreed about this.

However some later “scholars” like Ibn Abd Al-Barr, Ibn Taymiyya and
Al-Dhahabi tried to defend Abu Hanifa by praising him and hiding
what is said about him and his bad reputation among the early
generations. Some who were heretics themselves were honest about the
issue so I included the quotes from their books, like Al-Khatib Al-
Baghdadi and Ibn Hibban as well as some later ones like Al-Ghazali and
Al-Subki.

Although if you fnd in some books of the salaf that anyone said
something good about Abu Hanifa, then you must understand that not
everyone knew the same things about him and that these persons had
different periods in their lives. For example Abdullah bin Al- Mubarak
was a student of Abu Hanifa, but later he left him and takfeered him
and called him a Murji. And Ishaq bin Rahawayh used to follow the
madhhab of Abu Hanifa, but he also repented from this.

All praise belongs to Allah