Imam Abu Hanifa vs Imam Baqir

Imam Abu Hanifa, a giant in Islamic Jurisprudence has occupied an elevated position amongst Scholars and will remain a great luminary of Islam until the Day of Judgment. His fame and greatness spread far and wide, but along with his popularity there were also some adverse remarks increasing that he was a qayyas, one who was immersed in analogical deductions. Even today after his prominence and standing in the Ummah has been clarified and has become to be known and acknowledged as the father of Fiqh, there are some who ridicule his scholarship and the mammoth contributions he made to the understanding of Fiqh and its branches by implying that he only knew a handful of Ahadith and he gave precedence to reason over texts without understanding the nature and dictates of Fiqh. The following conversation that took place between the Imam and Imam Baqir as recorded by Imam Shibli Nu’mani in his biography of Imam Abu Hanifa is emblematic of the great intellectual capacity that the Imam possessed and which he applied in order to understand the intents and objectives of the texts of the Shari’ah.

On his second visit to Medina Imam Abu Hanifa met Imam Baqir, when he was introduced to Imam Baqir, the latter addressed him in the following words: ‘’So it is you who contradicts the traditions of my grandfather on the basis of Qiyas’’. Imam Abu Hanifa said: ‘’May Allah forbid, who dare contradict the Ahadith? After you sit down, Sir, I shall explain my position’’.

They had the following conversation:

Imam Abu Hanifa: ‘’Who is the weaker, man or woman?
Imam Baqir: ‘’Woman’’
Imam Abu Hanifa: ‘’Which of them is entitled to the larger share of the inheritance?’’
Imam Baqir: ‘’The woman’’
Imam Abu Hanifa: ‘’Now, If I had been making more deductions through analogy, I should have said that the woman should get the larger share, because on the face of it, the weaker one is entitled to more consideration. But I have not said so’’. ‘’To take up another subject, which do you think is the higher duty, Prayer or Fasting?’’
Imam Baqir: ‘’Prayer’’.
Imam Abu Hanifa: ‘’That being the case, it should be permissible for a woman during the period of her Hayd to postpone her prayers and not her fasts (which is lower than prayers). But the ruling I give is that she must postpone her fasting and not her prayers (following in the footsteps of the Prophet).*

Imam Baqir so much impressed by the acumen and his love for the prophet peace be upon him, he stood up and kissed his forehead.

May Allah shower our Imam with his all encompassing mercy.

* in another words, if the Imam gave preference to analogy over Hadith he would of said that the women should make up their prayers and not their fasting, since prayer is superior.

AH