Nu’man Ibn Thabit (May Allāh have mercy on him) And His Business Partner

[Abū Ḥanīfah] Nu’mān ibn Thābiṭ was born during the Khilāfah of Abdul-Mālik ibn Marwān, 80 years after the Prophet’s ﷺ migration from Makkah. It is reported that he saw the companion Anas ibn Mālik (May Allāh be pleased with him) more than once when he (May Allāh be pleased with him) would come to Kufah, [and hence he is a Tābi’ī]. He wouldn’t accept a stipend from the Sultān, instead [choosing to] run a business and earn a living.³⁴

He was the student of Hammād ibn Abī Sulaimān, ‘Ata ibn Abī Rabāḥ, Nāfi’ [the freed slave of Abdullah ibn Umar al-Fārūq (May Allāh be pleased with them)], ‘Ikramah, Mansūr and many other Tābi’īn (May Allāh have mercy on them all). Amongst his students and people who narrated from him are scholars like: Abū Yūsuf al-Qādhi, Abū Mutīy’ al-Ḥakam ibn ‘Abdullāh al-Balkhī, Asad ibn ‘Amr al-Qādhi, Zakariyyah ibn Zā’idah,  Mis’ar ibn Kidām, and Sufyān al-Thawrī (May Allāh have mercy on them all).

Isḥāq ibn Abū Isrā’īl relates that some people were talking about Abū Ḥanīfah in front of [Sufyan] Ibn ‘Uyainah. A few of them started belittling him, and Sufyan said, “Stop! Abū Ḥanīfah made more salah than anyone, was more trustworthy than anyone, and was the best of them in generosity and chivalry.”

Mis’ar relates, “Once I entered the masjid and saw a man performing salah. I found his recitation to be very sweet so I stopped [to listen]. When he finished one-seventh [of the Qur’ān], I said [to myself], “He will go into ruku’ [now].” [But he continued reciting until] he reached a third. I said [to myself], “He’s going to make ruku’.” [But he kept reciting until] he reached half, and continued in this manner until he finished the entire Qurān in one rakah. When I looked I saw that [that man] was Abū Hanīfah.”

Ibrāhīm ibn Rustum al-Marwazī said, “I heard Hārijah ibn Muṣ’ab say: Four people from amongst the a’immah [plural of imām: leader] finished the entire Qurān in one rakah: ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān, Tamīm al-Dārī, Sa’īd ibn Jubair, and Abū Ḥanīfah (May Allāh be pleased with them).”

‘Alī ibn Hafṣ al-Baẓẓāẓ reports that Ḥafṣ ibn ‘Abdur-Raḥmān was a business partner of Abū Ḥanīfah. Abū Ḥanīfah used to supply him [with goods]. Once he sent a message telling Ḥafṣ that a certain cloth had a defect so when he sold it should he should explain that [to the buyer]. Unfortunately, Ḥafṣ forgot and sold the cloth to a stranger without explaining about the defect. When Abū Ḥanīfah came to know of this he gave all of his profit away in charity.³⁵