kindness, asked me the reason for my absence. I told him of our poverty and the orders of my father. That day, I listened to the Hadith in his gathering but when I was leaving for home, Imam Abu Hanifah رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه asked me to sit down.

When all the people left, he gave me a bag full of dirhams. He said: ‘Suffice yourself on this, then Allah Almighty is the Lord.’ When I opened it, it was one hundred (100) dirhams. While walking away, he instructed: ‘attend my teaching circle and when you run out of these dirhams, I will make further arrangements.’ After that day, I started coming to his teaching circle regularly.

A few days later, he gave me another bag. In this way, he would help me from time to time and no one would know. One specific matter was that Sayyiduna Imam A’zam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه continued giving me money, but he never asked me how or where I spent it? Then when he would feel that the money was about to run out, he would give more money.

I continued to study, and my family’s financial affairs were looked after too. Then came a time when I was financially prosperous. I was constantly attending the circles of Sayyiduna Imam-e-A’zam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه, making use of knowledge, and there came a time when Sayyiduna Imam-e-A’zam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه made me prosperous with worldly wealth on one hand and distinguished me in knowledge and grace on the other and the doors of knowledge opened on me. (Manaqib-e-Imam-e-A’zam, part. 2, p. 211)

Dear Islamic Brothers! You may be thinking that Sayyiduna Imam A’zam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه may have sponsored Qadi Imam Abu Yusuf رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه for two to four months, but it was not the case, not even for two or three years Imam Abu Yusuf رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه says: Sayyiduna Imam-e-A’zam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه bore the expenditure of me and my family for ten (10) years. (Manaqib-e-Imam-e-A’zam, part. 1, p. 259 Summarised)

Blessings received by Imam-e-A’zam رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه

Dear Islamic Brothers! This incident of Imam-e-A’zam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه is a great lesson for us. Later, Sayyiduna Imam Qadi Abu Yusuf رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه became a very great Aalim, Mujtahid, Mufti and Qadi of Islam, rather many great ‘Ulama, Muftis and Mujtahid emerged from his effective teaching and blessed