Mastery in Issuing Legal Verdicts (Fatāwā)

1. A man once took an oath that he would never eat an egg. After some time, the same man took another oath that he would eat whatever was in a certain person’s sleeve. When he looked, he saw an egg in the person’s sleeve. Now he was faced with serious difficulty: if he ate the egg, his first oath would be broken, and if he did not eat it, his second oath would be broken. Deeply distressed, he visited Imam Abū Ḥanīfah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه and explained the problem. The great Imam said: “There is no need to worry. Place this egg under a hen, and when a chick hatches from it, roast it or cook it and eat it. None of your oaths will be broken.”^[1]

2. Once, the peacock of the Imam’s neighbour was stolen. The neighbour came to him and informed him about it. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه told the neighbour to remain silent. When he went to the masjid and the people gathered for prayer, he addressed them and said: “Does that person not feel ashamed who steals his neighbour’s peacock and then comes to pray in such a state that the marks of peacock feathers are on his head?” Upon hearing this, one man immediately passed his hand over his head. Imam Abū Ḥanīfah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه turned to him and said: “Return your companion’s peacock to him.” Consequently, the man returned the peacock to its owner.^[2]

3. Imam al-AꜤmash رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه once said to his wife: “If you inform me-verbally, in writing, by gesture, through someone else, or mention before anyone with the intent that he informs me- that the flour has finished, then you are divorced.”

Hearing this, the wife of Imam al-AꜤmash رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه was very worried; if she did not inform him when the flour finished, it would be problematic, and if she did inform him, she would fall into grave difficulty. Someone advised her: “Only Imam Abū Ḥanīfah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه