Twelve Cases of Conflicting Rulings by Imam Abu Hanifa on the Same Issue

Twelve Examples of Different Opinions by Imam Abu Hanifa on the Same Issue
Written by: Muhammad Zubair Sadiq Abadi

Introduction

When a follower of the Sunnah presents a hadith to the Deobandi sect that contradicts their rigid taqlid-based school, they often respond,
“There is much difference in hadith.”

Yet Imam Abu Hanifa himself admitted to issuing varying opinions on the same matter. He told his student Qadi Abu Yusuf:

ويحك يا يعقوب! لا تكتب كل ما تسمع مني فإني قد أرى الر أى اليوم وأتركه غدا وأرى الر أى غدا وأتركه بعد غد
“Woe to you, O Ya‘qub! Do not write everything you hear from me. Today I may hold one opinion and abandon it tomorrow; tomorrow I may hold another and abandon it the day after.”
(Tarikh Yahya ibn Ma‘in 6/607, no. 2461 – authentic chain; Tarikh Baghdad 14/424)

This stands in stark contrast to the practice of the Sahabah, such as ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As رضي الله عنهما, who used to write down everything the Prophet ﷺ said, until the Prophet ﷺ confirmed to him:

“Write! For by Him in Whose Hand is my soul, nothing comes out from this mouth except the truth.”
(Musnad Ahmad 2/162; Sunan Abu Dawud 3646; Sunan al-Darimi 490; al-Mustadrak 1/102–105 – authentic chain)

Imam Hafs ibn Ghiyath رحمه الله said:

“Abu Hanifa would give ten different fatwas on a single issue. We could not tell which one to follow, and he himself would retract them. Once, in a single sitting, he gave five rulings on one matter. Seeing this, I left him and turned to hadith.”
(Kitab al-Sunnah by ‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad, p. 205, 220; Tuhfat al-Hanafiyyah, p. 430–431)

Even his own students disagreed with him in many cases. Ibn ‘Abidin al-Shami (Deobandi/Barelwi reference) admits:

فحصل المخالفة الصاحبين فى نحو ثلث المذهب
“The two companions (Abu Yusuf and Muhammad) differed with him in about one-third of the madhhab.”
(Hashiyat Ibn ‘Abidin 1/67)

Examples of Contradictory Opinions from Imam Abu Hanifa

Below are 12 examples — from authentic Deobandi sources — showing Imam Abu Hanifa giving different rulings on the same issue.

1 – Reciting Surah al-Fatiha in the Last Two Rak‘ahs of Fard Salah

• First opinion: It is not necessary; even saying Subhanallah is enough.
  (References: Muwatta’ Ibn Farqad, p. 81; Hidayah 2/209; Maniyyat al-Musalli, p. 90, etc.)
• Opposite opinion: Reciting al-Fatiha in the last two rak‘ahs is necessary; Ibn Humam preferred this.
  (Ahsan al-Kalam 2/334–335)

2 – Time for Dhuhr and ‘Asr

Saeed Ahmad Palanpuri & Amin Okara list four different narrations from him:

1. Dhuhr ends at two shadow lengths (madhhab position).
2. Dhuhr ends at one shadow length (like Imam Shafi‘i’s position).
3. The time between one and two shadows is neither Dhuhr nor ‘Asr.
4. Dhuhr ends slightly before two shadows.
   (Adillah Kamila, p. 92; Tajalliyat Safdar 5/86)

3 – Saying “Ameen” by the Imam

• First opinion: Imam and follower both say Ameen quietly. (Kitab al-Athar, p. 22)
• Second opinion: The Imam does not say Ameen; only followers do. (Muwatta’ Ibn Farqad, p. 98)

4 – Imam’s Standing Position in Janazah

• Opinion 1: Stand by man’s head, woman’s middle. (Hidayah 2/428)
• Opinion 2: Stand by the chest for both man and woman. (Tafhim al-Bukhari 1/621; Dars al-Tirmidhi 3/311)

5 – Water Left by a Horse

Four reports:

1. Avoid using it if other water is available.
2. Disliked like its meat.
3. Doubtful like a wild donkey.
4. Pure. (Ashraf al-Hidayah 1/203)

6 – Wudu with Nabidh (date infusion)

Three opinions:

1. Use Nabidh; no tayammum. (Jami‘ Saghir)
2. Prefer both Nabidh and tayammum.
3. Do tayammum only; no Nabidh. (Ashraf al-Hidayah 1/574; Dars al-Tirmidhi 1/320)

7 – Sweat of a Donkey

Three opinions:

1. Pure.
2. Light impurity (najasa khafifah).
3. Heavy impurity (najasa ghalizah).
   (Ashraf al-Hidayah 1/201)
   For donkey’s saliva: Hidayah 1/200 says “impure”.

8 – Facing or Turning Back to Qiblah in Toilet

• Opinion 1: Both facing and turning back to Qiblah are haram, whether indoors or outdoors.
• Opinion 2: Facing is haram in all cases, but turning back is allowed everywhere. (Khazain al-Sunan, p. 56–57)

9 – Sunnah after Jumu‘ah

• Opinion 1: Four rak‘ahs after Jumu‘ah.
• Opinion 2: Six rak‘ahs after Jumu‘ah (preferred by Sadr al-A’immah al-Makki). (Khazain al-Sunan 2/422)

10 – Testing Pond Water

• By swimming.
• By moving hand.
• By stirring with wudu.
  (Hidayah 1/152–153)

11 – Used Water (Aab Musta‘mal)

Three opinions:

1. Pure but not purifying.
2. Impure – heavy impurity.
3. Impure – light impurity.
   (Ashraf al-Hidayah 1/120, 1/160)

12 – Janabah in a Well

Four opinions on whether the person and water are pure/impure when a junub immerses:

1. Both impure.
2. Man impure, water pure.
3. Both pure.
4. Man pure; water pure until separated.
   (Hidayah 1/165)

Conclusion

These are just twelve sample cases; there are many more. Even Abu Hanifa’s close students differed from him and from each other. Yet some Deobandi writers claim all opinions of Abu Yusuf, Muhammad, and Zufar are “actually” from Abu Hanifa — a claim refuted by the glaring contradictions.