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Continuing the Legacy (III): Imām Zufar
Imām Zufar b. Hudhayl b. Qays was one of the most famous companions/students of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah. He was born in 110 AH in Asbahan/Isfahan (pictured above), where his father was the governor.
Before he engaged more in fiqh, he was heavily involved with the field of ḥadīth. He traveled to Kufa, where he studied with Imām Abū Ḥanīfah for more than twenty years. It is mentioned that he asked Imām Abū Ḥanīfah about certain question which the ḥadīth scholars (muḥaddithūn) were not able to answer, and he was so impressed that he became a student of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah.
His intellect was brilliant, and he is thus well-known amongst scholars for his prowess in legal analogy (qiyās), which Imām Abū Ḥanīfah himself praised. He was also very skilled in debating with others regarding fiqh. Imām Ḥasan b. Ziyād mentions, “I did not see anyone debating with Imām Zufar except that I had mercy on him”.
It is mentioned that he would balance his time between knowledge and worshiping Allah, not solely engaging in one and abandoning the other.
When he came to Basra, where the people were not very receptive to Imām Abū Ḥanīfah’s fiqh, he familiarized the people with it. It is mentioned that he would sit in the gatherings (majālis) of knowledge (ʿilm) there and discuss, brilliantly convincing the people of the opinion he…
