[viiagrag]

Numan bin Thabit is his real name, but few really know that, most are familiar with his kunniyyah.

My question is where did it come from?

How did he come to be known as this?

If this is his daughters name, why did she insist he use it?

How did this madhab & its followers come to be known as Hanafi?

[DoctoBuntonTen]

As far as I can remember, he was given this kunniyyah due to his extraordinary level of piety and worship.

[embefuri]

There are many sayings asto why he became known as Abu Haneefa. The best one I like is which says..

His daughter's name was Haneefa. Once she told him to take up her name for kuniya if she solves a mas'ala which he is unable to solve. Such a mas'ala arose and she did solve it.. Thus he took her name for Kuniya.

There is a book "Imam Abu Hanifa r.a" by M. Kadwa.. very inspiring.. should read it...

[DoctorQuquriramba]

Another good book is Imam Abu Hanifah Life And Work by M Hadi Hussain. This is a translation of Allamah Shibli Nu'mani's "Sirat-I-Nu'man".

[Oxzzlvpg]

Salam,

Some women came to Imam's (RA) house and asked a question that if a male could marry with 4 females at a time then why a female couldn’t marry with 4 males? At that time, he was unable to solve that question. Her daughter named Hanifa was also hearing that conversation. She asked her father that if she solved the problem, her father had to add her name with his name. He accepted her offer. Then she demanded women to bring each of them a pot of milk tomorrow. Next day, when they brought pots of milk with them Hanifa put all the milk into a big container and requested them to separate their own milk from that pot. All women were unable to separate their own milk they brought separately. Then she told them that this was your answer. Therefore, Noman Bin Sabit (RA) is called Abu Hanifa.