A Heartwarming Incident from Imam Abu Hanifa (Rah.)'s Life We Can All Relate To

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh, I would like to share a beautiful story I heard from Ustadh Abdulrahman Hassan about Imam Abu Hanifa (Rahimahullah) that reminds us all of the special bond and candidness between a mother and her child. One day, the mother of Imam Abu Hanifa (Rah.) approached him with a question about a particular Islamic ruling. She asked him directly, and he gave her his scholarly answer. Now, keep in mind, this is the mother of one of the greatest scholars of Islam, the leader of an entire madhhab. Yet after hearing his response, she said to him something like, "You know nothing." We don’t know the exact words, but it’s clear she was not satisfied with her son’s answer, despite his immense knowledge. Do you think she stopped there? Mothers can be tough when they want to be! She insisted on hearing the answer from someone else—a Mua’ddhin who was also a student of Imam Abu Hanifa. She said, "Take me to him; I will get my answer from him." So, Imam Abu Hanifa took his mother on a donkey to where he taught. The Mua’ddhin was seated at the back of the class, while the most prominent scholars sat in front. Obediently, Imam Abu Hanifa went to the back with his mother and said to the Mua’ddhin, "My mother has a question for you." Although hesitant at first—after all, his teacher was a great scholar—the Mua’ddhin shared his answer with her. Upon hearing it, Imam Abu Hanifa’s mother remarked, "Look at his answer; he is more knowledgeable than you, he knows more than you." Imagine the neighbors praising her son, "Mashallah, your son is so wise and knowledgeable," but she would respond, "Who? My son? That foolish one couldn’t answer my question properly. His student, the Mua’ddhin, knows better than him." This story beautifully illustrates that no matter how great your knowledge or status is, to your mother you may always be her beloved child who can do no right. Mothers have their own way of showing love and honesty. May Allah (SWT) bless all our mothers and grant us the wisdom to appreciate their love and candidness. Ameen.