Imam of Ahle Sunnah Abu Hamid Ghazzali records in his famed work Al-Mankhul, page 581:
وأما أبو حنيفة فلم يكن مجتهدا لأنه كان لا يعرف اللغة وعليه يدل قوله ولو رماه بأبو قبيس وكان لا يعرف الأحاديث ولهذا ضري بقبول الأحاديث الضعيفة ورد الصحيح منها ولم يكن فقيه النفس بل كان يتكايس لا في محله على مناقضة مآخذ الأصول
Abu Hanifa was not a Mujtahid because he acquired no knowledge in (Arabic) grammar; this is proven by the fact that he read the words Babu Qays. Abu Hanifa had no knowledge of Hadith, he would ignore Sahih Hadith and would embrace weak ones, he had no capacity to interpret the Sharia, on the contrary he would contradict their rules.’
We also read on page 546:
ولا اكتراث بمخالفة أبي حنيفة فيها فإني أقطع بخطئه في تسعة أعشار مذهبه
‘I don’t care if I was incompatible with Abu Hanifa, as a I am 90% sure that his doctrine was wrong’
On page 476, Ghazali first quoted the words of Imam Shafiyee and then gave his own verdict:
قال الشافعي رضي الله عنه من استحسن فقد شرع ولا بد أولا من بيان حقيقة الاستحسان وقد قال قائلون من أصحاب أبي حنيفة رضي الله عنه الاستحسان مذهب لا دليل عليه وهذا كفر ممن قاله وممن يجوز التمسك به
Shafiyee said: ‘Whoever practiced Istehsan made a new law’. Well first of all it is recommended to explain the reality of Istehsan. Some of Abu Hanifa's [rh] companions said: ‘Istehsan’ is a method which lacks proof’. Verily it is kufr whoever believed in it or permitted its practice.
On page 613 we read:
وأما أبو حنيفة رحمه الله فقد قلب الشريعة ظهرا لبطن وشوش مسلكها وغير نظامها
‘Abu Hanifa [rh] had turned jurisprudence on its head and unsettled its method and changed its system’
Regarding the version of Salaat (prayers) Abu Hanifa introduced, Imam Ghazzali stated on page 614:
والذي ينبغي ان يقطع به كل ذي دين ان مثل هذه الصلاة لا يبعث الله لها نبيا وما بعث محمد بن عبد الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لدعاء الناس إليها
“It must be known for every religious person that God would never send a prophet for such Salaat and Muhammad wasn’t sent to propagate the people for this (Salaat)’.
The book can be downloaded from:
وأما أبو حنيفة فلم يكن مجتهدا لأنه كان لا يعرف اللغة وعليه يدل قوله ولو رماه بأبو قبيس وكان لا يعرف الأحاديث ولهذا ضري بقبول الأحاديث الضعيفة ورد الصحيح منها ولم يكن فقيه النفس بل كان يتكايس لا في محله على مناقضة مآخذ الأصول
Abu Hanifa was not a Mujtahid because he acquired no knowledge in (Arabic) grammar; this is proven by the fact that he read the words Babu Qays. Abu Hanifa had no knowledge of Hadith, he would ignore Sahih Hadith and would embrace weak ones, he had no capacity to interpret the Sharia, on the contrary he would contradict their rules.’
We also read on page 546:
ولا اكتراث بمخالفة أبي حنيفة فيها فإني أقطع بخطئه في تسعة أعشار مذهبه
‘I don’t care if I was incompatible with Abu Hanifa, as a I am 90% sure that his doctrine was wrong’
On page 476, Ghazali first quoted the words of Imam Shafiyee and then gave his own verdict:
قال الشافعي رضي الله عنه من استحسن فقد شرع ولا بد أولا من بيان حقيقة الاستحسان وقد قال قائلون من أصحاب أبي حنيفة رضي الله عنه الاستحسان مذهب لا دليل عليه وهذا كفر ممن قاله وممن يجوز التمسك به
Shafiyee said: ‘Whoever practiced Istehsan made a new law’. Well first of all it is recommended to explain the reality of Istehsan. Some of Abu Hanifa's [rh] companions said: ‘Istehsan’ is a method which lacks proof’. Verily it is kufr whoever believed in it or permitted its practice.
On page 613 we read:
وأما أبو حنيفة رحمه الله فقد قلب الشريعة ظهرا لبطن وشوش مسلكها وغير نظامها
‘Abu Hanifa [rh] had turned jurisprudence on its head and unsettled its method and changed its system’
Regarding the version of Salaat (prayers) Abu Hanifa introduced, Imam Ghazzali stated on page 614:
والذي ينبغي ان يقطع به كل ذي دين ان مثل هذه الصلاة لا يبعث الله لها نبيا وما بعث محمد بن عبد الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لدعاء الناس إليها
“It must be known for every religious person that God would never send a prophet for such Salaat and Muhammad wasn’t sent to propagate the people for this (Salaat)’.
The book can be downloaded from:
