What is the authenticity and reality of Imam Abu Hanifa's sayings: "If the hadith is authentic, then that is my madhhab," and "It is not permissible for anyone to adopt our قول (saying/opinion) unless they know from where we took it," and "It is forbidden for anyone who does not know my evidence to issue a fatwa based on my words," and "If I say something that contradicts the Book of Allah the Almighty and the narration of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, then abandon my saying"?

The sayings of Imam Abu Hanifa regarding following Hadith, some of which are authenticated with a chain of transmission (musnad) like his statements: "It is not permissible for anyone to adopt our view unless they know from where we derived it," and "Indeed, we are human beings; we state an opinion today and may retract it tomorrow," and "If an authentic Hadith, with a sound chain of transmission, comes from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, we adopt it and do not deviate from it. If it comes from the Companions, we choose from their sayings. And if it comes from the Tabi'in (successors), we may differ with them but do not go outside their opinions." And some of these sayings were transmitted by scholars without a chain of transmission, such as: "If the Hadith is authentic, then that is my madhhab (school of thought)," and "It is unlawful for anyone who does not know my evidence to issue a fatwa based on my words," and "If I say something that contradicts the Book of Allah the Almighty and the report of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then abandon my saying." It is clear that Imam Abu Hanifa relies on the authentic Sunnah, chooses from the sayings of the Companions when there is no text, and exercises ijtihad (independent reasoning) in matters for which no textual evidence exists.