I said to Abi al-Hasan Musa عليه السلام – may I be made your ransom, we have gained understanding of the religion and Allah has made us self-sufficient from needing the people, so much so that a group of us may be in a meeting – not a man asks his fellow a question which comes to his mind except that he receives an answer for it, this is from the mercy of Allah on us through you, however it may happen that something is referred to us about which we have received nothing on your authority or that of your forefathers, can we look for the best-match in what we have and the closest to that which has come down to us from you and take it [as the answer]? So he said: not at all, not at all, in doing that – by Allah – were destroyed those who were destroyed O Ibn Hukaym, then he said: may Allah curse Aba Hanifa he used to say “Ali said but I say …”, Muhammad b. Hukaym then reported to Hisham b. al-Hakam that: by Allah I did not want anything [in asking this] except that he permit Qiyas (analogical reasoning) for me.