What is the authenticity of the story of Abu Hanifa's alcoholic neighbor, whom the Imam refused to pray over, then saw him in a dream walking in Paradise, only to later discover that he used to donate to the orphans of the neighborhood, and to what extent is it connected to the Hadith: "Indeed, one of you may perform the deeds of the people of the Hellfire until there is nothing between him and it except a cubit, then the decree overtakes him, and he performs the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it"?

We have not found anyone who mentioned the story referred to, but we did find another story about Abu Hanifa with his shoemaker neighbor, a drunkard. This story was mentioned by Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadi in "Tarikh Baghdad" (History of Baghdad), and its summary is as follows: Abu Hanifa missed his shoemaker neighbor, whose voice he used to hear every night. He learned that the neighbor had been imprisoned, so Abu Hanifa went to the Amir and requested his release, as well as the release of everyone else who had been imprisoned with him that night. The Amir complied. When Abu Hanifa returned home, he said to his shoemaker neighbor, "Young man, did we neglect you?" The shoemaker replied, "No, rather you preserved and cared for [me]. May Allah reward you well for the sanctity of neighborliness and the observance of rights." And the man repented and did not return to drinking alcohol.