Some muftis say that according to Imaam Abu Hanifah, it is permissible to hire out property for even a liquor store or to a church.

Answer

It is baseless. Imaam Abu Hanifah (Rahmatullah alayh) never issued such a corrupt fatwa. The muftis of today issue many drivel 'fatwas' on the basis of misunderstood technicalities of Fiqh. Liquor, gambling, pork and the shirk/kufr of a church? Every Muslim has sufficient Aql endowed to him by Allah Ta'ala to understand that to aid and abet these mal-oon haraam ventures is HARAAM. The 'fatwas' of this nature are not valid. Technicalities are being used to water down what Allah Ta'ala has made haraam.

As far as the practical life of a Mu'min is concerned, he should heed what Allah Ta'ala says in the following Qur'aanic Aayat: "They take their scholars and their holy men as gods besides Allah..."

Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Seek a fatwa from your heart."

It is indeed extremely short-sighted, silly and destructive for the morals and Imaan of Muslims for muftis to present juristically technicalities to laymen who do not understand the import of such issues. In fact, it is clear that even the muftis of this era do not understand what they read in the Kitaabs. It is HARAAM to hire property for any haraam activity.