[المزنی:] قال الشافعی: إنه ذهب إلى هارون الرشید، فلما سلّم عليه قال إنه جاء لتوّه من اليمن، وهي تحتاج أشد الحاجة إلى يدٍ قوية. فقال الرشید: «اختر أحد تلامذتك، ونُولّيه القضاء هناك». 50.1

[Al-Muzanī:] Al-Shafiʿī said that he went to see Hārūn al-Rashīd and, after greeting him, said that he had just come from Yemen, which badly needed a strong hand. Al- Rashīd said, “Choose one of your students and we’ll appoint him judge there.” 50.1

لَمَّا عَادَ إِلَى مَجْلِسِ دَرْسِهِ، وَرَأَى أَنَّ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ حَنْبَلٍ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ الْحَاضِرِينَ، أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ الشَّافِعِيُّ وَقَالَ: «كُنْتُ أَتَحَدَّثُ مَعَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَعْيِينِ قَاضٍ بِالْيَمَنِ، فَطَلَبَ مِنِّي أَنْ أَخْتَارَ مَنْ يَدْرُسُ عَلَيَّ. وَقَدِ اخْتَرْتُكَ، فَاسْتَعِدَّ: سَأُدْخِلُكَ عَلَيْهِ وَيُعَيِّنُكَ قَاضِيًا». فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ حَنْبَلٍ وَقَالَ: «إِنَّمَا جِئْتُكَ لِأَتَعَلَّمَ شَيْئًا، أَفَتُرِيدُ أَنْ أَنْضَمَّ إِلَيْهِمْ قَاضِيًا؟». فَخَجِلَ الشَّافِعِيُّ مِنْ هَذَا التَّوْبِيخِ.281

Returning to his study session, and seeing that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was among the best of those present, al-Shāfiʿī approached him and said, “I was talking with the Commander of Believers about appointing a judge in Yemen and he asked me to choose someone who studies with me. I’ve chosen you, so get ready: I’ll take you in to meet him and he’ll appoint you judge.” Ibn Ḥanbal turned on him and said, “The only reason I came to you was to learn something, and you want me to join them as a judge?” Al-Shāfiʿī was shamed by this rebuke.281

[المؤلف:] ويُروى أيضًا أنّ هذه الواقعة وقعت في عهد الأمين.

[The author:] It is also reported that this incident took place during the reign of al- Amīn.

[الأثرم:] بلغني أن الشافعي قال لأحمد: «أمير المؤمنين» يعني الأمين «سألني أن أطلب له من يتولى القضاء باليمن، وقد علمت أنك تريد أن تلقى عبد الرزاق، وقد أمكنك ذلك، فاعدل، واكتب عنه ما شئت». 50.2

[Al-Athram:] I was told that al-Shāfiʿī said to Aḥmad, “The Commander of the Faithful”—meaning al-Amīn—“asked me to look for someone to serve him as judge in Yemen. I know you want to go see ʿAbd al-Razzāq, and now you can. Rule fairly, and get all the learning you want from him.” 50.2

«إذا ذكرتَ هذا مرةً أخرى»، قال أحمد، «فهذا آخر ما ستراني فيه». وأظن أنّ أحمد كان في ذلك الوقت في الثلاثين من عمره — أو ربما في السابعة والعشرين.282

“If you ever mention this again,” said Aḥmad, “that’s the last you’ll see of me.” At the time, I think Aḥmad was thirty—or maybe twenty-seven—years old.282

[البلخي:] كان للشافعي، رحمه الله، نفوذٌ كبيرٌ لدى محمد بن زبيدة. فذكر محمدٌ يومًا أنه يهتمّ كثيرًا لعدم العثور على رجلٍ صالحٍ أمينٍ قدوةٍ في السنة ليتولّى القضاء. فأخبره الشافعي أنه قد وجد مثل هذا الرجل: رجلٌ قدوةٌ في السنة، رُزق فقهًا في الدين، وكان عالمًا بالحديث. 50.3

[Al-Balkhī:] Al-Shāfiʿī, God have mercy on him, had a lot of pull with Muḥammad ibn Zubaydah.283 One day Muḥammad mentioned that he was very concerned about not finding a good, trustworthy man who was an exemplar of the sunnah to serve as a judge. Al-Shāfiʿī told him that he had found just such a man: an exemplar of the sunnah who was gifted with religious understanding and well learned in Hadith. 50.3

"مَن هذا؟" سأل محمد.

“Who’s that?” asked Muḥammad.

قال له إنه أحمد بن حنبل.

He told him it was Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.

بعد مدة، لقي الشافعيُّ أحمدَ وأخبره بما قال.

Some time later, al-Shāfiʿī ran into Aḥmad and told him what he had said.

"اتركْ ذلك من بالك، ولا تُدخلني فيه،" قال، "وإلا تركتُ هذا المكان ومضيت." [صالح:] كتب إليّ إسحاق بن راهويه يقول: 50.4

“Put that right out of your mind, and leave me out of it,” he replied. “Otherwise I’ll leave this place and go.” [Ṣāliḥ:] Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh wrote to me saying: 50.4

أرسل إليّ الأمير عبد الله بن طاهر، فلما دخلتُ عليه كان معي في يدي كتابٌ من أبيك. فلما رآه الأمير سأل عنه، فأخبرتُه. فأخذه فقرأه وقال: «إني أكنّ له تقديراً كبيراً، ولحمزة بن الهيثم البوشنجي كذلك، لأن أيّاً منهما لم يخالط أهل السلطان قط». ولما علم أن إسحاق بن راهويه قد عرض كتابه على عبد الله بن طاهر، كفّ أبي عن مراسلته.

Emir ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāhir sent for me and, when I went in, I was carrying a letter from your father in my hand. When the emir saw it, he asked what it was, and I told him. He took it and read it and said, “I have a lot of regard for him and for Ḥamzah ibn al-Hayḍam al-Būshanjī because neither of them ever got mixed up with people in power.” When he learned that Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh had brought his letter to the attention of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāhir, my father stopped corresponding with him.

الرِّبَاطِيُّ: ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ فَلَمْ يَنْظُرْ إِلَيَّ. فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: إِنِّي أَمْلَيْتُ الْحَدِيثَ بِخُرَاسَانَ، وَلَوْ عَلِمَ النَّاسُ هُنَاكَ كَيْفَ تُعَامِلُنِي لَأَلْقَوْا بِالرِّوَايَاتِ الَّتِي عَلَّمْتُهُمُوهَا. [50]5

[Al-Ribāṭī:] I went to see Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, but he wouldn’t look at me. I told him that I dictated Hadith in Khurasan and that if people there knew how he was treating me they would toss away the reports I had taught them. 50.5

قال: «يوم القيامة، إذا نُودي عبد الله بن طاهر وحاشيته، هل تظن أن لك مفرًّا؟ احرص ألا تكون واقفًا معه حينئذٍ».284

“On the Day of Resurrection,” he replied, “when they call forth ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāhir and his entourage, do you think you’ll have anywhere to run? Make sure you won’t be standing there with him when that happens.”284