[بلال الخواص:] كنتُ في صحراءِ بني إسرائيل، فإذا برجلٍ يمشي بجانبي، فتعجبتُ، ثم أُلهمتُ أنه الخضر. 16.1

[Bilāl al-Khawwāṣ:] I was in the desert of the Israelites when suddenly I found a man walking beside me. I was surprised, but then I was given to realize that he was al- Khaḍir. 16.1

"أسألك بالله،" قلت. "من أنت؟" قال: "أخوك الخضر." قلت: "أريد أن أسألك شيئاً." قال: "تفضل." قلت: "ما رأيك في الشافعي؟" قال: "هو من الأوتاد."105

“I ask you by God,” I said. “Who are you?” “Your brother al-Khaḍir.” “I want to ask you something.” “Go ahead.” “What do you think of al-Shāfiʿī?” “He’s one of the Pegs.”105

"ماذا عن أحمد بن حنبل؟" "صادق."106

“What about Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?” “A truth-teller.”106

"ماذا عن بشر بن الحارث؟" "إنه آخر من بقي من نوعه." "فكيف أتمكن من رؤيتك؟" "لأنك كنت بارًّا بأمك." [رجل من أهل بغداد:] كنت أسافر على سفينة، فرسونا على جزيرة. وكان هناك شيخ كبير أشيب الشعر جالسًا. فسلّمت عليه، فسألني من أين أنا. 16.2

“What about Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith?” “He’s the last of his kind.” “So how is it that I’m able to see you?” “Because you were kind to your mother.” [A man of Baghdad:] I was traveling on a ship and we landed on an island. There was an elderly white-haired man sitting there. I greeted him and he asked me where I was from. 16.2

قلتُ: «من بغداد».

“From Baghdad,” I said.

قال: «إذا وصلتَ إليه فأبلِغ ابنَ حنبل سلامي، وقل له: «اصبِرْ! فوعدُ الله حقٌّ، ولا يستخفنّك الذين لا يوقنون».»107

“When you get there,” he said, “give Ibn Ḥanbal my regards, and tell him, «Have patience! God’s promise is true; let not those who will not be convinced make you discouraged.»”107

ثُمَّ اخْتَفَى، فَأَدْرَكْنَا أَنَّهُ الْخَضِرُ.

Then he disappeared, and we realized that he was al-Khaḍir.