[ʿUbayd al-Qāriʾ:] El tío de Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal fue una vez a visitarlo y lo encontró con la barbilla apoyada en la mano. «Sobrino», le preguntó, «¿qué te preocupa? ¿Por qué estás tan abatido?» 55.1

[ʿUbayd al-Qāriʾ:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s uncle once went to see him and found him with his chin cupped in his hand. “Nephew,” he asked, “what’s troubling you? Why so glum?” 55.1

“Tío”, respondió Aḥmad, “la felicidad es cuando Dios se asegura de que nadie haya oído jamás hablar de ti”. [Abū Ḥātim:] Mi padre dijo: “Bastaba con mirar a Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal para ver que no pretendía presumir de ascetismo. Lo vi calzando sandalias que no parecían las sandalias que usan los lectores del Corán.292 La punta era grande y se curvaba hacia atrás, y la correa colgaba floja. Parecían algo que le habían comprado en el mercado. También lo vi llevar un taparrabos y una túnica de rayas de color azul cielo”.293 55.2

“Uncle,” Aḥmad replied, “happiness is when God makes sure that no one’s ever heard of you.” [Abū Ḥātim:] My father said, “All you had to do was look at Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal to see that he wasn’t trying to show off how ascetic he was. I saw him wearing sandals that didn’t look like the sandals that the Qurʾan-readers292 wear. The toe-end was big and curled back and the strap hung loose. They looked like something bought for him from the market. I also saw him wearing a breechclout and a striped gown of a skyblue color.”293 55.2

Al vestirse de esta manera, Aḥmad trataba de evitar —o eso creo, aunque solo Dios conoce la verdad— parecer un lector del Corán, con la esperanza de perder su fama de piedad.

By dressing this way Aḥmad was trying to avoid—or so I think, though God alone knows the truth—looking like a Qurʾan-reader, in the hope of losing his reputation for piety.

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Aḥmad me dijo una vez: «Dile a ʿAbd al-Wahhāb que esconda su luz bajo un celemín. La fama no me ha traído más que sufrimiento». 55.3

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Aḥmad once said to me, “Tell ʿAbd al-Wahhāb to hide his light under a bushel. Fame has brought me nothing but suffering.” 55.3

[Al-Khallāl:] Le oí decir: «Juro que si supiera una forma de salir de esta ciudad, la abandonaría. Entonces nadie les mencionaría mi nombre, y ellos se olvidarían de mí».294

[Al-Khallāl:] I heard him say, “I swear that if I knew a way to leave this city, I’d leave it. Then no one would mention me to them, and they’d forget about me.”294

[Isḥāq:] Una vez vi a Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal regresar a su casa después de rezar la oración del alba. Les decía a la gente: «¡Dejad de seguirme!». 55.4

[Isḥāq:] I once saw Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal going back inside his house after praying the dawn prayer. He was telling people, “Stop following me around!” 55.4

[Ibn Hārūn:] Recuerdo que Aḥmad no le gustaba que la gente lo siguiera por la calle. 55.5

[Ibn Hārūn:] I remember that Aḥmad didn’t like it when people followed him down the street. 55.5

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Cuando mi padre salía los viernes no permitía que nadie lo siguiera. Con frecuencia se detenía y esperaba hasta que se cansaban y se marchaban. 55.6

[ʿAbd Allāh:] When my father went out on Fridays he wouldn’t let anyone follow him. He would often stop and wait until they gave up and went away. 55.6

[Isḥāq:] Vi a Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal caminando completamente solo, como si fuera un hombre de ninguna importancia. 55.7

[Isḥāq:] I saw Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal walking all by himself as if he were a man of no importance. 55.7