[Abū Zurʿah:] Aḥmad ya yi ra'ayin cewa bai kamata a rubuta hadisan da Abū Naṣr al-Tammār ya ruwaito ba, ko Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, ko duk wani wanda ya mika wuya ga Mihnah.1

[Abū Zurʿah:] Aḥmad held that one should not write down reports transmitted by Abū Naṣr al-Tammār, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, or anyone else who capitulated to the Inquisition. 77.1

[Al-Maymūnī:] Na samu labari daga wata majiya amintacciya cewa shi—wato Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal—bai halarci jana’izar Abū Naṣr al-Tammār ba. Ina ganin dalilin shi ne mika kai da al-Tammār yayi ga Mihna. 77.2

[Al-Maymūnī:] I have it on good authority that he—meaning Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal —did not attend the funeral of Abū Naṣr al-Tammār. I believe the reason was al- Tammār’s capitulation to the Inquisition. 77.2

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] Na ji Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal yana cewa, "Idan zan ruwaito Hadisi daga duk wanda ya karɓi (ya miƙa wuya ga ra'ayin Jahmiyya), to zan ruwaito daga Abū Ma'mar da Abū Kurayb." 77.3

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] I heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal say, “If I were to transmit Hadith from anyone who gave in, I’d transmit from Abū Maʿmar and Abū Kurayb.” 77.3

[Marubucin:] Cikakken sunan Abū Ma'mar shi ne Isma'il ɗan Ibrahim al-Hudhali, kuma ya mika wuya ne saboda matsin lamba. Daga baya ya yi nadamar hakan, yana zargin kansa, yana kuma nuna sha'awa mai cike da kishi ga waɗanda suka yi tsayin daka. Dangane da Abū Kurayb kuwa, sunansa na gaskiya shi ne Muhammad ɗan Abū l-'Ala'. Bayan ya mika wuya, an ba shi alawus na dinari biyu. Lokacin da ya gano cewa ana saka masa da lada ne saboda ya mika wuya, sai ya ƙi karɓar alawus ɗin, duk da cewa yana buƙatarsa.

[The author:] Abū Maʿmar’s full name is Ismāʿīl ibn Ibrāhīm al-Hudhalī and he capitulated under duress. He later regretted doing so, reproaching himself and expressing envious admiration of those who resisted. As for Abū Kurayb, his real name is Muḥammad ibn Abū l-ʿAlāʾ. After his capitulation he was given a stipend of two dinars. When he discovered that they were rewarding him for giving in, he renounced the stipend even though he needed it.

[Ṣāliḥ:] Al-Ḥizāmī ya zo wurinmu bayan ya je wurin Ibn Abī Du'ād. Da mahaifina ya fita ya gan shi a wurin, nan take ya rufe masa kofa a fuska ya koma ciki. 77.4

[Ṣāliḥ:] Al-Ḥizāmī came to see us after having been to see Ibn Abī Duʾād. As soon as my father went out and saw him there, he shut the door in his face and went back inside. 77.4

[Marubucin:] Ya yi haka ga Abū Khaythamah, wanda ya zo ya kwankwasa kofa. Sa'ad da Aḥmad ya fito ya ga shi a wurin, sai ya rufe kofar ya koma ciki yana gunaguni cikin fushi da kansa. Abū Khaythamah, wanda ya ji abin da Aḥmad yake fada, bai sake dawowa ba.

[The author:] He did the same with Abū Khaythamah, who came and knocked on the door. When Aḥmad came out and saw him there he shut the door and went back inside muttering angrily to himself. Abū Khaythamah, who could hear whatever it was that Aḥmad was saying, never came back.

Lokacin da Aḥmad ya yi rashin lafiya, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn ya zo ya duba shi; amma Aḥmad ya juya masa baya, ya ki ya ce da shi kalma guda. A ƙarshe Yaḥyā ya tashi ya tafi yana gunaguni, "Bayan duk wannan lokacin da muka yi tare, bai ma so ya yi magana da ni ba!" [Al-Marrūdhī:] Lokacin da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya yi rashin lafiya, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn ya zo ya duba shi. Amma Aḥmad, wanda ya yi alkawarin ba zai taɓa yin magana da duk wanda ya miƙa wuya ba, bai amsa gaisuwarsa ba. Yaḥyā ya fara bada uzuri, ciki har da Hadisin ʿAmmār, da aya «sai dai wanda aka tilasta masa, alhali zuciyarsa tana natsuwa da imani».459 Amsar Aḥmad kawai ita ce ya juya kansa daga gare shi.

When Aḥmad fell ill, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn came to see him; but Aḥmad turned his back on him and refused to say a word. Finally Yaḥyā got up and left, grumbling, “After all that time together he won’t even speak to me!” [Al-Marrūdhī:] When Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal fell ill, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn came to visit him. But Aḥmad, who had vowed never to speak to anyone who had capitulated, did not return his greeting. Yaḥyā began offering excuses, including the Hadith of ʿAmmār, and the verse «with the exception of one who is forced to do it, while his heart rests securely in faith.»459 Aḥmad’s only response was to turn his head away.

A ƙarshe Yaḥyā ya ce, "Na daina!" ya tashi tsaye, yana gunguni, "Babu amfanin bayyana wani abu gare shi." 77.5

Finally Yaḥyā said, “I give up!” and got to his feet, muttering “It’s no use explaining anything to him.” 77.5

Na bi shi fita, sai na same shi zaune a kusa da ƙofa.

I followed him out and found him sitting by the door.

"Shin Aḥmad ya ce wani abu bayan na tafi?" ya tambaya.

“Did Aḥmad say anything after I left?” he asked.

Ya ce, "Ban yarda cewa yana ambaton Hadisin ʿAmmār ba!" (Hadisin ʿAmmār yana cewa: "Yayin da na wuce su, na ji suna la'antar ka; kuma da na ce su daina, sai suka doke ni.")460 Abin da suka yi kawai shi ne barazanar dukanka.'" A ƙarshe na ji Yaḥyā yana cewa, "To, ci gaba, Aḥmad, kuma Allah Ya gafarta maka! A bisa doron ƙasa, ban taɓa haduwa da wanda ya fi sanin Shari'ar Allah kamar ka ba."

“He said, ‘I can’t believe he’s citing the Hadith of ʿAmmār! (The Ḥadīth of ʿAmmār runs as follows: “As I passed them, I heard them cursing you; and when I told them not to, they beat me.”)460 All they did was threaten to beat you.’” Finally I heard Yaḥyā say, “Go on, then, Aḥmad, and may God forgive you! Never on God’s green earth have I met anyone who knew His Law better than you.”

Wani na iya tambaya cewa: idan an iya nuna cewa wasu mutane sun mika wuya saboda matsin lamba, abin da Shari'a ta halatta, to me ya sa Aḥmad ya yanke dangantakarsa da su? Akwai amsoshi uku masu yiwuwa: 77.6

Someone might well ask why, if it can be shown that certain individuals capitulated under duress, which the Law allows, did Aḥmad end his relationship with them? There are three possible responses: 77.6

Mutanen da ake magana a kansu an yi musu barazana amma ba a doke su ba kafin su mika wuya.

1. The persons in question were threatened but not beaten before they capitulated.

Barazana ba ta zama tilastawa ba, kamar yadda ya bayyana daga rahoton da aka ambata a sama game da Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn.

Threats do not count as coercion, as is evident from the aforementioned report about Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn.

Aḥmad na iya kasancewa ya kawo ƙarshen dangantakarsa da su ne don ya nuna wani abu: don ya nuna wa talakawan jama'a irin munanan koyarwar da masu laifin suka amince da ita, ta haka ya taimaki yawan muminai su ci gaba da kasancewa a kan madaidaiciyar hanya.

2. Aḥmad may have ended his relationship with them in order to make a point: to show the common people what a heinous doctrine it was that the offenders had assented to and thus help the mass of believers stay on the right path.

3. Bayan da suka amince, yawancin masu laifin sun karɓi kuɗaɗe, suka fara mu'amala da mambobin gwamnatin. Ta hakan suka wuce abin da Shari'a ta halatta, saboda haka sun cancanci a guje su da kuma a yi musu Allah-wadai.

3. Upon giving their assent, most of the offenders accepted payments and began associating with members of the regime. In doing so they went beyond what the Law allows and thus deserved ostracism and condemnation.

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Daga lokacin da muka shiga Samarra har zuwa lokacin da muka fita, Aḥmad bai ci wani abinci da aka dafa ba ko wani mai ba. A wani lokaci ya ce, "Wancan rukunin"—yana nufin Ibn Abī Shaybah, Ibn al-Madīnī, da ʿAbd al-Aʿlā—"tabbas suna jin daɗi."

[Al-Marrūdhī:] From the time we entered Samarra to the time we left, Aḥmad tasted no cooked food or any fat. At one point he said, “That lot”—meaning Ibn Abī Shaybah, Ibn al-Madīnī, and ʿAbd al-Aʿlā—“have certainly been enjoying themselves.

"Ban san cewa suna da irin wannan kwaɗayin duniya ba. Yaya za su iya jurewa su rika yawo a bakin kofofin fada haka?" 77.7

I had no idea they were so attached to this world. How can they bring themselves to hang about palace doors like that?” 77.7