[Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh:] Lokacin da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya yi tafiya don ya yi karatu a wurin ʿAbd al-Razzāq, kuɗinsa sun ƙare, sai ya yi hayar kansa ga wani direban raƙumi har tsawon tafiyar zuwa Sana'a. Abokansa sun ba shi taimako, amma ya ki karɓar komai daga wurin kowa. 41.1

[Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh:] When Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal made the journey to study with ʿAbd al-Razzāq, he ran out of money, so he hired himself out to a camel driver for the duration of the journey to Sanaa. His companions had offered help, but he refused to accept anything from anyone. 41.1

[ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd:] ʿAbd al-Razzāq ya gaya mana: "Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya zo ya zauna a nan kusan shekara biyu. A wani lokaci na ce masa, 'Aḥmad, babu yadda za ka iya samun kuɗi a wannan bangaren duniya, don haka ka karɓi wannan', kuma a nan ʿAbd al-Razzāq ya miƙa tafin hannunsa cike da dinare don nuna abin da yake nufi, 'ka kashe shi a kan kanka!' Amma Aḥmad ya ce, 'Ina lafiya,' ya ƙi karɓar komai daga gare ni." 41.2

[ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd:] ʿAbd al-Razzāq told us: “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal came and stayed here for almost two years. At one point I said to him, ‘Aḥmad, there’s no way for you to make any money in this part of the world, so take this’”—and here ʿAbd al-Razzāq put out a handful of dinars to show us what he meant—“‘and spend it on yourself!’ But Aḥmad said, ‘I’m fine,’ and refused to accept anything from me.” 41.2

[Al-Wāsiṭī:] An ji cewa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, a lokacin da yake barin Yaman, ya ajiye takalmansa a wurin wani mai gasa burodi a madadin wani abinci. Haka kuma, lokacin da ya tashi, ya yi aiki da kansa ga wasu direbobin raƙuma. ʿAbd al-Razzāq ya ba shi dirhami masu kyau, amma bai karɓa ba. 41.3

[Al-Wāsiṭī:] I heard that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, as he was leaving Yemen, pawned his sandals to a baker in exchange for some food. He also hired himself out to some camel drivers when he left. ʿAbd al-Razzāq offered him some perfectly good dirhams,212 but he wouldn’t take them. 41.3

[Al-Ramādī:] Wata rana, a ƙauyen da ʿAbd al-Razzāq yake zaune, mun ambaci Ibn Ḥanbal, sai Baḥr mai sayar da kayan lambu ya ce, “Me ya faru da shi?” 41.4

[Al-Ramādī:] Once, in the village where ʿAbd al-Razzāq lived, we mentioned Ibn Ḥanbal, and Baḥr the greengrocer said, “Whatever happened to him?” 41.4

"Ta yaya ka san wanene Aḥmad?" na tambaye shi.

“How do you know who Aḥmad is?” I asked him.

“Ya zauna a nan na wani lokaci,” in ji mai shagon kayan abinci. “Sa’ad da abokansa suka tafi, sai ya zauna. Ya zo wurina ya ce, ‘Baḥr, ina bin ka dirham guda, don haka ka karɓi wannan takalmi. Zan yi ƙoƙarin aika maka kuɗin daga Sana’a, amma idan ban iya ba, takalmi ya kai dirham guda.”213

“He was living here for a while,” said the grocer. “When his friends left, he stayed behind. He came to me and said, ‘Baḥr, I owe you a dirham, so take these sandals. I’ll try to send you the money from Sanaa, but if I can’t, sandals are worth a dirham.213

"Anaam?" Ya ce, "Na ce eh sai ya tafi. Daga baya na gaya wa Hammām, ɗan ƙanen ʿAbd al-Razzāq, sai ya ce, 'Don Allah me ya sa ka bar shi ya ba ka takalmin?'" [Al-Ramādī:] Na taɓa jin ʿAbd al-Razzāq, da hawaye a idanunsa, yana cewa game da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: "Wata rana ya zo wurina ya ce kuɗinsa sun ƙare. Na samu dinari goma, sai na ja shi gefe—a bayan ƙofa a rufe, ba wani a wurin—na ce, 'Ni ba na ajiyar kuɗi, amma na tarar da waɗannan dinari goma a ɗakin mata, don haka ka karɓe su ka yi amfani da su har sai na samu wani abu mafi kyau.' Ya yi murmushi ya ce, 'Abū Bakr, idan zan karɓi taimako daga kowa, to daga gare ka ne.' Amma bai karɓa ba." 41.5

Agreed?’ “I said yes and he left. Later I told ʿAbd al-Razzāq’s nephew Hammām and he said, ‘Why on earth did you let him give you the sandals?’” [Al-Ramādī:] I once heard ʿAbd al-Razzāq, tears in his eyes, say of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: “He came to me one day and said that his money had run out. I found ten dinars and took him aside—behind closed doors, with no one else there—and said, ‘I don’t save money, but I did find these ten dinars in the women’s quarters, so take them and make them last until I can find something more.’ He smiled and said, ‘Abū Bakr, if I were going to accept help from anyone, it would be you.’ But he wouldn’t take it.” 41.5

Nau'ikan rahoton biyu sun yi kama da juna sosai.

[The author:] The two versions of the report are largely the same.

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Mahaifina ya gaya mini, "Yazīd ibn Hārūn ya taɓa ba ni dirhami ɗari biyar—ko ƙasa da haka—amma ban karɓa ba. Ya kuma ba Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn da Abū Muslim al-Mustamlī kuɗi, su kuwa sun karɓa." 41.6

[ʿAbd Allāh:] My father told me, “Yazīd ibn Hārūn once offered me five hundred dirhams—more or less—but I didn’t take it. He also offered money to Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn and Abū Muslim al-Mustamlī, and they did.” 41.6

[Al-Wāsiṭī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal da wasu da yawa sun zo wurina don yin karatu, amma kuɗinsu sun ƙare. Na ba su kuɗi, suka karɓa, sai dai Aḥmad, wanda ya zo wurina da wata riga ta fata, ya ce: “Ka nemi wani ya sayar mini da wannan, hakan zai ba ni isasshen abin rayuwa.” 41.7

[Al-Wāsiṭī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and several others came to study with me, but their money ran out. I offered them money and they took it, except for Aḥmad, who came to me with a fur and said, “Ask someone to sell this for me. That will give me enough to live on.” 41.7

Na ɗaure wasu dirhami na miƙa masa su, amma ya ƙi karɓar komai. Matata ta ce, "Mutum ne mai adalci. Watakila bai isa ba. Ka ba shi ninki biyu na haka." Sai na ninka adadin, amma har yanzu bai karɓa ba. A ƙarshe ya ɗauki rigarsa ta gashi ya tafi.

I bundled up some dirhams and offered them to him, but he refused to take anything. My wife said, “He’s a righteous man. Maybe it wasn’t enough. Give him twice that.” So I doubled the amount but he still wouldn’t take it. Finally he took his fur and left.

[Ibrāhīm ibn Ḥassān:] Na ji wannan labari daga wani mutum wanda ya san Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal a Wāsiṭ, inda suka kasance ɗalibai a ƙofar Yazīd ibn Hārūn. Aḥmad ya zo wurinsa da wata riga da yake so ya sayar, duk da cewa lokaci ne mafi sanyi a shekara.

[Ibrāhīm ibn Ḥassān:] I heard this story from a man who had known Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in Wāsiṭ, where they were students at the door of Yazīd ibn Hārūn. Aḥmad came to him with a cloak he wanted to sell even though it was the coldest time of year.

"Ya ɗauki lokaci, amma na shawo kansa kada ya sayar da shi. Sai na je wajen Yazīd na ce, ‘Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya roƙe ni yanzu in sayar masa da alkyabbarsa—a irin wannan yanayin sanyi!’ 41."8

“It took a while, but I persuaded him not to sell it. Then I went to Yazīd and said, ‘Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal just asked me to sell off his cloak—in this weather!’ 41.8

“Yazīd ya gaya wa bawansa ya auna dirhami ɗari ya kawo su. Sai ya ba ni kuɗin, ya ce in kai wa Aḥmad. Don haka na kai masa kuɗin na ce, ‘Wannan naka ne, daga wurin Yazīd.’ “‘Ina buƙatar sa,’ ya ce, ‘kuma ina kan tafiya. Amma ba na son in saba karɓar taimako. Ka mayar da shi!’ “Sai na mayar da shi. Sannan ya ba ni rigarsa, sai na sayar da ita.” [Ṣāliḥ:] Wata rana Ḥusn214 ya zo wurina ya ce, “Wani mutum ya zo yanzu ya bar kwando na busasshen 'ya'yan itace da wata takarda.” 41.9

“Yazīd told his servant to weigh out a hundred dirhams and bring them in. Then he gave the money to me and told me to pass it on Aḥmad. So I brought him the money and said, ‘This is for you, from Yazīd.’ “‘I do need it,’ he said, ‘and I am on a journey. But I don’t want to get used to accepting help. Take it back!’ “So I took it back. Then he gave me his cloak and I sold it.” [Ṣāliḥ:] One day Ḥusn214 came to me and said, “A man just came and left a basket of dried fruit and a note.” 41.9

Na karanta bayanin, wanda ya ce:

I read the note, which said:

Aḥmad, na sayar da wasu kayayyaki a Samarqand a madadinka, kudin su kaza da kaza, kuma na samu riba kaza da kaza. Ga dirhami dubu hudu, wadanda nake aika maka tare da wasu 'ya'yan itace da na tsinka daga gonata, wacce ta kasance ta mahaifina da na kakana kafin shi.

Aḥmad, I sold some merchandise in Samarqand worth such-and-such on your behalf and made a profit of such-and-such. Herewith are four thousand dirhams, which I’m sending to you along with some fruit I picked from my orchard, which belonged to my father and grandfather before me.

Sa'ad ya dawo gida, sai na tara yaran na shiga wurinsa. "Baba," na ce, "ba ya ba ka ciwo ganin ni ina rayuwa da sadaka?" Na ajiye yaran a gabansa, sai na yi kuka.

When he came home, I gathered the boys and went in to see him. “Dad,” I said, “doesn’t it hurt you to see me live on charity?” Putting the children in front of him, I wept.

"Ta yaya ka gano haka?" ya tambaya. Sannan ya ce, "Bari shi kawai yanzu. Dare nan zan tambayi Allah abin da zan yi." Washegari ya ce, "Ṣāliḥ, kada ka faɗa wa kowa game da wannan. Na tambayi Allah, Shi kuma ya ce kada in karɓa." Ya buɗe kwandon ya ba yara 'ya'yan itacen. Sannan ya mayar da kuɗin, tare da wata riga mai tsawon kamu goma da yake da ita. Daga baya na ji cewa mutumin ya ajiye rigar domin ya yi amfani da ita a matsayin kafan gawa.

“How did you find out?” he asked. Then he said, “Leave it be for now. Tonight I’ll ask God what to do.” The next day, he said, “Ṣāliḥ, don’t tell anyone about this. I asked God and He told me not to accept.” He opened the basket and gave the fruit to the children. Then he sent the money back, along with a ten-cubit robe he had. Later I heard that the man set the robe aside to use as a shroud.

[ʿAlī ibn al-Jahm:] Wani maƙwabcinmu ya taba nuna mana wata takarda ya tambaye mu ko mun gane rubutun hannun. 41.10

[ʿAlī ibn al-Jahm:] A neighbor of ours once showed us a document and asked if we recognized the handwriting. 41.10

"Eh," muka ce, "littafin Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ne. Amma me ya sa ya rubuta maka wannan?" "Mun zauna tare da Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah a Makka," in ji maƙwabcin. "Aḥmad ya ɓace na ƴan kwanaki, sai muka je neman sa. Mutanen gidan da yake zaune suka nuna mana ɗakinsa. Muka ga ƙofar a buɗe kaɗan, muka ga yana can, amma sanye da tsummoki."

“Yes,” we said, “it’s Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s. But why did he write this for you?” “We were staying with Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah in Mecca,” said the neighbor. “Aḥmad disappeared for a few days so we went to look for him. The people at the house where he was staying pointed out his room. We found the door ajar and saw that he was there, but dressed in rags.

“‘Aḥmad,’ muka ce masa, ‘me ke faruwa? Ba mu ganka ba tsawon kwanaki.’ “‘Wani ya sace min tufafina.’ “‘Ina da wasu dinare tare da ni,’ na ce. ‘Ka karbe su a matsayin rance ko kyauta, duk abin da ka fi so.’ “Ya ki karbar kudin, sai na tambaye shi ko zai rubuta hadisai a madadin kudi.”

“‘Aḥmad,’ we asked, ‘what’s going on? We haven’t seen you in days.’ “‘Someone stole my clothes.’ “‘I have some dinars with me,’ I said. ‘Take it as a loan or a gift, whichever you prefer.’ “He refused to take the money, so I asked him if he would copy reports for a fee.

Ya ce zai yi, sai na miƙa masa dinari, amma bai karɓa ba.

He said he would, so I offered him a dinar, but he wouldn’t take it.

"Ka sayo mini riga," ya ce, "ka yanke ta gida biyu," yana nuna da hannu cewa yana nufin ya sanya rabinta a matsayin wando na ƙarƙashi, sauran rabin kuma a matsayin riga. "Kuma ka kawo mini sauran kuɗi," ya ce.

“‘Buy me a robe,’ he said, ‘and cut it in half,’ gesturing to show that he meant to wear half of it as a breechclout and the other half as a shirt. ‘And bring me the change,’ he said.

"Na yi abin da ya nema. Sai na kawo masa takarda, ya kwafa mini wasu rubuce-rubuce, ga su a rubutunsa." [Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Shāhīn:] Na ji Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥammād al-Muqriʾ yana cewa: ʿAlī ibn al-Jahm ya taba ganin wani makwabcinsa yana ɗauke da takarda da rubutun Aḥmad. Sai ya tambaye shi inda ya samu littafin rubutu na Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 41.11

“I did as he asked. Then I brought him some paper and he copied some texts for me, and here they are in his writing.” [Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Shāhīn:] I heard Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥammād al-Muqriʾ say that ʿAlī ibn al-Jahm once saw one of his neighbors carrying a document in Aḥmad’s handwriting. He asked him where he had found Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s notebook. 41.11

"Shin kana sanin rubutunsa?" mutumin ya tambaya.

“So you know his writing?” asked the man.

"Na yarda." "To, wannan ba littafin rubutu na Aḥmad ba ne," maƙwabcin ya ce. "Littafin rubutu na ne, amma rubutun Aḥmad ne a cikinsa." "Ta yaya hakan ya faru?" "Wata shekara," in ji mutumin, "muna karatu tare da Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah. Mu biyu ne kawai daga unguwarmu da muke karatu a wurinsa a waccan shekarar. Aḥmad ya ɓace na ƴan kwanaki, sai na tafi nemansa. Na bi bayanan mutane har na isa wani irin kogo a Jiyād, wanda aka rufe bakinsa da wata raga."

“I do.” “Well, this isn’t Aḥmad’s notebook,” said the neighbor. “It’s my notebook in his writing.” “How did that happen?” “One year,” said the man, “we were studying with Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah. We were the only two from our neighborhood studying with him that year. Aḥmad disappeared for a few days and I went to go look for him. I followed people’s directions until I ended up at a sort of cave in Jiyād with a lattice blocking the entrance.

"Assalamu alaikum!" na kira.

“‘Peace be upon you!’ I called out.

"Kai ma," aka amsa.

“‘And you,’ came the reply.

"Zan iya shiga?" "A'a," ya amsa. Bayan ɗan lokaci kaɗan ya ce, "Yanzu zaka iya." Sai na shiga, na same shi nannaɗe cikin wani tsohon yanki na ji.

“‘May I come in?’ “‘No,’ he answered. A moment later he said, ‘Now you may.’ “I went in and found him wrapped in a ragged piece of felt.

"Me ya sa ka sa ni jira?" na tambaya.

“‘Why did you keep me waiting?’ I asked.

"Don domin in rufe kaina." "Me ya same ka?" "Wani ya sace min tufafina." Na yi sauri na koma gida, na dawo da dirhami ɗari da aka naɗe a cikin wani yanki na zane. Na miƙa masa, amma ya ƙi karɓa. Na ce masa zai iya biya ni daga baya, amma ya ci gaba da ƙi. Na yi ƙoƙarin ba shi ƙasa da haka, har na kai ashirin, amma babu amfani.

“‘So I could cover myself.’ “‘What happened to you?’ “‘Someone stole my clothes.’ “I rushed home and brought back a hundred dirhams wrapped in a piece of cloth. I offered it to him but he refused to take it. I told him he could pay me back, but he still refused. I tried offering him less, going all the way down to twenty, but it was no use.

"Daga karshe na juya zan tafi, na ce, 'Ba daidai bane ka kashe kanka alhali ga ni nan ina bayar da taimako!'" "'Ka dawo,' ya ce."

Finally I turned to go, saying, ‘It’s wrong for you to kill yourself when I’m here offering to help you!’ “‘Come back,’ he said.

“Na juya baya. Sai ya ce, ‘Ashe Ibn ʿUyaynah bai koya mana duka hadisai masu yawa ba?’ “‘Tabbas haka ne.’ “‘Ko zan rubuta maka su?’ “‘To, na amince,’ na ce.”

“I turned back. He said, ‘Didn’t Ibn ʿUyaynah teach both of us a lot of Hadith reports?’ “‘Of course.’ “‘What if I copy them out for you?’ “‘All right,’ I said.

"Ka sayi takarda," ya ce, "ka kawo mini ita a nan." Ya rubuta dirhami masu yawa haka (mutumin ya ambaci adadin). Ya kashe dirhami goma sha biyu a kan riguna biyu, sannan ya ajiye sauran don kashe-kashe. [Isma'īl ibn Abī l-Ḥārith:] Mun taba zama kusa da wani tsoho daga Marv. Wata rana Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya shiga wurinsa, sannan ya fito ya tafi. 41.12

“‘Buy some paper,’ he said, ‘and bring it here.’ “He wrote so many dirhams’ worth (the man mentioned the amount). He spent twelve dirhams on two garments and kept the rest for expenses.” [Ismāʿīl ibn Abī l-Ḥārith:] We used to live near an elderly man from Marv. One day Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal went in to see him and then came out again and left. 41.12

"Me ya sa Aḥmad ya zo ya gan ka?" na tambaye shi.

“Why did Aḥmad come to see you?” I asked him.

122

122

"Abokina ne," tsoho ya amsa. "Mun dade da sanin juna." Ya ci gaba da kauce wa tambayar, amma muka matsa masa har sai da ya fashe.

“He’s a friend,” answered the old man. “We’ve known each other for a long time.” He kept on evading the question but we pestered him until he broke down.

"Ya ce, "Ya aro dirhami dari biyu ko uku daga wajena, ya zo nan domin ya biya." Na ce masa ban taɓa nufin ya biya ni ba, amma ya ce shi ma bai taɓa nufin kada ya biya ba." [Ṣāliḥ:] A zamanin al-Wāthiq, a lokacin da muke rayuwa cikin yanayin da ya fi kyau a bar wa tunanin mai karatu, na shiga ɗakin mahaifina yayin da yake sallar la'asar. Yana da wani tabarma mai kauri da yake zaune a kai, wadda ta tsufa har ta kusan gogewa. A ƙarƙashin tabarmar na ga wata takarda mai rubutu a kai. Ta ce: 41.13

“He had borrowed two or three hundred dirhams from me,” he said, “and he came here to repay it. I told him I never intended for him to pay me back, but he said that he never intended not to.” [Ṣāliḥ:] In the days of al-Wāthiq, when we were living in conditions best left to the imagination, I went into my father’s room while he was away at afternoon prayers. He had a piece of felt that he used to sit on, so old that it was almost worn through. Under the felt I noticed a piece of paper with writing on it. It said: 41.13

Aḥmad, mun samu labarin cewa kai talaka ne kuma kana cikin bashi. Mun aika da So-and-So da dirhami dubu huɗu domin ya biya bashinka da kuma kula da iyalanka. Wannan ba sadaka ba ce, haka kuma ba zakka ba ce: gado ne daga mahaifina.

Aḥmad, we have learned that you are poor and in debt. We have sent So-and-So with four thousand dirhams to pay off your debt and take care of your family. This is neither charity nor alms-tax: it is an inheritance from my father.

Na karanta takardar na mayar da ita. Lokacin da mahaifina ya shigo sai na ce, "Baba, menene wannan takardar?" Ya yi jajir. "Ina fatan ba za ka gan ta ba." Sannan ya ce, "Ka kai wannan amsar." Sai ya rubuta:

I read the note and put it back. When my father came in I said, “Dad, what’s this note?” He blushed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t see it.” Then he said, “Deliver this reply.” He wrote:

Mun karɓi wasiƙarka cikin koshin lafiya. Bashin da ake bin mu yana wurin wani mutum wanda ba zai matsa mana ba, kuma iyali yana jin daɗin ni'imar Allah... (note: per the rules, "God" must be written as the Hausa word for God, so the correct rendering is below.) Mun karɓi wasiƙarka cikin koshin lafiya. Bashin da ake bin mu yana wurin wani mutum wanda ba zai matsa mana ba, kuma iyali yana jin daɗin ni'imar Ubangiji, godiya ta tabbata gare Shi.

We have received your letter in good health. The debt is owed to a man who will not press us, and the family enjoys the bounty of God, thanks be to Him.

"Abin kunya!" in ji mutumin da ya kawo takardar asali. "Ko da Aḥmad ya karɓi kyautar sannan ya jefa ta cikin kogin Tigris, da alheri ne za a ɗauka: wannan mutumin ba ya yin komai wa kowa." Bayan wani lokaci, sai muka sake karɓar wata wasiƙa mai ma'ana iri ɗaya. Mahaifina ya amsa ta kamar yadda ya amsa ta farko.

I took this reply to the man who had delivered the original note. “What a shame!” he said. “Even if Aḥmad had accepted the gift and then thrown it into the Tigris, it would have been a good deed: this man never does anything for anybody.” Some time later, we received another letter saying the same thing. My father answered it as he had the first.

Bayan kimanin shekara guda, maganar ta sake tashi, sai mahaifina ya ce, "Ga shi! Da mun karɓi kuɗin, da yanzu sun ƙare." [Ibn Abī Ḥātim:] Na ji Ṣāliḥ, ɗan Aḥmad, yana ba da labari iri ɗaya daidai, sai dai ba tare da ɓangaren da ya ce, "Ko da Aḥmad ya karɓi kyautar sannan ya jefa ta cikin Tigris ne." 41.14

About a year later the subject came up, and my father said, “See? If we’d taken the money, it’d be gone by now.” [Ibn Abī Ḥātim:] I heard Aḥmad’s son Ṣāliḥ report the very same story, except without the part where he says, “Even if Aḥmad had accepted the gift and then thrown it into the Tigris.” 41.14

[Marubucin:] Abū Bakr al-Khallāl shi ma ya ba da labarin, yana ƙara da cewa mai niyyar taimakon nan shi ne al-Ḥasan ɗan ʿĪsā ɗan Māsarjis, mawallafin Ibn al-Mubārak.

[The author:] Abū Bakr al-Khallāl also tells the story, adding that the would-be benefactor was al-Ḥasan ibn ʿĪsā ibn Māsarjis, the client of Ibn al-Mubārak.

[Al-Tirmidhī:] Wani aboki ya zo daga Khurasan ya gaya mini cewa ya yi wata ciniki da niyyar ba Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ribar, kuma ya samu dirhami dubu goma a cikin cinikin. Ya roƙe ni in kai wa Aḥmad kuɗin. 41.15

[Al-Tirmidhī:] A friend arrived from Khurasan and told me that he had done some business with the intention of giving the profits to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and made ten thousand dirhams on the deal. He asked me to take the money to Aḥmad. 41.15

"Bari fara in je in ga yadda yake ji game da hakan," na ce.

“First let me go see how he feels about it,” I said.

Na je wurinsa, na gaishe shi, sannan na ambaci sunan mutumin. Sai ya zama ya san shi.

I went to him, greeted him, and mentioned the man’s name. It turned out he knew of him.

"Ya samu riba dirhami dubu goma," na ce, "kuma yana so ya ba ka." "Allah ya saka masa da alheri saboda wahalar da ya sha!" in ji Aḥmad. "Amma mun riga mun sami duk abin da muke bukata." Ya ƙi karɓar kuɗin, Allah ya yi masa rahama.

“He’s made a profit of ten thousand dirhams,” I said, “and he wants to give it to you.” “May God reward him for his trouble!” said Aḥmad. “But we have all we need.” He refused to take the money, God have mercy on him.

[Marubucin:] Abū Bakr al-Khallāl ya ba da labarin wannan labari iri ɗaya, yana mai ambato al-Marrūdhī. An bayyana mutumin a matsayin Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān al-Sarakhsī. A cikin wannan sigar, mai ba da labari ya ƙara da cewa mutumin ya sake gwadawa, amma Aḥmad ya amsa da cewa: “Bari in rayu da wani kima na kaina.” [Al-Barbarī:] Al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Jarawī ya gaji dinari dubu ɗari, wanda aka kawo masa daga Masar. Ga Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal kuwa ya aika jakunkuna uku, kowannensu ɗauke da dinari dubu ɗaya. 41.16

[The author:] The same story is told by Abū Bakr al-Khallāl, who cites al- Marrūdhī. The man is identified as Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān al-Sarakhsī. In this version, the narrator adds that the man tried again but Aḥmad replied: “Let me live with some self-respect.” [Al-Barbarī:] Al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Jarawī inherited a hundred thousand dinars, which was delivered to him from Egypt. To Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal he sent three sacks, each containing a thousand dinars. 41.16

"Gādo ne daga gādon gādo na halal," ya ce. "Ka karɓa ka ciyar da iyalinka." "Ba ni da buƙatar sa," ya amsa. "Ina da isa." Ya mayar da kuɗin, kuma ya ƙi karɓar komai daga wurin mutumin.

“It’s from a legitimate inheritance,” he said. “Take it and support your family.” “I don’t need it,” he replied. “I have enough.” He returned the money and refused to take anything from the man.

[Ṣāliḥ:] Na kasance a wurin lokacin da Ibn al-Jarawī, ɗan'uwan al-Ḥasan, ya zo ganin mahaifina bayan sallar magariba. 41.17

[Ṣāliḥ:] I was there when Ibn al-Jarawī, the brother of al-Ḥasan, came to see my father after the sunset prayer. 41.17

"Kowa ya san ko wane ne ni," in ji al-Jarawī. "Na zo nan yau ne saboda ina so in ba ku wani abu. Kudi ne da na gada, kuma ina so ku karɓa." Ya ci gaba da matsa lamba har sai da mahaifina ya tashi ya koma ciki.

“Everybody knows who I am,” said al-Jarawī. “I’ve come here today because I want to give you something. It’s money I’ve inherited, and I’d like you to accept it.” He kept insisting until finally my father got up and went back inside.

Daga baya al-Ḥasan ya gaya mini cewa ɗan'uwansa ya gaya masa, "Na ga cewa yawan matsin lamba na shi ne ƙara nisantar da yake yi, don haka na yi tunanin in gaya masa adadin kuɗin. Na ce, 'Aḥmad, muna magana ne a kan dinare dubu uku.' A nan ne ya fita." Abū Nuʿaym ya ƙara da cewa Ṣāliḥ ya ce, "Wata rana mahaifina ya ce mini, 'Idan babu ko tsabar kuɗi guda ɗaya a gida, sai in ji daɗi.'" [Al-Jarawī:] Na je wurin Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal na ce, "Wannan dinare dubu ne."

Later al-Ḥasan told me that his brother told him, “I saw that the more I insisted the more distant he got, so I figured I would tell him how much it was. I said, ‘Aḥmad, we’re talking about three thousand dinars.’ That’s when he walked out.” Abū Nuʿaym added that Ṣāliḥ said, “One day my father said to me, ‘When there’s not a single coin in the house, I’m happy.’” [Al-Jarawī:] I went to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and said, “This is a thousand dinars.

"Ka karɓe shi ka sayi dukiya don tallafa wa yaran." Amma ya ƙi karɓar shi. 41.18

Take it and buy a property to support the children.” But he refused to take it. 41.18

Ya kan yi maraba da ni koyaushe, amma bayan haka, ya ce, "Idan kana buƙatar wani abu, da na fi so kada ka zo nan da kanka. Idan kana so ka tambaye ni wani abu, ka aika da saƙo." Don haka na ƙare da hana kaina kasancewa tare da shi.

He always used to welcome me, but after that, he said, “If you need something, I’d prefer you didn’t come here in person. If you want to ask me about something send a message.” So I ended up depriving myself of his company.

[Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥarb:] Wani ya yi kiyasin yawan kuɗin da Aḥmad ya ƙi karɓa bayan an kawo shi Samarra. Sai ya zama dubu saba'in ne. 41.19

[Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥarb:] Somebody made an estimate of how much money Aḥmad turned down after he was brought to Samarra. It turned out to be seventy thousand. 41.19

[Ṣāliḥ:] Wata rana ina tare da mahaifina sai matan gida suka kira ni. 41.20

[Ṣāliḥ:] One day I was with my father and the women of the house called me in. 41.20

“Ka faɗa wa mahaifinka cewa fulawa ta ƙare”—ko kuma “burodi.” Na faɗa masa, sai ya ce, “Zan kula da shi nan take.” Bai yi ba, don haka suka sake kirana. Na sake faɗa masa, sai ya ce, “Nan take.” A wannan lokaci sai ga ƙwanƙwasa a ƙofa. Na fita na tarar da wani mutum daga Khurasan, sanye da tufafin manzo, yana ɗauke da sanda da buhu a ɗaure a jikinsa.

“Tell your father that we’re out of flour”—or maybe “bread.” I told him, and he said, “I’ll take care of it right away.” He didn’t, and so they called me back in. I told him again, and he said, “Right away.” At that moment came a knock on the door. I went out and found a man from Khurasan dressed like a courier and carrying a staff with a sack tied onto it.

"Me zan iya yi maka?" na tambaye shi.

“What can I do for you?” I asked him.

"Ina bukatar ganin Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal." Na shiga na gaya wa mahaifina.

“I need to see Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” I went in and told my father.

"Ka fita ka tambaye shi abin da yake so. Shin matsala ce ta fiqhu ko Hadith?" Mutumin ya ce ba haka ba ne, sai mahaifina ya ce, "Ka shigar da shi." Mutumin ya shigo, ya ajiye sandar tafiya da jakarsa, ya ce, "Shin kai ne Aḥmad ɗan Muḥammad ɗan Ḥanbal?" "Eh." "Ni mutumin Khurasan ne. Wani maƙwabcina ya yi rashin lafiya, sai na je na duba shi. Na tambaye shi ko akwai abin da zan iya yi masa, sai ya ce, 'Ka ga waɗannan dirhami dubu biyar?"

“Go out and ask him what he wants. Is it a legal problem or a Hadith?” The man said it was neither, and my father said, “Bring him in.” The man came in, put down the staff and the bag, and asked, “Are you Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥanbal?” “Yes.” “I’m from Khurasan. One of my neighbors got sick and I went to visit him. I asked him if there was anything I could do, and he said, ‘See this five thousand dirhams?

"Sa'ad lokacin da na mutu, ka karɓi wannan ka ba Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal." Don haka ga ni nan da kuɗin, daga Khurasan har zuwa nan. "Shin wannan mutum yana da wata alaƙa da ni?" "A'a." "Shin yana cikin iyalinmu?" "A'a." "Shin yana mayar da wani alheri da muka yi masa?"215

When I’m dead, take it and give it to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.’ So here I am with the money, all the way from Khurasan.” “Was this man any relation of mine?” “No.” “Was he a member of the family?” “No.” “Is he returning some favor we did for him?”215

"A'a." "Don to ka mayar da shi, na gode." Mutumin ya ki, sai mahaifina ya yi masa magana da tsauri. Daga ƙarshe ya karɓi kuɗin ya tafi.

“No.” “So take it back, and thank you.” The man resisted and my father spoke to him roughly. Finally he took the money and left.

Wata ƙila bayan wani lokaci ya zauna yana duba littattafansa, sai ya ɗaga kai ya ce, "Ṣāliḥ, ka san tsawon lokacin da ya wuce tun da mutumin nan daga Khurasan yake nan?" "A'a." "Yau ta zama kwana sittin da ɗaya. Shin ka taɓa yunwa sau ɗaya a cikin wannan lokaci, ko kana buƙatar wani abu ba ka samu ba?" [ʿAbd Allāh:] Na ji Fūrān yana ruwaito cewa, "ʿAḥmad ya yi rashin lafiya"—wannan ya kasance kafin shekarar 200—"sai mutane da yawa suka je su duba shi. Ɗaya daga cikinsu shi ne ʿAlī ibn al-Jaʿd, wanda ya bar ƙaramar jaka a gefen gadonsa. Na faɗa wa Aḥmad game da ita, sai ya ce, 'Ka mayar masa da ita kamar yadda ka same ta.' Sai na je na mayar masa da ita." 41.21

Some time later he was sitting and looking at his books when he raised his head and remarked, “Ṣāliḥ, do you know how long it’s been since that man from Khurasan was here?” “No.” “Today makes sixty-one days. Have you been hungry once during that time, or needed anything and not had it?” [ʿAbd Allāh:] I heard Fūrān report, “ʿAḥmad got sick”—this was before the year 200—“and a lot of people came to call on him. One of them was ʿAlī ibn al-Jaʿd, who left a little bag at his bedside. I told Aḥmad about it, and he said, ‘Return it to him just the way you found it.’ So I went and returned it.” 41.21

[Ṣāliḥ:] Fūrān ya ce wa mahaifina, "Ina da wasu takalma da zan aiko maka." 41.22

[Ṣāliḥ:] Fūrān said to my father, “I’ve got some shoes I’ll send you.” 41.22

Mahaifina bai ce komai ba. Furān ya sake faɗin hakan, sai mahaifina ya amsa da cewa, "Kada! Tunanin su yana shagaltar da ni." Wani lokaci kuma wani mutum ya aika takardar Sinawa ga wasu malaman Hadisi da dama, ciki har da Yahya. Ya aiko wa mahaifina akwati cike da ita, amma ya ƙi karɓarta.

My father said nothing. Fūrān said it again, and my father replied, “Don’t! The thought of them is distracting me.” Another time a man sent Chinese paper to a number of Hadith-men, including Yaḥyā. He sent a crate of it to my father, who refused it.

Mahaifina ya taɓa gaya mini cewa, “Tun bayan Ibn al-Mubārak ba a sake samun mutum kamar Ibn Maʿīn ya fito daga Khurasan ba. To, ɗansa ya zo wurina ya ce mahaifinsa yana son ya aika mini da riga don in tuna da shi. Na ce masa ya kawo ta. Amma da ya iso da ɗimbin tufafi, sai na ce masa, ‘Na gode, sai an jima.’” Da wannan yana nufin ya ƙi karɓar ta ke nan.

My father once told me, “Not since Ibn al-Mubārak has anyone like Ibn Maʿīn come out of Khurasan. Well, his son came to me and said that his father wanted to send me a jacket to remember him by. I told him to bring it. But when he arrived with a whole bundle of clothes, I told him, ‘Thank you and good-bye.’” By that he meant that he refused to take it.

[Muḥammad ibn Mūsā:] Na ji Ibn Nayzak yana cewa, "Na bi Aḥmad da Yaḥyā zuwa wurin Ibn Sa'duwayh" — ko kuma wurin wani. "Shi" — ina tsammanin Sa'duwayh ne — "ya shirya musu tukunyar abinci. Lokacin da Aḥmad ya gane abin da ke faruwa, sai ya ce, 'Lokacin sallah ya kusa,' ya fita. Babu wanda ya kuskura ya ce komai. Ya tafi wata magudanar ruwa ta jama'a inda akwai tulu. A can ya fitar da wasu gutsuttsura na burodin da ya nannaɗe a cikin wani tsumma. Ya cika wata kwano daga tulun, ya ci gutsuttsuran daga tafin hannunsa, yana sha da ruwa. Bayan haka ya yi sallar la'asar."

[Muḥammad ibn Mūsā:] I heard Ibn Nayzak say, “I was following Aḥmad and Yaḥyā to Ibn Saʿduwayh’s”—or someone else’s place. “He”—I think it was Saʿduwayh —“had prepared a pot of food for them. When Aḥmad realized what was going on, he said, ‘It’s almost prayer time,’ and went out. No one dared say anything. He went to a public conduit216 where there was a pitcher. There he took out some crumbs of bread he had wrapped in a rag. He filled a jug from the pitcher and ate the crumbs out of his hand, washing them down with water. Afterward he prayed the afternoon prayer.

Sai bayan sauran sun ci abinci kuma sun yi sallarsu, ya dawo, ya nemi izinin shiga, ya zauna, ya fara rubutu.” 41.23

Then, after the others had eaten and said their prayers, he came back, asked permission to enter, sat down, and began writing.” 41.23

[Ḥumayd ibn al-Rabīʿ al-Kūfī:] Wata rana Aḥmad ya tambayi malaman hadisi ko akwai wanda ya zauna a al-Karkh. 41.24

[Ḥumayd ibn al-Rabīʿ al-Kūfī:] One day Aḥmad asked the Hadith-men whether any of them lived in al-Karkh. 41.24

"Na yi," in ji wani matashi.

“I do,” said one young man.

"Ka zauna bayan an tashi," ya ce. "Ina buƙatar ka yi mani wani abu." Aḥmad ya ba wa saurayin wasu dirhami, ya ce masa ya sayo takarda ya kawo ta lokaci na gaba.

“Stay after,” he said. “I need you to do something.” Aḥmad gave the young man some dirhams and told him to buy paper and bring it next time.

Saurayin ɗin ya tafi ya sayi takardar. Ya kuma ɓoye wasu dirhami a tsakanin shafukanta.217 Sa'an nan ya dawo ya ba Aḥmad ta. Bayan haka, ya daina zuwa.

The young man went and bought the paper. He also hid a number of dirhams between the pages.217 Then he came back and gave it to Aḥmad. After that he stopped coming.

Bayan wani lokaci, Aḥmad ya buɗe takardar sai tsabar kuɗin suka tashi suna watsewa. Bayan ya tattara su, ya tambayi masu ilimin Hadith ko suna sanin matashin da ya sayi takardar.

Some time later, Aḥmad opened up the paper and the coins went flying. After he had gathered them up, he asked the Hadith-men if they knew the young man who had bought the paper.

"Na san inda yake zaune," in ji wani mutum.

“I know where he lives,” said one man.

"Ka zauna a bayan nan," ya ce. "Ina buƙatar ka yi mini wani abu." Ɗaukar kuɗin, Aḥmad ya bi mutumin waje. Lokacin da suka isa Qaṭīʿat al-Rabīʿ, suka tarar da matashin nan zaune a wurin.

“Stay after,” he said. “I need you to do something.” Picking up the money, Aḥmad followed the man out. When they reached Qaṭīʿat al-Rabīʿ, they found the young man sitting there.

"Wannan ne wanda kake so," in ji mutumin.

“That’s the one you want,” said the man.

"Za ka iya tafiya yanzu," in ji Aḥmad. Sai ya nufi wajen saurayin, ya gaishe shi, ya jefar da kuɗin a cinyarsa, sannan ya tafi.

“You can go now,” said Aḥmad. Then he went over to the young man, greeted him, dumped the money in his lap, and left.

[Al-Tustarī:] Akwai wani yaro da ya kan zo majalisar Ibn Ḥanbal. Wata rana Aḥmad ya ba shi dirhami biyu ya ce, "Ka sayo mini takarda." 41.25

[Al-Tustarī:] There was a boy who used to come to Ibn Ḥanbal’s circle. One day Aḥmad gave him two dirhams and said, “Buy me some paper.” 41.25

Yaron ya fita ya sayo takardar. Sannan ya saka dinari ɗari biyar a cikinta, ya naɗe ta, ya ɗaure ta, ya aika ta gidan Aḥmad.

The boy went out and bought the paper. Then he put five hundred dinars inside it, rolled it up and tied it, and sent it to Aḥmad’s house.

Daga baya Aḥmad ya tambaya ko an kawo wani abu fari. "Eh," aka gaya masa, sai aka kawo masa kunshin. Ba da daɗewa ba bayan ya buɗe shi, sai tsabar kuɗin suka watse. Bayan ya mayar da su duka, ya nemi yaron. Da ya same shi, ya ajiye kunshin a gabansa ya tafi. Yaron ya bi shi yana cewa, "Takardar taka ce— na saye ta da dirhami biyun da ka ba ni!" Amma Aḥmad bai karɓi takardar ma ba.

Later Aḥmad asked if anything white had been delivered. “Yes,” he was told, and the package was brought over to him. No sooner had he opened it than the coins went flying. After he had put them all back, he went looking for the boy. When he found him, he put the package down in front of him and walked away. The boy ran after him, saying, “The paper’s yours— I bought it with the two dirhams you gave me!” But Aḥmad wouldn’t take the paper either.

[Al-Marrūdhī:] An faɗa mini cewa lokacin da aka mayar da Aḥmad daga kan iyaka, Abū Bakr al-Mustamlī ya tafi tare da shi don ya kula da shi. Ya ba da labarin kamar haka. 41.26

[Al-Marrūdhī:] I was told that when Aḥmad was sent back from the frontier, Abū Bakr al-Mustamlī went with him to look after him. He told the following story. 41.26

"Sa'ad da muka tsaya a wani daga cikin tashoshin hanya, sai muka ga cewa wani daga cikin abokansa ya aika masa da dinari ɗari, yana gaya masa ya kashe shi a tafiyarsa. Amma bai karɓa ba. Sai na ce, 'Aḥmad, ni mutumin iyaka ne da bakunan da ke jirana in ciyar. Bari in karɓa!' "'Hakan ba zai yi ba,' ya ce. 'Abin da suke ba ka a karo na farko ba kamar na karo na biyu yake ba."218

“When we stopped at one of the way stations, we found that one of his friends had sent him a hundred dinars, telling him to spend it on his travels. But he wouldn’t take it. I said, ‘Aḥmad, I’m a frontiersman with mouths to feed. Let me take it!’ “‘That won’t do,’ he said. ‘What they give you the first time isn’t like the second.218

"Ya fi kyau a rayu da mutunci." "Sai ya mayar da shi." [ʿAbd Allāh:] Wata dare muka ji an buga ƙofa. Na buɗe, sai na ga wani mutum yana ajiye wani babban tire mai ƙafafu, an rufe shi da farin zane. "Ɗauki wannan," ya ce, sannan ya gudu kafin in iya cewa komai. 41.27

Better to live with some dignity.’ “Then he sent it back.” [ʿAbd Allāh:] One night we heard a tapping on the door. I opened it and saw a man putting down a large footed tray covered with a white cloth. “Take this,” he said, then ran off before I could say anything. 41.27

Tire babba ne. Na kawo shi ciki na ajiye shi a gaban mahaifina.

It was a big tray. I brought it inside and put it in front of my father.

"Menene wannan?" ya tambaya. "Ya fito daga gidan Abū Muḥammad ne?" — wato gidan Fūrān.

“What’s this?” he asked. “Did it come from Abū Muḥammad’s house?”—meaning Fūrān’s.

"A'a," na ce.

“No,” I said.

"Ina, to? Wa ya kawo shi nan?" "Duk wanda ya kawo shi ya ajiye shi ya tafi." Karkashin zanen akwai abinci mai kyau kamar mai lafiya, tare da kofunan zaki wadanda a fili suka lashe wa wani kudi mai yawa.

“Where, then? Who brought it here?” “Whoever it was put it down and left.” Under the cloth was some wholesome-looking food, along with goblets of sweets that had clearly cost someone a lot of money.

Mahaifina ya zauna na ɗan lokaci, yana tunani sosai. A ƙarshe ya ce, "Ku aika wani ɓangare na shi zuwa gidan kawunka, kuma ku ba wa 'ya'yan Ṣāliḥ wani ɓangare," yana nuna yarinyar da yara maza.

My father sat for a while, thinking hard. Finally he said, “Send some of it to your uncle’s house and give some to Ṣāliḥ’s children,” pointing to the girl and the boys.

"Ka ɗauki wasu don kanka, ma." Daga baya na gano inda ya fito.

“Take some for yourself, too.” Later I found out where it had come from.

Mutane da yawa suna aika masa da kyaututtuka, amma ba ya ɗanɗana komai daga cikinsu. ʿAbdūs al-ʿAṭṭār sau da yawa yana aika abubuwa, amma ba ya taɓa ɗanɗana su ba.

Several people used to send him gifts but he would never partake. ʿAbdūs al-ʿAṭṭār often sent things, but he would never taste them.