[Al-Muzanī:] Al-Shafi'i ya ce ya je wurin Harun al-Rashid, kuma bayan ya gaishe shi, ya ce ya fito ne daga Yaman, wadda take matuƙar buƙatar wani mai ƙarfin hali. Al-Rashid ya ce, "Ka zaɓi ɗaya daga cikin ɗalibanka, mu naɗa shi alƙali a can." 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

ولما عاد إلى مجلس درسه، ورأى أن أحمد بن حنبل من أفضل الحاضرين، دنا منه الشافعي وقال: "كنت أتكلم مع أمير المؤمنين في تولية قاضٍ في اليمن، فطلب مني أن أختار أحد من يدرس معي، وقد اخترتك، فاستعد: سأدخلك عليه فيوليك القضاء." فالتفت إليه ابن حنبل وقال: "إنما جئتك لأتعلم شيئًا، وتريدني أن أنضم إليهم قاضيًا؟" فخجل الشافعي من هذا العتاب.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

An kuma ruwaito cewa wannan lamari ya faru a lokacin mulkin al-Amīn.

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

[Al-Athram:] An faɗa mini cewa al-Shāfiʿī ya ce wa Aḥmad, "Shugaban Muminai" — wato al-Amīn — "ya nemi in nemo wani da zai zama alkali a Yaman. Na san kana son ka je wurin ʿAbd al-Razzāq, kuma yanzu za ka iya. Ka yi hukunci da adalci, ka kuma koyi duk ilimin da kake so daga gare shi." 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

"Idan ka sake ambaton haka," in ji Aḥmad, "to wannan shi ne karshen ganina a gare ka." A lokacin, ina tsammanin Aḥmad yana da shekaru talatin—ko kuma ashirin da bakwai—a duniya.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

[Al-Balkhī:] Al-Shāfi'ī, Allah ya yi masa rahama, yana da babban matsayi a wajen Muhammad ibn Zubaydah.283 Wata rana Muhammad ya ambata cewa yana matukar damuwa da rashin samun mutum nagari, amintacce, mai bin sunnah da zai zama alƙali. Al-Shāfi'ī ya gaya masa cewa ya samu irin wannan mutum: mai bin sunnah wanda Allah ya ba shi fahimtar addini kuma ya yi zurfin ilimi a Hadisi. 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

"Wane ne wannan?" Muḥammad ya tambaya.

“Who’s that?” asked Muḥammad.

Ya gaya masa cewa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ne.

He told him it was Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.

Bayan wani lokaci, al-Shāfiʿī ya haɗu da Aḥmad ya gaya masa abin da ya faɗa.

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

"Ka kawar da wannan daga zuciyarka, kuma ka bar ni a ciki," ya amsa. "In ba haka ba, zan bar wannan wuri in tafi." [Ṣāliḥ:] Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh ya rubuto mini yana cewa: 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

Amir ʿAbdullahi ɗan Ṭahir ya aika a kira ni, kuma sa'ad da na shiga, ina riƙe da wasiƙa daga mahaifinka a hannuna. Da amir ya gan ta, ya tambaye ni menene, sai na gaya masa. Ya karɓa ya karanta ta, ya ce, "Ina girmama shi sosai, haka ma Hamzah ɗan al-Haydam al-Bushanjī, domin babu ɗayansu da ya taɓa shiga harkokin masu mulki." Da ya ji cewa Ishaƙ ɗan Rahawaih ya kai wasiƙarsa ga hankalin ʿAbdullahi ɗan Ṭahir, sai mahaifinka ya daina yin musayar wasiƙu da shi.

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.

[Al-Ribāṭī:] Na je wajen Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, amma bai duba ni ba. Na gaya masa cewa na yi dictating na Hadith a Khurasan, kuma idan mutanen can sun san yadda yake mu'amala da ni, da sun jefar da rahotannin da na koyar da su. 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

"A Ranar Alkiyama," ya amsa, "idan aka kira ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāhir da mabiyansa, kana ganin za ka sami inda za ka gudu? Ka tabbata ba za ka tsaya a wurin tare da shi ba idan hakan ta faru."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