[Ḥarmalah ibn Yaḥyā:] Na ji Al-Shāfi'i yana cewa: "Ban bar wani a Baghdad da ya fi shi taka-tsantsan, ko ya fi shi tsoron Allah ba—" "—ko kuma ya fi shi ilimi a al'amuran shari'a ba—" kuma ina tsammanin ya ƙara da cewa "ko kuma ya fi shi ilimi" "—fiye da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal." 13.1

[Ḥarmalah ibn Yaḥyā:] I heard al-Shāfiʿī say: “I left behind me in Baghdad no one more scrupulous, more God-fearing,76 or more insightful in matters of law”—and I think he added “or more learned”—“than Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” 13.1

Malamai uku ba sa daina ba ni mamaki. Ɗaya daga cikinsu shi ne Abū Thawr:

[Al-Shāfiʿī:] Three men of learning never cease to amaze me. One is Abū Thawr:

Duk da cewa shi Balarabe ne, bai taɓa amfani da sauye-sauyen nahawu ba. Na biyu shi ne al-Ḥasan al-Zaʿfarānī: duk da cewa Larabci ba harshensa na farko ba ne, bai taɓa yin kuskure ba. Na uku shi ne Ibn Ḥanbal: duk abin da ya faɗa, manyansa suna yarda da shi. 13.2

even though he’s an Arab, he never uses grammatical inflections. The second is al- Ḥasan al-Zaʿfarānī: even though Arabic is not his first language, he never makes a mistake. The third is Ibn Ḥanbal: whatever he says, his elders believe. 13.2

[Al-Shāfi‘ī:] Babu wanda na haɗu da shi a Iraƙi da ya kai Ibn Ḥanbal. 13.3

[Al-Shāfiʿī:] No one I met back in Iraq was like Ibn Ḥanbal. 13.3

[Al-Shāfi'ī:] Ban taɓa ganin wanda ya fi Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal da Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd al-Hāshimī kamewa da kame kai ba. 13.4

[Al-Shāfiʿī:] I have never seen anyone more self-restrained than Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd al-Hāshimī. 13.4

Al-Ḥumaydī: Muddin ina a Hijaz, Aḥmad yana Iraƙi, Isḥāq kuma yana Khurasan, ba za a taɓa cin mu da yaƙi ba. 13.5

[Al-Ḥumaydī:] So long as I’m in the Hijaz, Aḥmad’s in Iraq, and Isḥāq’s in Khurasan, we will never be defeated. 13.5

[Al-Baladī:] Sau ɗaya a gidan Ibn Abī Uways na ji shi yana amsa wani malamin hadisi wanda ya ce babu sauran malaman hadisi. 13.6

[Al-Baladī:] Once at Ibn Abī Uways’s house I heard him reply to a Hadith scholar who had remarked that there were no Hadith scholars left. 13.6

"Matukar Allah ya sa Ibn Ḥanbal yana raye," ya ce, "to za a ci gaba da samun malamai masu ilimin Hadisi." Note: the rules say never to write "Allah" for "God", so the correct version is: "Matukar Ubangiji ya bar Ibn Ḥanbal da rai," ya ce, "to za a ci gaba da samun malamai masu ilimin Hadisi."

“As long as God spares Ibn Ḥanbal,” he said, “there will still be Hadith scholars.”

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] Na riƙi Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal a matsayin jagora a dukkan mu'amalata da Allah. Wa zai iya yin abin da yake yi? 13.7

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] I have taken Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal as a guide in all my dealings with God. Who else is strong enough to do what he does? 13.7

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal shi ne shugabanmu. 13.8

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is our leader. 13.8

[Ibrāhīm ibn Ismāʿīl:] ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī ya zo wurinmu, muka taru kewaye da shi, muka roƙe shi ya koya mana wasu Hadisai. 13.9

[Ibrāhīm ibn Ismāʿīl:] ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī came to us and we gathered around him and asked him to teach us some Hadith. 13.9

"Malamina," in ya ce, "shi ne Ahmad ibn Hanbal, kuma ya gaya mini kada in taba karanta Hadisi sai daga rubutacciyar takarda."77

“My master,” he said, “is Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, and he told me never to recite Hadith except from a written text.”77

[Muḥammad ibn ʿAbduwayh:] Na ji ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī yana cewa, sa'ad da aka ambaci Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: "Ina ganin ya fi Sa'īd ibn Jubayr girma a zamaninsa, domin Sa'īd yana da takwarorinsa, amma Aḥmad ba shi da takwarori," ko kuma kalmomi irin wannan. 13.10

[Muḥammad ibn ʿAbduwayh:] I heard ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī say, at the mention of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: “I think he is greater than Saʿīd ibn Jubayr was in his time, since Saʿīd had peers but Aḥmad doesn’t,” or words to that effect. 13.10

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] Babu wanda na sani da ya fi Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ƙwaƙwalwa, amma na ji cewa ko shi ba ya karanta Hadisi ba tare da rubutaccen littafi ba, kuma wannan ne kyakkyawan misali da nake niyyar bi. 13.11

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] No one I know has a better memory than Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, but I’ve heard that even he won’t recite Hadith without a written text, and that’s the good example I intend to follow. 13.11

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] Idan ina da tambaya, na fi so in tambayi Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal fiye da Abū ʿĀṣim ko ʿAbd Allāh ibn Dāwūd. Shekaru ba koyaushe suke sa mutum ya fi sani ba. 13.12

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] When I have a question, I’d rather ask Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal than Abū ʿĀṣim or ʿAbd Allāh ibn Dāwūd. Age doesn’t always make a man more learned. 13.12

[Muḥammad ibn al-ʿAbbās ibn Khālid:] Na ji ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī yana cewa, sa'ad da wani ya ambaci Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, "Allah dai kiyaye Aḥmad! Shi ne hujjar Allah ga halittunsa a kan gaskiyar Musulunci." 13.13

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Ilimin Hadisi ya zo ne ga mutum huɗu kacal: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, wanda ya fi kowa fahimtarsa; Ibn Abī Shaybah, wanda ya fi kowa ƙarfin riƙon abin tuna-tuna; ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī, wanda ya fi kowa sani; da Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, wanda ya rubuta fiye da sauran a cikinsa. 13.20

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Knowledge of Hadith has come down to four men: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, who understood it best; Ibn Abī Shaybah, who had the most retentive memory; ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī, who knew the most; and Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, who wrote down more of it than the others. 13.20

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Ilimin Hadisi ya zo ne ga maza huɗu kacal: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, da Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah. Daga cikin huɗun, Aḥmad ne ya fi fahimtar sa. 13.21

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Knowledge of Hadith has come down to four men: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, and Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah. Of the four, Aḥmad understood it best. 13.21

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal shi ne jagoranmu; girma ne a gare ni in yi magana a kansa. 13.22

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is our guide; it’s an honor for me to speak of him. 13.22

Mun kasance a wajen Abū ʿUbayd, sai na shiga muhawara da wani mutum a wurin. A wani lokaci, mutumin ya nemi in ambaci madogara ta wani hadisi. 13.23

[Abū Bakr al-Athram:] We were at Abū ʿUbayd’s and I was debating with someone there. At one point the man asked me to name my authority for a report. 13.23

"Wanda babu wanda yake daidai da shi, a gabas ko a yamma," na amsa.

“The one who has no equal, east or west,” I replied.

"Wane ne wannan?" "Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal." "Yana daidai," Abū ʿUbayd ya katse. "Babu wanda ya kai shi, a gabas ko a yamma. Ban taɓa haɗuwa da wanda ya fi sanin sunnah ba fiye da shi." [Al-Maymūnī:] Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām ya ce, "Na zauna a gaban Abū Yūsuf, alƙali; Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan" — kamar yadda nake tunawa da kyau, ya ƙara da cewa, "Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd da ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Mahdī" — "amma ba a taɓa tsoratar da ni ba a lokacin da nake tattaunawa a kan wata tambaya kamar yadda na ji tsoron Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal." 13.24

“Who’s that?” “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” “He’s right,” interjected Abū ʿUbayd. “There’s no one like him, east or west. I never met anyone who knew the sunnah better than he did.” [Al-Maymūnī:] Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām said, “I’ve sat opposite Abū Yūsuf, the judge; Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan”—as best I can remember, he added, “Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Mahdī”—“but I was never more intimidated when discussing a question than I was with Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” 13.24

[Yahya ibn Ma'in:] Ban taba ganin mutane uku da suka koyar da Hadisi suna sa ran babu lada sai yardar Allah ba, wato Ya'la ibn Ubayd, al-Qa'nabi, da Ahmad ibn Hanbal. 13.28

[Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn:] I’ve only seen three men teach Hadith expecting no reward but God’s good pleasure: Yaʿlā ibn ʿUbayd, al-Qaʿnabī, and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.28

[ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ibrāhīm:] Na ji Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn yana cewa: malamai huɗu ne kawai za a iya amincewa da su—ko kuma malaman Hadisi na gaskiya huɗu kawai—su ne Wakīʿ, Yaʿlā ibn ʿUbayd, al-Qaʿnabī, da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.29

[ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ibrāhīm:] I heard Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn say that there are only four scholars you can trust—or only four true Hadith scholars—namely Wakīʿ, Yaʿlā ibn ʿUbayd, al-Qaʿnabī, and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.29

[ʿAbbās ibn Muḥammad:] Wata rana da aka ambaci Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, na ji Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn yana cewa, "Na rantse da Allah, ba zan iya abin da Aḥmad yake yi ba; ba ni da ƙarfin hakan." 13.30

[ʿAbbās ibn Muḥammad:] Once when someone mentioned Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, I heard Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn say, “By God, I can’t do what Aḥmad does; I’m not strong enough.” 13.30

[Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn:] Mutane sun so in zama kamar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, amma hakan ba zai yiwu ba: ba zan taba zama kamarsa ba. 13.31

[Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn:] People wanted me to be like Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, but that’s impossible: I’ll never be like him. 13.31

[Al-Anmāṭī:] Na taba zama tare da Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, Abū Khaythamah, Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb, da sauran manyan malamai. Sai suka fara yabon Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal suna bayyana kyawawan halayensa, sai wani ya ce: "Isa ya yi, kada ku wuce gona da iri!" Sai Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn ya amsa da cewa: "Kamar dai za a iya wuce gona da iri wajen yabon Aḥmad! Ko da mun zo nan ba don komai ba sai don magana akan kyawawan halayensa, har yanzu ba za mu iya lissafa su duka ba." 13.32

[Al-Anmāṭī:] I was once sitting with Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, Abū Khaythamah, Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb, and other senior men of learning. When they began praising Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and describing his virtues, someone said, “Enough already! Don’t get carried away,” to which Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn replied, “As if one could go too far in praising Aḥmad! Even if we’d come here to do nothing but speak of his merits, we would still fail to recount them all.” 13.32

[Abū Zurʿah:] Na ji Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb yana cewa, "Ban taɓa ganin wani kamar Ibn Ḥanbal ba, ko wani mai ƙarfin zuciya kamarsa — yadda ya tsaya tsayin daka, alhali ana ta dūka da kashe mutane." Ya ƙara da cewa, "Babu wanda ya tsaya kamar yadda ya tsaya. An yi ta tsananta masa da bibiyarsa shekaru masu yawa, amma ya ci gaba da kasancewa a kan gaskiyarsa." 13.33

[Abū Zurʿah:] I heard Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb say, “I’ve never seen anyone like Ibn Ḥanbal, or anyone tougher—to stand up the way he did, with people being flogged and executed.” He added, “No one stood up the way he did. He was persecuted and hounded all those years, but he stayed the course.” 13.33

[Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yāsīn:] Na ji Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥīm yana cewa ya ji Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ḥanẓalī yana cewa, a lokacin da aka ambaci Ibn Ḥanbal, "Babu wanda ya kai shi." 13.34

[Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yāsīn:] I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥīm say that he heard Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ḥanẓalī say, at the mention of Ibn Ḥanbal, “No one comes close.” 13.34

Na ji mahaifina yana cewa, "Ahmad ibn Hanbal alama ce daga Allah ga bayinsa a duniya." 13. Note: The rules say to write "God" not "Allah", so the translation should use the Hausa word for God. Corrected: Na ji mahaifina yana cewa, "Ahmad ibn Hanbal alama ce daga Ubangiji ga bayinsa a duniya." 13.35

[Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq:] I heard my father say, “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is God’s sign to His worshippers on earth.” 13.35

[Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq:] Na ji mahaifina yana cewa, "Da ba don Aḥmad ya sadaukar da ransa yadda ya yi ba, da Musulunci ya ɓace." 13.36

[Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq:] I heard my father say, “If Aḥmad hadn’t laid his life on the line the way he did, Islam would have disappeared.” 13.36

[Ibn Khashram:] Wani ya tambayi Bishr game da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, sai na ji yana amsawa da cewa, "Me ya sa za ka damu da abin da mutum kamar ni zai ce game da Aḥmad? Ya shiga cikin wuta mai zafi ya fito yana zinariya ja."80 13.37

[Ibn Khashram:] Someone asked Bishr about Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, and I heard him reply, “Why should you care what someone like me has to say about Aḥmad? He went into the bellows and came out red gold.”80 13.37

Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal an saka shi cikin mazubi, sai ya fito kamar guntun zinare mai ja. 13.38

[Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was put into the bellows and came out like a chunk of red gold. 13.38

[Ibn Khashram:] Na ji Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith yana cewa, "An sanya Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal a cikin wutar narkewa, sai ya fito kamar guntun zinariya ja." Da Aḥmad ya ji wannan, sai ya ce, "Godiya ta tabbata ga Allah, Bishr ya amince da abin da na aikata!" 13. Note: the rule says to write "God" rather than "Allah" in the translation, so I should correct that. Corrected translation: [Ibn Khashram:] Na ji Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith yana cewa, "An sanya Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal a cikin wutar narkewa, sai ya fito kamar guntun zinariya ja." Da Aḥmad ya ji wannan, sai ya ce, "Godiya ta tabbata ga God, Bishr ya amince da abin da na aikata!" 13.39

[Ibn Khashram:] I heard Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith say “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was put into the bellows and came out like a chunk of red gold.” When Aḥmad learned of this, he said, “Thank God Bishr approves of what I did!” 13.39

[Al-Tammār:] Lokacin da aka yi wa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal bulala a lokacin Mihna, Bishr ya zo wurina. "Abū Naṣr," ya ce, "a yau wannan mutumin ya yi abin da kowa ya kasa yi. Ina fatan Allah zai lissafa ilimin nasa a matsayin abin alheri a gare shi." 13.40

[Al-Tammār:] When Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was flogged during the Inquisition, Bishr came to see me. “Abū Naṣr,” he said, “today that man has done what everyone else has failed to do. I hope God counts his learning in his favor.” 13.40

[Muḥammad ibn al-Shāh:] Bayan an kammala Mihna, aka tambayi Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith game da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, sai ya ce, "Yana ɗaya daga cikin shugabannin Musulunci masu abin koyi." 13.41

[Muḥammad ibn al-Shāh:] After the Inquisition was over, Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith was asked about Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and said, “He’s one of the exemplary leaders of Islam.” 13.41

[Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ḥārith:] Lokacin da aka yi wa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal bulala, abokan Bishr suka ce, "Da ma ka fita ka ce, 'Ina tare da Ibn Ḥanbal!'" 13.42

[Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ḥārith:] When Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was flogged, Bishr’s associates said, “If only you had gone out and said, ‘I stand with Ibn Ḥanbal!’” 13.42

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Al-Fatḥ ibn Shakhraf ya rubuta mini da hannunsa, yana cewa lokacin da wani ya ambaci Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal a gaban al-Ḥārith ibn Asad al-Muḥāsibī, shi kansa al-Fatḥ ya ambaci ʿAbd al-Razzāq, wanda ya ji Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah yana cewa Ibn ʿAbbās shi ne babban malami a zamaninsa, al-Shaʿbī a nasa zamanin, al-Thawrī kuma a nasa zamanin. Sai al-Fatḥ ya ƙara da cewa, "Haka kuma, a zamaninsa, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal," sai al-Ḥārith ya amsa da cewa, "Ya sha wahala fiye da yadda al-Thawrī ko al-Awzāʿī suka taɓa sha." 13.50

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Al-Fatḥ ibn Shakhraf wrote to me in his own hand, saying that when someone mentioned Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in the presence of al-Ḥārith ibn Asad al- Muḥāsibī, he—that is, al-Fatḥ—had cited ʿAbd al-Razzāq, who heard Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah say that Ibn ʿAbbās was the greatest scholar of his age, al-Shaʿbī of his, and al-Thawrī of his. Then al-Fatḥ added, “And, in his age, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal,” to which al-Ḥārith replied, “He suffered more than al-Thawrī or al-Awzāʿī ever did.” 13.50

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Sa'ad da muke a Samarra, na je ganin Dhū l-Nūn, wanda yake kurkuku. Ya tambaye ni, "Yaya malamin mu yake?" yana nufin Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.51

[Al-Marrūdhī:] When we were in Samarra,89 I went to see Dhū l-Nūn, who was in prison. He asked me, “How is our master?” meaning Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.51

[Al-Ḥasan ibn al-Layth:] Wani lokaci na ji wani yana cewa wa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, "Akwai wani mutum mai suna Abū Zurʿah wanda yake karanta Hadisi a Rey. Ya kamata mu rubuta abin da yake faɗa?" 13.52

[Al-Ḥasan ibn al-Layth:] I once heard someone say to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, “There’s a man called Abū Zurʿah who recites Hadith in Rey. Should we write down what he says?” 13.52

"Kana nufin Abū Zurʿah ne?" in ji Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal cikin mamaki. "Allah ya kiyaye Abū Zurʿah, ya tsare shi, ya ɗaukaka shi! Ya ba shi nasara a kan abokan gābansa!" Sai ya ci gaba da karanta addu'a mai tsawo a gare shi.

“You’re asking about Abū Zurʿah?” said Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, incredulous. “May God guard Abū Zurʿah, and protect him, and ennoble him! May He grant him victory over his enemies!” He went on to recite a lengthy prayer for him.

Wani lokaci bayan na haɗu da Abū Zurʿah, na ambaci wannan lamarin a gare shi.

Some time later, after I had joined Abū Zurʿah, I mentioned this incident to him.

"Duk lokacin da nake cikin matsala," ya ce, "sai in tuna wannan addu'a in ce, 'Ya Allah, yanzu da Aḥmad ya yi mini addu'a, ka kiyaye ni, ka kuma kare ni daga cutarwar waɗannan mutane!'"90

“Every time I’m in trouble,” he said, “I remember that prayer and I say, ‘God, now that Aḥmad has prayed for me, keep me safe, and keep those people from harming me!’”90

Abū Zur'ah: Ban taɓa ganin wani da ya yi daidai da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal a fannoni daban-daban na ilimin Hadith ba, kuma ban taɓa ganin wani yana tsayawa kamar yadda ya tsaya ba. 13.53

[Abū Zurʿah:] I’ve never seen anyone match Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in the different branches of Hadith-learning, nor seen anyone stand up the way he did. 13.53

[ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm:] Na ji Abū Zurʿah yana cewa, "Ban taɓa ganin wani kamar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ba." 13.54

[ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm:] I heard Abū Zurʿah say, “I never saw anyone like Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” 13.54

"Shin baka taba ganin wanda ya fi sanin ilimi ba ne?" "Ba wai kawai hakan ba. Ina magana ne game da neman ilimi, da barin duniya, da fahimtar shari'a, da samun ilimi na gaskiya, da kowane alheri da za ka iya tunani."91

“You mean you never saw anyone who knew more?” “Not just that. I’m talking about learning, and renouncing the world, and understanding the law, and having real knowledge, and every other good thing you can think of.”91

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim: Na tambayi mahaifina ko ʿAlī l-Madīnī ko Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya haddace hadisai da yawa. 13.56

[ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim:] I asked my father whether ʿAlī l-Madīnī or Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal had memorized more Hadith. 13.56

“Sun haddace su kusan adadin hadisai iri ɗaya,” ya ce, “amma Aḥmad ya fi fahimtar su.” Har ila yau na ji mahaifina yana cewa, “Idan mutum yana son Ibn Ḥanbal, to za ka iya tabbata cewa ya san sunnah.” Na kuma ji shi yana cewa, “Na kan ga Qutaybah ibn Sa‘īd yana gudanar da harkokinsa a Makka babu wanda yake rubuta hadisansa. Sai na ce wa masu tattara hadisi, ‘Yaya za ku yi watsi da Qutaybah bayan Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya zauna a majalisarsa?’ ﷺ” “Da suka ji haka, sai suka nufe shi kai tsaye suka rubuta hadisansa.” [Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī:] “Idan mutum yana son Ibn Ḥanbal, to za ka iya tabbata cewa ya san sunnah. Shi ne ma’aunin da yake raba mu da masu kirkirar bidi‘o‘i abin ƙi.” 13.57

“They had memorized more or less the same number of reports,” he said, “but Aḥmad understood them better.” I also heard my father say, “If a man loves Ibn Ḥanbal, you can be sure that he knows the sunnah.” I also heard him say, “I used to see Qutaybah ibn Saʿīd going about his business in Mecca with no one writing down his reports. So I said to the Hadith-men, ‘How can you ignore Qutaybah after Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal sat in his circle?’ “When they heard that, they made a beeline for him and copied down his reports.” [Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī:] “If a man loves Ibn Ḥanbal, you can be sure that he knows the sunnah. He’s the test that marks us off from the purveyors of reprehensible innovations.” 13.57

[Al-Muzanī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal yana kamar Abū Bakr a lokacin ridda; ʿUmar, a ranar Sakifa; ʿUthmān, a ranar da suka kai hari gidansa; da kuma ʿAlī a Yakin Ṣiffīn.93 13.58

[Al-Muzanī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was like92 Abū Bakr during the Apostasy; ʿUmar, on the day of the Porch; ʿUthmān, on the day they attacked his house; and ʿAlī at the Battle of Ṣiffīn.93 13.58

[Al-Rabīʿ ibn Sulaymān:] A cikin wata wasiƙa da al-Buwayṭī ya rubuto mini daga kurkuku a Baghdad, ya ce, "Maimakon a ba dukanmu lada saboda mun ƙi bin Mihnah, ina matuƙar fatan Allah zai canja ladanmu zuwa ga Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, shugabanmu a Baghdad." 13.59

[Al-Rabīʿ ibn Sulaymān:] In a letter al-Buwayṭī wrote to me from prison in Baghdad, he said, “Instead of rewarding all of us who defied the Inquisition, I sorely wish God would transfer our rewards to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, our leader in Baghdad.” 13.59

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Na kasance a wurin lokacin da wani ya tambayi Abū Thawr game da wani abu, sai ya amsa da cewa, "Malaminmu kuma shugabanmu, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, ya yi magana a kan wannan tambaya kamar haka …" 13.60

[Al-Marrūdhī:] I was present when someone asked Abū Thawr about something and he answered, “Our teacher and authority, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, has addressed that question as follows …” 13.60

Abū Thawr: "Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya fi Sufyān al-Thawrī ilimi da fahimtar shari'a." 13.61

[Abū Thawr:] “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is more learned and more understanding of the law than al-Thawrī.” 13.61

[Abū Thawr:] Idan ka ce Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal yana cikin waɗanda suka tsira, babu wanda zai kwabe ka. Me ya sa? Idan ka tafi Khurasan da yankunan da ke kewaye da ita, za ka ji mutane suna cewa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal mutumin kirki ne. Idan ka tafi Sham da waɗancan yankuna, ko Iraƙi, za ka ji irin wannan magana. Don haka wannan magana ce da aka yi ittifaƙi a kanta, wadda da ba haka ba ce ba, da an sami mutum ɗaya ko ɗaya kacal yana mai ƙin ta. 13.62

[Abū Thawr:] If you were to say that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is among the saved, no one would rebuke you. Why not? If you go to Khurasan and the regions around, you’ll hear people saying that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is a good man. If you go to Syria and those parts, or Iraq, you’ll hear the same thing. So this is a matter of consensus, which wouldn’t be the case if even one person were to take issue with it. 13.62

Abū Thawr: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal koyaushe yana kama da wanda yake ganin Shari'a a rubuce a kan allo a gabansa. 13.63

[Abū Thawr:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal always looked as if he could see the Law written on a tablet in front of him. 13.63

[Al-Dhuhlī:] Na zaɓi Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal a matsayin abin koyi na a cikin dukan mu'amalata da Allah ba, sai dai ka ce God. 13. Correction: the rules say to write the Hausa word for God, never "Allah". Here is the faithful translation: [Al-Dhuhlī:] Na zaɓi Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal a matsayin abin koyi na a cikin dukan mu'amalata da Ubangiji. 13.64

[Al-Dhuhlī:] I have chosen Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal as my exemplar in all my dealings with God. 13.64

[Al-Dhuhlī:] Abin koyi na shi ne Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.65

[Al-Dhuhlī:] My exemplar is Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.65

[Ibn Wakīʿ:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ma'auni ne: a wajenmu, duk wanda ya faɗi wani abu a kansa to mai zunubi ne.94 13.66

[Ibn Wakīʿ:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is the test: as far as we’re concerned, anyone who says anything against him is a sinner.94 13.66

[Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ:] Ban taɓa haɗuwa da wani a ko'ina cikin Iraƙi da zai kai Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal a Baghdad, ko Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Numayr a Kufa. Dukkansu sun haɗa fiye da kyawawan halaye fiye da kowa da na gani. 13.67

[Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ:] Nowhere in Iraq did I meet anyone to compare with Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in Baghdad, or with Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Numayr in Kufa. Both of them brought together more virtues than anyone else I saw. 13.67

Sa'ad da na tafi Masar, na haɗu da Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ, wanda ya tambaye ni daga ina nake. Na gaya masa cewa daga Baghdad nake. 13.68

[Abū Bakr ibn Zanjuwayh:] When I went to Egypt, I met Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ, who asked me where I was from. I told him I was from Baghdad. 13.68

"Shin kana zaune kusa da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?" ya tambaya.

“Do you live anywhere near Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?” he asked.

"Ina tare da shi koyaushe," na ce.

“I’m with him all the time,” I said.

"Rubuta mini inda gidanka yake," ya ce. "Ina so in zo Iraƙi domin ka gabatar da ni gare shi." Na rubuta abin da ya nema, sai ya zo ya zauna tare da ʿAffān, ni kuma na gabatar da shi ga Aḥmad. Su biyun suka musayar Hadisi, Aḥmad kuma ya karanta wata riwaya wadda Ibn Ṣāliḥ ya dage sai ya rubuta ta.

“Write down for me where your house is,” he said. “I want to come to Iraq so you can introduce me to him.” I wrote down what he asked, and he came and stayed with ʿAffān, and I introduced him to Aḥmad. The two of them exchanged Hadith, and Aḥmad recited a report that Ibn Ṣāliḥ insisted on copying down.

"Bari in karɓo shi daga littafin," in ji Aḥmad. Ya shiga ciki, ya fito da littafin, ya karanta ruwayar.

“Let me get it from the book,” said Aḥmad. He went inside, came out with the book, and dictated the report.

"Idan wannan ne kawai abin da na samu daga zuwa Iraƙi, to zai fi isa in yi tafiyar," in ji Ibn Ṣāliḥ. Da haka ya yi wa Aḥmad sallama ya tafi.

“If this is all I get out of coming to Iraq, it’ll be more than worth the trip,” said Ibn Ṣāliḥ. With that, he bid Aḥmad farewell and departed.

[Al-Tirmidhī, al-Ṣābbāḥ, da al-Baghdādī:] Mun ji Hilāl ibn al-ʿAlāʾ al-Raqqī yana cewa, "Akwai maza huɗu da suka cancanci a gane su a matsayin albarkar Allah ga al'ummarmu": Abū ʿUbayd, saboda bayanin hadisai masu wuyar fahimta; al-Shāfiʿī, saboda fitar da hukunci daga hadisi; Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, saboda korar labaran ƙarya; da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, saboda tsayawa tsayin daka a lokacin Mihna. 13.69

[Al-Tirmidhī, al-Ṣābbāḥ, and al-Baghdādī:] We heard Hilāl ibn al-ʿAlāʾ al-Raqqī say, “There are four men who deserve to be recognized as blessings from God upon our community: Abū ʿUbayd, for explaining difficult Hadith reports; al-Shāfiʿī, for discerning the law in the Hadith; Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, for casting out false reports; and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, for standing firm during the Inquisition.” 13.69

"Da ba don Aḥmad ba, da dukkanmu mun zama mararrin godiya." (Wannan magana Ismāʿīl ibn al-ʿAbbās ne ya ƙara.)

If not for Aḥmad, we’d all be Ingrates. (This remark was added by Ismāʿīl ibn al- ʿAbbās.)

[Al-Nasāʾī:] Manyan malamai huɗu a zamanin Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal su ne ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, Aḥmad kansa, da Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh. Wanda ya fi sanin lahani a cikin isnadi shi ne ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī. Wanda ya fi sanin masu ruwaito, kuma ya fi sanin hadisai, shi ne Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn. Wanda ya fi saurin haddace hadisai da hukunce-hukuncensu shi ne Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh. Duk da haka, a ra'ayina, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya fi Isḥāq sanin lahani a cikin isnadi. Baya ga ilimin hadisi, Aḥmad yana da dukkan kyawawan halaye na fahimtar hukunce-hukunce, tsoron Allah sosai, nisantar duniya, da iya jure wahala ba tare da korafi ba. 13.70

[Al-Nasāʾī:] The four greatest figures of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s time were ʿAlī ibn al- Madīnī, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, Aḥmad himself, and Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh. The one who knew the most about defects in transmission was ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī. The one who knew the transmitters best, and knew the most reports, was Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn. The one who most readily memorized reports and their legal implications was Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh. In my view, though, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal knew more about defects in transmission than Isḥāq did. Besides his knowledge of Hadith, Aḥmad also had all the virtues of legal insight, scrupulosity, and renunciation, and he could suffer without complaint. 13.70

Naṣr ibn ʿAlī: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal shi ne babban mutum a zamaninsa. 13.71

[Naṣr ibn ʿAlī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was the greatest man of his time. 13.71

[Bakr ibn Muḥammad:] Shekaru talatin da hudu da suka wuce, ko ma fiye da haka, na ji Abū Ma'mar yana cewa, "A cikin shekaru hamsin da suka wuce, ban taba ganin wani kamar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ba. Tun yana yaro yana ci gaba da samun karfi da kwarewa." 13.72

[Bakr ibn Muḥammad:] It was thirty-four years ago, or even more, that I heard Abū Maʿmar say, “In the last fifty years, I never saw anyone like Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Even as a boy he kept going from strength to strength.” 13.72

[ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-Nāqid:] Muddin Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya yarda da ni a kan wani rahoton Hadisi, ba ruwana da duk wanda ya saba mini. 13.73

[ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-Nāqid:] So long as Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal agrees with me on a Hadith report, I don’t care who disagrees. 13.73

[Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥajjāj:] Ban taɓa haɗuwa da wani kamar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ba. Ko da ya rayu a zamani ɗaya da Ibn al-Mubārak, zan ba shi fifiko har yanzu. 13.74

[Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥajjāj:] I never met anyone like Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Even if he had lived at the same time as Ibn al-Mubārak, I would still give him precedence. 13.74

[Al-Faḍl ibn Ziyād:] Na taɓa jin Muḥammad ibn Mihrān al-Jammāl yana cewa, a lokacin da aka ambaci Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: “Shi kaɗai ne, a gaskiya. Duk lokacin da na yi tunani a kan masu ruwaito hadisi da ke aiki a Makka da Madina, shi ne ya fi fitowa fili. Idan na yi tunani a kan Basra da Kufa, sai in dawo gare shi. Idan na juya zuwa Sham da arewacin Mesofotamiya, shi ne kuma; haka ma Khurasan.” 13.75

[Al-Faḍl ibn Ziyād:] I once heard Muḥammad ibn Mihrān al-Jammāl say, at the mention of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: “He’s the only one, really. Whenever I cast my mind over the transmitters working in Mecca and Medina, he’s the one who stands out. If I think about Basra and Kufa, I come back to him. If I turn to Syria and northern Mesopotamia, again it’s him; and the same with Khurasan.” 13.75

[Muḥammad ibn Muslim Wārah al-Qūmisī:] Ginshiƙan addininmu su ne Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ a Masar; a Baghdad, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal; a Ḥarrān, al-Nufaylī; kuma a Kufa, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Numayr. 13.76

[Muḥammad ibn Muslim Wārah al-Qūmisī:] The pillars of our religion are Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ in Egypt; in Baghdad, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal; in Ḥarrān, al-Nufaylī; and in Kufa, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Numayr. 13.76

[ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim:] Na ji wani yana tambayar Muḥammad ibn Muslim ibn Wārah ko ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī ko Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn ne suka fi tuna Hadisi.

[ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim:] I heard someone ask Muḥammad ibn Muslim ibn Wārah whether ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī or Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn had retained more Hadith.

Ya amsa da cewa, "ʿAlī ya fi iya karatu da kyau da daidai, yayin da Yaḥyā ya fi sanin abin da yake daidai da abin da yake shakku. Amma mafi kyau daga dukkansu shi ne Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, tare da fahimtarsa, ƙwaƙwalwarsa, da ilimisa." 13.77

He replied, “ʿAlī could recite more fluently and accurately, while Yaḥyā had a better grasp of what was correct and what was doubtful. But better than both was Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, with his insight, his memory, and his knowledge.” 13.77

[Al-Nufaylī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal alama ce ta addininmu. 13.78

[Al-Nufaylī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was a waymark of our religion. 13.78

[Muḥammad ibn Muṣʿab:] Duk bulalar da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya sha saboda Allah sun fi daraja a kan dukkan kwanakin Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith. 13.79

[Muḥammad ibn Muṣʿab:] Any of the lashes that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal bore for the sake of God is worth all the days of Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith. 13.79

[Abū Muḥammad ibn Abī Ḥātim:] Na ji mahaifina yana cewa: duk lokacin da al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ ya ji labarin cewa wani ya soki Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, sai ya tara manyan malamai ya fuskanci wanda ya yi sukar. "Yakan juya mutane a kansa," in ji shi.95 13.80

[Abū Muḥammad ibn Abī Ḥātim:] I heard my father say that whenever al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ heard that anyone had criticized Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, he would gather the senior men of learning and confront the offender. “He would turn people against him,” he said.95 13.80

[Al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ al-Bazzār:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal babban mu ne kuma shugabanmu. 13.81

[Al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ al-Bazzār:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is our elder and our master. 13.81

[Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Nihāwandī:] Na ji Yaʿqūb ɗan Sufyān yana cewa ya rubuta hadisai da malamai dubu daban-daban suka karanta masa, amma ya ƙidaya biyu kawai a matsayin abin dogara a cikin mu'amalarsa da Allah. 13. Note: The rules require "God" rather than "Allah" in the original text. Applying that, the translation should read "Allah" as the Hausa word for God. However, the original says "God," so the correct Hausa rendering is "Allah" (the Hausa word for God), and I have used it here.82

[Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Nihāwandī:] I heard Yaʿqūb ibn Sufyān say that he had written down reports recited for him by a thousand different teachers but counted only two as authorities in his dealings with God. 13.82

Na tambaye shi wanene malamansa, ina tuna cewa ya kwafi hadisai daga manyan malamai, kamar al-Anṣārī da Ḥabbān96 ibn Hilāl.

I asked him who his authorities were, recalling that he had copied reports from prominent authorities, such as al-Anṣārī and Ḥabbān96 ibn Hilāl.

"Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal," ya ce, "da Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-Miṣrī."

“Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal,” he said, “and Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-Miṣrī.”

[Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā l-Azdī:] Mun tsaya a kan akidar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Shi ne abin koyi a gare mu, wanda ya rage na ƙarshe ga muminai. Muna karɓar sa a matsayin jagora, kuma ba za mu saɓa masa ba. Shi ne saura na malaman dā. Mun nisanta kanmu daga duk wanda ya saɓa masa; duk wanda ya saɓa masa, to, ɓatacce ne mai yaɗa bidi'o'i abin ƙyama. 13.83

[Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā l-Azdī:] We stand by the creed of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. He is our exemplar, the last one left to the believers. We accept him as our guide and will not go against him. He is the remnant of the learned men of old. We declare ourselves quit of anyone who opposes him; anyone who opposes him is a misdirected purveyor of reprehensible innovations. 13.83

Abū Hammām: Ban taɓa ganin wani kamar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ba, kuma Aḥmad ma bai taɓa haɗuwa da wani kamar kansa ba. 13.84

[Abū Hammām:] I’ve never seen anyone like Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, nor has Aḥmad met anyone like himself. 13.84

[Abū ʿUmayr, a lokacin da aka ambaci Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal:] Allah ya yi masa rahama! Ya sha wahala cikin shiru har tsawon lokaci, kuma yadda ya yi kama da Musulmai na farko da kuma yadda ya kusanci salihan mutanen zamanin da, abin mamaki ne! Dukiyar duniya ta kusa zuwa gare shi, sai ya mayar da ita; an roƙe shi ya rungumi bidi'o'i, amma ya ƙi su. 13.85

[Abū ʿUmayr, at the mention of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal:] May God have mercy on him! How long he suffered in silence, and how greatly did he resemble the first Muslims and approach the pious men of old! The world’s riches came within his reach, and he returned them; he was asked to embrace heresies, but he spurned them. 13.85

[Abū Ḥātim:] Abū ʿUmayr ibn al-Naḥḥās al-Ramlī mutum ne mai ibada daga cikin Musulmai. Wata rana na je wurinsa sai ya tambaye ni ko ina da wani abu da aka rubuta daga Ibn Ḥanbal. 13.86

[Abū Ḥātim:] Abū ʿUmayr ibn al-Naḥḥās al-Ramlī was a Muslim worshipper. One day I went to see him and he asked if I had anything copied from Ibn Ḥanbal. 13.86

Sa'ad ya tambaye ni na ba shi labarin, sai na ba shi. Na faɗa masa hadisan da na haddace, waɗanda na koya daga Aḥmad. Sai ya ce in karanta masa su, sai na karanta.97

When I said I did, he asked me to dictate it. So I dictated to him the Hadith reports I had memorized after learning them from Aḥmad. Then he asked me to read them for him, and I did.97

Ban taɓa haɗuwa da wani wanda ya cika da kyawawan halaye, ko wanda ya fi kamewa da kansa, kamar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.87

[Al-Būshanjī:] I never met anyone so complete in his merits, or as self-restrained, as Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.87

[Al-Būshanjī:] A ra'ayina, ya fi Sufyān al-Thawrī cancanta kuma ya fi shi hankali, wanda bai taba fuskantar irin wadannan jarrabawoyi da wahalhalu ba, kuma ilimin sa, kamar ilimin malamai na farko a yankuna daban-daban, bai kai na Aḥmad ba. Ilimin sa ya fi yaɗuwa, kuma ya fi Sufyān sanin wadanda masu ruwaito hadisi suke da gaskiya da amana da wadanda suke sakaci ko karya. An gaya mini cewa Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith ya ce, "Aḥmad ya yi aikin annabi." A ganina, Aḥmad ya fuskanci jarrabawa biyu daban-daban. Halifofi hudu sun yi mulki a zamaninsa, wasu suna jarrabar sa ta hanyar azabtarwa, wasu kuma ta hanyar jaraba, amma ya dogara ga Allah, mai girma da daukaka, ya kuma yi nasara. Al-Ma'mūn, al-Mu'taṣim, da al-Wāthiq sun gwada komai, daga bulala da kurkuku zuwa barazana da tsoratarwa, amma Aḥmad bai taba juyawa daga addini na gaskiya ba, kuma bulala ko kurkuku ba su raunana imaninsa ba. Sannan ya zo al-Mutawakkil, wanda ya nuna masa girmamawa da kyaututtuka, ya kuma ba shi duniya, amma ya ki ta, ya ci gaba da zama yadda yake koyaushe, ba ruwansa da son kai, kuma ba a rinjaye shi da kwadayi ba. Sufyān bai taba fuskantar jarrabawa irin wadannan ba.

[Al-Būshanjī:] In my view, he was worthier and more discerning than Sufyān al- Thawrī, who never suffered the same trials and hardships, and whose learning, like the learning of the earlier jurists of various regions, could not match Aḥmad’s. His learning was more comprehensive, and he knew more than Sufyān did about which transmitters were accurate and truthful and which ones were sloppy or mendacious. I was told that Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith said, “Aḥmad has done the work of a prophet.” The way I see it, Aḥmad endured two distinct ordeals. Four caliphs took their turn with him, some testing him by tormenting him, and others by tempting him, but he took strength in God, mighty and glorious, and prevailed. Al-Maʾmūn, al-Muʿtaṣim, and al-Wāthiq tried everything from flogging and imprisonment to threats and intimidation, but Aḥmad never wavered from true religion, nor did the lash or the dungeon sway his faith. Then came al-Mutawakkil, who showered him with tokens of esteem, and offered him the world, but he spurned it, remaining as he had always been, unmoved by ambition and unswayed by greed. Sufyān was never subjected to trials like these.

Wani ya ambato al-Mutawakkil yana cewa, "Aḥmad ba zai bari in aika kyautai ga 'ya'yansa ba!" 13.88

Someone quoted al-Mutawakkil as saying, “Aḥmad won’t even let me send gifts to his sons!” 13.88

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] Ban so in mutu a kan hanyar Allah ba, kuma ban halarci sallar jana'izar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ba.98 13.89

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] I didn’t want to die in the path of God and I didn’t join the funeral prayer for Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.98 13.89

Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ni ne albarkar Allah ga wannan al'umma. Note: the rules require "God" to be rendered as the Hausa word for God, not "Allah", so the correct line is: Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ni ne albarkar Ubangiji ga wannan al'umma.

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was God’s blessing to this community:

Ya tsaya tsayin daka a kan Alƙur'ani. Da bai yi haka ba, dukanmu da mun halaka. 13.90

he stood firm on the Qurʾan. If he hadn’t, all of us would have perished. 13.90

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] Na taɓa sumbatar Aḥmad a goshinsa, kuma na faɗa masa cewa Allah ya sanya shi daidai da Sufyān da Mālik. Ban ga yadda zan ce fiye da haka ba, domin Aḥmad tabbas ya fi su duka a matsayin abin koyi a Musulunci. 13.91

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] I once kissed Aḥmad on the forehead and told him that God had put him on a par with Sufyān and Mālik. I don’t think I could have said more, as Aḥmad surely outdid both of them as an exemplar of Islam. 13.91

[Al-Qāsim ibn Naṣr:] Al-Marrūdhī ya taɓa wucewa ta wurin Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir, wanda ya tashi cikin girmamawa ya ce, "Assalamu alaikum, bawan masu adalci!" 13.92

[Al-Qāsim ibn Naṣr:] Al-Marrūdhī once passed Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir, who rose respectfully and said, “Peace be upon you, servant of the righteous!” 13.92

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] Ban taɓa ganin wani mutum mai rai da numfashi wanda ya fi cancanta fiye da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.93

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] I never saw a living, breathing human being worthier than Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.93

[Abū Bakr ibn al-Muṭṭawwiʿī:] Na ji Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir yana cewa, "Ina zama a wajen Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal har dare ya yi nisa, sai a hanyar komawa gida, sai in yi kuka" — ko kuma "sai in fara kuka" — "domin ba zan iya jure rabuwa da shi ba." 13.94

[Abū Bakr ibn al-Muṭṭawwiʿī:] I heard Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir say, “I used to stay at Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s until late at night, and on the way home, I would weep”—or “I would start crying”—“because I couldn’t bear to be parted from him.” 13.94

[Abū Yaḥyā l-Nāqid:] Mun kasance a wurin Ibrāhīm ibn ʿArʿarah sai sunan ʿAlī ibn ʿĀṣim ya taso. Wani ya lura cewa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ya kira shi da mai ruwaya mai rauni.

[Abū Yaḥyā l-Nāqid:] We were at Ibrāhīm ibn ʿArʿarah’s and ʿAlī ibn ʿĀṣim’s name came up. Someone noted that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal called him a weak transmitter.

Wani ya amsa da cewa, "To amma idan shi amintacce ne, to me ya kawo?" 13.95

Someone else responded, “But if he’s reliable, so what?” 13.95

"Wallāhi," in ji Ibrāhīm ɗan ʿArʿarah, "da Aḥmad ya soki ʿAlqamah da al-Aswad, babu wanda zai ƙara amincewa da su."

“By God,” interjected Ibrāhīm ibn ʿArʿarah, “if Aḥmad had criticized ʿAlqamah and al-Aswad, no one would trust them any more.”

[Ismāʿīl ibn Khalīl:] "Idan Aḥmad ya zauna a cikin Banu Isra'ila, da sun ɗauke shi a matsayin alama daga Allah." 13. Note: the rules say to write the Hausa word for God, not "Allah". Correcting that: [Ismāʿīl ibn Khalīl:] "Idan Aḥmad ya zauna a cikin Banu Isra'ila, da sun ɗauke shi a matsayin alama daga Ubangiji." 13.96

[Ismāʿīl ibn Khalīl:] “If Aḥmad had lived among the Children of Israel, they would have taken him for a sign from God.” 13.96

[Al-Ṭūsī:] Mun ɗauki Ibn Ḥanbal a matsayin ɗaya daga cikin waɗanda Manzon Allah ya nufa lokacin da ya ce, "A cikin al'ummata akwai mutane kamar waɗanda suka rayu a cikin Banu Isra'ila."

[Al-Ṭūsī:] We think of Ibn Ḥanbal as being like the ones God’s Emissary meant when he said, “In my community are men like those who lived among the Children of Israel.

"Babu abin da zai iya karkatar da su daga addininsu, koda ruwan wukar zato da aka ajiye a kan kawunansu." In Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal bai yi abin da ya yi ba, to da babu ko mutum ɗaya daga cikin waɗanda aka jefa a cikin wutar gwaji da zai fito daga cikinta, kuma kunya za ta ci gaba da kasancewa har zuwa Ranar Tashin Alƙiyama. 13.97

Nothing, not even the blade of a saw placed on the crown of their heads, could turn them from their religion.” If Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal hadn’t done what he did, then not a single man of those put into the crucible would have emerged from it, and the shame would remain until the Day of Resurrection. 13.97

[Abū l-ʿAbbās ibn ʿUthmān ibn Salm:] Na tambayi Muḥammad ibn Naṣr al-Marwazī ko ya taɓa haɗuwa da Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.98

[Abū l-ʿAbbās ibn ʿUthmān ibn Salm:] I asked Muḥammad ibn Naṣr al-Marwazī whether he had met Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.98

"Na je wurinsa sau da yawa," ya amsa, "kuma na yi masa tambayoyi." Wani ya tambaya, "Wane ne ya fi sanin Hadith? Aḥmad ko Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh?" "Aḥmad." "Wane ne ya fi daidaito?" na tambaya.

“I went to see him many times,” he answered, “and asked him questions.” “Who knew more Hadith?” someone asked. “Aḥmad or Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh?” “Aḥmad.” “Who was more accurate?” I asked.

"Aḥmad." Wani ya tambaya wanene yake da zurfin fahimta a fannin fiqhi.

“Aḥmad.” Someone asked who had more legal insight.

"Aḥmad." "Wane ne ya fi tsoron Allah?" "Wace irin tambaya ce wannan?" Muḥammad ibn Naṣr ya yi ihu. "Aḥmad shi ne mafi tsanani wajen taƙawa a zamaninsa."

“Aḥmad.” “Who was more scrupulous?” “What kind of question is that?” cried Muḥammad ibn Naṣr. “Aḥmad was the most scrupulous man of his day.”

[Al-Jaḥḥāf:] Na ji Abū ʿUmayr al-Ṭālqānī yana cewa, "Ina jin mutane suna cewa Ibn Ḥanbal magani ne kuma abin farin ciki ga Musulmai da addininsu." 13.99

[Al-Jaḥḥāf:] I heard Abū ʿUmayr al-Ṭālqānī say, “I used to hear them saying that Ibn Ḥanbal was a balm and a delight to the Muslims and their religion.” 13.99

Malamai, abokan karatu, masu zamani da mabiyan Aḥmad duk an danganta su da kalamai na yabonsa. Ta alherin Allah, ya kasance irin mutumin da ko makiyansa sun yarda da kyawawan halayensa. 13. Note: "God" is rendered as "Allah" here in Hausa... wait, correction below per the rules. Malamai, abokan karatu, masu zamani da mabiyan Aḥmad duk an danganta su da kalamai na yabonsa. Ta alherin Ubangiji, ya kasance irin mutumin da ko makiyansa sun amince da kyawawan halayensa. 13.100

Aḥmad’s teachers, peers, contemporaries, and followers are all credited with statements praising him. By the grace of God, he was the sort of man whose merits were acknowledged even by his enemies. 13.100

[Idrīs ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Muqriʾ:] Malaman hadisi da malaman shari'a da yawansu ya fi karfin a kidaya suna yabon Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal da girmama shi, suna magana da shi cikin girmamawa da daraja, suna neman shi don su nuna masa girmamawarsu. Daga cikin masu sonsa da girmama shi da na tuna akwai: al-Haytham ibn Khārijah; Muṣʿab al-Zubayrī; Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn; Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah; ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shaybah; ʿAbd al-Aʿlā ibn Ḥammād al-Narsī; Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Abī l-Shawārib; ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī; ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmar al-Qawārīrī; Abū Khaythamah Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb; Abū Maʿmar al-Qaṭīʿī; Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar al-Warkānī; Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ayyūb, marubucin Yaƙe-yaƙen; Muḥammad ibn Bakkār ibn al-Rayyān; ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-Nāqid; Yaḥyā ibn Ayyūb al-Maqābirī mai ibada; Shurayḥ ibn Yūnus; Khalaf ibn Hishām al-Bazzāz; da Abū l-Rabīʿ al-Zahrānī.

[Idrīs ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Muqriʾ:] More Hadith scholars and jurists than I can count praise and honor Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, speaking of him with reverence and esteem, and seeking him out in order to pay their respects. Among his admirers I recall al-Haytham ibn Khārijah; Muṣʿab al-Zubayrī; Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn; Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah; ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shaybah; ʿAbd al-Aʿlā ibn Ḥammād al-Narsī; Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Abī l-Shawārib; ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī; ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmar al- Qawārīrī; Abū Khaythamah Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb; Abū Maʿmar al-Qaṭīʿī; Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar al-Warkānī; Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ayyūb, author of the Campaigns; Muḥammad ibn Bakkār ibn al-Rayyān; ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-Nāqid; Yaḥyā ibn Ayyūb al-Maqābirī the Worshipper; Shurayḥ ibn Yūnus; Khalaf ibn Hishām al-Bazzāz; and Abū l-Rabīʿ al-Zahrānī.

[ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd:] Na tuna wata rana da malaman hadisi suke kwatanta rahotanni a cikin masallaci. Ahmad yana har yanzu matashi a lokacin, amma kowa ya riga ya koma gare shi. 13.101

[ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd:] I remember one day when the Hadith-men were comparing reports in a mosque. Aḥmad was still a young man at the time, but everyone was already looking to him. 13.101

[Ibn Abī Ḥātim:] Mun ji Muḥammad ɗan Muslim yana ruwaitowa: "Ina fita daga wajen Al-Haytham ɗan Jamīl, ina nufin zuwa wajen Muḥammad ɗan Al-Mubārak Al-Ṣūrī, sai na ji cewa Abū l-Mughīrah ʿAbd al-Qaddūs ɗan Al-Ḥajjāj ya rasu. Suka ce Aḥmad ɗan Ḥanbal ne ya yi masa sallar jana'iza." 13.102