[Al-Mukharrimī:] Idan ka ji wani mutum yana zagin Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, to ka sani mabin kirki ne: mai bidi'a ne. 97.1

[Al-Mukharrimī:] If you hear a man slander Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, you know he’s an innovator. 97.1

[Nu'aym ibn Hammad:] Idan ka ji wani dan Iraki yana sukan Ahmad ibn Hanbal, ka yi shakka game da addininsa, haka kuma idan ka ji wani dan Khurasan yana sukan Ishaq ibn Rahawayh. 97.2

[Nuʿaym ibn Ḥammād:] If you hear an Iraqi criticize Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, doubt his religion, and do the same if you hear a Khurasani criticize Isḥāq ibn Rāhāwayh. 97.2

[Abū Zur'ah:] Idan ka ji wani mutumin Kufa yana sukar Sufyān al-Thawrī ko Zā'idah, to ka tabbata shi Rafidi ne. Idan ka ji wani mutumin Sham yana sukar Makhūl ko al-Awzā'ī, to ka tabbata shi mai ƙin ʿAlī ne. Idan ka ji wani mutumin Basra yana sukar Ayyūb al-Sakhtiyānī ko Ibn ʿAwn, to ka tabbata shi mai goyon bayan 'yancin zaɓi ne (al-Qadariyya). Idan ka ji wani mutumin Khurasan yana sukar ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak, to ka tabbata shi Murji'i ne. Kuma ya kamata ka sani cewa dukan waɗannan ƙungiyoyi suna da abu ɗaya a tsakaninsu: suna ƙin Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, domin ya yi musu raunuka masu kisa, dukansu. 97.3

[Abū Zurʿah:] If you hear a Kufan attack Sufyān al-Thawrī or Zāʾidah, you can be sure he’s a Rejectionist. If you hear a Syrian attack Makḥūl or al-Awzāʿī, you can be sure he’s an ʿAlī-hater. If you hear a Basran attack Ayyūb al-Sakhtiyānī or Ibn ʿAwn, you can be sure he’s an advocate of free will. If you hear a Khurasani attack ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak, you can be sure he’s a Postponer. And you should also know that all those sects have one thing in common: they hate Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal because he’s inflicted mortal wounds on them all. 97.3

[Al-Ṣāghānī:] Lokacin farko da na fahimci cewa Allah bai ƙara yarda da Isḥāq ibn Abī Isrāʾīl ba, shi ne lokacin da na ji shi yana cewa: "Wasu mutane da suke ɗaukar kansu na musamman saboda sun ji hadisai daga Ibrāhīm ibn Saʿd," yana nufin Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Dalilin fushinsa shi ne cewa Allah ya bar shi cikin rashin sani, yayin da ya sa Ibn Ḥanbal ya shahara. 97.4

[Al-Ṣāghānī:] The first time I realized that God no longer favored Isḥāq ibn Abī Isrāʾīl was when I heard him refer to “some people who claim to be special because they’ve heard reports from Ibrāhīm ibn Saʿd,” alluding to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. The reason for his resentment was that God had left him in obscurity while making Ibn Ḥanbal famous. 97.4

Al-Dawraqī: Idan ka ji wani yana zagin Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, to ka yi shakka game da Musuluncinsa. 97.5

[Al-Dawraqī:] If you hear anyone speak ill of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, doubt his Islam. 97.5

[Sufyān ibn Wakīʿ:] Mun ɗauki Aḥmad a matsayin ma'auni: duk wanda ya sami laifi a gare shi, to, a wurinmu mai zunubi ne. 97.6

[Sufyān ibn Wakīʿ:] We think of Aḥmad as the standard: anyone who finds fault with him is a sinner to us. 97.6

Aḥmad shi ne jarrabawar da ke raba Musulmi da ’yan bidi’a. 97.7

[Al-Hamadhānī:] Aḥmad is the test that separates Muslims from heretics. 97.7

[Al-Ṣāʾigh:] Duk lokacin da na haɗu da wani mai ilimin Hadisi da ban san shi ba, ina tabbatar da na ambaci Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Idan mutumin ya yi magana a kansa da farin ciki, sai in sani cewa yana cikin kyakkyawan hali. Idan kuwa bai ce komai ba, sai in sani cewa ba shi da kyau. 97.8

[Al-Ṣāʾigh:] Whenever I meet a Hadith-man I don’t know I make sure to bring up Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. If the man speaks of him with enthusiasm I know he’s all right. If he says nothing I know he’s no good. 97.8

[Abū Jaʿfar:] Ibn A'yan ya karanta wadannan ayoyi game da Ahmad ibn Hanbal: 97.9

[Abū Jaʿfar:] Ibn Aʿyan recited these verses about Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: 97.9

Don'a sanin wanda yake riƙe da addini da ƙarfi, akwai gwaji ɗaya da yake mabuɗi.

To know who holds religion firm One test is the key:

Duk mutumin da ya yi magana mara kyau game da Aḥmad ya amince da cewa yana da bidi'a.529

A man who speaks of Aḥmad ill Admits to heresy.529

[Al-Karābīsī:] Mutanen da ke bin Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal kamar sun je Dutsen Abū Qubays ne, suna ƙoƙarin ruguza shi da takalmansu. 97.10

[Al-Karābīsī:] People who go after Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal might as well go up to Mount Abū Qubays and try to knock it down with their sandals. 97.10