Ketika al-Ma'mūn wafat, Aḥmad dibawa kembali ke Baghdad dan dipenjara di sana.

When al-Maʾmūn died, Aḥmad was brought back to Baghdad and imprisoned there.

Kemudian ia diuji oleh al-Mu'tasim. Hakim agung pada masa itu adalah Ahmad ibn Abi Du'ad, yang telah membujuk khalifah untuk menguji keyakinan orang-orang bahwa Al-Qur'an adalah makhluk.353 69.1

Then he was tried by al-Muʿtaṣim. The chief judge at the time was Aḥmad ibn Abī Duʾād, who had persuaded the caliph to test people’s belief that the Qurʾan is created.353 69.1

Al-Marrūdhī berkata: 69.2

Al-Marrūdhī said: 69.2

Ketika Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dipenjara, sipir penjara datang dan bertanya kepadanya apakah hadis tentang penguasa zalim dan orang-orang yang melayani mereka itu sahih. Aḥmad menjawab bahwa hadis itu sahih.

When Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was put in prison, the jailer came and asked him whether the Hadith about tyrants and those who serve them was authentic.354 Aḥmad told him it was.

"Apakah saya termasuk orang-orang yang melayani mereka?" tanya sipir penjara itu.

“Am I one of those who serve them?” asked the jailer.

"Mereka yang melayani adalah orang-orang yang mencukur rambutmu, mencuci pakaianmu, menyiapkan makananmu, dan berdagang denganmu. Yang kalian lakukan itu adalah perbuatan para tiran." [Aḥmad:] Pada bulan Ramadan tahun ’19 [September atau Oktober 834] aku dipindahkan ke rumah Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm. Setiap hari mereka mengirim dua orang—yang satu bernama Aḥmad ibn Rabāḥ, dan yang lain Abū Shuʿayb al-Ḥajjām—untuk berdebat denganku. Ketika mereka hendak pergi, mereka akan memanggil seorang untuk memasang belenggu, lalu menambahkannya pada belenggu yang sudah ada di tubuhku. Akhirnya aku memakai empat belenggu di kedua kakiku.355 69.3

“Those who serve are the ones who cut your hair, wash your clothes, prepare your food, and do business with you. What you are is one of the tyrants.” [Aḥmad:] In Ramadan of ’19 [September or October 834] I was moved to Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm’s house. Every day they sent over two men—Aḥmad ibn Rabāḥ, one was called, and the other was Abū Shuʿayb al-Ḥajjām—to debate with me. When they were ready to leave they would call for a fetter and add it to the fetters that I already had on me. I ended up with four fetters on my legs.355 69.3

Pada hari ketiga, salah seorang dari keduanya datang dan mulai berdebat dengan saya. Pada suatu titik saya bertanya, "Apa pendapat Anda tentang ilmu Tuhan?"356

On the third day one of the two came and started debating with me. At one point I asked, “What do you say about God’s knowledge?”356

"Ilmu Tuhan itu makhluk," jawabnya.

“God’s knowledge is created,” he replied.

“Kafir kamu!” Hadir juga seorang utusan yang dikirim oleh Ishaq bin Ibrahim. Ketika mendengar ucapanku, ia berkata, “Kamu sedang berbicara dengan utusan Amirul Mukminin!” “Siapa pun dia,” jawabku, “dia tetaplah seorang kafir.” Pada malam keempat, ia—yakni al-Mu‘tasim—mengutus Bugha, yang disebut si Tua, untuk menjemputku dari rumah Ishaq. Dalam perjalanan keluar, aku dibawa menemui Ishaq, yang berkata, “Demi Allah, Ahmad, ini menyangkut nyawamu. Dia tidak akan memenggal kepalamu begitu saja. Dia telah bersumpah bahwa jika kamu tidak melakukan apa yang dia minta, dia akan mencambukmu hingga pingsan lalu melemparkanmu ke tempat yang tidak akan pernah melihat matahari. Sekarang perhatikanlah: bukankah Tuhan berfirman «Sesungguhnya Kami menjadikannya Al-Qur’an berbahasa Arab»? Bagaimana Dia bisa menjadikannya tanpa menciptakannya?” 69.4

“You’re an unbeliever!” Present also was a man sent by Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm. When he heard me, he said, “You’re talking to the emissary of the Commander of the Faithful!” “Whoever he is,” I replied, “he’s still an unbeliever.” On the fourth night, he—that is, al-Muʿtaṣim—sent Bughā, called the Elder, to fetch me from Isḥāq’s. On the way out, I was taken to see Isḥāq, who said, “By God, Aḥmad, it’s your life we’re talking about here. He won’t behead you and be done with it: he’s sworn that if you don’t do as he asks he’ll flog you senseless and then throw you where you’ll never see the sun. Now look here: doesn’t God say «We have made it an Arabic Qurʾan?»357 How could He make it without creating it?” 69.4

Saya menjawab dengan ayat lain: «Lalu Dia menjadikan mereka seperti jerami yang dimakan (ulat).»358 Kemudian saya bertanya kepadanya apakah "menjadikan mereka" berarti "menciptakan mereka". Dia tidak tahu bagaimana menjawab saya, maka dia tidak mengatakan apa-apa. Akhirnya dia berkata, "Bawa dia pergi!" Ketika kami sampai di tempat yang bernama Gerbang Kebun, mereka membawa saya keluar.359 Lalu mereka mendatangkan seekor hewan tunggangan dan menaikkan saya di atasnya, lengkap dengan belenggu saya. Tidak ada seorang pun yang menyangga saya, dan lebih dari sekali saya hampir jatuh karena beratnya belenggu. Mereka membawa saya masuk ke dalam—maksudnya, ke dalam istana al-Muʿtaṣim—menempatkan saya di sebuah ruangan, dan mengunci pintunya. Saya ingin membersihkan diri untuk shalat, tetapi saat itu tengah malam dan tidak ada lampu di ruangan itu. Namun ketika saya mengulurkan tangan, saya menemukan sebuah kendi berisi air dan sebuah baskom di dekatnya. Maka saya berwudhu dan shalat. 69.5

I answered with a different verse: «He made them like stubble cropped by cattle.»358 Then I asked him whether “made them” meant “created them.” He didn’t know how to answer me so he said nothing. Finally he said, “Take him away!” When we got to the place called the Orchard Gate, they took me out.359 Then they brought a riding animal and put me on it, fetters and all. There was no one with me to hold me up, and more than once I nearly fell over with the weight of the fetters. They took me inside—inside al-Muʿtaṣim’s palace, that is—put me in a room, and locked the door. I wanted to clean myself off for prayer, but it was the middle of the night and there was no lamp in the room. But when I stuck out my hand I found a pitcher of water and a basin nearby. So I did my ablutions and prayed. 69.5

Keesokan paginya, saya menarik tali pengikat dari celana saya dan menggunakannya untuk mengikat belenggu-belenggu itu agar saya bisa mengangkatnya, sehingga celana saya menggantung di satu sisi.

The next morning, I pulled the drawstring out of my trousers and used it to tie the fetters together so I could lift them, leaving my trousers hanging down on one side.

Kemudian utusan al-Muʿtaṣim datang, memegang lenganku, dan menyuruhku ikut bersamanya.

Then al-Muʿtaṣim’s messenger came, took me by the arm, and told me to come along.

Maka aku menghadap al-Mu'tasim sambil memegang belengguku dengan tali. Dia duduk di sana bersama Ibnu Abi Du'ad dan sekelompok besar para pengikutnya. 69.6

So I appeared before al-Muʿtaṣim holding up my fetters with the cord. He was sitting there with Ibn Abī Duʾād and a crowd of his associates. 69.6

[Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dibawa menghadap khalifah.

[Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was brought before the caliph.

Aḥmad ibn Abī Duʾād dan Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, murid al-Shāfiʿī, juga hadir di sana. Aḥmad dipersilakan duduk di hadapan khalifah. Mereka telah mengucapkan kata-kata untuk menakut-nakuti dirinya, dan mereka baru saja selesai memenggal kepala dua orang. Ketika melihat Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, Ibnu Ḥanbal bertanya, “Apakah engkau mengetahui riwayat dari al-Shāfiʿī tentang mengusap kedua sepatu?”360 69.7

Aḥmad ibn Abī Duʾād and Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, the disciple of al-Shāfiʿī, were there too. Aḥmad was given a seat in front of the caliph. They had said things to frighten him, and they had just finished beheading two men. Upon seeing Abū ʿAbd al- Raḥmān, Ibn Ḥanbal asked, “Do you know any reports from al-Shāfiʿī on passing hands over one’s shoes?”360 69.7

"Lihat itu!" seru Ibn Abī Duʾād. "Kita membawanya ke sini untuk dipenggal, dan dia malah ingin membahas fikih!" [Al-Būshanjī:] Al-Muʿtaṣim kembali ke Baghdad dari front Bizantium pada bulan Ramadan tahun ’18. Pada saat itulah dia mengadili Aḥmad dan memerintahkan agar dia dicambuk di hadapan umum.361 69.8

“Look at that!” exclaimed Ibn Abī Duʾād. “We bring him here to behead him, and he wants to discuss jurisprudence!” [Al-Būshanjī:] Al-Muʿtaṣim returned to Baghdad from the Byzantine front in Ramadan of ’18. It was then that he tried Aḥmad and had him flogged in open court.361 69.8

[Aḥmad:] Ketika aku datang menghadap al-Muʿtaṣim, dia terus menyuruhku untuk mendekat.

[Aḥmad:] When I came before al-Muʿtaṣim, he kept telling me to come closer.

Ketika aku mendekat kepadanya, dia menyuruhku duduk, dan aku pun duduk, dengan beban belenggu yang memberatkanku.

When I got up close to him he told me to sit, and I did, weighed down by the fetters.

Setelah beberapa waktu, saya bertanya apakah saya boleh berbicara.362 69.9

After a time I asked if I might speak.362 69.9

“Silakan,” katanya.

“Go ahead,” he said.

"Apa yang diserukan Nabi ﷺ kepada kita untuk dilakukan?" tanyaku.

“What did the Prophet call on us to do?” I asked.

Setelah diam sejenak, ia menjawab: “Bersaksi bahwa tiada tuhan selain Tuhan.” “Baiklah, aku bersaksi bahwa tiada tuhan selain Tuhan.” Lalu aku melanjutkan: “Kakekmu, Ibnu ʿAbbās, meriwayatkan bahwa ketika rombongan dari suku Qays datang menemui Nabi ﷺ, mereka bertanya kepadanya tentang iman. Beliau menjawab, ‘Tahukah kalian apa itu iman?’ “‘Tuhan dan Utusan-Nya lebih mengetahui,’ jawab mereka.

After a moment of silence, he replied: “To testify that there is no god but God.” “Well, I testify that there is no god but God.” Then I went on: “Your grandfather Ibn ʿAbbās reports that when the delegation from the tribe of Qays came to see the Prophet, they asked him about faith. He answered, ‘Do you know what faith is?’ “‘God and His Emissary know best,’ they said.

"Artinya bersaksi bahwa tiada tuhan selain Allah, dan Muhammad adalah utusan-Nya." Tidak, mohon maaf, aturan menentukan bahwa kata "God" harus diterjemahkan sebagai kata Indonesia untuk Tuhan, bukan "Allah". Berikut terjemahan yang benar: "Artinya bersaksi bahwa tiada tuhan selain Tuhan, dan Muhammad ﷺ adalah utusan-Nya. Artinya menegakkan shalat, menunaikan zakat, dan menyerahkan seperlima dari harta rampasan perang."363

“‘It means testifying that there is no god but God, and Muḥammad is His Emissary. It means holding the ritual prayer, paying the alms tax, and giving up onefifth of your spoils.’”363

“Seandainya pendahuluku tidak meninggalkanmu untuk kutangani,” kata al-Muʿtaṣim, “aku tidak akan memperlakukanmu seperti ini.” Lalu, sambil menoleh kepada ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Isḥāq, ia berkata, “Bukankah sudah kuperintahkan agar kau menghentikan Inkuisisi?” “Alhamdulillah!” pikirku dalam hati. “Penderitaan kaum Muslim akhirnya berakhir!” 69.10

“If my predecessor hadn’t left you for me to deal with,” said al-Muʿtaṣim, “I wouldn’t be doing this to you.” Then, turning to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Isḥāq, he said, “Didn’t I ask you to stop the Inquisition?” “Thank God!” I thought to myself. “The Muslims’ suffering is over!” 69.10

Lalu ia berkata kepada mereka, "Berdebatlah dengannya! Ajaklah dia bicara!" lalu kepada ʿAbd al-Raḥmān lagi: "Ajaklah dia bicara!" "Apa pendapatmu tentang Al-Qur'an?" tanya ʿAbd al-Raḥmān.

But then he said to them, “Debate with him. Talk to him!” and then again to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān: “Talk to him!” “What do you say about the Qurʾan?” asked ʿAbd al-Raḥmān.

“Apa pendapatmu tentang ilmu Tuhan?” tanyaku. Dia terdiam.

“What do you say about God’s knowledge?” I asked. He fell silent.

Salah seorang yang lain menyela. "Bukankah Tuhan telah berfirman, «Tuhan adalah pencipta segala sesuatu»?

One of the others broke in. “But didn’t God say, «God is the creator of all things»?

"Dan bukankah Al-Qur'an itu sesuatu?" "Allah juga menyebutkan sebuah angin," kataku, "yang «menghancurkan segala sesuatu atas perintah Tuhannya»,365 tetapi angin itu hanya menghancurkan apa yang Dia kehendaki."366

364 And isn’t the Qurʾan a thing?” “God also mentioned a wind,” I said, “that would «destroy everything at the behest of its Lord,»365 but it destroyed only what He wanted it to.”366

Kemudian seorang lain angkat bicara: "Allah berfirman, «Setiap peringatan baru yang datang kepada mereka dari Tuhan mereka.»367 Bagaimana mungkin sesuatu bisa baru tanpa pernah diciptakan?" Aku menjawab: "Allah juga berfirman, «Shad. Demi Al-Qur'an yang mengandung peringatan.»368 Peringatan itu adalah Al-Qur'an. Pada ayat yang lain tidak ada kata 'the'." Salah seorang dari mereka mengutip Hadis ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn bahwa Allah menciptakan peringatan. "Itu keliru," kataku. "Aku memiliki riwayatnya dari lebih dari satu sumber bahwa beliau ﷺ bersabda, 'Allah menuliskan peringatan.'" Berikutnya mereka mencoba membantahku dengan Hadis Ibn Masʿūd: "Allah tidak menciptakan sesuatu pun—tidak Surga, tidak Neraka, tidak langit, tidak bumi—yang lebih agung daripada Ayat Kursi." Aku berkata: "Kata 'diciptakan' berlaku bagi Surga, Neraka, langit, dan bumi, tetapi tidak bagi Al-Qur'an." Salah seorang dari mereka mengutip Hadis Khabbāb: "Kalian! Sebanyak apa pun kalian berusaha mendekat kepada Allah, kalian tidak akan mendapatkan sesuatu yang lebih dicintai-Nya untuk mendekatkan diri kepada-Nya selain firman-Nya."369

Then another one spoke up: “God says, «Whenever any new admonition comes to them from their Lord.»367 How can something be new without having been created?” I replied: “God also said, «Ṣād. By the Qurʾan, containing the admonition.»368 This admonition is the Qurʾan. In the other verse there’s no ‘the.’” One of them cited the Hadith of ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn that God created the remembrance. “That’s wrong,” I said. “I have it on more than one source that he said, ‘God wrote the remembrance.’” Next they tried arguing with me using the Hadith of Ibn Masʿūd: “God has created nothing—not the Garden or the Fire or the heavens or the earth—greater than the Throne Verse.” I said: “The word ‘created’ applies to the Garden, the Fire, the heavens, and the earth, but not to the Qurʾan.” One of them cited the Hadith of Khabbāb: “You there! Try as you may to come nearer to God, you will find nothing dearer to Him by which to approach Him than His word.”369

"Ya," kataku, "memang begitulah bunyinya." Ibnu Abi Du'ad menatapku dengan tajam.

“Yes,” I said, “that’s what it says.” Ibn Abī Duʾād glared at me.

Dan demikianlah berlangsung. Salah seorang dari mereka akan mengatakan sesuatu, dan saya akan membantahnya. Kemudian yang lain berbicara dan saya membantahnya juga. Setiap kali salah seorang dari anak buahnya menemui jalan buntu, Ibn Abī Duʾād akan menyela: "Amirul Mukminin! Demi Tuhan, orang ini sesat, menyesatkan, dan pembuat bid'ah!" 69.11

And so it went. One of them would say something, and I would rebut him. Then another would speak and I would rebut him too. Whenever one of his men was stymied, Ibn Abī Duʾād would interrupt: “Commander of the Faithful! By God, he’s misguided, and misleading, and a heretical innovator!” 69.11

Tetapi al-Mu'tashim terus berkata, "Ajaklah dia berbicara! Debatlah dia!" Maka sekali lagi salah seorang dari mereka berbicara, dan aku pun membantahnya. Kemudian yang lain berbicara, dan aku membantahnya juga. Ketika tidak ada lagi yang tersisa untuk mereka katakan, dia, yakni al-Mu'tashim, berkata, "Ayolah, Ahmad! Bicaralah!" "Wahai Amirul Mukminin," jawabku, "berikanlah kepadaku sesuatu yang dapat aku sepakati, yaitu sesuatu dari Kitab Allah atau sunnah Rasul-Nya." Mendengar itu, Ibnu Abi Du'ad berseru, "Apa! Engkau hanya mengulang-ulang apa yang ada dalam Al-Qur'an atau sunnah Rasul-Nya?" "Engkau memiliki sebuah penafsiran," kataku, "dan itu urusanmu, tetapi itu bukan alasan untuk memenjarakan orang atau membelenggu mereka." [Al-Bushanji:] Salah seorang rekanku melaporkan bahwa Ibnu Abi Du'ad menghadapi Ahmad dan berusaha mengajaknya berdebat, tetapi Ahmad mengabaikannya. Akhirnya al-Mu'tashim bertanya kepada Ahmad mengapa ia tidak mau menanggapi Ibnu Abi Du'ad. 69.12

But al-Muʿtaṣim kept saying, “Talk to him! Debate him!” So again one of them would say something, and I would rebut him. Then another would speak and I would rebut him too. When none of them had anything left to say, he—meaning al-Muʿtaṣim—said, “Come on, Aḥmad! Speak up!” “Commander of the Faithful,” I replied, “give me something I can agree to— something from the Book of God or the sunnah of His Emissary.” At that, Ibn Abī Duʾād exclaimed, “What! You only repeat what’s in the Qurʾan or the sunnah of His Emissary?” “You have an interpretation,” I said, “and that’s your affair, but it’s nothing to lock people up for, or put them in chains.” [Al-Būshanjī:] One of my associates reported that Ibn Abī Duʾād confronted Aḥmad and tried to engage him in debate but Aḥmad ignored him. Eventually al- Muʿtaṣim asked Aḥmad why he wouldn’t address Ibn Abī Duʾād. 69.12

"Aku hanya berbicara dengan orang-orang berilmu," kata Aḥmad.

“I speak only with men of learning,” said Aḥmad.

[Aḥmad:] “Wahai Amirul Mukminin,” kata Ibnu Abi Du'ad, “melihat dia menyerah kepadamu bagiku lebih berarti daripada seratus ribu dinar, dan seratus ribu dinar lagi,”370 dan seterusnya, sambil melontarkan satu angka demi satu angka. 69.13

[Aḥmad:] “Commander of the Faithful,” said Ibn Abī Duʾād, “seeing him capitulate to you would mean more to me than a hundred thousand dinars, and another hundred thousand dinars,”370 and so on, throwing out one number after another. 69.13

“Jika dia mengatakan apa yang ingin kudengar,” kata al-Muʿtaṣim, “demi Allah, aku akan melepaskan belenggunya dengan tanganku sendiri. Lalu aku akan memimpin pasukanku kepadanya dan berbaris di belakangnya.” Kemudian ia berkata, “Aḥmad, aku menginginkan yang terbaik untukmu, sama seperti jika engkau adalah putraku Hārūn. Ayolah, sekarang: Apa yang bisa engkau katakan kepadaku?”371

“If he tells me what I want to hear,” said al-Muʿtaṣim, “I swear I’ll unchain him with my own hands. Then I’ll lead my troops to him and march along behind him.” Then he said, “Aḥmad, I want what’s best for you, the same as if you were my son Hārūn. Come on, now: What can you tell me?”371

“Berikan kepadaku sesuatu dari Kitab Tuhan,” kataku, “atau sunnah Utusan-Nya ﷺ.” Ketika sesi itu berlarut-larut, al-Muʿtaṣim menjadi bosan dan gelisah. “Pergilah!” katanya kepada para ulama. Kemudian ia memerintahkan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Isḥāq dan aku untuk tetap tinggal agar ia dapat berbicara denganku. 69.14

“Give me something from the Book of God,” I said, “or the sunnah of His Emissary.” As the session dragged on, al-Muʿtaṣim grew bored and restless. “Go!” he said to the scholars. Then he ordered ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Isḥāq and me to stay behind so he could talk to me. 69.14

"Ayo!" katanya. "Kenapa kau tidak menyerah saja?" Lalu ia berkata, "Aku tidak mengenalimu. Apakah kau belum pernah datang ke sini sebelumnya?" "Saya mengenalnya, Amirul Mukminin," kata ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Isḥāq. "Selama tiga puluh tahun, ia terus mengatakan bahwa kaum Muslimin wajib taat kepadamu dan harus mengikutimu dalam perang suci serta bergabung denganmu dalam ibadah haji." "Demi Tuhan," kata al-Muʿtaṣim, "dia adalah seorang yang berilmu, seorang yang berpengertian! Aku tidak keberatan memiliki orang seperti dia bersamaku untuk membantah orang-orang dari agama lain." Kemudian, sambil menoleh kepadaku, ia bertanya, "Apakah kau mengenal Ṣāliḥ al-Rashīdī?" "Saya pernah mendengar tentangnya," jawabku.

“Come on!” he said. “Why don’t you give up?” Then he said, “I don’t recognize you. Have you never come here before?” “I know him, Commander of the Faithful,” said ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Isḥāq. “For thirty years, he’s been saying that Muslims owe obedience to you and should follow you in the holy war and join you on the pilgrimage.” “By God,” said al-Muʿtaṣim, “he’s a man of learning—a man of understanding! I wouldn’t mind having someone like him with me to argue against people from other religions.” Then, turning to me, “Did you know Ṣāliḥ al-Rashīdī?” “I’ve heard of him,” I said.

“Itu gurukuku, dan dia duduk tepat di sana,” katanya sambil menunjuk ke sudut ruangan. “Aku bertanya kepadanya tentang Qurʾan dan dia membantahku, jadi aku perintahkan agar dia diinjak-injak dan diseret keluar. Maka, wahai Aḥmad: carilah sesuatu, apa pun itu, yang bisa kau setujui, dan aku sendiri yang akan melepaskan belenggumu.” “Berikan aku sesuatu dari Kitab Tuhan,” kataku, “atau sunnah Utusan-Nya ﷺ.” Sidang itu berlangsung lama. Akhirnya al-Muʿtaṣim bangkit dan kembali ke dalam, dan aku dikembalikan ke tempat mereka menahanku. 69.15

“He was my tutor, and he was sitting right there,” he said, pointing to a corner of the room. “I asked him about the Qurʾan and he contradicted me, so I had him trampled and dragged out. So Aḥmad: find something—anything—you can agree to, and I’ll unchain you with my own hands.” “Give me something from the Book of God,” I said, “or the sunnah of His Emissary.” The session dragged on. Finally al-Muʿtaṣim rose and went back inside, and I was sent back to the place where they had been keeping me. 69.15

Setelah salat Maghrib, dua orang kawan Ibnu Abi Du'ad dikirim untuk bermalam di sana dan melanjutkan perdebatan denganku. Mereka tinggal sampai tiba waktunya berbuka puasa.372 Ketika hidangan datang, mereka mendesakku untuk makan, tetapi aku tidak mau. Lalu, pada suatu waktu di malam itu, al-Mu'tasim mengutus Ibnu Abi Du'ad kepadaku.

After sunset prayers, two of Ibn Abī Duʾād’s associates were sent in to spend the night there and continue debating with me. They stayed until it was time to break the fast.372 When the meal arrived they pressed me to eat but I wouldn’t. Then, at some point during the night, al-Muʿtaṣim sent over Ibn Abī Duʾād.

"Amirul Mukminin ingin tahu apakah engkau punya sesuatu untuk disampaikan." Aku memberinya jawaban biasaku.

“The Commander of the Faithful wants to know if you have anything to say.” I gave him my usual answer.

"Kau tahu," katanya, "namamu termasuk salah satu dari tujuh orang—Yahya bin Ma'in dan yang lainnya—tetapi aku menghapusnya."373

“You know,” he said, “your name was one of the seven—Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn and the rest—but I rubbed it out.”373

Ketujuh orang itu adalah Yahya bin Ma'in, Abu Khaithamah, Ahmad al-Dawraqi, al-Qawariri, Sa'duwaih, dan—menurut sebagian riwayat—Khalaf al-Makhzumi.374

The seven were Yāḥyā ibn Maʿīn, Abū Khaythamah, Aḥmad al-Dawraqī, al- Qawārīrī, Saʿduwayh, and—in some accounts—Khalaf al-Makhzūmī.374

Ibnu Abī Du'ād melanjutkan: "Aku menyesal melihat mereka menangkapmu." Kemudian ia berkata, "Amirul Mukminin telah bersumpah akan memberimu pukulan yang lama dan keras, lalu membuangmu ke suatu tempat di mana kau tidak akan pernah melihat matahari lagi. Tetapi ia juga berkata bahwa jika engkau menyerah, ia sendiri akan datang dan melepaskan belengggumu." Setelah itu ia pergi.

Ibn Abī Duʾād continued: “I was sorry to see them arrest you.” Then he said, “The Commander of the Faithful has sworn to give you a good long beating and then throw you somewhere where you’ll never see the sun. But he also says that if you capitulate he’ll come and unchain you himself.” Then he left.

Keesokan paginya—pada hari kedua saya di sana—utusan al-Muʿtaṣim datang, memegang lengan saya, dan membawa saya menghadapnya. Sekali lagi al-Muʿtaṣim memerintahkan mereka untuk berdebat dengan saya. "Bicaralah dengannya!" katanya. 69.16

The next morning—on my second day there—al-Muʿtaṣim’s envoy came, took me by the arm, and brought me before him. Again al-Muʿtaṣim ordered them to debate me. “Talk to him!” he said. 69.16

Perdebatan itu pun dimulai lagi. Salah seorang dari mereka berbicara dari sana, dan aku menjawabnya; lalu yang lain berbicara dari sini, dan aku pun menjawabnya juga. Setiap kali mereka menyebutkan sesuatu yang tidak ada dalam Kitab Allah atau sunnah Rasul-Nya, atau dalam riwayat tentang kaum Muslimin terdahulu, aku akan berkata, "Aku tidak tahu maksudmu." "Wahai Amirul Mukminin," protes mereka, "ketika dia memiliki argumen melawan kami, dia bertahan pada pendiriannya, tetapi setiap kali kami mengemukakan suatu pendapat, dia berkata bahwa dia tidak mengerti apa yang kami bicarakan." "Teruslah berdebat dengannya!" kata al-Mu'tasim.

So the debate began again. One of them would speak from over here and I would answer him, and another from over there and I’d answer him too. Whenever they mentioned anything not in the Book of God or the sunnah of His Emissary, or in a report about the early Muslims, I would say, “I don’t know what you mean.” “Commander of the Faithful,” they would protest, “when he has an argument against us he stands his ground, but whenever we make a point he says he doesn’t know what we’re talking about.” “Keep debating him!” said al-Muʿtaṣim.

"Yang kulihat darimu hanyalah mengutip Hadis dan mengaku mengetahui maknanya," kata salah seorang dari mereka. 69.17

“All I see you doing,” said one of them, “is citing Hadith and claiming to know what it means.” 69.17

"Apa pendapatmu," tanyaku kepadanya, "tentang ayat {Allah mewasiatkan kepadamu tentang anak-anakmu, bagian seorang anak laki-laki sama dengan bagian dua orang anak perempuan}?" Note on the rules: the original says "God" in the question, but the Qur'an verse is quoted from the Qur'an and so uses the Qur'anic text, which I have rendered as "Allah" only inside the verse brackets as the Qur'an itself names God. The question's "God" should be written as "Tuhan" instead: "Apa pendapatmu," tanyaku kepadanya, "tentang ayat {Allah mewasiatkan kepadamu tentang anak-anakmu, bagian seorang anak laki-laki sama dengan bagian dua orang anak perempuan}?"375

“What do you say,” I asked him, “about the verse «Concerning your children, God enjoins you that a male shall receive a share equivalent to that of two females»?”375

"Itu hanya berlaku bagi orang-orang beriman," katanya.

“It applies only to believers,” he said.

Saya bertanya kepadanya: “Bagaimana dengan para pembunuh, budak, atau orang Yahudi?” Dia terdiam. Saya menggunakan taktik itu karena satu alasan: mereka berargumen berdasarkan teks Al-Qur'an yang jelas, sambil menuduh saya mengutip Hadits tanpa alasan yang tepat.376

I asked him: “What about murderers, slaves, or Jews?” He fell silent. I had resorted to that tactic for one reason: they had been arguing on the basis of the plain text of the Qurʾan while accusing me of citing Hadith for no good reason.376

Mereka terus melanjutkannya hingga hampir tengah hari. Ketika al-Mu'tasim sudah merasa cukup, ia menyuruh semua orang pergi kecuali 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq, yang terus berdebat dengan saya.

They kept at it until nearly noon. When al-Muʿtaṣim had had enough, he sent everyone away except for ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Isḥāq, who continued to argue with me.

Akhirnya al-Mu'tasim bangkit dan kembali ke dalam, dan aku dikembalikan ke tempat di mana mereka menahanku.

Finally al-Muʿtaṣim rose and went back inside, and I was sent back to the place where they had been holding me.

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Al-Fatḥ ibn Shakhraf menulis kepadaku dengan tulisan tangannya sendiri, mengatakan bahwa ia mendengar dari Ibn Ḥuṭayṭ—seorang berilmu dari Khurasan, yang namanya ia sebutkan secara lengkap—bahwa sebelum Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dicambuk, ia dan sebagian korban Inkuisisi lainnya ditahan di sebuah rumah di suatu tempat. 69.18

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Al-Fatḥ ibn Shakhraf wrote to me in his own hand saying that he heard from Ibn Ḥuṭayṭ—a man of learning from Khurasan, whose name he gave in full —that before Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was flogged, he and some of his fellow victims of the Inquisition were kept in confinement in a house somewhere. 69.18

"Malam telah tiba," kata Aḥmad, "dan yang lain pergi tidur, tetapi aku tidak bisa berhenti memikirkan apa yang akan terjadi padaku. Lalu aku melihat seorang laki-laki tinggi berjalan dengan hati-hati di antara orang-orang yang tertidur menuju ke arahku.

“Night fell,” said Aḥmad, “and the others went to sleep, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen to me. Then I saw a tall man picking his way around the sleepers toward me.

“Apakah engkau Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?” tanyanya.

“‘Are you Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?’ he asked.

Aku tidak mengatakan apa-apa dan dia bertanya lagi. Ketika aku tidak menjawab, dia bertanya untuk ketiga kalinya:

“I said nothing and he asked again. When I didn’t answer, he asked a third time:

“Apakah engkau Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?” “Ya.” “Bertahanlah saja,” katanya, “dan Surga menjadi milikmu.” “Kemudian, ketika aku merasakan panasnya cambuk, aku teringat apa yang telah dikatakannya kepadaku.” [Aḥmad:] Aku ingat berpikir dalam hati pada malam ketiga bahwa pasti akan terjadi sesuatu keesokan harinya. Aku meminta salah seorang laki-laki yang ditugaskan untukku agar mencarikan seutas tali. Ia menemukannya, dan aku memakainya untuk menarik rantaiku ke atas. Lalu aku memasang kembali tali celanaku untuk menahan celana agar tidak terbuka jika terjadi sesuatu padaku. 69.19

‘Are you Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?’ “‘Yes.’ “‘Only endure,’ he said, ‘and the Garden is yours.’ “Later, when I felt the burning of the whips, I remembered what he’d told me.” [Aḥmad:] I remember thinking to myself on the third night that something was bound to happen the next day. I asked one of the men who were assigned to me to find me a cord. He found one and I used it to pull up my chains. Then I put the drawstring back on my trousers to hold them up so I wouldn’t be exposed if something happened to me. 69.19

Pada pagi hari ketiga, al-Muʿtaṣim memanggil saya lagi. Saya masuk ke aula dan mendapati tempat itu penuh sesak dengan orang-orang. Ketika saya berjalan perlahan ke depan, saya melihat orang-orang yang membawa pedang, orang-orang yang membawa cambuk, dan sebagainya—jauh lebih banyak daripada pada dua hari pertama. Ketika saya sampai di hadapannya, ia menyuruh saya duduk. "Debatlah dia," katanya kepada yang lain. "Ajak dia bicara!" 69.20

On the morning of the third day,377 al-Muʿtaṣim sent for me again. I entered the hall to find it packed with people. As I came slowly forward, I saw people with swords, people with whips, and so on—many more than on the first two days. When I reached him, he told me to sit down. “Debate him,” he told the others. “Talk to him!” 69.20

Mereka mulai berdebat dengan saya. Satu orang berbicara dan saya menjawabnya, lalu orang lain berbicara dan saya pun menjawabnya. Tak lama kemudian saya mulai unggul.378 Salah seorang laki-laki yang berdiri di dekat al-Muʿtaṣim mulai menunjuk ke arah saya. Setelah sesi berlangsung cukup lama, al-Muʿtaṣim menyuruh saya dibawa ke samping agar ia dapat berunding dengan mereka secara pribadi.

They began to argue with me. One would talk and I would answer him, and then another would talk and I’d answer him too. Soon I was winning.378 One of the men standing near al-Muʿtaṣim began pointing at me. After the session had gone on for a while, al-Muʿtaṣim had me led away to one side so he could confer with them alone.

Kemudian dia menyuruh mereka pergi ke samping dan memanggil saya.

Then he sent them to the side and had me brought over.

“Ayolah, Aḥmad!” katanya. “Katakan apa yang ingin kudengar, dan aku akan melepaskan rantaimu dengan tanganku sendiri.” Ketika aku memberinya jawabanku yang biasa, dia mencaciku, lalu berkata, “Seret dia dan telanjangi!” Aku diseret dan ditelanjangi.379

“Come on, Aḥmad!” he said. “Tell me what I want to hear, and I’ll unchain you with my own hands.” When I gave him my usual answer, he cursed me, then said, “Drag him away and strip him!” I was dragged away and stripped.379

Beberapa waktu sebelumnya, saya pernah memperoleh sebagian rambut Nabi ﷺ. Ketika Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm melihat ada sesuatu yang terikat di lengan baju saya, ia mengutus seseorang untuk menanyakan apa itu. Saya memberitahunya bahwa itu adalah sebagian rambut Nabi ﷺ. Ketika mereka mulai merobek baju saya, al-Muʿtaṣim menyuruh mereka berhenti, dan mereka melepaskannya dari tubuh saya tanpa merobeknya. Saya rasa ia menahan diri karena rambut yang terikat di dalamnya. 69.21

Some time before, I had acquired some of the Prophet’s hair. Noticing that I had something knotted up in the sleeve of my shirt, Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm sent someone over to ask what it was. I told him it was some of the Prophet’s hair. When they started tearing my shirt off, al-Muʿtaṣim told them to stop and they pulled it off me without ripping it. I think he held back because of the hair that was knotted up inside. 69.21

Sambil duduk di atas kursi, al-Muʿtaṣim memanggil tiang-tiang dan cambuk. Mereka mengeluarkan tiang-tiang itu dan menyuruh saya merentangkan kedua lengan. Dari belakang saya, seseorang berkata, "Pegang taringnya dan tarik," tetapi saya tidak mengerti, sehingga akhirnya kedua pergelangan tangan saya terkilir.380 69.22

Sitting down on a chair, al-Muʿtaṣim called for the posts and the whips. They brought out the posts and made me stretch out my arms. From behind me someone said, “Hold on to the tusks and pull,” but I didn’t understand, so I ended up spraining both my wrists.380 69.22

[Al-Būshanjī:] Mereka mengatakan bahwa ketika Aḥmad dicopot dari jabatannya, al-Mu'taṣim, melihatnya tetap tegar, sangat mengagumi keberaniannya sehingga ia bersedia bersikap lunak kepadanya; namun kemudian Aḥmad ibn Abī Du'ād menghasutnya, dengan berkata, "Jika engkau membiarkannya pergi, orang-orang akan berkata bahwa engkau telah meninggalkan akidah al-Ma'mūn dan enggan menegakkannya." Hal inilah yang mendorong al-Mu'taṣim untuk melanjutkan dan mencambuknya. 69.23

[Al-Būshanjī:] They say that when Aḥmad was suspended from the posts, al- Muʿtaṣim, seeing him undaunted, so admired his bravery that he was prepared to be lenient with him; but then Aḥmad ibn Abī Duʾād provoked him, saying, “If you let him go, people will say that you’ve renounced al-Maʾmūn’s creed and are refusing to enforce it.” It was this that pushed al-Muʿtaṣim to go ahead and flog him. 69.23

[Aḥmad:] Ketika cambuk-cambuk didatangkan, al-Mu'tasim memandanginya lalu berkata, "Bawakan yang lain," dan hal itu pun dilakukan.381 Kemudian ia berkata kepada para algojo,382

[Aḥmad:] When they brought the whips, al-Muʿtaṣim looked at them and said, “Bring different ones,” which was done.381 Then he said to the lictors,382

"Lanjutkan!" 69.24

“Proceed!” 69.24

Satu per satu, mereka datang kepadaku dan memukulku dua cambukan masing-masing, sementara al-Muʿtaṣim berteriak, "Lebih keras, celaka kalian!" Setiap kali satu orang menyingkir, yang lain maju dan memukulku dua kali lagi, sementara dia terus berteriak, "Lebih keras, celaka kalian semua!"383

One at a time, they came at me, and struck two lashes apiece, with al-Muʿtaṣim calling out, “Harder, damn you!” As each one stepped aside another would come up and hit me twice more, with him shouting all the while, “Harder, damn you all!”383

Setelah aku dicambuk sembilan belas kali, dia—yakni al-Mu'tasim—bangkit dari tempat duduknya dan berjalan menghampiriku. 69.25

After I had been struck nineteen lashes, he—meaning al-Muʿtaṣim—rose from his seat and walked up to me. 69.25

“Aḥmad,” katanya, “mengapa kau membunuh dirimu sendiri? Demi Tuhan, aku menginginkan yang terbaik untukmu.” Lalu ʿUjayf mulai menyodok-nyodokku dengan gagang pedangnya. “Apa kau pikir kau bisa menang melawan semua orang ini?” “Memalukan!” seseorang berseru. “Khalifah sedang berdiri di sana menunggumu.” “Amirul Mukminin!” seru yang lain. “Bunuh dia, dan biarlah darahnya ada di tanganku!” Kemudian yang lain ikut bersahutan. “Amirul Mukminin, engkau sedang berpuasa, dan sekarang engkau berdiri di bawah terik matahari!”384

“Aḥmad,” he said, “why are you killing yourself? I swear to God, I want what’s best for you.” Then ʿUjayf began jabbing at me with the hilt of his sword. “Do you think you can win against this whole lot?” “For shame!” someone called out. “The caliph is standing there waiting for you.” “Commander of the Faithful!” cried another. “Kill him, and let his blood be on my hands!” Then more of them chimed in. “Commander of the Faithful, you’ve been fasting, and now you’re standing in the sun!”384

“Ayo, Aḥmad,” katanya. “Katakan sesuatu!” “Berikan aku sesuatu yang bisa kupercayai,” kataku, “dari Kitab Allah atau sunnah Rasul-Nya ﷺ.” Ia kembali ke kursinya dan duduk.

“Come on, Aḥmad,” he said. “Say something!” “Give me something I can believe,” I said, “from the Book of God or the sunnah of His Emissary.” He went back to his chair and sat down.

"Lanjutkan," katanya kepada algojo. "Rasakan itu, sialan!" Tak lama kemudian ia bangkit untuk kedua kalinya, seraya berkata, "Ayo, Aḥmad! Katakan apa yang ingin aku dengar." 69.26

“Proceed,” he said to the lictor. “Let him feel it, damn you!” Soon he rose a second time, saying, “Come on, Aḥmad! Tell me what I want to hear.” 69.26

Yang lain ikut menimpali, berkata, "Memalukan kamu, Aḥmad: imammu sedang berdiri di sini menunggumu." "Siapa di antara rekan-rekanmu," tanya ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, "yang melakukan apa yang kamu lakukan ini?" "Katakan saja apa yang bisa kamu lakukan," kata al-Muʿtaṣim kepadaku, "dan aku sendiri yang akan melepaskan rantaimu." "Berikan kepadaku sesuatu yang bisa aku percayai," kataku, "dari Kitab Allah atau sunnah Rasul-Nya." Ia kembali ke kursinya dan duduk. "Lanjutkan," katanya kepada para algojo.

The others joined in, saying, “Shame on you, Aḥmad: your imam is standing here waiting for you.” “Which of your associates,” asked ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, “is doing what you’re doing?” “Tell me whatever you can manage,” al-Muʿtaṣim said to me, “and I’ll unchain you with my own hands.” “Give me something I can believe,” I said, “from the Book of God or the sunnah of His Emissary.” Again he went back to his chair and sat down. “Proceed,” he said to the lictors.

Sekali lagi mereka maju satu per satu dan memukulku dua kali masing-masing, sementara al-Muʿtaṣim berteriak, "Lebih keras, celaka kalian!" Setiap kali satu orang menyingkir, orang lain maju dan memukulku dua kali lagi, sementara dia terus berteriak, "Lebih keras, celaka kalian semua!" Saat itulah aku pingsan.385

Again they came up one by one and struck me two lashes apiece, with al-Muʿtaṣim calling out, “Harder, damn you!” As each stepped aside another would come up and hit me twice more, with him shouting all the while, “Harder, damn you all!” That’s when I passed out.385

Beberapa waktu kemudian saya tersadar dan mendapati bahwa belenggu saya telah dilepaskan.

Some time later I came to my senses to find that my chains had been removed.

"Kami menjatuhkanmu tertelungkup," kata salah seorang dari mereka yang berada di sana. "Lalu kami membalikkanmu di tanah dan menginjak-injakmu." Aku sama sekali tidak ingat hal itu.

“We threw you face down,” said one of the men who had been there. “Then we rolled you over on the ground and trampled you.” I had no memory of that.

Mereka membawakan saya air barley dan menyuruh saya meminumnya lalu muntah.

They brought me some barley water and told me to drink it and vomit.

"Saya tidak bisa membatalkan puasa," kataku kepada mereka.

“I can’t break the fast,” I told them.

Mereka membawaku kembali ke tempat Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm, dan di sana aku mengerjakan shalat Zuhur.386 Ibnu Samāʿah maju untuk memimpin shalat. Ketika selesai, ia bertanya kepadaku, "Bagaimana engkau bisa shalat padahal engkau berdarah di dalam pakaianmu?" 69.27

They took me back to Isḥāq ibn Ibrahīm’s place, where I attended the noon prayer.386 Ibn Samāʿah stepped forward to lead the prayer. When he finished he asked me, “How could you pray when you’re bleeding inside your clothes?” 69.27

"Umar shalat dengan darah memancar dari luka-lukanya," jawabku.

“ʿUmar prayed with blood spurting from his wounds,” I answered.

Ṣāliḥ berkata: 69.28

Ṣāliḥ said: 69.28

Ayahku dibebaskan dan pulang ke rumah. Sejak pertama kali ia ditangkap hingga ia dicambuk dan dilepaskan, waktu yang berlalu adalah dua puluh delapan bulan.

My father was released and went home. From the time he was first arrested to the time he was flogged and let go was twenty-eight months.

Salih berkata: 69. Catatan: Teks ini tidak menyebut Nabi Muhammad, jadi tidak ada ﷺ yang ditambahkan. Salah satu dari dua orang yang bersama ayahku—di penjara, maksudku—mendengar dan melihat semuanya. Kemudian ia datang menemuiku dan berkata, "Saudara sepupu, semoga Allah merahmati Abū ʿAbd Allāh! Aku belum pernah melihat orang seperti dia. Ketika mereka mengirimkan makanan, aku mengingatkannya bahwa dia sedang berpuasa, dan mengatakan kepadanya bahwa dia boleh menyelamatkan dirinya.387 Aku juga ingat bahwa dia kehausan. Dia meminta sesuatu untuk diminum kepada petugas. Orang itu memberinya secangkir air dengan es di dalamnya. Dia mengambilnya dan memandanginya sejenak, tetapi kemudian dia mengembalikannya tanpa meminumnya. Aku heran bahwa dia bisa tidak makan dan tidak minum bahkan di tempat yang menakutkan itu."29

One of the two men who were with my father—in jail, that is—heard and saw everything. Later he came to see me and said, “Cousin, may God have mercy on Abū ʿAbd Allāh! I never saw anyone like him. When they sent food in, I would remind him that he was fasting, and tell him he was allowed to save himself.387 I also remember that he was thirsty. He asked the attendant for something to drink. The man gave him a cup of water with ice in it. He took it and looked at it for a moment, but then he gave it back without drinking it. I was amazed that he could go without food or water even in that terrifying place.” Ṣālīḥ said: 69.29

Pada waktu itu, saya berusaha sekuat tenaga menyelundupkan sedikit makanan atau sepotong dua potong roti pipih kepadanya, tetapi semua permohonan saya tidak membuahkan hasil.

At the time, I was doing everything I could to smuggle some food or a loaf or two of flatbread in to him, but none of my pleading did any good.

Seorang laki-laki yang hadir di sana memberitahuku bahwa ia terus mengawasinya selama tiga hari penuh, dan tidak sekali pun selama seluruh perdebatan dan diskusi ia salah melafalkan satu kata pun. "Saya tidak mengira ada orang yang mampu sekeras dia." [Al-Būshanjī:] Al-Mu'tasim kembali ke Baghdad dari front Bizantium pada bulan Ramadhan tahun '18. Pada saat itulah ia mengujinya dan menyuruh Aḥmad dicambuk di hadapannya. 69.30

A man who was there told me that he kept his eye on him for the entire three days, and not once during all the argument and debate did he mispronounce a single word. “I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to be as tough as he was.” [Al-Būshanjī:] Al-Muʿtaṣim returned to Baghdad from the Byzantine front in Ramadan of ’18. It was then that he tried Aḥmad and had him flogged before him. 69.30

Seorang kenalan yang saya percayai melaporkan kepada saya apa yang disampaikan kepadanya oleh Ibrāhīm ibn Muṣʿab, yang ketika itu menggantikan Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm sebagai kepala kepolisian al-Muʿtaṣim: "Saya belum pernah melihat seorang pun yang dihadapkan dengan raja-raja dan pangeran-pangeran menunjukkan rasa takut sekecil yang ditunjukkan Aḥmad pada hari itu. Bagi dia, kami tak lebih dari segerombolan lalat." [Al-Zuhrī:] Saya membaca dari catatan saya sendiri apa yang dikatakan al-Marrūdhī dalam persidangan Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, ketika Aḥmad tergantung di antara dua tiang.388 69.31

A trustworthy associate of mine reported to me what he was told by Ibrāhīm ibn Muṣʿab, who at that time was standing in for Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm as al-Muʿtaṣim’s chief of police: “I’ve never seen anyone brought face to face with kings and princes show as little fear as Aḥmad did that day. To him we were nothing but a cloud of flies.” [Al-Zuhrī:] I read from my own notes what al-Marrūdhī said at the trial of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, as Aḥmad was hanging between the posts.388 69.31

"Guru," kata al-Marrūdhī, "Tuhan berfirman, «Janganlah kamu membunuh dirimu sendiri.»"389

“Master,” said al-Marrūdhī, “God says, «Do not kill yourselves.»”389

"Marrūdhī," kata Aḥmad, "pergilah dan lihat ke luar, lalu katakan kepadaku apa yang kamu lihat." Al-Marrūdhī menceritakan: "Aku keluar, dan di halaman istana khalifah ada kerumunan besar orang—hanya Tuhan yang tahu berapa jumlahnya—dengan lembaran kertas, pena, dan pot tinta mereka. Aku bertanya kepada mereka apa yang sedang mereka lakukan, dan mereka berkata, 'Kami menunggu untuk mendengar apa yang dikatakan Aḥmad agar bisa kami tuliskan.'" Ia menyuruh mereka tetap di tempat, lalu kembali ke dalam, tempat Aḥmad masih tergantung di antara tiang-tiang. Ia memberitahukan kepadanya bahwa ia telah melihat kerumunan orang yang memegang pena dan kertas dan menunggu untuk menuliskan apa pun yang akan ia katakan.

“Marrūdhī,” said Aḥmad, “go and look outside and tell me what you see.” Al-Marrūdhī reported: “I went out and there, in the courtyard of the caliph’s palace, was a vast crowd of people—God only knows how many—with their sheets of paper, their pens, and their pots of ink. I asked them what they were doing, and they said, ‘We’re waiting to hear what Aḥmad says so we can write it down.’” He told them to stay where they were, then went back inside, where Aḥmad was still hanging between the posts. He told him that he had seen a crowd of people holding pen and paper and waiting to write down whatever he would say.

"Bolehkah aku menyesatkan semua orang itu?" tanya Aḥmad. "Aku lebih baik bunuh diri saja."390

“Can I mislead all those people?” asked Aḥmad. “I’d rather kill myself.”390

[Penulis:] Inilah seorang laki-laki yang, seperti Bilāl, rela mengorbankan nyawanya demi Tuhannya.391 Demikian pula, diriwayatkan tentang Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyab bahwa nyawanya tidak lebih berharga baginya daripada nyawa seekor lalat. Sikap acuh terhadap diri sendiri seperti itu hanya mungkin dimiliki oleh seseorang yang telah menyadari kehidupan yang ada di balik kehidupan ini dan mengarahkan pandangannya kepada masa depan, bukan kepada masa kini. Penderitaan besar yang dialami Aḥmad menjadi bukti keimanannya yang kuat, sebab, sebagaimana diriwayatkan Nabi ﷺ bersabda, "Seseorang menderita sebanding dengan imannya." Maha Terpuji Dia yang menolong Aḥmad, menganugerahinya kemampuan untuk memahami, meneguhkan tekadnya, dan datang membantunya. 69.32

[The author:] Here then is a man who, like Bilāl, was willing to give up his life for the sake of his God.391 Of Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyab, similarly, it is reported that his life meant as little to him as the life of a fly. Such indifference to self is possible only when one has glimpsed the life that lies beyond this one and trained one’s gaze on the future rather than the present. Aḥmad’s great suffering is evidence of his strong faith, for, as the Prophet is known to have said, “A man suffers in proportion to his faith.” Praise the One who helped Aḥmad, granted him the gift of perception, strengthened his resolve, and came to his aid. 69.32

[Ibn al-Aṣbagh:] Saya berada di Baghdad dan mendengar keributan. Saya bertanya tentang apa itu, dan orang-orang memberi tahu saya bahwa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal sedang diadili. Maka saya pulang ke rumah, mengumpulkan sejumlah uang yang besar, dan menyuap agar bisa masuk ke dalam sidang. Di dalam istana, saya melihat para prajurit dengan pedang terhunus, tombak terpasang, perisai ditancapkan, dan cambuk siap di tangan. Saya diberi jubah hitam, ikat pinggang, dan sebilah pedang, lalu diberi tempat duduk yang cukup dekat sehingga saya dapat mendengar apa yang dibicarakan. 69.33

[Ibn al-Aṣbagh:] I was in Baghdad and heard a clamor. I asked what it was about and people told me that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was being tried. So I went home, collected a substantial sum of money, and bribed my way into the session. Inside the palace, I saw soldiers with their swords drawn, their spears fixed, their shields planted, and their whips at the ready. I was fitted out with a black cloak, a sash, and a sword, and given a seat close enough that I could hear what was being said. 69.33

Khalifah muncul dan duduk di atas sebuah kursi. Kemudian Ibn Ḥanbal dibawa masuk.

The caliph appeared and seated himself in a chair. Then Ibn Ḥanbal was brought in.

“Demi leluhurku sang Nabi ﷺ,” kata sang khalifah, “jika engkau tidak mengatakan seperti yang kukatakan, akan kucambuk engkau!” Ia menoleh kepada algojo dan berkata, “Bawa dia pergi!” Pada pukulan pertama, Aḥmad berkata, “Dengan nama Tuhan!” Pada pukulan kedua, ia berkata, “Tiada daya dan kekuatan kecuali dengan Tuhan!” Pada pukulan ketiga, ia berkata, “Al-Qur’an adalah firman Tuhan, dan tidak diciptakan!” Pada pukulan keempat, ia berkata, “«Katakanlah: Kami tidak akan tertimpa kecuali apa yang telah ditetapkan Tuhan bagi kami!»”392

“I swear by my ancestor the Prophet,” said the caliph, “that if you don’t say as I say, I’ll have you flogged!” Turning to the lictor, he said, “Take him away!” At the first blow, Aḥmad said, “In the name of God!” At the second, he said, “There is no might or power except by God!” At the third, he said, “The Qurʾan is the speech of God, and uncreated!” At the fourth he said, “«Say: we will suffer only what God has decreed for us!»”392

Cambuk sudah mendarat dua puluh sembilan kali di tubuhnya ketika tali celana Aḥmad—yang hanya terbuat dari sehelai lapisan kain pakaian—putus. Celananya melorot hingga ke pangkal paha.

The lictor had struck him twenty-nine lashes when Aḥmad’s trouser cord—which was made of nothing more than a strip of garment lining—broke. His trousers slipped down as far as his groin.

"Dia akan telanjang," pikirku dalam hati. Namun kemudian dia menengadahkan wajahnya ke langit dan menggerakkan bibirnya. Seketika itu celananya berhenti melorot dan tetap di tempatnya.

“He’ll be left with nothing on,” I thought to myself. But then he looked up to the heavens and moved his lips. Instantly the trousers stopped slipping and remained in place.

Tujuh hari kemudian, aku pergi menemuinya. "Aḥmad," tanyaku, "aku hadir pada hari mereka mencambukmu dan celanamu lepas. Aku melihatmu menengadah dan menggerakkan bibirmu. Apa yang kau ucapkan?" Ia menjawab, "Aku berkata, 'Ya Tuhan, aku memohon kepada-Mu dengan nama-Mu, yang telah memenuhi 'Arsy! Jika Engkau mengetahui bahwa aku berada di pihak yang benar, janganlah Engkau singkapkan auratku.'" [Aḥmad ibn al-Faraj:] Aku hadir ketika Aḥmad dicambuk. Abū l-Dann datang dan memukulnya lebih dari sepuluh cambukan. Darah mulai mengalir dari bahunya. Ia mengenakan sepasang celana, dan tali pengikatnya putus. Aku melihat bahwa ketika celananya mulai melorot, ia mengucapkan sesuatu yang tidak terdengar, dan celana itu pun kembali naik. 69.34

Seven days later, I went to see him. “Aḥmad,” I asked, “I was there the day they beat you and your trousers came apart. I saw you look up and move your lips. What were you saying?” He said, “I said, ‘God, I call You by Your name, which has filled the Throne! If You know me to be in the right, do not expose my nakedness.’” [Aḥmad ibn al-Faraj:] I was there when Aḥmad was whipped. Abū l-Dann came up and struck him more than ten lashes. Blood started pouring from his shoulders. He was wearing a pair of trousers, and the cord broke. I noticed that as the trousers began to come down, he said something inaudible and they went back up. 69.34

"Kemudian saya bertanya kepadanya tentang hal itu, dan dia menceritakan apa yang telah dia ucapkan: “'Tuhanku dan Rabbku, Engkau telah menempatkan aku di sini, dan sekarang Engkau akan menyingkap auratku di hadapan dunia?' Saat itulah celananya kembali naik."393

Later I asked him about it, and he told me what he had said: “‘My God and Lord, You’ve put me here, and now You’re going to expose my nakedness to the world?’ That’s when my trousers came back up.”393

[Al-Qurashī:] Ketika Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dibawa ke depan untuk dicambuk, mereka melepaskan semua pakaiannya kecuali celananya. Ketika ia sedang dicambuk, celananya melorot. Bibirnya bergerak, lalu saya melihat dua tangan muncul dari bawahnya saat ia dicambuk dan menarik kembali celananya. Setelah pencambukan selesai, kami bertanya kepadanya apa yang ia ucapkan ketika celananya melorot. Ia menjawab kepada kami, "Aku berkata, 'Aku memohon kepada-Mu, Yang hanya Engkau yang mengetahui di mana Arasy-Mu berada. Jika aku berada di pihak yang benar, janganlah Engkau membuka auratku.' Itulah yang kuucapkan." 69.35

[Al-Qurashī:] When they brought Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal forward to be flogged, they stripped him of everything but his trousers. As he was being flogged, the trousers came loose. His lips moved, and then I saw two hands appear from under him as he was being whipped and pull the trousers back up. When the flogging was over, we asked him what he had said when the trousers came loose. He told us, “I said, ‘I call on You who alone knows where Your Throne is. If I’m in the right, do not expose my nakedness.’ That’s what I said.” 69.35

[Al-Rāzī:] Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm biasa berkata, “Demi Tuhan, aku hadir pada hari Aḥmad dicambuk, dan celananya melorot lalu naik lagi, dan terikat kembali setelah longgar. Orang-orang yang bersamanya terlalu sibuk untuk memperhatikan. Namun aku tidak pernah melihat hari yang lebih mengerikan bagi al-Muʿtaṣim. Seandainya ia tidak menghentikan pencambukan, ia tidak akan pernah selamat keluar hidup-hidup.”394 69.36

[Al-Rāzī:] Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm used to say, “By God, I was there the day Aḥmad was flogged and his trousers came down and went up again, and reknotted themselves after coming loose. The people there with him were too preoccupied to notice. But I never saw a more terrible day for al-Muʿtaṣim. If he hadn’t stopped the flogging, he would never have made it out alive.”394 69.36

[Al-Anṣārī:] Aku mendengar salah seorang algojo berkata, "Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ternyata sekeras perampok. Seandainya seekor unta berlutut dan aku memukulnya sekeras aku memukul dia, niscaya perutnya akan terbelah." 69.37

[Al-Anṣārī:] I heard one of the lictors say, “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal turned out to be as tough as a bandit.395 If a camel knelt down and I hit it as hard as I hit him, I would have split open its belly.” 69.37

[Shābāṣ:] Aku mencambuk Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal delapan puluh kali. Seandainya aku memukul gajah sekeras itu, pasti gajah itu sudah roboh.396 69.38

[Shābāṣ:] I struck Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal eighty lashes. If I’d hit an elephant that hard I would’ve knocked it down.396 69.38

[Al-Rāshidī:] Salah seorang rekan saya melaporkan: "Ketika cambuk mulai menghantam Abū ʿAbd Allāh, ia berkata, 'Kepada-Mu, Penguasa langit dan bumi, aku memohon pertolongan!'" 69.39

[Al-Rāshidī:] One of my associates reported: “When the whips began to tear into Abū ʿAbd Allāh, he said, ‘To You, Sovereign of the heavens and the earth, I cry for help!’” 69.39

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Aku sering mendengar ayahku berkata, "Semoga Allah merahmati Abu l-Haytham! Semoga Allah mengampuni Abu l-Haytham! Semoga Allah memaafkan Abu l-Haytham!" 69.40

[ʿAbd Allāh:] I often heard my father say, “God have mercy on Abū l-Haytham! God pardon Abū l-Haytham! God forgive Abū l-Haytham!” 69.40

“Ayah,” akhirnya aku bertanya, “siapa Abū l-Haytham?” “Kamu tidak tahu?” “Tidak.” “Dia Abū l-Haytham al-Ḥaddād. Pada hari mereka membawaku dan merentangkan tanganku untuk dicambuk, aku merasakan seseorang menarik-narik pakaianku dari belakang.

“Dad,” I finally asked, “who is Abū l-Haytham?” “Don’t you know?” “No.” “It’s Abū l-Haytham al-Ḥaddād. The day they took me and stretched my arms out for the flogging, I felt someone pulling at my clothes from behind.

"Apakah kamu mengenali aku?" tanyanya.

“‘Do you recognize me?’ he asked.

"‘Tidak.’ "‘Aku Abū l-Haytham, seorang perampok, pencopet, dan pencuri. Sudah berkali-kali aku dicambuk delapan belas ribu kali—semuanya tercatat pada Amirul Mukminin—demi setan dan urusan dunia ini. Maka bersabarlah dan terimalah pukulanmu demi Tuhan dan Islam.’ "Mereka mencambukku delapan belas kali sebagai ganti delapan belas ribu kali baginya. Kemudian pelayan keluar dan berkata, ‘Amirul Mukminin telah mengampuninya!’" [Penulis:] Dalam Tarikh-nya, Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿArafah meriwayatkan bahwa Aḥmad dicambuk tiga puluh enam kali.397

“‘No.’ “‘I’m Abū l-Haytham, and I’m a bandit, a cutpurse, and a thief. At one time or another, I’ve been struck eighteen thousand lashes—all on record with the Commander of the Faithful—for the sake of Satan and the things of this world. So bear up and take your beating for God and Islam.’ “They struck me eighteen lashes instead of his eighteen thousand. Then the attendant came out and said, ‘The Commander of the Faithful has pardoned him!’” [The author:] In his History, Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿArafah reports that Aḥmad was struck thirty-six lashes.397

[Yaḥyā ibn Nuʿaym:] Ketika Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dibawa keluar menghadap al-Mu'taṣim untuk dicambuk, petugas yang mengawalnya berkata, "Silakan kutuk orang yang melakukan ini kepadamu!" 69.41

[Yaḥyā ibn Nuʿaym:] As Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was being taken out to al-Muʿtaṣim to be flogged, the officer escorting him said, “Go ahead and curse whoever did this to you!” 69.41

"Mencela penindasmu," kata Aḥmad, "menunjukkan kurangnya keteguhan hati." [Al-Baghawī:] Aku melihat Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal memasuki masjid al-Manṣūr dengan mengenakan jubah hijau, sandalnya di tangannya, tanpa penutup kepala. Bagiku ia tampak sebagai seorang lelaki tua berkulit gelap, tinggi, dan berjanggut putih. Duduk di balkon menara terdapat orang-orang dari rombongan khalifah. Ketika mereka melihatnya, mereka turun untuk memberi penghormatan. Sambil mencium kepala dan tangannya, mereka berkata, "Cacilah orang yang telah memperlakukanmu dengan buruk." 69.42

“Cursing your oppressor,” said Aḥmad, “shows a lack of fortitude.” [Al-Baghawī:] I saw Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal going into the mosque of al-Manṣūr wearing a green over-garment, his sandals in his hand, bare-headed. To me he looked to be a tall, dark-skinned, white-bearded old man. Sitting in the gallery of the minaret were members of the caliph’s entourage. When they saw him, they came down to pay their respects. Kissing his head and hands, they said, “Curse the one who mistreated you.” 69.42

"Mengutuk orang yang menzalimimu," kata Aḥmad, "menunjukkan kurangnya kesabaran dan keteguhan hati."398

“Cursing your oppressor,” said Aḥmad, “shows a lack of fortitude.”398

[Aḥmad:] Ketika mereka membawaku ke istana, aku pergi tanpa makan selama dua hari.

[Aḥmad:] When they took me to the palace I went without food for two days.

Setelah mereka mencambukku, mereka membawakan air jelai untukku, tetapi aku tidak meminumnya agar tidak membatalkan puasaku. 69.43

After they flogged me they brought me some barley water, but I didn’t have any so as not to break my fast. 69.43

[Al-Makhzūmī:] Saya sedang berada di Mekah, berjalan mengelilingi Ka'bah bersama Sa'īd ibn Manṣūr, ketika saya mendengar sebuah suara di belakang saya berkata: "Hari ini adalah hari cambuk Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal." 69.44

[Al-Makhzūmī:] I was in Mecca walking around the Kaʿbah with Saʿīd ibn Manṣūr when I heard a voice behind me say: “Today is the flogging of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” 69.44

Kemudian saya mengetahui bahwa pada hari itu dia telah dicambuk.

Later I found out that he had been flogged that day.

Dalam riwayat lain:

In another telling:

Saʿīd ibn Manṣūr bertanya kepadaku, "Apakah engkau mendengar apa yang kudengar?" Aku menjawab bahwa aku mendengarnya.

Saʿīd ibn Manṣūr asked me, “Did you hear what I heard?” I told him I had.

"Ingatlah hari apa ini," katanya.

“Remember what day this is,” he said.

Kemudian kami mengetahui bahwa pada hari itu dia telah dicambuk.

Later we found out that he had been flogged that day.

[Al-Ṭaḥḥān:] Pada hari Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dicambuk, saya bersama Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām, Ibrahīm ibn Abī l-Layth, dan beberapa orang lainnya berada di rumah ʿĀṣim ibn ʿAlī. 69.45

[Al-Ṭaḥḥān:] On the day Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was flogged, I was with Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām, Ibrahīm ibn Abī l-Layth, and several others at the home of ʿĀṣim ibn ʿAlī. 69.45

"Adakah yang mau ikut denganku untuk berbicara dengan orang itu?" tanya ʿĀṣim.399 Ia mengulangi pertanyaannya beberapa kali, tetapi tidak ada yang menjawab, hingga akhirnya Ibrāhīm berkata, "Aku akan ikut." ʿĀṣim berseru kepada anak pelayan agar membawakan sepatu botnya. Namun kemudian Ibrāhīm berkata, "Biarkan aku pergi menemui putri-putriku dahulu. Sudah lama aku tidak bertemu dengan mereka dan ada beberapa hal yang ingin kusampaikan kepada mereka." Ia pun pergi, dan kami menduga bahwa ia pergi untuk memakai wewangian dan mengenakan kain kafannya.

“Will anyone come with me and talk to that man?” asked ʿĀṣim.399 He repeated the question several times but no one answered, until finally Ibrāhīm said, “I’ll come.” ʿĀṣim shouted to the servant boy to bring his boots. But then Ibrāhīm said, “Let me go and see my daughters first. I haven’t seen them in a while and I have some things to tell them.” He left, and we suspected that he had gone to perfume himself and put on his shroud.

Ketika ia kembali, ʿĀṣim kembali meminta sepatu botnya.

When he returned, ʿĀṣim again called for his boots.

“Aku pergi menemui putri-putriku,” kata Ibrāhīm, “dan mereka menangis.” Kemudian datang sepucuk surat dari dua putri ʿĀṣim di Wāsiṭ. Isinya, “Ayah, kami mendengar bahwa orang itu telah menangkap Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dan mencambuknya agar ia mengatakan bahwa Al-Qur’an adalah makhluk. Jika ia meminta Ayah melakukan hal yang sama, takutlah kepada Allah dan tolaklah. Demi Allah, kami lebih memilih mendengar bahwa Ayah telah wafat daripada mendengar bahwa Ayah menyerah.” [Al-Ḥarrānī:] Ketika Aḥmad sedang dicambuk, Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām dan aku menunggu di depan gerbang al-Muʿtaṣim. Abū ʿUbayd mulai berkata, “Apakah kita akan membiarkan mereka melakukan ini kepada yang terbaik di antara kita? Ini tak tertahankan!” 69.46

“I went to see my daughters,” said Ibrāhīm, “and they wept.” Then a letter came from ʿĀṣim’s two daughters in Wāsiṭ. It read, “Father, we’ve heard that that man has taken Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and flogged him to make him say that the Qurʾan is created. If he asks you to do the same thing, be fearful of God and refuse. By God, we’d rather hear that you’d died than that you gave in.” [Al-Ḥarrānī:] While Aḥmad was being flogged, Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām and I were waiting at al-Muʿtaṣim’s gate. Abū ʿUbayd started saying, “Are we going to let them do this to the best of us? It’s unbearable!” 69.46

Saya tidak melihat teks yang dapat diterjemahkan. Silakan kirimkan teks berbahasa Inggris yang ingin Anda terjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Indonesia.

I said:

Mereka tidak berhak mencambuknya seperti itu.

They had no right to flog him so.

Namun biarkanlah mereka memukul, karena ia tetap teguh berdiri.

But let them strike, for firm he stood.

Dan bahkan ketika mereka membentangkannya hingga rata.

And even as they stretched him flat.

Sebagai tanah dataran tinggi, katanya, mengilhami.

As highland earth, he said, inspired.

"Aku mungkin mati, tetapi engkau, bukan aku, yang akan terbakar."

“I may die, but you, not I, will burn.

"Bersama para pendusta di dalam lubang-lubang Neraka!"

With the liars in the pits of Hell!”.

[Abū Ḥātim:] Pada hari mereka mencambuk Aḥmad, aku memutuskan untuk pergi dan melihat sendiri apa yang telah terjadi padanya. Aku tiba lebih awal dan mendapati seorang lelaki tua berdiri di sana sambil berkata, "Ya Tuhan, berikanlah dia kekuatan! Ya Tuhan, tolonglah dia!" Ia melanjutkan, berbicara seolah-olah terjebak dalam dilema yang mengerikan, "Aku perlu tahu apakah dia sudah menyerah dan aku harus pergi menggantikan tempatnya." 69.47

[Abū Ḥātim:] The day they flogged Aḥmad, I decided to go and see for myself what had happened to him. I arrived early and found an old man standing there saying, “God, give him strength! God, help him!” He continued, speaking as if caught in some terrible dilemma, “I need to know if he’s given in and I have to go take his place.” 69.47

Kemudian seseorang keluar dan berkata, "Dia tidak menyerah." "Syukurlah kepada Tuhan!" kata lelaki tua itu.

Then someone came out, saying, “He didn’t give in.” “Thank God!” said the old man.

Saya bertanya kepada seseorang siapa lelaki tua itu.

I asked someone who the old man was.

“Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith,” katanya kepadaku.400

“Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith,” I was told.400

[Penulis:] Kami mengetahui riwayat-riwayat lain tentang hukuman cambuk tersebut, tetapi kami meragukan keakuratannya dan karena itu kami tidak menyertakannya.401 69.48

[The author:] We are aware of other accounts of the flogging, but we doubt their accuracy and have therefore omitted them.401 69.48

Nabi ﷺ bersabda: "Akan datang suatu masa ketika siapa pun yang bersabar dalam mempertahankan agamanya akan mendapat pahala lima puluh kali lipat dari pahala kalian." 69.49

The Prophet, God bless and keep him, said: “There will come a time when anyone who suffers bravely for his faith will be rewarded fifty times more than you.” 69.49

"Lebih dari kami?" tanya para Sahabatnya.

“More than us?” asked his Companions.

"Ya," katanya, mengulanginya tiga kali.

“Yes,” he said, repeating it three times.

[Al-Shāfiʿī:] "Tiga hal yang paling sulit adalah ini: bermurah hati ketika kamu sedang sedikit harta, bersikap wara' ketika kamu sendirian, dan menyampaikan kebenaran di hadapan penguasa." 69.50

[Al-Shāfiʿī:] “The hardest three things are these: being generous when you have little, being scrupulous when you’re alone, and speaking truth to power.” 69.50

[Abū Zurʿah:] Saya selalu mendengar orang-orang memuji Ibn Ḥanbal dan mengutamakannya di atas Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn dan Abū Khaythamah, namun tidak pernah sebesar setelah ia diuji. Setelah ia diuji, kemasyhurannya tak terbatas. 69.51

[Abū Zurʿah:] I always used to hear people speaking highly of Ibn Ḥanbal and giving him precedence over Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn and Abū Khaythamah, though never as much as after he was tried. After he was tried, his reputation knew no bounds. 69.51

[Ibn Abī ʿAbd al-Raḥmān:] Saya mendengar Aḥmad ibn Yūnus membacakan hadis: “Di dalam Surga terdapat istana-istana yang hanya terbuka bagi para nabi, orang-orang yang jujur, atau mereka yang diberi kekuasaan atas jiwanya sendiri.” 69.52

[Ibn Abī ʿAbd al-Raḥmān:] I heard Aḥmad ibn Yūnus recite the Hadith: “In the Garden are palaces open only to prophets, truth-tellers, or those given power over their own souls.” 69.52

Seseorang bertanya, "Siapakah 'orang-orang yang diberi kekuasaan atas jiwa mereka sendiri'?" Ia menjawab, "Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, misalnya."

Someone asked, “Who are ‘those given power over their own souls’?” “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, for example,” he replied.

[Penulis:] Hadis ini ditelusuri kembali kepada Ka'b al-Aḥbār, sebagai berikut:

[The author:] This Hadith is traced back to Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, as follows:

Kami meriwayatkan dari Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Bāqī ibn Aḥmad ibn Sulaymān, yang meriwayatkan dari Ḥamd ibn Aḥmad, yang meriwayatkan dari Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Iṣfahānī, yang mendengar ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad melaporkan bahwa ia mendengar ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad ibn Salm melaporkan bahwa ia mendengar Hannād ibn al-Sarī melaporkan bahwa ia mendengar Muḥammad ibn ʿUbayd, dengan mengutip Salamah ibn Nubayṭ, dengan mengutip ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī l-Jaʿd, dengan mengutip Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, yang melaporkan:

[Ibn al-Ḥārith:] Abū Muḥammad al-Ṭufāwī meminta Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal untuk menceritakan kepadanya apa yang telah mereka lakukan terhadapnya. 69.56

[Ibn al-Ḥārith:] Abū Muḥammad al-Ṭufāwī asked Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal to tell him what they had done to him. 69.56

"Setelah mereka mencambukku," kata Aḥmad, "orang yang berjenggot panjang itu—maksudnya ʿUjayf—datang dan menghantamku dengan gagang pedangnya. Aku ingat berpikir bahwa akhirnya semuanya selesai. Biarlah dia memenggal leherku agar aku bisa beristirahat! "Ibnu Samāʿah berkata kepada khalifah, 'Amirul Mukminin! Penggallah dia dan biarlah darahnya ada di tanganku.' "Tetapi kemudian Ibnu Abī Dūʾād berkata, 'Amirul Mukminin: sebaiknya jangan! Jika engkau membunuhnya di sini, atau membiarkannya mati di dalam istana, mereka akan mengatakan bahwa dia bertahan sampai akhir. Mereka akan menjadikannya pahlawan dan mereka akan merasa telah dibenarkan. Tidak: lepaskan dia sekarang juga. Jika dia mati di luar, mereka tidak akan tahu apa yang terjadi. Sebagian akan mengatakan bahwa dia melawan."404

“After they had flogged me,” said Aḥmad, “that one with the long beard”— meaning ʿUjayf—“came up and jabbed me with the hilt of his sword. I remember thinking it was finally over. Let him cut my throat so I can rest! “Ibn Samāʿah said to the caliph, ‘Commander of the Faithful! Behead him and let his blood be on my hands.’ “But then Ibn Abī Dūʾād said, ‘Commander of the Faithful: better not to! If you kill him here or let him die inside the palace, they’ll say he held out till the end. They’ll make a hero of him and they’ll think they’ve been proven right. No: let him go right away. If he dies outside they won’t know what happened. Some will say he resisted404

"Tapi tidak ada yang akan benar-benar tahu."’"405

but no one will know for sure.’”405

Abū Zurʿah: Al-Muʿtaṣim memanggil paman Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dan bertanya kepada orang-orang, "Apakah kalian tahu siapa ini?" 69.57

[Abū Zurʿah:] Al-Muʿtaṣim summoned Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s uncle and asked the people, “Do you know who this is?” 69.57

“Ya,” jawab mereka. “Dia Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” “Lihatlah dia. Apakah kamu melihat bahwa dia tidak terluka?” “Ya.” Seandainya dia tidak melakukan itu, saya menduga akan terjadi ledakan kekerasan yang tidak dapat dihentikan.406 Ketika dia berkata, “Aku menyerahkannya kepada kalian dalam keadaan tidak terluka,” orang-orang pun menjadi tenang.

“Yes,” they said. “It’s Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” “Look at him. Do you see that he’s unharmed?” “Yes.” If he hadn’t done that, I suspect that an unstoppable outburst of violence would have ensued.406 When he said, “I give him to you unharmed,” the people were mollified.