[Ibn al-Sammāk:] Aku mendengar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal berkata, "Memperlihatkan tempat tinta kepada orang lain adalah riya'."173 30.1

[Ibn al-Sammāk:] I heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal say, “Letting people see your inkwell is showing off.”173 30.1

Al-Anṣārī berkata, "Saya rasa Ibn al-Sammāk yang meriwayatkan komentar ini adalah Muḥammad ibn Bundār al-Sammāk al-Jarjarāʾī, yang bergaul dengan Aḥmad." [Al-Marrūdhī:] Seseorang pernah bertanya kepada Ibn Ḥanbal, apa yang telah dilakukan kaumnya sehingga mereka begitu dihormati. 30.2

Al-Anṣārī said, “I think the Ibn al-Sammāk who reported this comment is Muḥammad ibn Bundār al-Sammāk al-Jarjarāʾī, who associated with Aḥmad.” [Al-Marrūdhī:] Someone once asked Ibn Ḥanbal what his people had done to become so well regarded. 30.2

"Mereka telah berkata jujur," katanya.

“They’ve been truthful,” he said.

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Setelah seseorang menyebut tentang kejujuran dan kesungguhan, Aḥmad berkata, "Itulah yang membuat kelompok ini174 lebih baik daripada yang lain." 30.3

[Al-Marrūdhī:] After someone mentioned being truthful and earnest, Aḥmad said, “That’s what makes this group174 better than others.” 30.3

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Saya bersama Aḥmad di Samarra selama sekitar empat bulan. Selama waktu itu dia tidak pernah berhenti shalat malam dan membaca Al-Qur'an di siang hari, tetapi bahkan ketika dia selesai membaca seluruh Al-Qur'an, dia tidak pernah menampakkannya. Dia melakukan semua itu secara sembunyi-sembunyi. 30.4

[Al-Marrūdhī:] I was with Aḥmad in Samarra for about four months. During that time he never stopped praying at night and reading the Qurʾan by day, but even when he finished a reading of the whole Qurʾan, he never let on. He did it all in secret. 30.4

Abū Bakr ibn Muḥammad: Aḥmad suatu kali bertemu dengan seorang laki-laki yang pernah berlaku tidak jujur kepadanya. 30.5

[Abū Bakr ibn Muḥammad:] Aḥmad once ran into a man who had been dishonest with him. 30.5

“Jika engkau memperbaiki dirimu,” katanya kepadanya, “engkau tidak perlu takut kepada siapa pun.” Aku juga mendengarnya berkata, ketika ia ditanya apa artinya mencintai sesama karena Tuhan, bahwa itu berarti mencintai mereka tanpa memikirkan keuntungan duniawi.

“If you made things right,” he told him, “you wouldn’t have to be afraid of anyone.” I also heard him say, when he was asked what it meant to love others in God, that it meant loving them without thought of worldly gain.