Menurut para penulis biografinya, al-Ma'mun mengirim surat dari al-Raqqah 338 kepada ketua polis Baghdad, Ishaq ibn Ibrahim, yang memerintahkannya untuk menguji masyarakat, dan dia pun melakukannya. 67.1

According to his biographers, al-Maʾmūn sent a letter from al-Raqqah 338 to the chief of the Baghdad police, Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm, telling him to put the community to the test, which he did. 67.1

[Ṣāliḥ:] Saya mendengar ayah saya berkata, "Ketika mereka membawa kami masuk untuk disoal siasat oleh Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm, perkara pertama yang mereka lakukan ialah membaca dengan kuat surat yang ditulis oleh orang di Tarsus", iaitu al-Maʾmūn.339 "Mereka membacakan kepada kami beberapa ayat, termasuk «Tiada sesuatu pun yang menyerupai-Nya»340 dan «Dialah Pencipta segala sesuatu.»341 Apabila saya mendengar 'Tiada sesuatu pun yang menyerupai-Nya,' saya membacakan «Dialah Yang Maha Mendengar lagi Maha Melihat.»342 67.2

[Ṣāliḥ:] I heard my father say, “When they took us in to be questioned by Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm, the first thing they did was to read aloud the letter written by the one in Tarsus”—that is, al-Maʾmūn.339 “They recited some verses to us, including «Nothing is like Him»340 and «He is the creator of everything.»341 When I heard ‘Nothing is like Him,’ I recited «He is the One who hears and sees.»342 67.2

Kemudian mereka yang hadir diuji. Mereka yang enggan memberikan persetujuan dibawa pergi dan dikurung. Daripada semuanya, hanya empat orang yang menentang. Nama mereka ialah Muḥammad bin Nuḥ; ʿUbayd Allāh bin ʿUmar al-Qawārīrī; al-Ḥasan bin Ḥammād, yang dipanggil Sajjādah; dan ayah saya. Kemudian ʿUbayd Allāh bin ʿUmar dan al-Ḥasan bin Ḥammād turut mengalah, sehingga tinggal hanya Muḥammad bin Nūḥ dan ayah saya dalam kurungan.

“Then those present were put to the test. Those who withheld their assent were taken away and locked up. Of them all, only four resisted. Their names are Muḥammad ibn Nuḥ; ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmar al-Qawārīrī; al-Ḥasan ibn Ḥammād, called Sajjādah; and my father. Later ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmar and al-Ḥasan ibn Ḥammād gave in too, leaving only Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ and my father in confinement.

Setelah itu mereka tinggal di sana sehingga, beberapa hari kemudian, sepucuk surat tiba dari Tarsus yang memerintahkan agar kedua-duanya dibawa ke sana. Maka mereka pun dihantar dengan segera, dirantai antara satu sama lain. [Abū Maʿmar al-Qaṭīʿī:] Saya berada di sana ketika Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dibawa ke istana semasa Inkuisisi. Beliau sentiasa seorang yang lemah lembut, tetapi apabila beliau melihat ahli masyarakat memberikan persetujuan mereka, urat-uratnya membengkak, matanya memerah, dan segala kelembutannya hilang. Melihat beliau, saya teringat berfikir dalam hati, "Dia sedang membela God." 67.3

There they stayed until, several days later, a letter arrived from Tarsus ordering the two of them to be transported there. They were duly sent, shackled one to the other.” [Abū Maʿmar al-Qaṭīʿī:] I was there when Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was brought to the palace during the Inquisition. He had always been a meek man, but when he saw the members of the community giving their assent, his veins swelled, his eyes went red, and all the meekness was gone. Seeing him, I remember thinking to myself, “He’s standing up for God.” 67.3

"Abū ʿAbd Allāh," saya berkata kepadanya, "ini khabar gembira! Bukankah kita pernah mendengar Muḥammad ibn Fuḍayl ibn Ghazwān meriwayatkan, dengan sanad dari al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jumayʿ, dari Abū Salamah ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf, yang berkata, 'Di kalangan para Sahabat Nabi ﷺ terdapat sebahagian yang, jika ditanya tentang sesuatu perkara agama, akan menjegilkan mata dan memutarkan bola mata seperti orang gila'?" [Ibn Abī Usāmah:] Saya masih ingat mendengar bahawa pada zaman Inkuisisi, seseorang berkata kepada Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, "Lihatlah! Yang benar kalah dan yang salah menang!" 67.4

“Abū ʿAbd Allāh,” I told him, “this is good news! Haven’t we heard Muḥammad ibn Fuḍayl ibn Ghazwān report, citing al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jumayʿ, citing Abū Salamah ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf, who said, ‘Among the Prophet’s Companions were some who, if challenged on any matter of religion, would glower and roll their eyes like madmen’?” [Ibn Abī Usāmah:] I remember hearing that during the Inquisition, someone said to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, “See? Right loses and wrong wins!” 67.4

"Tidak pernah!" balasnya. "Kebatilan hanya menang apabila hati manusia menyeleweng dan sesat jalan, tetapi hati kita belum berbuat demikian." [Ṣāliḥ:] Ayah saya dan Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ dibawa pergi dalam belenggu, dan kami mengiringi mereka sehingga ke al-Anbār. Di sana Abū Bakr al-Aḥwal bertanya kepada ayah saya, "Abū ʿAbd Allāh, jika mereka mengugut anda dengan pedang, adakah anda akan mengalah?" 67.5

“Never!” he retorted. “Wrong wins only if people’s hearts wander off and lose their way, but ours haven’t done that yet.” [Ṣāliḥ:] My father and Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ were carried off in chains and we went with them as far as al-Anbār. There Abū Bakr al-Aḥwal asked my father, “Abū ʿAbd Allāh, if they threaten you with a sword, will you give in?” 67.5

"Tidak," jawabnya. Kemudian dia dan Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ dibawa pergi.

“No,” he answered. Then he and Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ were taken away.

Kemudian ayah saya memberitahu saya:

Later my father told me:

“Apabila kami sampai di al-Raḥbah343 ia sudah tengah malam. Ketika kami hendak berangkat, seorang lelaki datang kepada kami dan berkata, ‘Siapakah antara kamu yang bernama Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?’ “Seseorang menunjuk ke arah saya. ‘Perlahankan sedikit,’ kata lelaki itu kepada pemandu unta. Kemudian kepada saya: ‘Dengar, wahai kamu! Apa salahnya jika mereka membunuh kamu di sini dan sekarang? Kamu akan masuk ke Syurga, di sini dan sekarang.’ Kemudian dia berkata, ‘Saya serahkan kamu kepada penjagaan Tuhan,’ lalu dia pun beredar.”

“When we got to al-Raḥbah343 it was the middle of the night. As we were leaving, a man came up to us and said, ‘Which of you is Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?’ “Someone pointed me out. ‘Slow down,’ said the man to the camel-driver. Then to me: ‘Listen, you! What does it matter if they kill you right here and now? You’ll enter the Garden, here and now.’ Then he said, ‘I leave you in the care of God,’ and left.

“Aku bertanya siapa dia, lalu mereka memberitahuku: ‘Dia seorang Arab dari Rabīʿah bernama Jābir ibn ʿĀmir yang menggubah syair di padang belantara. Orang-orang memuji-muji dirinya.’” [Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbd Allāh:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal berkata, “Perkara yang paling kuat yang pernah dikatakan kepadaku semasa ujianku ialah apa yang dikatakan oleh seorang Arab badwi kepadaku di Raḥbat Ṭawq: ‘Aḥmad, jika engkau mati demi kebenaran, engkau mati syahid, dan jika engkau hidup, engkau hidup sebagai pahlawan.’” 67.7

“I asked who he was and they told me: ‘He’s an Arab of Rabīʿah named Jābir ibn ʿĀmir who composes poetry in the wilderness. People speak highly of him.’” [Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbd Allāh:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal said, “The most powerful thing anyone said to me during my ordeal was what a desert Arab said to me at Raḥbat Ṭawq: ‘Aḥmad, if you die for the truth you die a martyr, and if you live you live a hero.’” 67.7

Dengan itu dia menguatkan tekad saya.

With that he strengthened my resolve.

[Aḥmad:] "Tiada apa pun yang pernah memberi kesan yang lebih mendalam kepada saya daripada kata-kata seorang Arab badwi dari Raḥbat Ṭawq: 'Aḥmad, jika engkau mati demi kebenaran, engkau mati sebagai syahid, dan jika engkau hidup, engkau hidup sebagai pahlawan.'" 67.8

[Aḥmad:] “Nothing has ever made more of an impression on me than the words of a desert Arab from Raḥbat Ṭawq: ‘Aḥmad, if you die for the truth you die a martyr, and if you live you live a hero.’” 67.8

Ibn Abī Ḥātim meriwayatkan daripada bapanya, yang berkata, "Akhirnya beliau betul. Apabila Inkuisisi itu berakhir, Tuhan telah menjadikan Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal satu nama yang patut diperhitungkan." [Pengarang:] Kami juga pernah mendengar bahawa al-Shāfiʿī, semoga Tuhan meredainya, pernah bermimpi bahawa Nabi ﷺ meminta beliau memberi amaran kepada Aḥmad bahawa beliau akan diuji berkenaan penciptaan al-Qur'an. Riwayat ini akan dikemukakan bersama rantaian perawinya dalam bab mengenai mimpi. 67.9

Ibn Abī Ḥātim quoted his father as saying, “In the end he was right. By the time the Inquisition was over, God had made Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal a name to be reckoned with.” [The author:] We have also heard that al-Shāfiʿī, may God be pleased with him, had a dream where the Prophet asked him to warn Aḥmad that he would be tried regarding the creation of the Qurʾan. This report will be given along with its chain of transmitters in the chapter on dreams. 67.9

[Al-Anbārī:] Ketika saya mendapat tahu bahawa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal sedang dibawa untuk menemui al-Ma'mūn, saya menyeberangi Furat dan mendapati Aḥmad sedang duduk di sebuah kārwānsarai. Apabila saya memberi salam kepadanya, beliau berkata, "Abū Ja'far, engkau tidak sepatutnya menyusahkan dirimu!" 67.10

[Al-Anbārī:] When I found out that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was being taken to see al- Maʾmūn, I crossed the Euphrates and found Aḥmad sitting in a caravanserai. When I greeted him he said, “Abū Jaʿfar, you shouldn’t have troubled yourself!” 67.10

"Tiada masalah," kata saya kepadanya. Kemudian saya berkata, "Dengar sini! Mulai hari ini, ada orang yang sudah bersedia mengikuti teladanmu. Jika engkau mengatakan Al-Qur'an itu makhluk, ramai di antara mereka akan berkata yang sama. Jika engkau menentang, ramai di antara mereka juga akan berbuat begitu. Fikirkanlah: sekalipun lelaki itu tidak membunuhmu, engkau tetap akan mati lebih awal atau lambat juga. Maka takutlah kepada Tuhan dan jangan mengalah!" "Kehendak Tuhan akan terlaksana!" kata Aḥmad sambil menangis. "Kehendak Tuhan akan terlaksana!" Kemudian dia berkata, "Abū Jaʿfar, ulangilah apa yang engkau katakan itu untukku." Maka saya pun mengulanginya, dan sekali lagi dia berkata, "Kehendak Tuhan akan terlaksana! Kehendak Tuhan akan terlaksana!" [Ṣāliḥ:] Ayah saya memberitahu saya: "Kami baru sahaja hendak meninggalkan Adana apabila pintu gerbang kota terbuka di belakang kami dan seseorang menjerit: 'Khabar gembira! Lelaki itu sudah mati!'" 344 67.11

“It was no trouble,” I told him. Then I said, “Listen here! As of today, you have people prepared to follow your example. If you say the Qurʾan is created, many of them will say the same. If you resist, many of them will too. Think about it: even if that man doesn’t kill you, you’re going to die sooner or later anyway. So fear God and don’t give in!” “God’s will be done!” said Aḥmad, weeping. “God’s will be done!” Then he said, “Abū Jaʿfar, repeat what you said for me.” So I repeated it, and again he said “God’s will be done! God’s will be done!” [Ṣāliḥ:] My father told me: “We were just leaving Adana when the city gate opened behind us and someone called out: ‘Good news! That man is dead!’344 67.11

“Saya telah berdoa supaya saya tidak akan pernah bertemu dengannya.” [Al-Būshanjī:] Saya mendengar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal berkata, “Tiga kali saya memohon kepada Tuhan sesuatu, dan dua kali saya melihat permohonan itu dikabulkan. Saya memohon kepada-Nya supaya menjauhkan saya daripada al-Maʾmūn, dan saya berkata kepada-Nya bahawa saya tidak mahu melihat al-Mutawakkil. Maka, saya tidak pernah melihat al-Maʾmūn.”345 67.12

“I had been praying I would never meet him.” [Al-Būshanjī:] I heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal say, “Three times I’ve asked God for something and twice seen my request granted. I asked Him to keep me away from al- Maʾmūn, and I told Him I didn’t want to see al-Mutawakkil. Well, I never saw al- Maʾmūn.”345 67.12

Al-Ma'mūn wafat di Badhandūn, sebuah sungai di wilayah Byzantium, sementara Aḥmad dipenjara di al-Raqqah. Al-Mu'taṣim menerima baiat di Anatolia lalu kembali ke Iraq. Aḥmad dibawa kembali ke Baghdad pada tahun 218 H [833 M], dan al-Mu'taṣim sendiri yang mengadili beliau. Adapun al-Mutawakkil, ketika ia membawa Aḥmad ke istana untuk mengajar hadith kepada anak-anaknya, ia memerhatikan Aḥmad dari sebuah ruang rahsia, maksudnya ia melihat Aḥmad tetapi Aḥmad tidak pernah melihatnya.

Al-Maʾmūn died at the Badhandūn—a river in Byzantine territory—while Aḥmad was locked up in al-Raqqah. Al-Muʿtaṣim received the oath of allegiance in Anatolia and returned to Iraq. Aḥmad was brought back to Baghdad in 218 [833], and it was al- Muʿtaṣim who tried him. As for al-Mutawakkil, when he brought Aḥmad to the palace to instruct his children in Hadith, he observed him from a secret compartment, meaning that he saw Aḥmad but Aḥmad never saw him.

[Ṣāliḥ:] Ayah saya dan Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ dihantar pulang dari Tarsus dalam keadaan masih dirantai. Apabila mereka sampai di al-Raqqah, mereka dinaikkan ke sebuah perahu. Di ʿĀnāt,346

[Ṣāliḥ:] My father and Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ were sent back from Tarsus still in irons. When they reached al-Raqqah, they were put onto a boat. At ʿĀnāt,346

Muhammad ibn Nuh meninggal dunia dan rantainya dibuka. Ayahku solat ke atas jenazahnya. 67.13

Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ died and his chains were removed. My father prayed over his body. 67.13

[Ḥanbal:] Saya mendengar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal berkata: "Saya tidak pernah melihat seorang yang semuda atau sejahil itu yang membela Tuhan dengan lebih berani daripada Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ. Saya berharap Tuhan telah menyelamatkannya ketika dia meninggal! 67.14

[Ḥanbal:] I heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal say: “I never saw anyone so young or so unlearned stand up for God more bravely than Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ. I hope God saved him when he died! 67.14

"Suatu hari, ketika kami berdua sahaja, dia berkata kepada saya, 'Aḥmad, takutlah kepada Tuhan! Takutlah kepada Tuhan! Kita berdua tidak sama. Awak ialah seorang lelaki yang diikuti orang, dan semua orang sedang memerhati serta menunggu untuk melihat apa yang akan awak lakukan. Takutlah kepada Tuhan, dan teguhlah pendirian!'—atau kata-kata yang seerti dengannya. Bayangkanlah dia cuba menguatkan saya dan memberi peringatan agar saya melakukan perkara yang benar! Dan lihatlah apa yang menimpa dirinya: dia jatuh sakit dan akhirnya mati di tepi sebatang jalan di suatu tempat. Saya solatkan dia dan saya kebumikan dia." Dia mungkin turut menambah: "Itu berlaku di ʿĀnāh." Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī ibn Thābit meriwayatkan bahawa Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ meninggal dunia pada tahun 218 [833].

“One day, when the two of us were alone, he said to me, ‘Aḥmad, fear God! Fear God! We’re nothing alike, you and I. You’re a man people follow and everyone is watching and waiting to see what you’ll do. Fear God, and stand firm!’—or words to that effect. Imagine him trying to keep me strong and warn me to do the right thing! And look what happened to him: he fell sick and ended up dying by the side of a road somewhere. I prayed over him and buried him.” He may have added: “That was in ʿĀnāh.” Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī ibn Thābit reported that Muḥammad ibn Nūḥ died in 218 [833].