[Ṣāliḥ:] Apabila ayahku jatuh sakit, dia membiarkan mereka menjaganya. Untuk memanaskannya pada musim sejuk, mereka akan membeli akar semak duri dan membakarnya dalam sebuah pemanas arang yang sempit. 47.1

[Ṣāliḥ:] When my father got sick, he let them take care of him. To keep him warm in winter, they would buy thorn-bush roots and burn them in a narrow coal-pan. 47.1

[Al-Muṭawwiʿī:] Ayah saya meriwayatkan bahawa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal tidak makan puding dengan sudu. Sebaliknya, beliau memakannya menggunakan tangan. Beliau juga berkata bahawa beliau makan roti nipis. 47.2

[Al-Muṭawwiʿī:] My father reported that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal didn’t eat pudding with a spoon. Instead, he would eat it out of his hand. He also said that he ate thin flatbread. 47.2

"Bagaimana awak tahu?" tanya saya.

“How do you know?” I asked.

"Suatu ketika saya kebetulan berada di luar pintunya sejurus selepas anaknya Ṣāliḥ membuat roti untuknya. Seorang peminta sedekah datang ke pintu meminta-minta, lalu mereka mengeluarkan sekeping roti kering. Saya sedar bahawa Aḥmad tentulah turut makan benda yang sama, kerana Nabi ﷺ bersabda, 'Janganlah kamu bersedekah dengan sesuatu yang kamu sendiri tidak makan.'"

“Once I happened to be outside his door just after his son Ṣāliḥ had done some baking for him. A beggar came to the door begging, and they sent out a crust of flatbread. I realized that Aḥmad must eat the same thing, since the Prophet, God bless and keep him, said, ‘Don’t give away anything you don’t eat.’”