[Al-Muzanī:] Al-Shafiʿī berkata bahawa beliau pergi berjumpa Hārūn al-Rashīd dan, selepas memberi salam kepadanya, beliau berkata bahawa beliau baru datang dari Yaman, yang amat memerlukan tangan yang tegas. Al-Rashīd berkata, "Pilihlah salah seorang daripada murid-muridmu, dan kami akan melantiknya sebagai hakim di sana." 50.1

[Al-Muzanī:] Al-Shafiʿī said that he went to see Hārūn al-Rashīd and, after greeting him, said that he had just come from Yemen, which badly needed a strong hand. Al- Rashīd said, “Choose one of your students and we’ll appoint him judge there.” 50.1

Kembali ke sesi pengajiannya, dan melihat bahawa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal termasuk antara yang terbaik di kalangan mereka yang hadir, al-Shāfiʿī menghampirinya dan berkata, "Aku telah berbincang dengan Amirul Mukminin tentang melantik seorang hakim di Yaman, dan beliau meminta aku memilih seseorang yang belajar bersamaku. Aku telah memilih engkau, maka bersiap sedialah: aku akan membawa engkau menemui beliau dan beliau akan melantik engkau sebagai hakim." Ibn Ḥanbal berpaling kepadanya dan berkata, "Satu-satunya sebab aku datang kepadamu ialah untuk belajar sesuatu, dan engkau mahu aku menyertai mereka sebagai hakim?" Al-Shāfiʿī malu dengan teguran ini.281

Returning to his study session, and seeing that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was among the best of those present, al-Shāfiʿī approached him and said, “I was talking with the Commander of Believers about appointing a judge in Yemen and he asked me to choose someone who studies with me. I’ve chosen you, so get ready: I’ll take you in to meet him and he’ll appoint you judge.” Ibn Ḥanbal turned on him and said, “The only reason I came to you was to learn something, and you want me to join them as a judge?” Al-Shāfiʿī was shamed by this rebuke.281

[Pengarang:] Diriwayatkan juga bahawa kejadian ini berlaku semasa pemerintahan al-Amīn.

[The author:] It is also reported that this incident took place during the reign of al- Amīn.

[Al-Athram:] Saya diberitahu bahawa al-Shāfiʿī berkata kepada Aḥmad, "Amīr al-Mu'minīn", maksudnya al-Amīn, "meminta saya mencari seseorang untuk berkhidmat sebagai hakim baginya di Yaman. Saya tahu awak mahu pergi menemui ʿAbd al-Razzāq, dan sekarang awak boleh pergi. Berlaku adillah, dan dapatkanlah sebanyak mana ilmu yang awak mahu daripadanya." 50.2

[Al-Athram:] I was told that al-Shāfiʿī said to Aḥmad, “The Commander of the Faithful”—meaning al-Amīn—“asked me to look for someone to serve him as judge in Yemen. I know you want to go see ʿAbd al-Razzāq, and now you can. Rule fairly, and get all the learning you want from him.” 50.2

"Jika kamu menyebut perkara ini lagi," kata Aḥmad, "itulah kali terakhir kamu akan melihat aku." Pada waktu itu, aku rasa Aḥmad berusia tiga puluh—atau mungkin dua puluh tujuh—tahun.282

“If you ever mention this again,” said Aḥmad, “that’s the last you’ll see of me.” At the time, I think Aḥmad was thirty—or maybe twenty-seven—years old.282

[Al-Balkhī:] Al-Shāfiʿī, semoga Tuhan merahmatinya, mempunyai pengaruh yang besar terhadap Muḥammad ibn Zubaydah.283 Pada suatu hari Muḥammad menyatakan bahawa dia sangat risau kerana tidak dapat mencari seorang lelaki yang baik dan boleh dipercayai, yang menjadi teladan sunnah, untuk dilantik sebagai hakim. Al-Shāfiʿī memberitahunya bahawa dia telah menemui lelaki seperti itu: seorang teladan sunnah yang dikurniakan kefahaman agama dan mempunyai ilmu yang luas dalam Hadith. 50.3

[Al-Balkhī:] Al-Shāfiʿī, God have mercy on him, had a lot of pull with Muḥammad ibn Zubaydah.283 One day Muḥammad mentioned that he was very concerned about not finding a good, trustworthy man who was an exemplar of the sunnah to serve as a judge. Al-Shāfiʿī told him that he had found just such a man: an exemplar of the sunnah who was gifted with religious understanding and well learned in Hadith. 50.3

"Siapa itu?" tanya Muḥammad.

“Who’s that?” asked Muḥammad.

Dia memberitahunya bahawa itu ialah Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.

He told him it was Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.

Beberapa waktu kemudian, al-Shāfiʿī bertemu dengan Aḥmad dan memberitahunya apa yang telah dia katakan.

Some time later, al-Shāfiʿī ran into Aḥmad and told him what he had said.

"Lupakan semua itu dan jangan libatkan saya," jawabnya. "Jika tidak, saya akan meninggalkan tempat ini dan pergi." [Ṣāliḥ:] Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh menulis kepada saya, mengatakan: 50.4

“Put that right out of your mind, and leave me out of it,” he replied. “Otherwise I’ll leave this place and go.” [Ṣāliḥ:] Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh wrote to me saying: 50.4

Amir ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāhir memanggil saya, dan ketika saya masuk, saya membawa sepucuk surat dari ayah awak di tangan saya. Apabila amir melihatnya, dia bertanya apakah itu, lalu saya memberitahunya. Dia mengambilnya, membacanya, dan berkata, "Saya sangat menghormati dia dan juga Ḥamzah ibn al-Ḥayḍam al-Būshanjī, kerana tiada seorang pun daripada mereka pernah bercampur dengan orang yang berkuasa." Apabila dia mengetahui bahawa Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh telah memaklumkan surat itu kepada ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāhir, ayah saya berhenti berkirim surat dengannya.

Emir ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāhir sent for me and, when I went in, I was carrying a letter from your father in my hand. When the emir saw it, he asked what it was, and I told him. He took it and read it and said, “I have a lot of regard for him and for Ḥamzah ibn al-Hayḍam al-Būshanjī because neither of them ever got mixed up with people in power.” When he learned that Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh had brought his letter to the attention of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāhir, my father stopped corresponding with him.

[Al-Ribāṭī:] Saya pergi menemui Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, tetapi dia tidak mahu memandang saya. Saya berkata kepadanya bahawa saya pernah mendiktekan Hadis di Khurasan dan jika orang di sana tahu bagaimana dia melayan saya, mereka akan membuang riwayat yang telah saya ajarkan kepada mereka. 50.5

[Al-Ribāṭī:] I went to see Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, but he wouldn’t look at me. I told him that I dictated Hadith in Khurasan and that if people there knew how he was treating me they would toss away the reports I had taught them. 50.5

“Pada Hari Kiamat,” jawabnya, “apabila mereka memanggil ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāhir dan rombongannya, adakah kamu fikir kamu akan mempunyai tempat untuk lari? Pastikan kamu tidak berdiri di sana bersamanya ketika itu berlaku.”284

“On the Day of Resurrection,” he replied, “when they call forth ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāhir and his entourage, do you think you’ll have anywhere to run? Make sure you won’t be standing there with him when that happens.”284