[Muḥammad ibn Naṣr al-'Ābid:] Saya mendengar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal berkata, "Jika kamu mempunyai peluang untuk melakukan sesuatu yang baik, jangan tangguhkan!" 31.1

[Muḥammad ibn Naṣr the Worshipper:] I heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal say, “If you have a chance to do something good, don’t wait!” 31.1

Saya bertanya kepadanya tentang keluar berperang di perbatasan, lalu beliau berkata, "Jangan menunggu, pergilah!" [Al-Ṭarasūsī:] Saya pergi bersama Yaḥyā l-Jallāʾ, yang dikatakan sebagai salah seorang dari al-Abdāl, untuk menemui Aḥmad. Beliau sedang bersama Fūrān, Zuhayr, dan Hārūn al-Ḥammāl (si kuli angkut). 31.2

I asked him about going out to fight on the frontiers and he said, “Don’t wait: go!” [Al-Ṭarasūsī:] I went with Yaḥyā l-Jallāʾ—who was supposed to be one of the Substitutes—to see Aḥmad. He was with Fūrān, Zuhayr, and Hārūn al-Ḥammāl (the porter). 31.2

"Semoga Allah memberkati kamu, Aḥmad!" kata saya. "Beritahu saya: Apakah yang melembutkan hati seseorang?" Dia menoleh kepada teman-temannya dan mengenyitkan mata. Kemudian dia menundukkan kepalanya seketika.

“God bless you, Aḥmad!” I said. “Tell me: What softens a person’s heart?” He turned to his companions and winked. Then he bowed his head for a time.

Akhirnya dia mendongak dan berkata, "Nak, ia adalah memakan makanan yang halal." Saya pergi terus menemui Abū Naṣr Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith dan bertanya kepadanya soalan yang sama. Dia membacakan: «Tidakkah hati menemui ketenangan dengan mengingati Tuhan?»176

Finally he looked up and said, “Son, it’s eating permitted foods.” I left and went directly to Abū Naṣr Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith and asked him the same question. He recited: «Do hearts not find reassurance in the thought of God?»176

Saya memberitahunya bahawa saya baru sahaja datang dari rumah Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.

I told him that I had just come from Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s.

“Begitu,” katanya. “Jadi apa yang Aḥmad beritahu kamu?” “Dia berkata, ‘makan makanan yang halal.’” “Dia betul,” kata Bishr. “Itu tempat untuk bermula!” Kemudian saya pergi berjumpa ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Warrāq dan bertanya kepadanya soalan yang sama.

“I see,” he said. “So what did Aḥmad tell you?” “He said ‘eating permitted foods.’” “He’s right,” said Bishr. “That’s the place to start!” Then I went to see ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Warrāq and asked him the same question.

Dia membacakan: «Tidakkah hati menjadi tenteram dengan mengingat Tuhan?» Saya memberitahunya bahawa saya baru sahaja datang dari rumah Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Wajahnya menjadi merah jambu kerana gembira, lalu dia bertanya apa yang telah dikatakan oleh beliau.

He recited: «Do hearts not find reassurance in the thought of God?» I told him that I had just come from Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s. His face turned pink with delight and he asked what he had said.

“Dia berkata: ‘Makan makanan yang halal.’” “Dia betul: itulah intinya!” serunya. “Tempat untuk bermula ialah di mana dia telah memberitahu kamu.” [Al-Marrūdhī:] Saya mendengar Aḥmad berkata kepada dirinya: “Bersusah payah sekarang, atau menyesal kemudian!” 31.3

“He said ‘eating permitted foods.’” “He’s right: that’s the essence!” he exclaimed. “The place to start is where he told you.” [Al-Marrūdhī:] I heard Aḥmad say to his soul: “Suffer now or regret it later!” 31.3

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Saya pernah mendengar ayah saya berkata, apabila seseorang menyebut tentang perkara-perkara dunia, bahawa seseorang boleh berpuas hati dengan memiliki sedikit, tetapi tidak akan pernah berpuas hati dengan memiliki banyak. 31.4

[ʿAbd Allāh:] I once heard my father say, when someone mentioned the things of this world, that one can be satisfied with having little but never satisfied with having much. 31.4

Pada kesempatan lain, apabila seseorang menyebut tentang kemiskinan, beliau berkata: "Kemiskinan bersama kebajikan!" [Al-Marrūdhī:] Saya pernah mendengar Aḥmad berkata: "Tiada yang mempunyai kelebihan sebanyak menjadi miskin. Tahukah kamu bahawa apabila isterimu meminta sesuatu daripadamu dan kamu tidak mampu memenuhinya, betapa besar ganjaran yang telah kamu peroleh?" 31.5

On another occasion, when someone mentioned poverty, he said: “Poverty with virtue!” [Al-Marrūdhī:] I once heard Aḥmad say: “Nothing has as much merit as being poor. Do you know that when your wife asks you for something and you can’t afford it, what a reward you’ve earned?” 31.5

[Al-Khallāl:] ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd memberitahu kami bahawa Aḥmad pernah berkata kepadanya, "Berapa lamakah sesiapa antara kita hidup? Lima puluh tahun? Enam puluh? Kamu tidaklah jauh ketinggalan daripada kami!" 31.6

[Al-Khallāl:] ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd told us that Aḥmad once said to him, “How long does any of us live? Fifty years? Sixty? You’re not that far behind us!” 31.6

[Al-Warrāq:] Saya pernah mendengar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal berkata, "Kehilangan masa muda bagiku tidak berbeza daripada sesuatu yang jatuh dari lengan bajuku."177 31.7

[Al-Warrāq:] I once heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal say, “Losing my youth seems no different to me than letting something drop out of my sleeve.”177 31.7

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Saya pernah mendengar Aḥmad berkata, "Semakin sedikit bahagianmu daripada dunia ini, semakin ringan hisabmu pada akhirnya." 31.8

[Al-Marrūdhī:] I once heard Aḥmad say, “The less of this world you take, the lighter your reckoning in the end.” 31.8

[Yaʿqūb ibn Isḥāq:] Apabila ditanya apakah maksudnya bergantung sepenuhnya kepada Tuhan, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal berkata, "Belajar untuk tidak menoleh ke sana sini mengharapkan pertolongan daripada orang lain." 31.9

[Yaʿqūb ibn Isḥāq:] Asked what it meant to be completely reliant on God, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal said, “Learning not to look around hoping for help from other people.” 31.9

"Apa sumber anda untuk itu?" "Apa yang Ibrahim katakan ketika mereka meletakkannya di atas manjanik."178

“What’s your source for that?” “What Abraham said when they put him on the mangonel.”178

[Yaʿqūb ibn Isḥāq:] Apabila ditanya apakah maksud bergantung sepenuhnya kepada Tuhan, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal berkata, "Belajar untuk tidak mencari pertolongan daripada mana-mana makhluk lain." 31.10

[Yaʿqūb ibn Isḥāq:] Asked what it meant to be completely reliant on God, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal said, “Learning not to look around for help from any other creature.” 31.10

"Apa sumber anda untuk itu?" "Kisah tentang Ibrahim, kekasih Allah, ketika beliau dicampakkan ke atas manjanik dan berkata kepada Gabriel, 'Dari kamu, tidak.' Kemudian, apabila Gabriel berkata, 'Mintalah kepada Yang berkuasa menolongmu, kalau begitu,' beliau menjawab, 'Aku menerima apa sahaja yang Dia pilihkan untukku.'" [ʿAbd Allāh:] Aḥmad ditanya apakah maksud keberanian, lalu beliau berkata, "Meninggalkan apa yang kamu ingini dan merangkul apa yang kamu takuti." 31.11

“What’s your source for that?” “The story about Abraham, the Friend of God, when he was put on the mangonel and said to Gabriel, ‘From you, no.’ Then, when Gabriel said, ‘Ask the One who can help you, then,’ he answered, ‘I accept whatever He chooses for me.’” [ʿAbd Allāh:] Aḥmad was asked what bravery meant and he said, “Renouncing what you crave and embracing what you fear.” 31.11

[Muḥammad ibn Naṣr:] Saya mendengar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal berkata, "Jika ada kebaikan yang ingin kamu lakukan, segeralah lakukan sebelum ada sesuatu yang menghalangimu." 31.12

[Muḥammad ibn Naṣr:] I heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal say, “If there’s anything good you intend to do, hurry up and do it before something gets in the way.” 31.12

[ʿAbd al-Ṣamad ibn Sulaymān:] Pada suatu ketika, saya bermalam di rumah Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, dan beliau menyediakan air untuk saya. Pada waktu pagi, beliau melihat saya tidak menggunakannya. 31.13

[ʿAbd al-Ṣamad ibn Sulaymān:] Once when I spent the night at Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s he put some water out for me. In the morning he saw I hadn’t used it. 31.13

"Awak mengaku diri awak seorang ahli Hadith," katanya, "dan awak tidak solat malam?" Saya membantah bahawa saya sedang dalam perjalanan.

“You call yourself a Hadith scholar,” he said, “and you didn’t do a night prayer?” I protested that I was traveling.

“Jadi kenapa?” balasnya. “Apabila Masrūq menunaikan haji, dia hanya tidur dalam satu keadaan sahaja: dengan dahinya di atas tanah.”179

“So what?” he retorted. “When Masrūq performed the pilgrimage, he slept only one way: with his forehead on the ground.”179

[Abū ʿIṣmah:] Suatu ketika apabila saya bermalam di rumah Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, beliau membawakan air dan meletakkannya untuk saya. Pada waktu pagi beliau melihat air itu masih tidak disentuh. 31.14

[Abū ʿIṣmah:] Once when I spent the night at Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s he brought some water and put it out for me. In the morning he saw it was untouched. 31.14

“Ya Allah, tolonglah kami!” serunya. “Seorang lelaki yang mencari Hadis tetapi tidak solat pada waktu malam?” [Ibn al-Madīnī:] Pada suatu ketika, sebelum sebuah perjalanan, semasa saya memohon diri daripada Ibn Ḥanbal, saya bertanya sama ada beliau mahu saya melakukan sesuatu untuk beliau. 31.15

“God help us!” he cried. “A man who seeks Hadith but doesn’t pray at night?” [Ibn al-Madīnī:] Once, before a trip, as I was taking leave of Ibn Ḥanbal, I asked if he wanted me to do anything for him. 31.15

"Ya," jawabnya. "Bawalah takut kepada Tuhan ke mana sahaja kamu pergi, dan pandanglah ke arah akhirat." [Yaḥyā l-Jallāʾ:] Saya mendengar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal berkata, "Saya benci melihat perkara-perkara dunia ini melemahkan tekad orang-orang yang mengenali Al-Qur'an." 31.16

“Yes,” he replied. “Carry the fear of God wherever you go, and keep your eyes on the next world.” [Yaḥyā l-Jallāʾ:] I heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal say, “I hate to see the things of this world weaken the resolve of men who know the Qurʾan.” 31.16

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Suatu hari saya meminta ayah saya memberikan nasihat kepada saya. Beliau berkata, "Sentiasalah berniat untuk melakukan perkara yang betul. Selagi niat kamu baik, kamu akan selamat." 31.17

[ʿAbd Allāh:] One day I asked my father to give me some advice. He said, “Always intend to do the right thing. As long as your intention is sound, you’ll be all right.” 31.17

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Seseorang pernah bertanya kepada Ibn Ḥanbal, apakah yang telah dilakukan oleh kaumnya sehingga mereka begitu dihormati. 31.18

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Someone once asked Ibn Ḥanbal what his people had done to become so well regarded. 31.18

"Mereka telah berkata benar," katanya.

“They’ve been truthful,” he said.

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Saya mendengar ayah saya berkata, "Seseorang tidak dapat benar-benar takut kecuali jika dia tahu apa yang harus ditakuti."180 31.19

[ʿAbd Allāh:] I heard my father say, “You can’t be rightly fearful unless you know what to fear.”180 31.19