[Ḥarmalah ibn Yaḥyā:] Saya mendengar al-Shāfiʿī berkata: "Aku tidak meninggalkan di Baghdad seorang pun yang lebih wara', lebih takut kepada Tuhan,76 atau lebih mendalam pemahamannya dalam urusan hukum"—dan saya rasa beliau menambahkan "atau lebih alim"—"daripada Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal." 13.1

[Ḥarmalah ibn Yaḥyā:] I heard al-Shāfiʿī say: “I left behind me in Baghdad no one more scrupulous, more God-fearing,76 or more insightful in matters of law”—and I think he added “or more learned”—“than Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” 13.1

[Al-Shāfiʿī:] Tiga orang berilmu sentiasa membuatkan saya kagum. Salah seorang daripada mereka ialah Abū Thawr:

[Al-Shāfiʿī:] Three men of learning never cease to amaze me. One is Abū Thawr:

walaupun dia seorang Arab, dia tidak pernah menggunakan infleksi tatabahasa. Yang kedua ialah al-Ḥasan al-Zaʿfarānī: walaupun bahasa Arab bukan bahasa ibundanya, dia tidak pernah melakukan kesilapan. Yang ketiga ialah Ibn Ḥanbal: apa sahaja yang dia katakan, orang-orang tuanya mempercayainya. 13.2

even though he’s an Arab, he never uses grammatical inflections. The second is al- Ḥasan al-Zaʿfarānī: even though Arabic is not his first language, he never makes a mistake. The third is Ibn Ḥanbal: whatever he says, his elders believe. 13.2

[Al-Shāfiʿī:] Tiada seorang pun yang saya temui di Iraq seperti Ibnu Hanbal. 13.3

[Al-Shāfiʿī:] No one I met back in Iraq was like Ibn Ḥanbal. 13.3

Al-Shāfiʿī: Saya tidak pernah melihat seseorang yang lebih menahan diri daripada Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dan Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd al-Hāshimī. 13.4

[Al-Shāfiʿī:] I have never seen anyone more self-restrained than Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd al-Hāshimī. 13.4

[Al-Ḥumaydī:] Selagi saya berada di Hijaz, Aḥmad berada di Iraq, dan Isḥāq berada di Khurasan, kita tidak akan pernah dikalahkan. 13.5

[Al-Ḥumaydī:] So long as I’m in the Hijaz, Aḥmad’s in Iraq, and Isḥāq’s in Khurasan, we will never be defeated. 13.5

[Al-Baladī:] Suatu ketika di rumah Ibn Abī Uways, saya mendengarnya menjawab seorang ahli hadis yang berkata bahawa sudah tidak ada lagi ahli hadis. 13.6

[Al-Baladī:] Once at Ibn Abī Uways’s house I heard him reply to a Hadith scholar who had remarked that there were no Hadith scholars left. 13.6

"Selagi Tuhan memelihara Ibn Ḥanbal," katanya, "akan tetap ada ulama Hadis."

“As long as God spares Ibn Ḥanbal,” he said, “there will still be Hadith scholars.”

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] Saya telah menjadikan Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal sebagai panduan dalam setiap urusan saya dengan Tuhan. Siapakah lagi yang cukup kuat untuk melakukan apa yang dia lakukan? 13.7

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] I have taken Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal as a guide in all my dealings with God. Who else is strong enough to do what he does? 13.7

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ialah pemimpin kami. 13.8

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is our leader. 13.8

[Ibrāhīm ibn Ismāʿīl:] ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī datang kepada kami, lalu kami berkumpul di sekelilingnya dan memohon kepadanya agar mengajar kami beberapa Hadis. 13.9

[Ibrāhīm ibn Ismāʿīl:] ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī came to us and we gathered around him and asked him to teach us some Hadith. 13.9

"Guru saya," katanya, "ialah Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, dan beliau pernah berpesan kepada saya supaya tidak meriwayatkan Hadis kecuali daripada teks bertulis."77

“My master,” he said, “is Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, and he told me never to recite Hadith except from a written text.”77

[Muḥammad ibn ʿAbduwayh:] Saya mendengar ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī berkata, apabila disebut nama Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: "Saya rasa dia lebih hebat daripada Saʿīd ibn Jubayr pada zamannya, kerana Saʿīd mempunyai sebaya dengannya, tetapi Aḥmad tidak mempunyai sebaya," atau dengan lafaz yang seumpama itu. 13.10

[Muḥammad ibn ʿAbduwayh:] I heard ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī say, at the mention of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: “I think he is greater than Saʿīd ibn Jubayr was in his time, since Saʿīd had peers but Aḥmad doesn’t,” or words to that effect. 13.10

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] Tiada seorang pun yang saya kenali yang mempunyai ingatan yang lebih baik daripada Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, tetapi saya pernah mendengar bahawa beliau sendiri tidak akan meriwayatkan hadis tanpa teks bertulis, dan itulah teladan yang baik yang saya niatkan untuk saya ikuti. 13.11

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] No one I know has a better memory than Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, but I’ve heard that even he won’t recite Hadith without a written text, and that’s the good example I intend to follow. 13.11

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] Apabila saya ada sesuatu persoalan, saya lebih suka bertanya kepada Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal berbanding Abū ʿĀṣim atau ʿAbd Allāh ibn Dāwūd. Usia tidak semestinya menjadikan seseorang lebih berilmu. 13.12

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] When I have a question, I’d rather ask Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal than Abū ʿĀṣim or ʿAbd Allāh ibn Dāwūd. Age doesn’t always make a man more learned. 13.12

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Ilmu Hadis telah diturunkan kepada empat orang: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, yang paling memahaminya; Ibn Abī Shaybah, yang memiliki hafalan paling kuat; ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī, yang paling banyak pengetahuannya; dan Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, yang paling banyak menuliskannya daripada yang lain. 13.20

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Knowledge of Hadith has come down to four men: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, who understood it best; Ibn Abī Shaybah, who had the most retentive memory; ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī, who knew the most; and Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, who wrote down more of it than the others. 13.20

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Ilmu Hadith telah diturunkan kepada empat orang: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, dan Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah. Daripada keempat-empatnya, Aḥmad yang paling memahaminya. 13.21

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Knowledge of Hadith has come down to four men: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, and Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah. Of the four, Aḥmad understood it best. 13.21

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ialah pemimpin kami; adalah suatu kehormatan bagi saya untuk membicarakan beliau. 13.22

[Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is our guide; it’s an honor for me to speak of him. 13.22

[Abū Bakr al-Athram:] Kami berada di rumah Abū ʿUbayd dan saya sedang berdebat dengan seseorang di sana. Pada satu ketika, lelaki itu meminta saya menyebut sumber saya bagi sebuah riwayat. 13.23

[Abū Bakr al-Athram:] We were at Abū ʿUbayd’s and I was debating with someone there. At one point the man asked me to name my authority for a report. 13.23

"Yang tiada tandingan, timur mahupun barat," jawab saya.

“The one who has no equal, east or west,” I replied.

"Siapakah itu?" "Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal." "Dia betul," celah Abū ʿUbayd. "Tiada seorang pun seperti dia, di timur mahupun di barat. Saya tidak pernah bertemu sesiapa yang lebih mengetahui sunnah daripadanya." [Al-Maymūnī:] Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām berkata, "Saya pernah duduk berhadapan dengan Abū Yūsuf, hakim; Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan"—sejauh yang saya ingat, beliau menambah, "Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd dan ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Mahdī"—"tetapi saya tidak pernah berasa lebih gentar ketika membincangkan sesuatu persoalan selain bersama Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal." 13.24

“Who’s that?” “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” “He’s right,” interjected Abū ʿUbayd. “There’s no one like him, east or west. I never met anyone who knew the sunnah better than he did.” [Al-Maymūnī:] Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām said, “I’ve sat opposite Abū Yūsuf, the judge; Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan”—as best I can remember, he added, “Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Mahdī”—“but I was never more intimidated when discussing a question than I was with Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” 13.24

[Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn:] Saya hanya pernah melihat tiga orang yang mengajarkan Hadis tanpa mengharapkan balasan selain keredaan Tuhan: Yaʿlā ibn ʿUbayd, al-Qaʿnabī, dan Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.28

[Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn:] I’ve only seen three men teach Hadith expecting no reward but God’s good pleasure: Yaʿlā ibn ʿUbayd, al-Qaʿnabī, and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.28

[ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ibrāhīm:] Saya mendengar Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn berkata bahawa hanya empat orang ulama yang boleh dipercayai—atau hanya empat orang ulama hadith yang benar—iaitu Wakīʿ, Yaʿlā ibn ʿUbayd, al-Qaʿnabī, dan Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.29

[ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ibrāhīm:] I heard Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn say that there are only four scholars you can trust—or only four true Hadith scholars—namely Wakīʿ, Yaʿlā ibn ʿUbayd, al-Qaʿnabī, and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.29

[ʿAbbās ibn Muḥammad:] Suatu ketika apabila seseorang menyebut Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, saya mendengar Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn berkata, “Demi Tuhan, saya tidak mampu melakukan apa yang Aḥmad lakukan; saya tidak cukup kuat.” 13.30

[ʿAbbās ibn Muḥammad:] Once when someone mentioned Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, I heard Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn say, “By God, I can’t do what Aḥmad does; I’m not strong enough.” 13.30

[Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn:] Orang ramai mahu saya menjadi seperti Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, tetapi itu mustahil: saya tidak akan sekali-kali menjadi seperti beliau. 13.31

[Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn:] People wanted me to be like Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, but that’s impossible: I’ll never be like him. 13.31

[Al-Anmāṭī:] Pada suatu ketika saya sedang duduk bersama Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, Abū Khaythamah, Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb, dan beberapa orang alim senior yang lain. Ketika mereka mula memuji Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dan menyebut kelebihan-kelebihannya, seseorang berkata, "Sudahlah! Jangan terlalu berlebihan," lalu Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn menjawab, "Seolah-olah seseorang boleh berlebihan dalam memuji Aḥmad! Sekalipun kita datang ke sini hanya untuk bercakap tentang jasa-jasanya, kita tetap tidak akan dapat menceritakan kesemuanya." 13.32

[Al-Anmāṭī:] I was once sitting with Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, Abū Khaythamah, Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb, and other senior men of learning. When they began praising Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and describing his virtues, someone said, “Enough already! Don’t get carried away,” to which Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn replied, “As if one could go too far in praising Aḥmad! Even if we’d come here to do nothing but speak of his merits, we would still fail to recount them all.” 13.32

[Abū Zurʿah:] Aku mendengar Zuhayr bin Ḥarb berkata, "Aku tidak pernah melihat seorang pun seperti Ibnu Ḥanbal, atau yang lebih tegas daripadanya—kerana dia bangkit berdiri sebagaimana dia lakukan, sementara orang ramai disebat dan dihukum mati." Dia menambah, "Tiada siapa yang bangkit berdiri sebagaimana dia. Dia dianiaya dan diburu selama bertahun-tahun, tetapi dia tetap teguh pada pendiriannya." 13.33

[Abū Zurʿah:] I heard Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb say, “I’ve never seen anyone like Ibn Ḥanbal, or anyone tougher—to stand up the way he did, with people being flogged and executed.” He added, “No one stood up the way he did. He was persecuted and hounded all those years, but he stayed the course.” 13.33

[Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yāsīn:] Saya mendengar Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥīm berkata bahawa dia mendengar Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ḥanẓalī berkata, apabila disebut nama Ibn Ḥanbal, "Tiada seorang pun yang dapat menandinginya." 13.34

[Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yāsīn:] I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥīm say that he heard Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ḥanẓalī say, at the mention of Ibn Ḥanbal, “No one comes close.” 13.34

Saya mendengar ayah saya berkata, "Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ialah tanda Tuhan kepada hamba-hamba-Nya di bumi." 13.35

[Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq:] I heard my father say, “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is God’s sign to His worshippers on earth.” 13.35

[Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq:] Saya mendengar ayah saya berkata, "Sekiranya Aḥmad tidak mempertaruhkan nyawanya sebagaimana yang dilakukannya, nescaya Islam akan lenyap." 13.36

[Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq:] I heard my father say, “If Aḥmad hadn’t laid his life on the line the way he did, Islam would have disappeared.” 13.36

[Ibn Khashram:] Seseorang pernah bertanya kepada Bishr tentang Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, dan saya mendengar dia menjawab, "Mengapa engkau perlu peduli apa yang dikatakan orang seperti aku tentang Aḥmad? Dia telah masuk ke dalam dapur peniup dan keluar sebagai emas merah tulen."80 13.37

[Ibn Khashram:] Someone asked Bishr about Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, and I heard him reply, “Why should you care what someone like me has to say about Aḥmad? He went into the bellows and came out red gold.”80 13.37

[Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dimasukkan ke dalam dapur peniup, lalu keluar seperti ketulan emas merah. 13.38

[Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was put into the bellows and came out like a chunk of red gold. 13.38

[Ibn Khashram:] Saya mendengar Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith berkata, "Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dimasukkan ke dalam alat peniup api, lalu keluar seperti sepotong emas merah." Ketika Aḥmad mendengar hal ini, dia berkata, "Segala puji bagi Tuhan, Bishr meredai apa yang telah aku lakukan!" 13.39

[Ibn Khashram:] I heard Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith say “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was put into the bellows and came out like a chunk of red gold.” When Aḥmad learned of this, he said, “Thank God Bishr approves of what I did!” 13.39

[Al-Tammār:] Ketika Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal disebat semasa Inkuisisi, Bishr datang menemui saya. "Abū Naṣr," katanya, "hari ini lelaki itu telah melakukan apa yang orang lain gagal lakukan. Saya berharap Tuhan menghitung ilmunya sebagai kebaikan baginya." 13.40

[Al-Tammār:] When Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was flogged during the Inquisition, Bishr came to see me. “Abū Naṣr,” he said, “today that man has done what everyone else has failed to do. I hope God counts his learning in his favor.” 13.40

[Muḥammad ibn al-Shāh:] Setelah Mihnah berakhir, Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith ditanya tentang Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dan berkata, "Beliau adalah salah seorang pemimpin teladan dalam Islam." 13.41

[Muḥammad ibn al-Shāh:] After the Inquisition was over, Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith was asked about Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and said, “He’s one of the exemplary leaders of Islam.” 13.41

[Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ḥārith:] Ketika Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal disebat, sahabat-sahabat Bishr berkata, "Alangkah baiknya jika engkau keluar dan berkata, 'Aku berdiri bersama Ibn Ḥanbal!'" 13.42

[Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ḥārith:] When Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was flogged, Bishr’s associates said, “If only you had gone out and said, ‘I stand with Ibn Ḥanbal!’” 13.42

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Al-Fatḥ ibn Shakhraf menulis kepada saya dengan tulisan tangannya sendiri, mengatakan bahawa apabila seseorang menyebut Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal di hadapan al-Ḥārith ibn Asad al-Muḥāsibī, al-Fatḥ — iaitu dia sendiri — telah memetik ʿAbd al-Razzāq, yang mendengar Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah berkata bahawa Ibn ʿAbbās ialah ulama terbesar pada zamannya, al-Shaʿbī pada zamannya, dan al-Thawrī pada zamannya. Kemudian al-Fatḥ menambah, "Dan, pada zamannya, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal," lalu al-Ḥārith menjawab, "Dia menanggung lebih banyak penderitaan daripada yang pernah ditanggung oleh al-Thawrī atau al-Awzāʿī." 13.50

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Al-Fatḥ ibn Shakhraf wrote to me in his own hand, saying that when someone mentioned Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in the presence of al-Ḥārith ibn Asad al- Muḥāsibī, he—that is, al-Fatḥ—had cited ʿAbd al-Razzāq, who heard Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah say that Ibn ʿAbbās was the greatest scholar of his age, al-Shaʿbī of his, and al-Thawrī of his. Then al-Fatḥ added, “And, in his age, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal,” to which al-Ḥārith replied, “He suffered more than al-Thawrī or al-Awzāʿī ever did.” 13.50

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Ketika kami berada di Samarra,89 saya pergi menemui Dhū l-Nūn, yang ketika itu berada di penjara. Dia bertanya kepada saya, "Bagaimana keadaan tuan kita?" yakni Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.51

[Al-Marrūdhī:] When we were in Samarra,89 I went to see Dhū l-Nūn, who was in prison. He asked me, “How is our master?” meaning Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.51

[Al-Ḥasan ibn al-Layth:] Pada suatu ketika saya mendengar seseorang berkata kepada Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, "Ada seorang lelaki bernama Abū Zurʿah yang membacakan Hadis di Rey. Patutkah kami menulis apa yang dia katakan?" 13.52

[Al-Ḥasan ibn al-Layth:] I once heard someone say to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, “There’s a man called Abū Zurʿah who recites Hadith in Rey. Should we write down what he says?” 13.52

“Kamu bertanya tentang Abū Zurʿah?” kata Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dengan rasa tidak percaya. “Semoga Tuhan memelihara Abū Zurʿah, melindunginya, dan memuliakannya! Semoga Dia menganugerahkan kemenangan kepadanya atas musuh-musuhnya!” Beliau kemudian melanjutkan dengan membacakan doa panjang untuknya.

“You’re asking about Abū Zurʿah?” said Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, incredulous. “May God guard Abū Zurʿah, and protect him, and ennoble him! May He grant him victory over his enemies!” He went on to recite a lengthy prayer for him.

Beberapa waktu kemudian, setelah saya bergabung dengan Abū Zurʿah, saya menyebutkan kejadian ini kepadanya.

Some time later, after I had joined Abū Zurʿah, I mentioned this incident to him.

"Setiap kali saya berada dalam kesulitan," katanya, "saya teringat doa itu dan saya berkata, 'Ya Tuhan, sekarang Aḥmad telah mendoakan saya, peliharalah saya, dan jauhkanlah orang-orang itu daripada mencederakan saya!'"90

“Every time I’m in trouble,” he said, “I remember that prayer and I say, ‘God, now that Aḥmad has prayed for me, keep me safe, and keep those people from harming me!’”90

[Abū Zurʿah:] Saya tidak pernah melihat sesiapa pun yang menyamai Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal dalam pelbagai cabang ilmu hadis, dan saya tidak pernah melihat sesiapa pun yang berdiri teguh seperti beliau. 13.53

[Abū Zurʿah:] I’ve never seen anyone match Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in the different branches of Hadith-learning, nor seen anyone stand up the way he did. 13.53

[ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm:] Saya mendengar Abū Zurʿah berkata, “Saya tidak pernah melihat seorang pun seperti Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” 13.54

[ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm:] I heard Abū Zurʿah say, “I never saw anyone like Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” 13.54

"Maksud awak, awak tidak pernah melihat sesiapa yang lebih berilmu?" "Bukan itu sahaja. Saya bercakap tentang menuntut ilmu, meninggalkan dunia, memahami hukum, memiliki ilmu yang sebenar, dan setiap kebaikan lain yang boleh awak fikirkan."91

“You mean you never saw anyone who knew more?” “Not just that. I’m talking about learning, and renouncing the world, and understanding the law, and having real knowledge, and every other good thing you can think of.”91

[ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim:] Saya bertanya kepada ayah saya sama ada ʿAlī l-Madīnī atau Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal yang lebih banyak menghafal Hadis. 13.56

[ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim:] I asked my father whether ʿAlī l-Madīnī or Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal had memorized more Hadith. 13.56

"Mereka telah menghafal lebih kurang bilangan riwayat yang sama," katanya, "tetapi Aḥmad lebih memahaminya dengan baik." Saya juga mendengar ayah saya berkata, "Jika seseorang mencintai Ibn Ḥanbal, anda boleh pasti bahawa dia mengetahui sunnah." Saya juga mendengar beliau berkata, "Saya dahulu melihat Qutaybah ibn Saʿīd menjalankan urusannya di Makkah tanpa seorang pun menulis riwayat-riwayatnya. Maka saya berkata kepada para penghafal hadith, 'Bagaimana kamu boleh mengabaikan Qutaybah selepas Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal duduk dalam majlisnya?' "Apabila mereka mendengar itu, mereka segera menuju kepadanya dan menyalin riwayat-riwayatnya." [Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī:] "Jika seseorang mencintai Ibn Ḥanbal, anda boleh pasti bahawa dia mengetahui sunnah. Beliau adalah ujian yang membezakan kita daripada para pengamal bidʿah yang tercela." 13.57

“They had memorized more or less the same number of reports,” he said, “but Aḥmad understood them better.” I also heard my father say, “If a man loves Ibn Ḥanbal, you can be sure that he knows the sunnah.” I also heard him say, “I used to see Qutaybah ibn Saʿīd going about his business in Mecca with no one writing down his reports. So I said to the Hadith-men, ‘How can you ignore Qutaybah after Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal sat in his circle?’ “When they heard that, they made a beeline for him and copied down his reports.” [Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī:] “If a man loves Ibn Ḥanbal, you can be sure that he knows the sunnah. He’s the test that marks us off from the purveyors of reprehensible innovations.” 13.57

[Al-Muzanī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal adalah seperti Abū Bakr ketika Riddah (murtad); ʿUmar pada hari Saqīfah; ʿUthmān pada hari rumahnya diserang; dan ʿAlī pada Perang Ṣiffīn.93 13.58

[Al-Muzanī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was like92 Abū Bakr during the Apostasy; ʿUmar, on the day of the Porch; ʿUthmān, on the day they attacked his house; and ʿAlī at the Battle of Ṣiffīn.93 13.58

[Al-Rabīʿ ibn Sulaymān:] Dalam sepucuk surat yang ditulis oleh al-Buwayṭī kepada saya dari penjara di Baghdad, beliau berkata, "Daripada memberi ganjaran kepada kita semua yang menentang Inkuisisi, saya sangat berharap Tuhan memindahkan ganjaran kita kepada Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, pemimpin kita di Baghdad." 13.59

[Al-Rabīʿ ibn Sulaymān:] In a letter al-Buwayṭī wrote to me from prison in Baghdad, he said, “Instead of rewarding all of us who defied the Inquisition, I sorely wish God would transfer our rewards to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, our leader in Baghdad.” 13.59

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Saya hadir ketika seseorang bertanya kepada Abū Thawr tentang sesuatu, lalu beliau menjawab, "Guru dan ulama kami, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, telah menjawab persoalan itu seperti berikut …" 13.60

[Al-Marrūdhī:] I was present when someone asked Abū Thawr about something and he answered, “Our teacher and authority, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, has addressed that question as follows …” 13.60

Abū Thawr berkata: "Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal lebih alim dan lebih memahami hukum berbanding al-Thawrī." 13.61

[Abū Thawr:] “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is more learned and more understanding of the law than al-Thawrī.” 13.61

[Abū Thawr:] Jika engkau berkata bahawa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal termasuk dalam golongan yang selamat, tiada seorang pun yang akan menegurmu. Mengapa demikian? Jika engkau pergi ke Khurasan dan kawasan sekitarnya, engkau akan mendengar orang ramai berkata bahawa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ialah seorang yang baik. Jika engkau pergi ke Syam dan wilayah-wilayah sekitarnya, atau ke Iraq, engkau akan mendengar perkara yang sama. Maka ini ialah perkara yang disepakati, dan keadaan ini tidak akan wujud jika walau seorang sahaja membantahnya. 13.62

[Abū Thawr:] If you were to say that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is among the saved, no one would rebuke you. Why not? If you go to Khurasan and the regions around, you’ll hear people saying that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is a good man. If you go to Syria and those parts, or Iraq, you’ll hear the same thing. So this is a matter of consensus, which wouldn’t be the case if even one person were to take issue with it. 13.62

Abū Thawr: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal sentiasa kelihatan seolah-olah dia dapat melihat Syariat tertulis di atas sebuah papan di hadapannya. 13.63

[Abū Thawr:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal always looked as if he could see the Law written on a tablet in front of him. 13.63

[Al-Dhuhlī:] Saya telah memilih Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal sebagai teladan saya dalam semua urusan saya dengan Tuhan. 13.64

[Al-Dhuhlī:] I have chosen Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal as my exemplar in all my dealings with God. 13.64

[Al-Dhuhlī:] Teladan saya ialah Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.65

[Al-Dhuhlī:] My exemplar is Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.65

[Ibn Wakīʿ:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal adalah ujian: bagi kami, sesiapa yang berkata apa-apa menentangnya adalah seorang pendosa.94 13.66

[Ibn Wakīʿ:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is the test: as far as we’re concerned, anyone who says anything against him is a sinner.94 13.66

[Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ:] Di Iraq, saya tidak pernah bertemu seorang pun yang dapat dibandingkan dengan Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal di Baghdad, atau dengan Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Numayr di Kufah. Kedua-duanya mengumpulkan lebih banyak keutamaan daripada sesiapa pun yang saya lihat. 13.67

[Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ:] Nowhere in Iraq did I meet anyone to compare with Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in Baghdad, or with Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Numayr in Kufa. Both of them brought together more virtues than anyone else I saw. 13.67

[Abū Bakr ibn Zanjuwayh:] Ketika saya pergi ke Mesir, saya bertemu Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ, yang bertanya kepada saya dari mana saya berasal. Saya memberitahunya bahawa saya berasal dari Baghdad. 13.68

[Abū Bakr ibn Zanjuwayh:] When I went to Egypt, I met Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ, who asked me where I was from. I told him I was from Baghdad. 13.68

"Adakah kamu tinggal berdekatan Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?" tanyanya.

“Do you live anywhere near Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?” he asked.

"Saya bersama dia sepanjang masa," kata saya.

“I’m with him all the time,” I said.

“Tuliskan untuk saya di mana rumah awak,” katanya. “Saya mahu datang ke Iraq supaya awak boleh memperkenalkan saya kepadanya.” Saya menuliskan apa yang dia minta, lalu dia datang dan tinggal bersama ʿAffān, dan saya memperkenalkannya kepada Aḥmad. Kedua-duanya bertukar-tukar Hadis, dan Aḥmad membacakan satu riwayat yang Ibn Ṣāliḥ bertegas untuk menyalinnya.

“Write down for me where your house is,” he said. “I want to come to Iraq so you can introduce me to him.” I wrote down what he asked, and he came and stayed with ʿAffān, and I introduced him to Aḥmad. The two of them exchanged Hadith, and Aḥmad recited a report that Ibn Ṣāliḥ insisted on copying down.

"Biar saya ambilkan dari kitab," kata Aḥmad. Dia masuk ke dalam, keluar dengan kitab itu, lalu membacakan riwayat tersebut.

“Let me get it from the book,” said Aḥmad. He went inside, came out with the book, and dictated the report.

"Jika ini sahaja yang saya dapat daripada datang ke Iraq, ia sudah lebih daripada berbaloi dengan perjalanan ini," kata Ibn Ṣāliḥ. Selepas itu, dia mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada Aḥmad dan beredar.

“If this is all I get out of coming to Iraq, it’ll be more than worth the trip,” said Ibn Ṣāliḥ. With that, he bid Aḥmad farewell and departed.

[Al-Tirmidhī, al-Ṣābbāḥ, dan al-Baghdādī:] Kami mendengar Hilāl ibn al-ʿAlāʾ al-Raqqī berkata, "Ada empat orang yang layak diakui sebagai nikmat dari Tuhan bagi umat kami: Abū ʿUbayd, kerana menjelaskan riwayat Hadis yang sukar; al-Shāfiʿī, kerana menggali hukum daripada Hadis; Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, kerana menyingkirkan riwayat-riwayat palsu; dan Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, kerana teguh pendirian semasa Inkuisisi." 13.69

[Al-Tirmidhī, al-Ṣābbāḥ, and al-Baghdādī:] We heard Hilāl ibn al-ʿAlāʾ al-Raqqī say, “There are four men who deserve to be recognized as blessings from God upon our community: Abū ʿUbayd, for explaining difficult Hadith reports; al-Shāfiʿī, for discerning the law in the Hadith; Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, for casting out false reports; and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, for standing firm during the Inquisition.” 13.69

Jika bukan kerana Aḥmad, kita semua tentu menjadi orang yang tidak bersyukur. (Kenyataan ini ditambah oleh Ismāʿīl ibn al-ʿAbbās.)

If not for Aḥmad, we’d all be Ingrates. (This remark was added by Ismāʿīl ibn al- ʿAbbās.)

[Al-Nasāʾī:] Empat tokoh terbesar pada zaman Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ialah ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, Aḥmad sendiri, dan Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh. Orang yang paling mengetahui tentang kecacatan dalam periwayatan ialah ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī. Orang yang paling mengenali para perawi dan paling banyak mengetahui riwayat ialah Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn. Orang yang paling cepat menghafal riwayat beserta implikasi hukumnya ialah Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh. Namun, pada pandangan saya, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal lebih mengetahui tentang kecacatan dalam periwayatan berbanding Isḥāq. Selain pengetahuannya dalam hadis, Aḥmad juga memiliki segala kelebihan dari segi kefahaman hukum, sikap berhati-hati, zuhud, dan keupayaan untuk bersabar menanggung kesusahan tanpa mengeluh. 13.70

[Al-Nasāʾī:] The four greatest figures of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s time were ʿAlī ibn al- Madīnī, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, Aḥmad himself, and Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh. The one who knew the most about defects in transmission was ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī. The one who knew the transmitters best, and knew the most reports, was Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn. The one who most readily memorized reports and their legal implications was Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh. In my view, though, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal knew more about defects in transmission than Isḥāq did. Besides his knowledge of Hadith, Aḥmad also had all the virtues of legal insight, scrupulosity, and renunciation, and he could suffer without complaint. 13.70

Naṣr ibn ʿAlī: Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal adalah lelaki terhebat pada zamannya. 13.71

[Naṣr ibn ʿAlī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was the greatest man of his time. 13.71

[Bakr ibn Muḥammad:] Tiga puluh empat tahun yang lalu, atau lebih lama lagi, saya mendengar Abū Maʿmar berkata, "Dalam lima puluh tahun yang lalu, saya tidak pernah melihat seorang pun seperti Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Sejak kecil lagi dia terus maju dari satu kekuatan ke satu kekuatan yang lain." 13.72

[Bakr ibn Muḥammad:] It was thirty-four years ago, or even more, that I heard Abū Maʿmar say, “In the last fifty years, I never saw anyone like Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Even as a boy he kept going from strength to strength.” 13.72

[ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-Nāqid:] Selagi Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal bersetuju dengan saya mengenai sesuatu riwayat hadis, saya tidak peduli siapa yang membantah. 13.73

[ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-Nāqid:] So long as Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal agrees with me on a Hadith report, I don’t care who disagrees. 13.73

[Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥajjāj:] Saya tidak pernah bertemu seorang pun seperti Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Sekalipun dia hidup pada zaman yang sama dengan Ibn al-Mubārak, saya tetap akan mendahulukannya. 13.74

[Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥajjāj:] I never met anyone like Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Even if he had lived at the same time as Ibn al-Mubārak, I would still give him precedence. 13.74

[Al-Faḍl ibn Ziyād:] Saya pernah mendengar Muḥammad ibn Mihrān al-Jammāl berkata, ketika nama Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal disebut: "Beliau benar-benar yang tiada bandingnya. Setiap kali saya menelusuri para perawi yang bekerja di Makkah dan Madinah, beliaulah yang menonjol. Jika saya memikirkan Basrah dan Kufah, saya kembali kepadanya. Jika saya beralih ke Syam dan Mesopotamia utara, sekali lagi beliaulah orangnya; begitu juga dengan Khurasan." 13.75

[Al-Faḍl ibn Ziyād:] I once heard Muḥammad ibn Mihrān al-Jammāl say, at the mention of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: “He’s the only one, really. Whenever I cast my mind over the transmitters working in Mecca and Medina, he’s the one who stands out. If I think about Basra and Kufa, I come back to him. If I turn to Syria and northern Mesopotamia, again it’s him; and the same with Khurasan.” 13.75

[Muḥammad ibn Muslim Wārah al-Qūmisī:] Tiang-tiang agama kami ialah Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ di Mesir; di Baghdad, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal; di Ḥarrān, al-Nufaylī; dan di Kufah, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Numayr. 13.76

[Muḥammad ibn Muslim Wārah al-Qūmisī:] The pillars of our religion are Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ in Egypt; in Baghdad, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal; in Ḥarrān, al-Nufaylī; and in Kufa, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Numayr. 13.76

[ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim:] Saya mendengar seseorang bertanya kepada Muḥammad ibn Muslim ibn Wārah sama ada ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī atau Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn yang lebih banyak menghafal Hadis.

[ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim:] I heard someone ask Muḥammad ibn Muslim ibn Wārah whether ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī or Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn had retained more Hadith.

Beliau menjawab, "ʿAlī lebih fasih dan lebih tepat dalam bacaan, manakala Yaḥyā lebih mengetahui apa yang sahih dan apa yang meragukan. Tetapi yang lebih baik daripada kedua-duanya ialah Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, dengan wawasannya, ingatannya, dan ilmunya." 13.77

He replied, “ʿAlī could recite more fluently and accurately, while Yaḥyā had a better grasp of what was correct and what was doubtful. But better than both was Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, with his insight, his memory, and his knowledge.” 13.77

[Al-Nufaylī:] Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal adalah tanda penunjuk agama kami. 13.78

[Al-Nufaylī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was a waymark of our religion. 13.78

[Muḥammad ibn Muṣʿab:] Mana-mana sebatan yang Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal tanggung kerana Tuhan adalah lebih bernilai daripada semua hari Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith. 13.79

[Muḥammad ibn Muṣʿab:] Any of the lashes that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal bore for the sake of God is worth all the days of Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith. 13.79

[Abū Muḥammad ibn Abī Ḥātim:] Aku mendengar ayahku berkata bahawa apabila al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ mendengar bahawa ada orang yang mengkritik Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, dia akan mengumpulkan para ulama senior dan berhadapan dengan orang yang melakukan kesalahan itu. "Dia akan menentang orang itu di hadapan orang ramai," katanya.95 13.80

[Abū Muḥammad ibn Abī Ḥātim:] I heard my father say that whenever al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ heard that anyone had criticized Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, he would gather the senior men of learning and confront the offender. “He would turn people against him,” he said.95 13.80

[Al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ al-Bazzār:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal adalah orang tua kami dan tuan kami. 13.81

[Al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ al-Bazzār:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is our elder and our master. 13.81

[Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Nihāwandī:] Saya mendengar Yaʿqūb ibn Sufyān berkata bahawa dia telah menulis hadis-hadis yang dibacakan kepadanya oleh seribu orang guru yang berbeza, tetapi hanya menganggap dua orang sebagai sandaran dalam urusannya dengan Tuhan. 13.82

[Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Nihāwandī:] I heard Yaʿqūb ibn Sufyān say that he had written down reports recited for him by a thousand different teachers but counted only two as authorities in his dealings with God. 13.82

Saya bertanya kepadanya siapa para perawi rujukannya, dengan mengingat bahwa dia telah menyalin riwayat-riwayat dari para ulama terkemuka, seperti al-Anṣārī dan Ḥabbān96 ibn Hilāl.

I asked him who his authorities were, recalling that he had copied reports from prominent authorities, such as al-Anṣārī and Ḥabbān96 ibn Hilāl.

"Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal," katanya, "dan Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-Miṣrī."

“Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal,” he said, “and Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-Miṣrī.”

[Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā l-Azdī:] Kami berpegang pada akidah Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Beliau adalah teladan kami, orang terakhir yang tersisa bagi kaum mukminin. Kami menerima beliau sebagai pemimpin dan tidak akan menentang beliau. Beliau adalah sisa-sisa ulama terdahulu. Kami berlepas diri daripada sesiapa sahaja yang menentang beliau; sesiapa yang menentang beliau adalah penyebar bid'ah tercela yang tersesat. 13.83

[Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā l-Azdī:] We stand by the creed of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. He is our exemplar, the last one left to the believers. We accept him as our guide and will not go against him. He is the remnant of the learned men of old. We declare ourselves quit of anyone who opposes him; anyone who opposes him is a misdirected purveyor of reprehensible innovations. 13.83

Abū Hammām: Saya tidak pernah melihat seorang pun seperti Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, dan Aḥmad sendiri juga tidak pernah bertemu dengan orang yang seperti dirinya. 13.84

[Abū Hammām:] I’ve never seen anyone like Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, nor has Aḥmad met anyone like himself. 13.84

[Abū ʿUmayr, ketika menyebut Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal:] Semoga Tuhan merahmatinya! Betapa lama dia bersabar dalam diam, dan betapa banyak dia menyerupai orang-orang Islam yang pertama serta mendekati orang-orang saleh terdahulu! Kekayaan dunia berada dalam genggamannya, tetapi dia mengembalikannya; dia diminta untuk menerima bid'ah-bid'ah, tetapi dia menolaknya. 13.85

[Abū ʿUmayr, at the mention of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal:] May God have mercy on him! How long he suffered in silence, and how greatly did he resemble the first Muslims and approach the pious men of old! The world’s riches came within his reach, and he returned them; he was asked to embrace heresies, but he spurned them. 13.85

[Abū Ḥātim:] Abū ʿUmayr ibn al-Naḥḥās al-Ramlī adalah seorang ahli ibadah Muslim. Suatu hari saya pergi menemuinya dan dia bertanya sama ada saya ada apa-apa yang telah disalin daripada Ibn Ḥanbal. 13.86

[Abū Ḥātim:] Abū ʿUmayr ibn al-Naḥḥās al-Ramlī was a Muslim worshipper. One day I went to see him and he asked if I had anything copied from Ibn Ḥanbal. 13.86

Apabila saya berkata bahawa saya telah melakukannya, beliau meminta saya untuk mendiktekannya. Maka saya mendiktekan kepadanya hadis-hadis yang telah saya hafal setelah mempelajarinya daripada Aḥmad. Kemudian beliau meminta saya untuk membacakannya kepadanya, dan saya pun melakukannya.97

When I said I did, he asked me to dictate it. So I dictated to him the Hadith reports I had memorized after learning them from Aḥmad. Then he asked me to read them for him, and I did.97

[Al-Būshanjī:] Saya tidak pernah bertemu seseorang yang begitu sempurna dalam kebaikan-kebaikannya, atau yang begitu menahan diri, seperti Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.87

[Al-Būshanjī:] I never met anyone so complete in his merits, or as self-restrained, as Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.87

[Al-Būshanjī:] Pada pendapat saya, beliau lebih layak dan lebih berwibawa berbanding Sufyān al-Thawrī, yang tidak pernah menanggung ujian dan kesusahan yang sama, dan yang ilmunya, seperti ilmu para fuqaha terdahulu dari pelbagai wilayah, tidak dapat menandingi ilmu Aḥmad. Ilmunya lebih menyeluruh, dan beliau lebih mengetahui daripada Sufyān tentang perawi yang tepat dan jujur serta perawi yang cuai atau pendusta. Saya diberitahu bahawa Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith berkata, "Aḥmad telah melakukan kerja seorang nabi." Pada pandangan saya, Aḥmad menanggung dua ujian yang berbeza. Empat khalifah silih berganti menguji beliau, sebahagian dengan menyeksanya dan sebahagian lagi dengan memujuknya, tetapi beliau mendapat kekuatan daripada Tuhan, yang Maha Agung lagi Mulia, dan beliau berjaya. Al-Ma'mūn, al-Mu'taṣim, dan al-Wāthiq mencuba segala-galanya, daripada sebatan dan penjara hinggalah ugutan dan intimidasi, tetapi Aḥmad tidak pernah berganjak daripada agama yang benar, dan cemeti mahupun penjara tidak dapat menggoyahkan imannya. Kemudian datang al-Mutawakkil, yang melimpahkan penghormatan kepada beliau dan menawarkan dunia kepadanya, tetapi beliau menolaknya, kekal seperti sediakala, tidak tergerak oleh cita-cita dan tidak tergoda oleh ketamakan. Sufyān tidak pernah diuji dengan ujian seperti ini.

[Al-Būshanjī:] In my view, he was worthier and more discerning than Sufyān al- Thawrī, who never suffered the same trials and hardships, and whose learning, like the learning of the earlier jurists of various regions, could not match Aḥmad’s. His learning was more comprehensive, and he knew more than Sufyān did about which transmitters were accurate and truthful and which ones were sloppy or mendacious. I was told that Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith said, “Aḥmad has done the work of a prophet.” The way I see it, Aḥmad endured two distinct ordeals. Four caliphs took their turn with him, some testing him by tormenting him, and others by tempting him, but he took strength in God, mighty and glorious, and prevailed. Al-Maʾmūn, al-Muʿtaṣim, and al-Wāthiq tried everything from flogging and imprisonment to threats and intimidation, but Aḥmad never wavered from true religion, nor did the lash or the dungeon sway his faith. Then came al-Mutawakkil, who showered him with tokens of esteem, and offered him the world, but he spurned it, remaining as he had always been, unmoved by ambition and unswayed by greed. Sufyān was never subjected to trials like these.

Seseorang memetik al-Mutawakkil sebagai berkata, "Aḥmad pun tidak membenarkan saya menghantar hadiah kepada anak-anaknya!" 13.88

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] Saya tidak mahu mati di jalan Tuhan dan saya tidak menyertai solat jenazah untuk Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.98 13.89

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] I didn’t want to die in the path of God and I didn’t join the funeral prayer for Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.98 13.89

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ialah rahmat Tuhan kepada umat ini:

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was God’s blessing to this community:

dia berpegang teguh pada Al-Qur'an. Seandainya dia tidak melakukannya, kita semua pasti akan binasa. 13.90

he stood firm on the Qurʾan. If he hadn’t, all of us would have perished. 13.90

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] Saya pernah mencium dahi Aḥmad dan memberitahunya bahawa Tuhan telah menyamakannya dengan Sufyān dan Mālik. Saya rasa saya tidak dapat berkata lebih daripada itu, kerana Aḥmad sudah tentu melebihi kedua-duanya sebagai teladan dalam Islam. 13.91

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] I once kissed Aḥmad on the forehead and told him that God had put him on a par with Sufyān and Mālik. I don’t think I could have said more, as Aḥmad surely outdid both of them as an exemplar of Islam. 13.91

[Al-Qāsim ibn Naṣr:] Al-Marrūdhī pernah melintasi Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir, lalu beliau bangkit dengan penuh hormat dan berkata, "Assalamu'alaikum, wahai hamba orang-orang yang soleh!" 13.92

[Al-Qāsim ibn Naṣr:] Al-Marrūdhī once passed Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir, who rose respectfully and said, “Peace be upon you, servant of the righteous!” 13.92

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] Saya tidak pernah melihat seorang manusia yang hidup dan bernafas yang lebih layak daripada Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.93

[Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir:] I never saw a living, breathing human being worthier than Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.93

[Abū Bakr ibn al-Muṭṭawwiʿī:] Saya mendengar Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir berkata, "Saya biasa tinggal di rumah Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal sehingga lewat malam, dan dalam perjalanan pulang, saya akan menangis"—atau "saya akan mula menangis"—"kerana saya tidak tahan untuk berpisah daripadanya." 13.94

[Abū Bakr ibn al-Muṭṭawwiʿī:] I heard Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir say, “I used to stay at Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s until late at night, and on the way home, I would weep”—or “I would start crying”—“because I couldn’t bear to be parted from him.” 13.94

[Abū Yaḥyā l-Nāqid:] Kami berada di rumah Ibrāhīm ibn ʿArʿarah, dan nama ʿAlī ibn ʿĀṣim disebut. Seseorang menyatakan bahawa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal menggelarnya sebagai perawi yang lemah.

[Abū Yaḥyā l-Nāqid:] We were at Ibrāhīm ibn ʿArʿarah’s and ʿAlī ibn ʿĀṣim’s name came up. Someone noted that Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal called him a weak transmitter.

"Tetapi jika dia boleh dipercayai, maka apa masalahnya?" 13.95

Someone else responded, “But if he’s reliable, so what?” 13.95

“Demi Tuhan,” celah Ibrāhīm ibn ʿArʿarah, “jika Aḥmad mengkritik ʿAlqamah dan al-Aswad, tiada seorang pun yang akan mempercayai mereka lagi.”

“By God,” interjected Ibrāhīm ibn ʿArʿarah, “if Aḥmad had criticized ʿAlqamah and al-Aswad, no one would trust them any more.”

[Ismāʿīl ibn Khalīl:] "Jika Aḥmad hidup di kalangan Bani Israil, mereka pasti menjadikannya tanda dari Tuhan." 13.96

[Ismāʿīl ibn Khalīl:] “If Aḥmad had lived among the Children of Israel, they would have taken him for a sign from God.” 13.96

[Al-Ṭūsī:] Kami menganggap Ibn Ḥanbal sebagai seperti mereka yang dimaksudkan oleh Utusan Tuhan ketika beliau bersabda, "Dalam umatku terdapat orang-orang seperti mereka yang hidup di kalangan Bani Israil.

[Al-Ṭūsī:] We think of Ibn Ḥanbal as being like the ones God’s Emissary meant when he said, “In my community are men like those who lived among the Children of Israel.

"Tidak ada apa pun, walaupun mata gergaji diletakkan di atas kepala mereka, yang dapat memalingkan mereka daripada agama mereka." Sekiranya Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal tidak melakukan apa yang dia lakukan, nescaya tidak seorang pun daripada mereka yang dimasukkan ke dalam tungku ujian itu akan keluar darinya, dan aib itu akan kekal sehingga Hari Kebangkitan. 13.97

Nothing, not even the blade of a saw placed on the crown of their heads, could turn them from their religion.” If Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal hadn’t done what he did, then not a single man of those put into the crucible would have emerged from it, and the shame would remain until the Day of Resurrection. 13.97

[Abū l-ʿAbbās ibn ʿUthmān ibn Salm:] Saya bertanya kepada Muḥammad ibn Naṣr al-Marwazī sama ada dia pernah bertemu Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.98

[Abū l-ʿAbbās ibn ʿUthmān ibn Salm:] I asked Muḥammad ibn Naṣr al-Marwazī whether he had met Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 13.98

“Saya telah pergi menemuinya banyak kali,” jawabnya, “dan bertanyakan beberapa soalan kepadanya.” “Siapakah yang lebih banyak mengetahui Hadith?” tanya seseorang. “Aḥmad atau Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh?” “Aḥmad.” “Siapakah yang lebih tepat?” tanya saya.

“I went to see him many times,” he answered, “and asked him questions.” “Who knew more Hadith?” someone asked. “Aḥmad or Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh?” “Aḥmad.” “Who was more accurate?” I asked.

"Aḥmad." Seseorang bertanya siapa yang lebih mempunyai pemahaman hukum.

“Aḥmad.” Someone asked who had more legal insight.

"Aḥmad." "Siapakah yang lebih wara'?" "Soalan jenis apa itu?" seru Muḥammad ibn Naṣr. "Aḥmad ialah orang yang paling wara' pada zamannya."

“Aḥmad.” “Who was more scrupulous?” “What kind of question is that?” cried Muḥammad ibn Naṣr. “Aḥmad was the most scrupulous man of his day.”

[Al-Jaḥḥāf:] Saya mendengar Abū ʿUmayr al-Ṭālqānī berkata, “Saya dahulu mendengar orang-orang berkata bahawa Ibn Ḥanbal adalah penawar dan kegembiraan bagi kaum Muslimin dan agama mereka.” 13.99

[Al-Jaḥḥāf:] I heard Abū ʿUmayr al-Ṭālqānī say, “I used to hear them saying that Ibn Ḥanbal was a balm and a delight to the Muslims and their religion.” 13.99

Guru-guru Aḥmad, rakan-rakannya, orang-orang sezamannya, dan pengikutnya semuanya dikaitkan dengan kenyataan-kenyataan yang memuji beliau. Dengan kurnia Tuhan, beliau adalah seorang yang kelebihan-kelebihannya diakui walaupun oleh musuh-musuhnya. 13.100

Aḥmad’s teachers, peers, contemporaries, and followers are all credited with statements praising him. By the grace of God, he was the sort of man whose merits were acknowledged even by his enemies. 13.100

[Idrīs ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Muqriʾ:] Lebih ramai ulama hadis dan ahli fiqh daripada yang dapat saya kira memuji dan memuliakan Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, bercakap tentangnya dengan penuh hormat dan penghargaan, serta mencarinya untuk menzahirkan penghormatan mereka. Antara mereka yang mengaguminya, saya masih ingat al-Haytham ibn Khārijah; Muṣʿab al-Zubayrī; Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn; Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah; ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shaybah; ʿAbd al-Aʿlā ibn Ḥammād al-Narsī; Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Abī l-Shawārib; ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī; ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmar al-Qawārīrī; Abū Khaythamah Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb; Abū Maʿmar al-Qaṭīʿī; Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar al-Warkānī; Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ayyūb, pengarang kitab Campaigns; Muḥammad ibn Bakkār ibn al-Rayyān; ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-Nāqid; Yaḥyā ibn Ayyūb al-Maqābirī si Ahli Ibadah; Shurayḥ ibn Yūnus; Khalaf ibn Hishām al-Bazzāz; dan Abū l-Rabīʿ al-Zahrānī.

[Idrīs ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Muqriʾ:] More Hadith scholars and jurists than I can count praise and honor Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, speaking of him with reverence and esteem, and seeking him out in order to pay their respects. Among his admirers I recall al-Haytham ibn Khārijah; Muṣʿab al-Zubayrī; Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn; Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah; ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shaybah; ʿAbd al-Aʿlā ibn Ḥammād al-Narsī; Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Abī l-Shawārib; ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī; ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmar al- Qawārīrī; Abū Khaythamah Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb; Abū Maʿmar al-Qaṭīʿī; Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar al-Warkānī; Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ayyūb, author of the Campaigns; Muḥammad ibn Bakkār ibn al-Rayyān; ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-Nāqid; Yaḥyā ibn Ayyūb al-Maqābirī the Worshipper; Shurayḥ ibn Yūnus; Khalaf ibn Hishām al-Bazzāz; and Abū l-Rabīʿ al-Zahrānī.

[ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd:] Saya masih ingat pada suatu hari ketika para ahli hadis sedang membandingkan riwayat-riwayat di dalam sebuah masjid. Aḥmad ketika itu masih seorang pemuda, namun semua orang sudah memandang kepadanya. 13.101

[ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd:] I remember one day when the Hadith-men were comparing reports in a mosque. Aḥmad was still a young man at the time, but everyone was already looking to him. 13.101

[Ibn Abī Ḥātim:] Kami mendengar Muḥammad ibn Muslim meriwayatkan: "Aku sedang keluar dari rumah al-Haytham ibn Jamīl dan menuju ke rumah Muḥammad ibn al-Mubārak al-Ṣūrī ketika aku mendengar bahawa Abū l-Mughīrah ʿAbd al-Qaddūs ibn al-Ḥajjāj telah meninggal dunia. Mereka berkata bahawa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal adalah orang yang menjadi imam solat jenazah ke atasnya." 13.102