[Muḥammad ibn Fuḍayl:] Saya pernah membuat beberapa kenyataan yang mengkritik Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, lalu lidah saya mula sakit dan tidak henti-henti. Pada suatu malam, saya mendengar satu suara dalam tidur saya berkata, "Itu kerana apa yang kamu katakan tentang lelaki yang baik itu," berulang-ulang.

[Muḥammad ibn Fuḍayl:] I made some remarks critical of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal after which my tongue started to hurt and wouldn’t stop. One night I heard a voice in my sleep saying, “It’s because of what you said about that good man,” over and over.

Apabila saya bangun, saya memohon keampunan kepada Tuhan sehingga rasa sakit itu hilang. 96.1

When I woke up, I expressed contrition to God until the pain went away. 96.1

[Muḥammad ibn Fuḍayl:] Suatu ketika semasa saya sedang mengkritik Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, lidah saya mula sakit. Dalam keadaan resah, saya pergi tidur, lalu mendengar satu suara berkata, "Lidahmu sakit kerana apa yang kamu katakan tentang lelaki yang baik itu." 96.2

[Muḥammad ibn Fuḍayl:] Once as I was criticizing Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal my tongue started to hurt. Upset, I went to bed, and heard a voice saying, “Your tongue hurts because of what you said about that good man.” 96.2

Apabila saya bangun, saya berkata, "Saya memohon ampun kepada Tuhan!" dan "Saya tidak akan mengulanginya lagi!" sehingga rasa sakit itu hilang.

When I woke up, I said, “I seek God’s forgiveness!” and “I won’t do it again!” until the pain went away.

[Mis'ar ibn Muhammad ibn Wahb:] Sebelum al-Mutawakkil menjadi khalifah, saya ialah gurunya. Apabila dia menjadi khalifah, dia memberi saya sebuah bilik di bahagian yang disediakan untuk orang-orang kepercayaannya. Setiap kali dia mempunyai persoalan tentang agama, dia akan memanggil saya. Semasa majlis-majlis peribadinya, saya akan berdiri di sisinya. Setiap kali dia memerlukan saya untuk apa-apa sebab, dia akan memanggil saya dan saya akan mengambil kedudukan biasa saya. Dia menyimpan saya di sisinya siang dan malam kecuali apabila dia mahu bersendirian. 96.3

[Misʿar ibn Muḥammad ibn Wahb:] Before al-Mutawakkil became caliph, I was his tutor. When he became caliph, he gave me a room in the section reserved for his intimates. Whenever he had a question about religion he would send for me. During his intimate audiences, I would stand next to him. Whenever he needed me for any reason, he would summon me and I would take up my usual post. He kept me by his side day and night except when he wanted to be alone. 96.3

Suatu hari, selepas mengadakan majlis peribadi di dewan yang dinamakan The Serene, beliau berpindah ke sebuah bilik lain yang dimilikinya, di mana siling, dinding dan lantainya diperbuat daripada jubin kaca. Air boleh dialirkan melalui paip dan dibiarkan mengalir ke mana-mana arah merentasi bahagian atas bilik, sepanjang lantai, dan turun di dinding, sehingga sesiapa yang duduk di dalamnya kelihatan seolah-olah sedang duduk di dalam air. Bilik itu dilengkapi dengan kain tenunan Koptik serta bantal dan alas duduk berwarna ungu Tyre. Al-Mutawakkil sedang duduk bersama al-Fatḥ ibn Khāqān dan ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Khāqān di sebelah kanannya, serta Bughā the Elder dan Waṣīf di sebelah kirinya. Saya berdiri di sudut bilik di sebelah kanannya, dan seorang pelayan berdiri di ambang pintu dengan tangannya bertumpu pada kusen pintu. Tiba-tiba al-Mutawakkil ketawa terbahak-bahak, lalu semua yang hadir terdiam.

One day, after holding an intimate audience in the hall called The Serene, he moved into another room he had where the ceiling, walls, and floor were made of glass tiles. Water could be piped in and sent flowing in any direction across the top of the room, along the floor, and down the walls, and anyone sitting inside looked as if he were sitting underwater. The room was fitted out with Coptic textiles and pillows and cushions of Tyrian purple. Al-Mutawakkil was sitting with al-Fatḥ ibn Khāqān and ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Khāqān on his right and Bughā the Elder and Waṣīf on his left. I was standing in the corner of the room to his right and a servant stood in the doorway with his hand on the jamb. Suddenly al-Mutawakkil laughed out loud and everyone fell silent.

"Tidakkah awak mahu bertanya kepada saya mengapa saya ketawa?" katanya.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I laughed?” he said.

"Mengapa Amirul Mukminin ketawa?" tanya mereka. "Semoga Allah sentiasa menjadikannya tersenyum!" "Saya teringat satu hari ketika saya menghadiri majlis al-Wāthiq. Dia tadinya sedang mengadakan majlis peribadi di dewan tempat kita duduk sebelum ini, dan saya berdiri di sebelahnya. Tiba-tiba dia bangun dan masuk ke bilik tempat kita berada sekarang, lalu duduk di tempat saya duduk ini. Saya cuba mengikutinya masuk tetapi saya dihalang, maka saya berdiri di tempat hamba itu berdiri sekarang. Ibn Abī Du'ād duduk di tempat Fatḥ sekarang, Muḥammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn al-Zayyāt duduk di tempat 'Ubayd Allāh, Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm duduk di tempat Bughā, dan Najāḥ duduk di tempat Waṣīf sekarang. 96."4

“Why did the Commander of the Faithful laugh?” they asked. “May God keep him smiling!” “I remembered one day when I was attending al-Wāthiq. He had been holding an intimate audience in the hall where we were sitting before, and I was standing next to him. Suddenly he rose and went into the room where we are now, and sat where I’m sitting. I tried to follow him in but I was stopped, so I stood where the servant is standing now. Ibn Abī Duʾād was sitting where Fatḥ is now, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al- Malik ibn al-Zayyāt was sitting where ʿUbayd Allāh is, Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm was sitting where Bughā is, and Najāḥ was sitting where Waṣīf is now. 96.4

Kemudian al-Wāthiq berkata: ‘Saya telah memikirkan bagaimana saya menuntut persetujuan semua orang terhadap doktrin bahawa al-Qur’an itu makhluk. Saya perasan betapa cepatnya sesetengah orang menerima kepercayaan itu, dan betapa degilnya yang lain menentangnya. Terhadap mereka yang menentang, saya telah mencuba sebatan, pancung, pukulan dan pemenjaraan, tetapi tidak satu pun daripadanya nampaknya memberi kesan. Bukan itu sahaja: mereka yang taat kepada saya berbuat demikian kerana mereka mahukan sesuatu daripada saya, lalu segera menerima akidah saya dengan harapan mendapat ganjaran. Sebaliknya, para pembangkang tidak mempunyai motif apa-apa selain keraguan yang berpunca daripada ketakwaan, dan keraguan itulah yang menguatkan mereka walaupun mereka dibunuh, dipukul atau dicampakkan ke dalam penjara. Semua ini membuat saya mula berfikir, dan saya mula ragu sama ada apa yang kita lakukan ini benar. Patutkah kita benar-benar membicarakan orang dan menyeksa mereka kerana perkara ini? Saya sudah sampai ke tahap bersedia untuk menghentikan Inkuisisi dan meninggalkan Perdebatan sama sekali, dan saya bersedia menghantar beberapa utusan untuk mengumumkan keputusan saya serta menghentikan semua pergaduhan sesama kita ini.’ Orang pertama yang menjawab ialah Ibn Abī Duʾād. Dia berkata: ‘Berhati-hatilah, wahai Amirul Mukminin! Tuanku telah menghidupkan semula satu duluan dan memulihkan satu unsur daripada agama, maka fikirlah sekali lagi sebelum tuanku membatalkannya dan memadamkannya. Sekeras mana pun usaha pendahulu tuanku, mereka tidak pernah mencapai sebanyak yang tuanku capai. Semoga Tuhan membalas tuanku sebaik-baik balasan sebagaimana Dia menganugerahkan kepada mana-mana sekutu-Nya demi Islam dan agama yang benar!’ 96.5

“Then al-Wāthiq said: ‘I’ve been thinking about how I’ve demanded everyone’s assent to the doctrine that the Qurʾan is created. I’ve noticed how quickly some people adopted the belief and how stubbornly the others are resisting it. With the ones who resist, I’ve tried flogging, beheading, beating, and imprisonment, but none of it seems to have any effect. Not only that: the ones who’ve obeyed me did so because they wanted something from me, and so adopted my creed immediately hoping for a reward. The dissenters, on the other hand, have no motive except pious scruple, which sustains them even when they’re killed or beaten or thrown in jail. All of this started me thinking, and I’m beginning to doubt whether what we’re doing is right. Should we really be putting people on trial and torturing them over this? I’ve reached the point where I’m ready to stop the Inquisition and give up Disputation altogether, and I’m ready to send out some heralds to announce my decision and put a stop to all this fighting among ourselves.’ “The first to respond was Ibn Abī Duʾād. He said: ‘Have a care, Commander of the Faithful! You’ve revived a precedent and restored an element of the faith, so think twice before you annul it and kill it off. Try as they did, your predecessors never achieved as much as you have. May God reward you as generously as he awards any of His allies on behalf of Islam and true religion!’ 96.5

Kemudian yang lain duduk diam, kepala mereka tertunduk dalam renungan, untuk seketika. Maka Ibn Abī Duʾād, yang bimbang bahawa al-Wāthiq akan berkata sesuatu yang menyanggahnya dan membatalkan usaha yang telah dilakukannya untuk mempromosikan akidahnya, sekali lagi mengambil inisiatif dan berkata:

“The others sat silently, their heads bowed in thought, for a time. Then Ibn Abī Duʾād, who was afraid that al-Wāthiq would say something to contradict him and undo the work he had done to promote his creed, again took the initiative and said:

Akidah yang telah kami pegang dan yang kami seru manusia untuk anuti ialah akidah yang Tuhan pilih untuk para nabi dan utusan-Nya, dan akidah yang Dia utuskan Muhammad ﷺ untuk menyebarkannya.

‘The creed that we’ve adopted and that we’re asking people to espouse is the one God chose for His prophets and emissaries and the one he sent Muḥammad to propagate.

"Ia hanya bahawa orang ramai telah menjadi terlalu buta untuk menerimanya." "‘Baiklah,’ kata al-Wāthiq, ‘aku mahu kamu bersumpah dengan sumpah ikhlas.’ Ibn Abī Duʾād segera memohon kepada God supaya menimpakan kelumpuhan ke atasnya di dunia ini, belum lagi seksaan di akhirat, jika khalifah itu silap tentang al-Qur'an yang dicipta. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik al-Zayyāt memohon kepada God supaya menembusi kedua-dua tangannya dengan paku besi di dunia ini, belum lagi seksaan di akhirat, jika khalifah itu silap tentang al-Qur'an yang dicipta. Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm memohon kepada God supaya menjadikannya berbau begitu busuk di dunia ini sehingga kawan-kawan dan saudara-maranya lari daripadanya, belum lagi seksaan di akhirat, jika khalifah itu silap tentang al-Qur'an yang dicipta. Dan Najāḥ memohon kepada God supaya membunuhnya dengan mengurungnya di dalam sel penjara yang paling kecil jika khalifah itu silap tentang al-Qur'an yang dicipta."

It’s just that people have become too blind to accept it.’ “‘Well then,’ said al-Wāthiq, ‘I want you to swear an oath of good faith.’ “Ibn Abī Duʾād promptly called on God to strike him down with paralysis in this world, not to mention the torments of the next, if the caliph was wrong about the Qurʾan being created. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik al-Zayyāt called on God to drive iron spikes through his hands in this world, not to mention the torments of the next, if the caliph was wrong about the Qurʾan being created. Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm called on God to make him stink so badly in this world that his friends and relatives would flee from him, not to mention the torments of the next, if the caliph was wrong about the Qurʾan being created. And Najāḥ called on God to kill him by confining him in the smallest of prison cells if the caliph was wrong about the Qurʾan being created.

Sementara ini berlaku, Ītākh masuk dan mereka mencabarnya untuk mengucapkan sumpahnya sendiri. Dia memohon kepada Tuhan supaya menenggelamkannya di laut sekiranya khalifah salah tentang Al-Qur'an yang diciptakan. Akhirnya, al-Wāthiq sendiri memohon kepada Tuhan supaya membakarnya sekiranya dia salah tentang Al-Qur'an yang diciptakan.

“While this was going on, Ītākh came in and they challenged him to come up with his own oath. He called on God to drown him in the sea if the caliph was wrong about the Qurʾan being created. Finally, al-Wāthiq himself called on God to set him on fire if he was wrong about the Qurʾan being created.

"Dan sekarang saya ketawa kerana setiap perkara yang mereka cadangkan itu telah menjadi kenyataan."

“And now I’m laughing because every one of the things they proposed came true.

Ibn Abī Duʾād dilanda kelumpuhan, seperti yang saya saksikan dengan mata kepala saya sendiri. Saya sendiri memasukkan Ibn al-Zayyāt ke dalam lembu gangsa dan menusukkan paku besi melalui kedua tangannya. Semasa sakit terakhirnya, Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm mengeluarkan peluh yang busuk baunya sehingga semua orang menjauhinya.

Ibn Abī Duʾād was stricken with paralysis, as I saw with my own eyes. I myself put Ibn al-Zayyāt into a brazen bull and drove steel spikes through his hands. During his final illness, Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm gave off a stinking sweat that drove everyone away.

Dua puluh kali sehari mereka menukar jubah yang dipakainya, dan jubah yang lama dibuang ke Sungai Tigris kerana baunya seperti bangkai dan terlalu busuk untuk digunakan semula. Bagi Najāḥ, saya membina sebuah sel berukuran satu hasta kali dua, dan membiarkannya di situ sehingga dia mati. Ītākh dihukum mati oleh Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm atas perintah saya: apabila dia pulang dari haji, dia dibelenggu dengan rantai yang berat lalu dicampakkan ke dalam air. 96.6

Twenty times a day they changed the gown he was wearing and threw the old one into the Tigris because it smelled like carrion and stank too much to be used again. For Najāḥ, I built a cell one cubit by two and kept him there until he died. Ītākh was executed by Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm at my command: when he returned from the pilgrimage he was weighed down with chains and dropped in the water. 96.6

"Kini mengenai al-Wāthiq. Dia sangat gemar kepada wanita dan hubungan kelamin. Pada suatu hari dia memanggil Mikhāʾīl, doktor itu, yang dipanggil untuk melihatnya dan mendapatinya sedang berbaring di bawah selimut sutera di sebuah beranda berjemur. 96."7

“Now about al-Wāthiq. He had a great love for women and sex. One day he sent for Mikhāʾīl the physician, who was called in to see him and found him in a sunroom lying under a silken sheet. 96.7

“‘Mikhāʾīl,’ kata al-Wāthiq, ‘Aku perlukan engkau untuk mendapatkan sesuatu yang boleh membangkitkan nafsu untukku.’ “‘Wahai Amirul Mukminin,’ kata tabib itu, ‘Saya tidak bersetuju membebankan tubuh. Terlalu kerap bersetubuh melemahkan tubuh, lebih-lebih lagi jika seorang lelaki terpaksa memaksakannya.

“‘Mikhāʾīl,’ said al-Wāthiq, ‘I need you to get me an aphrodisiac.’ “‘Commander of the Faithful,’ said the physician, ‘I don’t approve of putting stress on the body. Too much sex wears the body down, especially if a man has to force it.

"Respect the body God has given you and take care of it, since it's the only one you have!" "No," said al-Wāthiq, "I must have something." He lifted up the sheet and clamped there between his legs was a concubine whom Mikhāʾīl later described as extraordinarily beautiful and shapely. "Who could resist someone like this?" "Well then, if you must have it, then what you need is lion meat. Have them prepare four hundred grams and boil it seven times in aged wine vinegar. When you sit down to drink, have them weigh out three dirhams' worth. Take one dirham's worth with wine for three nights running and you'll get the results you want. But be careful not to take too much. Whatever you do, don't exceed the dosage I've prescribed." For several days al-Wāthiq neglected to pursue the matter, but then one day as he was sitting and drinking he remembered the prescription.

Respect the body God has given you and take care of it, since it’s the only one you have!’ “‘No,’ said al-Wāthiq, ‘I must have something.’ He lifted up the sheet and clamped there between his legs was a concubine whom Mikhāʾīl later described as extraordinarily beautiful and shapely. ‘Who could resist someone like this?’ “‘Well then, if you must have it, then what you need is lion meat. Have them prepare four hundred grams and boil it seven times in aged wine vinegar. When you sit down to drink, have them weigh out three dirhams’ worth. Take one dirham’s worth with wine for three nights running and you’ll get the results you want. But be careful not to take too much. Whatever you do, don’t exceed the dosage I’ve prescribed.’ “For several days al-Wāthiq neglected to pursue the matter, but then one day as he was sitting and drinking he remembered the prescription.

"Bawakan daging singa itu sekarang juga!" teriaknya.

“‘Bring me lion meat right away!’ he cried.

Seekor singa dikeluarkan dari lubang itu dan disembelih di tempat itu juga, lalu dagingnya diletakkan di atas panggangan. Atas perintahnya, daging itu kemudian direbus dalam cuka, dipotong-potong menjadi jalur-jalur, dan dikeringkan. Dia mulai memakan sebahagian daripadanya sebagai pelengkap minuman arak.

“A lion was brought up out of the pit and slaughtered on the spot, and the meat put on the grill. At his orders, it was then boiled in vinegar, cut into strips, and dried. He began taking some of it as an accompaniment to wine.

Setelah beberapa waktu, dia mula menderita penyakit perut berair (dropsy). Doktor-doktor dipanggil dan mereka bersepakat bahawa satu-satunya penawar ialah menyalakan sebuah relau yang terbuka di bahagian atas, memasukkan ranting zaitun ke dalamnya sehingga penuh dengan bara, kemudian menyapu keluar bara itu, membalikkan relau tersebut, mengisinya dengan semanggi hijau, dan menyuruh al-Wāthiq duduk di dalamnya selama tiga jam.527 Jika dia meminta air, dia tidak boleh diberi. Setelah tiga jam penuh berlalu, dia hendaklah dikeluarkan dan didudukkan tegak mengikut cara yang telah ditetapkan mereka. Dia berkemungkinan akan merasa sakit yang teruk jika terdedah kepada angin, tetapi jika dia meminta supaya dimasukkan semula ke dalam relau, dia mesti dibiarkan dalam keadaannya selama dua jam. Pada ketika itu, air dalam perutnya sepatutnya keluar sebagai air kencing. Jika dia minum air atau kembali ke dalam relau sebelum dua jam berlalu, dia akan meninggal dunia. 96.8

“After some time he began to suffer from a dropsy of the belly. The physicians were summoned and agreed that the only remedy was to light an open-topped oven, stoke it with olive branches until it was full of coals, then sweep out the coals, turn it over, fill it with green clover, and have al-Wāthiq sit inside it for three hours.527 If he asked for water he was not to have it. After three full hours had passed, he was to be taken out and made to sit upright in the manner they prescribed. He was likely to feel severe pain if exposed to a breeze, but if he asked to be put back into the oven he must instead be kept as he was for two hours. At that point, the water in his belly should come out as urine. If he were to take water or go back into the oven before the two hours had passed, he would expire. 96.8

"Tanur itu pun dinyalakan, dikipas apinya, dikeluarkan abunya, dibalikkan, dan diisi dengan semanggi; lalu al-Wāthiq dibuka pakaiannya dan dimasukkan ke dalamnya. Dia mula menjerit, 'Aku terbakar! Bawakan aku air!' Tetapi di situ terdapat orang-orang yang ditugaskan untuk menghalang sesiapa pun daripada memberinya air, dan untuk menghalangnya daripada keluar dari tempat dia diletakkan, atau bergerak ke sana sini."

“The oven was accordingly lit, stoked, emptied, turned over, and filled with clover, and al-Wāthiq was stripped and put inside. He began shouting, ‘I’m burning up! Bring me water!’ “But there were people there assigned to prevent anyone from giving him water, and to stop him from getting out of the place where he’d been put, or moving around.

Walaupun seluruh badannya melecur dan melepuh, dan sebahagian anggota badannya membengkak sebesar tembikai yang paling besar, dia tetap dibiarkan di tempatnya sehingga tiga jam berlalu. Kemudian barulah dia dikeluarkan. Dia hampir terbakar hingga mati, dan orang-orang yang melihatnya menyangka dia memang sudah mati terbakar. Doktor-doktor kemudian mendudukkannya. Setiap kali ada tiupan angin, ia menyakitkannya, dan dia akan meraung seperti lembu jantan.

Even after his whole body broke out in blisters and parts of it swelled up as big as the largest melon, he was kept where he was until the three hours had passed. Then he was taken out. He was nearly burned to death—and those who saw him thought he had been. The doctors put him into a seated position. Whenever there was a breeze, it hurt him, and he would bellow like a bull.

“‘Masukkan aku semula ke dalam ketuhar!’ katanya. ‘Kalau tidak, aku akan mati!’ Melihat dia dalam kesakitan, dan mendengar jeritannya, sanak-saudaranya yang rapat serta wanita-wanita dari keluarganya berkumpul dan merayu agar mereka memasukkannya semula ke dalam ketuhar, dengan harapan ia akan memberi sedikit kelegaan kepadanya. Maka mereka memasukkannya semula ke dalamnya. Sebaik sahaja dia merasakan kepanasan itu, dia berhenti menjerit, dan bengkak-bengkak di tubuhnya pecah dan surut. Selepas bahagian dalam ketuhar itu sejuk, dia dikeluarkan. Kali ini, dia telah hangus hitam seperti arang.”

“‘Put me back in the oven!’ he would say. ‘If you don’t I’ll die!’ “Seeing him in agony, and hearing his cries, his intimates and the women of his family gathered and begged them to put him back in the oven in the hope that it would give him some relief. So they put him back inside. As soon as he felt the heat, he stopped shouting, and the swellings on his body burst and subsided. After the inside of the oven had cooled, he was taken out. This time he had been burnt black as coal.

Dalam masa satu jam dia meninggal dunia.

Within an hour he died.

“Jadi,” kata al-Mutawakkil, “saya ketawa kerana Tuhan memperkenankan doa setiap seorang daripada mereka dengan menimpakan azab yang dia sendiri telah pohonkan.” [Pengarang:] Saya juga pernah mendengar satu riwayat lain tentang kisah ini. 96.9

“So,” said al-Mutawakkil, “I’m laughing because God answered the prayers of every one of them by inflicting the punishment he had called down on himself.” [The author:] I’ve also heard a different telling of the story. 96.9

[Al-Marwazī:] Sebaik sahaja al-Mutawakkil menjadi khalifah, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Yaḥyā l-Makkī datang menghadapnya lalu berkata, "Wahai Amirul Mukminin, sesuatu yang luar biasa berlaku ketika al-Wāthiq menghukum bunuh Aḥmad ibn Naṣr;

[Al-Marwazī:] No sooner had al-Mutawakkil become caliph than ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Yaḥyā l-Makkī appeared before him and said, “Commander of the Faithful, something extraordinary happened when al-Wāthiq executed Aḥmad ibn Naṣr:

Aḥmad’s head continued reciting the Qur’an until it was buried!” Al-Mutawakkil found this news upsetting, especially because of what it implied for his brother. When Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn al-Zayyāt appeared, al-Mutawakkil told him he was upset about Aḥmad ibn Naṣr.

Aḥmad’s head continued reciting the Qurʾan until it was buried!” Al-Mutawakkil found this news upsetting, especially because of what it implied for his brother. When Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn al-Zayyāt appeared, al- Mutawakkil told him he was upset about Aḥmad ibn Naṣr.

“Semoga Tuhan membakar aku hidup-hidup,” kata Muḥammad, “jika Aḥmad ibn Naṣr tidak mati sebagai seorang yang tidak bersyukur.” Kemudian Harthamah muncul dan al-Mutawakkil mengatakan perkara yang sama.

“May God burn me alive,” said Muḥammad, “if Aḥmad ibn Naṣr didn’t die an Ingrate.” Then Harthamah appeared and al-Mutawakkil said the same thing.

“Semoga Tuhan memotong-motong tubuhku,” kata Harthamah, “jika Aḥmad ibn Naṣr tidak mati sebagai seorang yang tidak bersyukur.” Kemudian Ibn Abī Duʾād muncul dan al-Mutawakkil juga berkata hal yang sama.

“May God chop me into pieces,” said Harthamah, “if Aḥmad ibn Naṣr didn’t die an Ingrate.” Then Ibn Abī Duʾād appeared and al-Mutawakkil said the same thing.

"Semoga Tuhan melumpuhkan saya," kata Ibn Abī Duʾād, "jika Aḥmad ibn Naṣr tidak mati sebagai orang yang tidak bersyukur." Kemudian al-Mutawakkil berkata, "Al-Zayyāt akhirnya mati dibakar atas perintah saya. Harthamah melarikan diri lalu ditangkap oleh beberapa orang Arab yang menyalahkannya kerana membunuh sepupu mereka, dan dia dicincang hingga berkeping-keping. Dan Ibn Abī Duʾad dipenjarakan dalam kulitnya sendiri." [Pengarang:] Ibn Abī Duʾād berkhidmat sebagai ketua hakim di bawah al-Muʿtaṣim dan al-Wāthiq, dan mendesak kedua-dua khalifah itu untuk membicarakan orang ramai mengenai kejadian al-Qur'an.

“May God strike me with paralysis,” said Ibn Abī Duʾād, “if Aḥmad ibn Naṣr didn’t die an Ingrate.” Later al-Mutawakkil was to say, “Al-Zayyāt ended up burned to death at my command. Harthamah fled and was captured by some Arabs who blamed him for killing their cousin and chopped him to pieces.528 And Ibn Abī Duʾad was imprisoned in his own skin.” [The author:] Ibn Abī Duʾād served as chief judge under al-Muʿtaṣim and al- Wāthiq and urged both caliphs to try people regarding the createdness of the Qurʾan.

Akibatnya, Tuhan menimpakan kelumpuhan ke atasnya.

As a result, God struck him with paralysis.

[Al-Makkī:] Saya pergi menemui Ibn Abī Duʾād setelah dia diserang strok. 96.10

[Al-Makkī:] I went to see Ibn Abī Duʾād after he had his stroke. 96.10

"Saya tidak datang untuk menjenguk awak," kata saya, "tetapi untuk bersyukur kepada Tuhan kerana telah memenjarakan awak dalam kulit awak sendiri." [Abū Yūsuf Yaʿqūb:] Saya bermimpi bahawa saya dan bapa saudara saya sedang berjalan di sepanjang Terusan ʿĪsā, dan kami mendengar seorang wanita berkata, "Tidakkah kamu tahu apa yang berlaku malam ini? Tuhan telah mengambil Ibn Abī Duʾād." 96.11

“I didn’t come to check on you,” I said, “but to thank God for imprisoning you in your own skin.” [Abū Yūsuf Yaʿqūb:] I dreamed that my uncle and I were walking along the ʿĪsā Canal and heard a woman say, “Don’t you know what happened tonight? God has taken Ibn Abī Duʾād.” 96.11

"Bagaimana dia meninggal?" tanya saya.

“How did he die?” I asked.

"Dia membuat Tuhan murka, dan Tuhan menurunkan murka-Nya dari tujuh langit di atas." Salah seorang rakan saya memberitahu bahawa dia pernah berada di tempat Sufyān ibn Wakīʿ pada pagi selepas kebakaran dilihat di Baghdad dan di tempat-tempat lain.

“He made God angry, and God sent his anger down from seven heavens high.” One of my associates told me that he was at Sufyān ibn Wakīʿ’s place the morning after fires had been sighted in Baghdad and elsewhere.

Sufyān bertanya, "Tahukah kamu apa yang aku mimpikan malam tadi? Aku bermimpi bahawa Neraka mengeluarkan satu desahan dan satu nyala api naik, " atau kata-kata yang seumpama itu. "Aku bertanya apa yang sedang berlaku, lalu seseorang berkata, 'Mereka sedang bersiap untuk menyambut Ibn Abī Duʾād.'" [Khālid ibn Khidāsh:] Aku bermimpi mendengar satu suara berkata, "Ibn Abī Duʾād dan Shuʿayb telah dijelmakan menjadi haiwan, Ibn Samāʿah telah diserang strok, dan Fulan"—dia tidak menyebut siapa—"telah tercekik oleh darahnya sendiri." 96.12

Sufyān asked, “Do you know what I dreamed last night? I dreamed that Hell gave a sigh and a flame rose up,” or words to that effect. “I asked what was happening and someone said, ‘They’re preparing to receive Ibn Abī Duʾād.’” [Khālid ibn Khidāsh:] I dreamed I heard a voice say, “Ibn Abī Duʾād and Shuʿayb have been transformed into animals, Ibn Samāʿah has suffered a stroke, and So-and- So”—he didn’t say who—“has choked on his own blood.” 96.12

[Penulis:] Shuʿayb yang disebut di sini ialah Ibn Sahl, sang qadi; beliau adalah pengikut Jahm. Ibn Abī Duʾād diserang strok, hartanya dirampas, dan pada tahun 240 [854–55] beliau binasa dalam keadaan hina.

[The author:] The Shuʿayb mentioned here is Ibn Sahl, the judge; he was a follower of Jahm. Ibn Abī Duʾād suffered a stroke, had his property confiscated, and in the year 240 [854–55] perished in disgrace.

[Nabi:] Sesiapa yang mencabar kuasa-kuasa Tuhan di bumi dengan niat untuk merendahkannya, akan menanggung kehinaan yang menghancurkan di dunia ini, selain daripada malu dan aib yang menanti dirinya di akhirat. 96.13

[The Prophet:] Anyone who challenges God’s authorities on earth with the intention of demeaning them will suffer crushing humiliation in this world, apart from the shame and disgrace that await him in the next. 96.13

"Pihak berkuasa Tuhan di bumi" bermaksud Kitab dan sunnah Nabi ﷺ.

[The author:] “God’s authorities on earth” means the Book and the sunnah of the Prophet.

[Nabi:] "Pihak berkuasa Tuhan di bumi" bermaksud Kitab-Nya dan sunnah Nabi-Nya. 96.14

[The Prophet:] “God’s authorities on earth” means His Book and the sunnah of His Prophet. 96.14

[Al-Ṭūsī:] Pada hari Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal disebat, Khālid ibn Khidāsh menulis surat kepada ayahku untuk memaklumkan bahawa apabila berita tentang apa yang dilakukan terhadap Aḥmad sampai, seorang lelaki masuk ke dalam sebuah masjid untuk melakukan solat syukur, tetapi bumi terbelah di bawahnya dan dia tenggelam hingga ke dada ke dalam tanah. Apabila dia menjerit meminta tolong, beberapa orang datang dan menariknya keluar. 96.15

[Al-Ṭūsī:] The day Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was flogged, Khālid ibn Khidāsh wrote to my father to let him know that when the news came of what had been done to Aḥmad, a certain man went into a mosque to offer a prayer of thanksgiving but the earth gave way under him and he sunk chest-deep into the ground. When he cried out for help some people came and pulled him out. 96.15

[Khālid ibn Khidāsh:] Seorang lelaki tertentu bergembira atas sebatan terhadap Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, ketika tanah tempat dia berdiri tiba-tiba runtuh. 96.16

[Khālid ibn Khidāsh:] A certain man was rejoicing over the flogging of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal when the ground he was standing on suddenly gave way. 96.16

[Al-Najjād:] Seorang ulama tua yang pernah mengajar kami dan mengkaji Hadis bersama kami memberitahu saya bahawa beliau pernah pergi menziarahi kubur Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 96.17

[Al-Najjād:] An elder who used to tutor us and study Hadith with us told me that he once went to visit the grave of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. 96.17

"Ketika itu hanya ada beberapa kubur lain di sekitarnya," katanya. "Sebahagian orang telah berkumpul berhampiran untuk menembak dengan peluru. Salah seorang daripada mereka bertanya, yang manakah kubur Aḥmad?"

“There were only a few other graves around it at the time,” he said. “Some people had gathered nearby to shoot pellets. One of them asked which was Aḥmad’s grave.

"Ketika hal itu ditunjukkan kepadanya, dia menembakkan sebutir peluru ke arahnya. Saya mengenalnya, dan saya melihatnya beberapa waktu kemudian. Tangannya telah mengecut." [ʿImrān ibn Mūsā:] Saya pergi menziarahi Abū l-ʿUrūq, algojo yang telah mencambuk Aḥmad, sekadar untuk melihatnya. Selama empat puluh lima hari, dia hanya mampu menyalak seperti anjing. 96.18

When it was pointed out to him, he shot a pellet at it. I knew him, and I saw him some time later. His hand had shriveled up.” [ʿImrān ibn Mūsā:] I went to visit Abū l-ʿUrūq, the lictor who had flogged Aḥmad, just to get a look at him. For forty-five days, he could only bark like a dog. 96.18