[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] Nilipoona nyumba ya Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, sikuweza kufikiria jingine zaidi ya jinsi ilivyofanana na ile ya Suwayd ibn Ghafalah, ambayo ilisemekana kuwa ya unyenyekevu mkubwa na yenye samani chache sana. 45.1

[ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:] When I saw Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s house, all I could think of was how much it resembled Suwayd ibn Ghafalah’s, which was said to be very humble and sparsely furnished. 45.1

[Mwandishi:] Suwayd ibn Ghafalah alikuwa mmoja wa Tabi'in wakubwa. Alisafiri kwa niaba ya kabila lake kwenda kumwona Mjumbe wa Mwenyezi Mungu ﷺ, lakini Mtume ﷺ alikuwa amekwisha fariki kabla hajafika. Alikuwa rafiki wa Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān na ʿAlī. Alikuwa mtu mkubwa wa kujitenga na dunia.

[The author:] Suwayd ibn Ghafalah was one of the great Successors. He set out on behalf of his tribe to see the Emissary of God, who died before his arrival. He became a companion of Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī. He was a great renouncer of the world.

[ʿImrān ibn Muslim:] Kila alipomsikia Suwayd ibn Ghafalah akisema kwamba fulani amepokea kiasi fulani cha pesa, au fulani ameteuliwa kushika wadhifa fulani, alisema: "Kipande cha mkate na chumvi kidogo vinanitosha." 45.2

[ʿImrān ibn Muslim:] Whenever Suwayd ibn Ghafalah heard it said that So-and-So had received a sum, or So-and-So had been appointed to an office, he remarked, “A crust and a bit of salt are enough for me.” 45.2

[Al-Maymūnī:] Nyumba ya Aḥmad ilikuwa ndogo na yenye msongamano. Hata wakati wa joto alikuwa akilala chini ya ghorofa. Mjomba wake aliniambia kwamba alikuwa akimwambia mara zote alale ghorofani, lakini hakukubali.243 Pia nilimwona mahali alipokuwa akilala. Alichokuwa nacho kilikuwa ni shuka nene la kulalia244 na godoro chafu.245 45.3

[Al-Maymūnī:] Aḥmad’s house was small and cramped. Even in the heat he would sleep downstairs. His uncle told me that he was always telling him to sleep upstairs but he wouldn’t.243 I saw where he slept, too. All he had was a quilt244 and a dirty mattress.245 45.3

[Ḥasan ibn Sayyār:] Nilipokuwa mwanafunzi wa ufundi, nilienda pamoja na bwana wangu kupiga plasta chumba kwa ajili ya Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Aḥmad alimwambia apige plasta kwa mikono, si kwa kijiko cha kupigia plasta.

[Ḥasan ibn Sayyār:] When I was an apprentice, I went with my master to plaster a room for Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Aḥmad told him to plaster it by hand, not with a trowel.

Tulipiga pia vigae sakafuni. Tulipomaliza, alionekana kuridhika na kusema, "Hii ni nzuri na safi. Mtu anaweza kusali juu yake." 45.4

We also tiled the floor. When we were finished, he looked pleased and said, “That’s good and clean. A man can pray on that.” 45.4

Hakukuwa na mikeka wala vitambaa vya kufunika sakafu chumbani.

There were no mats or floor coverings in the room.

Alinipa konzi moja ya tende.

He gave me a handful of dates.

[Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥārith:] Mara moja niliingia nyumbani kwa Aḥmad. Katika uwanja wa ndani, niliona mkeka uliochakaa na mto wa ngozi, huku vitabu vyake na karatasi zake vikiwa vimetawanyika kuuzunguka. Pia kulikuwa na chombo cha udongo cha kuhifadhia maji. 45.5

[Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥārith:] I once went into Aḥmad’s house. In the open space inside, I saw a threadbare mat and a leather cushion, with his books and papers scattered all around it. There was also a clay water jug. 45.5

[Ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd:] Aḥmad alikuwa na mlango wenye upinde ndani ya nyumba yake. Nilimwona amening'iniza pazia la nywele kwenye lango lake.246 45.6

[Ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd:] Aḥmad had an arched doorway inside his house. I noticed he had hung a hair-cloth across the entrance.246 45.6

[Abū Dāwūd:] Niliona kwamba mlango wa nyumba ya Aḥmad ulikuwa na pazia lililofumwa kwa nyuzi zilizochanganyika na chakavu, likining'inia mbele yake. Karibu nake niliona kitu kama stendi ambazo wasafiri huzitumia, zikiwa na mitungi kadhaa juu yake. 45.7

[Abū Dāwūd:] I noticed that the door of Aḥmad’s house had a matted, threadbare cloth hanging across it. Nearby I saw something like the stands that travelers use, with several jars on it. 45.7

[Muḥammad ibn Mūsā:] Aḥmad alikuwa na mlango mkubwa uliotengenezwa kwa matofali. Nilipouona baadaye kidogo, alikuwa ameweka pazia la nywele za mbuzi juu yake. 45.8

[Muḥammad ibn Mūsā:] Aḥmad had a big doorway made of brick. When I saw it some time later, he had stretched a curtain of hair-cloth across it. 45.8

[Al-Zuhrī:] Aḥmad alisema mara moja, alipokuwa akiniingiza ndani ya nyumba yake, “Unaiona hii mlango wangu? Nilikopa deni ili kuujenga.”247 45.9

[Al-Zuhrī:] Aḥmad once said, as he led me into his house, “See this doorway of mine? I went into debt to build it.”247 45.9

[Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥasan:] Mara kadhaa nilimkuta Aḥmad ameketi kwa kukunja miguu juu ya kipande kidogo cha kitambaa cha kuhisi alichokimiliki, mbele ya chombo cha makaa cha udongo chenye miguu mitatu, kikiwa na makaa yanayowaka ndani yake. 45.10

[Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥasan:] More than once I found Aḥmad sitting cross-legged on a small piece of felt cloth he owned, in front of a three-legged coal-pan248 made of clay, with embers in it. 45.10