Aḥmad—Mwenyezi Mungu amridhie—alirithi kutoka kwa baba yake baadhi ya nyumba za kupangisha na nyumba aliyokuwa akiishi. Alizikodisha nyumba hizo za kupangisha na kuishi kwa kipato cha kodi, bila kulazimika kumwomba mtu yeyote chochote.208 40.1

Aḥmad—God be pleased with him—inherited from his father some tenements and the house where he lived. He rented out the tenements and lived off the rents, without having to ask anyone for anything.208 40.1

[Muḥammad ibn ʿUbayd Allāh:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal aliniambia, "Kila mwaka mimi hupima nyumba ninayoishi na kutoa zakat juu yake, nikifuata kile ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb alichosema kuhusu Ardhi Nyeusi ya Iraq."209

[Muḥammad ibn ʿUbayd Allāh:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal told me, “Every year I survey the house I live in and pay the alms-tax on it, following what ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb said about the Black Land in Iraq.”209

Aḥmad aliishi katika sehemu moja ya mali hiyo, na sehemu nyingine aliikodisha kwa watu wengine. Aḥmad ibn Jaʿfar alisimulia kwamba mtu mmoja alimuuliza jinsi alivyojua kuwa yeye ndiye mmiliki halali.

Aḥmad lived in one part of the property and rented part of it out to others. Aḥmad ibn Jaʿfar reported that someone asked him how he knew that he was the rightful owner.

"Ni kitu nilichorithi kutoka kwa baba yangu," alijibu. "Mtu yeyote akija na kuthibitisha kwamba ni chake, ningehama na kumpa." [Al-Marrūdhī:] Nilimsikia Aḥmad akisema, "Mali hii haituhudumii, lakini nitaendelea kukaa nayo mpaka itoe kitu."210 40.2

“It’s something I inherited from my father,” he replied. “If anyone comes and proves it’s his, I’d move out and give it to him.” [Al-Marrūdhī:] I heard Aḥmad say, “This property doesn’t support us, but I’m staying with it until it yields something.”210 40.2

Nilisema, "Nimesikia mtu akipendekeza kwamba angependa zaidi ukiachana nayo na kumwachia rafiki asimamie kwa niaba yako." "Huo ni mwaliko wa maafa," alisema Aḥmad, au pengine alichosema ni, "Hiyo si nzuri." Aliendelea: "Ukishazoea mpangilio wa namna hiyo huwezi kuishi bila hiyo." Aliongeza, "Ningependa iwe hivi kuliko njia nyingine yoyote," akimaanisha mali iliyozalisha mapato. Mwishowe aliniambia, "Unajua kwamba mapato hayatutoshelezi. Nayachukua tu kwa sababu ninalazimika." [Al-Baladī:] Siku moja, nilipokuwa nimekaa na Aḥmad, mmoja wa wapangaji wake alimletea dirham moja na nusu. Mara tu ilipoingia mikononi mwake, aliinuka, akaniacha pale nilipokuwa, akaingia nyumbani kwake akiwa na furaha. Nilihisi kwamba alikihitaji kwa jambo muhimu. 40.3

I said, “I heard someone suggest that he’d like it better if you gave it up and let a friend manage it for you.” “That’s an invitation to disaster,” said Aḥmad, or perhaps what he said was, “That’s no good.” He continued: “Once you get used to that sort of arrangement you can’t live without it.” He added, “I’d rather have it this way than any other,” referring to the property that generated the income. Finally he said to me, “You know the income doesn’t support us. I only take it because I have to.” [Al-Baladī:] Once, when I was sitting with Aḥmad, one of his tenants brought him a dirham and a half. As soon as it fell into his hands, he got up, leaving me where I was, and went into his house looking pleased. I had the feeling he needed it for something important. 40.3

Aḥmad wakati mwingine alikuwa mhitaji sana hata ilimlazimu kuokota masazo katika mashamba.211 40.4

Aḥmad was sometimes so needy that he had to glean from the fields.211 40.4

[Al-Ṭarasūsī:] Mtu aliyempa Aḥmad malazi aliniambia: "Alipokuja kukaa hapa alitoka kwenda kuokota masazo. Alirudi akiwa amekusanya kidogo tu. Nilimwambia, 'Umekula zaidi ya ulichookota!'" "Akasema, 'Niliwaona wakifanya jambo ambalo nisingeweza kulifanya: walipokuwa wakiokota masazo, walikuwa wakitambaa kwa miguu minne. Lakini mimi nilijivuta nikiwa nimekaa chini.'" [Al-Marrūdhī:] Aḥmad aliniambia, "Nilitembea kwa miguu hadi mpakani, nasi tukaenda kuokota masazo. Niliwaona watu wakiyararua mashamba. Lakini hakuna mtu anayepaswa kuvuka kwenda ardhi ya mwingine bila ruhusa." 40.5

[Al-Ṭarasūsī:] The man who gave lodging to Aḥmad told me: “When he came to stay here he went out to glean. He came back having collected only a little. I said to him, ‘You’ve eaten more than you gleaned!’ “He said, ‘I saw them doing something I couldn’t bring myself to do: when they gleaned, they would crawl on all fours. But I dragged myself along sitting down.’” [Al-Marrūdhī:] Aḥmad told me, “I walked out to the frontier on foot and we went gleaning. I saw people tearing up the fields. But no one should cross onto another’s land without permission.” 40.5

Alisema pia kwangu, "Nilitembea hadi Tarsus. Sisi zamani tulikuwa tukitoka nje na kuokota masazo."

He also told me, “I walked all the way to Tarsus. We used to go out and glean.”

Aḥmad wakati mwingine alikuwa maskini sana hata ilimlazimu kunakili hati kwa malipo. Ili kukidhi gharama zake alipokuwa safarini, mara moja alijiajiri kwa baadhi ya madereva wa ngamia. Kisa hiki kitaelezwa katika sura inayofuata, Mungu akipenda. 40.6

Aḥmad was sometimes so poor that he had to copy manuscripts for a fee. To meet his expenses while traveling, he once hired himself out to some camel drivers. This episode will be described in the next chapter, God willing. 40.6