[Muḥammad ibn Naṣr the Worshipper:] Nilimsikia Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal akisema, "Ukipata nafasi ya kutenda jambo jema, usisubiri!" 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

Nilimuuliza kuhusu kwenda kupigana mipakani, naye akasema, "Usisubiri: nenda!" [Al-Ṭarasūsī:] Nilienda pamoja na Yaḥyā l-Jallāʾ—ambaye alidhaniwa kuwa mmoja wa Al-Abdāl—kumtembelea Aḥmad. Alikuwa pamoja na Fūrān, Zuhayr, na Hārūn al-Ḥammāl (mbeba mizigo). 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

"Mungu akubariki, Aḥmad!" nilisema. "Niambie: Ni nini kinachoufanya moyo wa mtu ulainike?" Akawageukia wenzake na kuwapepesa jicho. Kisha akainamisha kichwa chake kwa muda.

“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.

Hatimaye aliinua macho akasema, "Mwanangu, ni kula vyakula vilivyo halali." Niliondoka moja kwa moja nikaenda kwa Abū Naṣr Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith na kumuuliza swali lile lile. Akasoma: «Je, nyoyo hazitulii kwa kumkumbuka Mwenyezi Mungu?»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

Nilimwambia kwamba nilikuwa ndio nimetoka kwa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.

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

"Naelewa," alisema. "Basi Aḥmad alikuambia nini?" "Alisema, 'kula vyakula vilivyoruhusiwa.'" "Yuko sahihi," alisema Bishr. "Hapo ndipo pa kuanzia!" Kisha nilimwendea ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Warrāq na kumwuliza swali lile lile.

“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.

Alisoma: «Je, nyoyo hazipati utulivu kwa kumkumbuka Mungu?» Nilimwambia kwamba nilikuwa nimetoka tu kwa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. Uso wake ulibadilika rangi na kuwa mwekundu kwa furaha, akaniuliza alichokisema.

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.

"Alisema ‘kula vyakula vilivyoruhusiwa.’" "Yuko sahihi: hiyo ndiyo kiini!" alishangaa. "Mahali pa kuanzia ni pale alipokuambia." [Al-Marrūdhī:] Nilimsikia Aḥmad akimwambia nafsi yake: "Teseka sasa, au ujutie baadaye!" 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:] Nilimsikia baba yangu akisema, mtu alipotaja mambo ya dunia hii, kwamba mtu anaweza kuridhika kwa kuwa na kidogo, lakini hawezi kuridhika kwa kuwa na mengi. 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

Wakati mwingine, mtu alipotaja umaskini, alisema: “Umaskini pamoja na wema!” [Al-Marrūdhī:] Nilisikia Aḥmad akisema mara moja: “Hakuna kitu chenye thawabu kama kuwa maskini. Je, unajua kwamba mkeo anapokuomba kitu nawe huna uwezo wa kukinunua, umepata thawabu kubwa kiasi gani?” 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 alituambia kwamba Aḥmad mara moja alimwambia, “Mtu yeyote kati yetu anaishi kwa muda gani? Miaka hamsini? Sitini? Wewe si mbali sana nyuma yetu!” 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:] Niliwahi kumsikia Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal akisema, "Kupoteza ujana wangu hakunitofautiani na kuona kitu kikiteleza kutoka mkononi mwa kanzu yangu."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:] Nilimsikia Aḥmad akisema mara moja, "Kadiri unavyochukua kidogo cha dunia hii, ndivyo hesabu yako itakavyokuwa nyepesi mwishoni." 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:] Alipoulizwa maana ya kumtegemea Mungu kikamilifu, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal alisema, “Ni kujifunza kutotazama huku na kule kwa kutarajia msaada kutoka kwa watu wengine.” 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

"Chanzo chako ni nini kwa hilo?" "Alichosema Ibrahim walipomweka kwenye manjaniki."178

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

[Yaʿqūb ibn Isḥāq:] Aliulizwa maana ya kumtegemea Mungu kikamilifu, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal alisema, "Ni kujifunza kutotafuta msaada kwa kiumbe chochote kingine." 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

"Chanzo chako ni nini?" "Hadithi kuhusu Ibrahim, rafiki wa Mwenyezi Mungu, alipowekwa kwenye manjaniki na akamwambia Jibril, 'Kutoka kwako, hapana.' Kisha Jibril alipomwambia, 'Basi muombe Yule anayeweza kukusaidia,' yeye alijibu, 'Nakubali chochote Anachonichagulia.'" [ʿAbd Allāh:] Aḥmad aliulizwa maana ya ushujaa, naye akasema, "Kuacha kile unachokitamani na kukumbatia kile unachokiogopa." 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:] Nilimsikia Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal akisema, “Ukiwa na wazo lolote jema unalokusudia kulitenda, lifanye haraka kabla ya kitu kukuzuia.” 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:] Siku moja nilipolala kwa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, akaniwekea maji. Asubuhi aliona sikuyatumia. 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

"Wewe unajiita mwanazuoni wa Hadith," alisema, "na hukusali Qiyamul-layl?" Nilipinga kwa kusema kwamba nilikuwa safarini.

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

“Kwa hiyo je?” alijibu kwa ukali. “Masrūq alipofanya hijja, alilala njia moja tu: paji lake la uso likiwa chini ardhini.”179

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

[Abū ʿIṣmah:] Mara moja nilipolala nyumbani kwa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, alileta maji na kuyaweka kwa ajili yangu. Asubuhi aliona yalikuwa hayajaguswa. 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

"Mungu atusaidie!" alilia. "Mtu anayetafuta Hadithi lakini hasali usiku?" [Ibn al-Madīnī:] Siku moja, kabla ya safari, nilipokuwa nikimwaga Ibn Ḥanbal, nilimuuliza kama alitaka nimfanyie jambo lolote. 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

"Ndiyo," alijibu. "Beba hofu ya Mungu popote uendapo, na uelekeze macho yako kwenye maisha ya akhera." [Yaḥyā l-Jallāʾ:] Nilimsikia Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal akisema, "Nachukia kuona mambo ya dunia hii yakidhoofisha azma ya watu wanaolijua Qur'ani." 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:] Siku moja nilimwomba baba yangu anipe ushauri. Akasema, "Daima kusudia kufanya jambo jema. Mradi nia yako ni safi, utakuwa salama." 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: Mtu mmoja alimuuliza Ibn Ḥanbal, watu wake walifanya nini hata wakapata heshima kubwa namna hii? 31.18

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

"Wamekuwa wakweli," alisema.

“They’ve been truthful,” he said.

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Nilimsikia baba yangu akisema, "Huwezi kuwa na hofu sahihi isipokuwa unajua unachopaswa kukihofia."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