[Ṣāliḥ:] Muda mfupi baada ya baba yangu kurejea kutoka Samarra, aliniita na kusema, "Ṣāliḥ, nataka uachane na mshahara huo. Usiupokee tena, wala usimkabidhi mtu mwingine pia. Ni kwa sababu yangu tu ndiyo unaupata kabisa. Nitakapokwisha kuwa mbali, utafanya upendavyo kadiri unavyoona inafaa." 75.1

[Ṣāliḥ:] A short while after my father came back from Samarra, he summoned me and said, “Ṣālīh, I want you to give up that stipend. Stop accepting it and don’t transfer it to anyone else, either. It’s only because of me that you get it at all. When I’m gone you can do as you think best.” 75.1

Sikusema chochote.

I said nothing.

"Kuna nini?" nilisema. "Sitaki kukuambia jambo moja mbele yako kisha nifanye jingine nyuma yako, kwa hiyo sitakudanganya wala kukuambia kile unachotaka kusikia. Hakuna hapa aliye na watu wanaomtegemea kuliko mimi, wala mwenye sababu bora zaidi ya kuchukua pesa hizo. Nilipokuja kulalamika kwako, ulikuwa unasema, 'Hatima yako imefungamana na yangu. Natamani Mungu aniondolee mzigo huo!' Sasa inaonekana Yeye ameitimiza tamaa yako." "Basi hutakataa pesa hizo?" "Hapana." "Toka hapa, laana iwe juu yako!" alisema.

“What’s wrong?” I said: “I don’t like to tell you one thing to your face and then do something else behind your back, so I’m not going to lie to you or tell you what you want to hear. No one here has more dependents than I do and no one has a better excuse to take that money. When I would come complaining to you, you’d say, ‘Your fate is bound up with mine. I wish God would remove that burden from me!’ Now it seems He’s granted your wish.” “So you’re not going to turn down the money?” “No.” “Get out, damn you!” he said.

Baada ya hapo alimwagiza mtu kuziba mlango uliokuwa kati ya nyumba zetu.

After that he had someone block up the door between our houses.

Nilipokutana na kaka yangu ʿAbd Allāh, aliniuliza kulikoni, nami nikamweleza. 752

When I ran into my brother ʿAbd Allāh, he asked me what was going on and I told him. 75.2

"Nimwambie nini?" aliniuliza.

“What should I say to him?” he asked me.

"Hilo ni juu yako." Baba yangu alimwomba kitu kile kile alichoniomba mimi. ʿAbd Allāh naye alisema kwamba hatakataa posho hiyo, na baba yetu pia alimkasirikia yeye.

“That’s up to you.” My father made the same request of him as he had made of me. ʿAbd Allāh also said he wouldn’t turn down the stipend, and our father got angry at him too.

Baadaye tulionana na mjomba wake, ambaye aliuliza kwa nini tulisema chochote kuhusu jambo hilo. "Kama ulichukua kitu, atajuaje?" Kisha mjomba wake alimwendea. "Abū ʿAbd Allāh," alisema, "mimi sichukui fedha yoyote kati ya hiyo." "Alhamdulillah!" alisema baba yangu.

Later we saw his uncle, who asked why we had said anything about it at all. “If you took something, how would he know?” His uncle then went to see him. “Abū ʿAbd Allāh,” he said, “I’m not taking any of that money.” “Thank God!” said my father.

Kwa hayo alituacha kuzungumza nasi, akafunga milango yote iliyokuwa kati ya nyumba zetu, na akasema kwamba hakuna chochote kinachopaswa kutoka nyumbani kwetu kuingia nyumbani kwake. Kabla ya sisi kuanza kupokea posho kutoka kwa mtawala, alikuwa akila pamoja nasi. Mara nyingi tulikuwa tukimtumia kitu, naye alikuwa akila sehemu yake.

With that he stopped talking to us, shut up all the doors between our houses, and said that nothing should come from our homes into his. Before we began accepting stipends from the ruler, he used to eat with us. Often we would send him something and he would eat part of it.

Miezi miwili baadaye tulipokea malipo yetu tuliyopangiwa, yakiletwa mlangoni kwetu, na wa kwanza kufika na kudai sehemu yake alikuwa mjomba wake. 753

Two months later we received our designated payment, delivered to our door, and the first to arrive and claim a share was his uncle. 75.3

Baba yangu, alipopata habari ya kilichokuwa kikiendelea, alikuja kwenye mlango ule uliokuwa umefungwa na akazungumza kupitia tundu ambalo wavulana walikuwa wameliweka.

When he learned what was going on, my father came to the door that had been blocked up and spoke through a hole that the boys had made.

"Niitie Ṣāliḥ kwa ajili yangu!" alisema.

“Call Ṣāliḥ for me!” he said.

Sawa, niko tayari kutafsiri. Tafadhali nitumie maandishi yenye Kiingereza unayotaka nitafsiri kwa Kiswahili.

Someone brought me the message.

"Sitakuja," nilisema.

“I’m not coming,” I said.

Baba yangu alituma ujumbe mwingine kuuliza kwa nini hapana.

My father sent another message to ask why not.

"Kuna watu wengi wanaotegemea posho hii," nilisema. "Mimi sio pekee, lakini ndiye mwenye haki zaidi. Kama umenichagua mimi kati ya watu wote kwa ajili ya kunikemea, sitakuja." Muda mfupi baadaye, mjomba wake alimwita kila mtu kwa swala. Baba yangu alitoka nyumbani na akaambiwa kwamba mjomba wake alikuwa ametoka kwenda msikitini. Nami nilienda huko pia, lakini nikasimama na kungoja mahali ambapo ningeweza kusikia wanachosema. Mara tu swala ilipokwisha, baba yangu alimgeukia mjomba wake na kusema, "Ewe adui wa Mwenyezi Mungu! Ulinidanganya usoni mwangu, ingawa wengine wanahitaji pesa hizo kuliko wewe. Ulisema hutachukua chochote kati yake, kisha ukachukua—ingawa una mali inayokuletea dirhamu mia mbili, na ulitarajia kupata zaidi kwa kuchukua barabara ya umma! Siku ya Kiyama itakapofika, ninaogopa tutakukuta umefungwa shingoni mwako mashamba saba!"453 75.4

“There are plenty of people who depend on this stipend,” I said. “I’m not the only one, but I am the most entitled. If you’ve chosen me of all people for a scolding, I’m not coming.” A bit later his uncle called everyone to prayer. My father came out of the house and was told that his uncle had gone out to the mosque. I went there too, but stopped and waited in a spot where I could hear what they were saying. As soon as the prayer was over, my father turned to his uncle and said, “You enemy of God! You lied to my face even though other people need the money more than you. You said you wouldn’t take any of it and then you did—even though you’ve got a property that pays you two hundred dirhams and you were hoping to make more by taking over a public road! When the Day of Resurrection comes, I’m afraid we’ll find you with seven tracts of land tied around your neck!”453 75.4

Kwa hayo, akaacha kuzungumza naye. Pia akaacha kuswali katika msikiti wetu, akaanza kwenda nje kuswali katika msikiti wa mtu mwingine.

With that he stopped speaking to him. He also stopped praying in our mosque and started going out to pray in someone else’s mosque.

[Al-ʿUkbarī:] Mwaka wa 236 [850–51] nilimtafuta Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ili nimuulize jambo fulani. Nilimuuliza, nikaambiwa kwamba alikuwa ametoka kwenda kuswali, basi nikaketi nikisubiri karibu na lango la njia ndogo. Alipotokea, niliinuka nikamsalimu, naye akaitikia salamu yangu. Alishuka kwenye njia ndogo, nami nikatembea pembeni yake hadi mwisho wake, ambapo palikuwa na mlango wazi. Alisukuma mlango akaingia ndani, akisema: “Sasa nenda zako, na Mungu akulinde!” 75.5

[Al-ʿUkbarī:] In 236 [850–51] I went looking for Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal so I could ask him about something. I asked for him and they told me he had gone out to pray, so I sat down to wait by the alley gate. When he appeared, I rose and greeted him and he returned the greeting. He went down the alley and I walked beside him all the way to the end, where there was an open door. He pushed it open and went in, saying, “Go away now, and may God spare you!” 75.5

Nilipogeuka, niliona kwamba lango lilifunguka kuelekea msikiti ambamo mzee mwenye ndevu zilizopakwa rangi alisimama na kuwaongoza waumini katika sala. Niliketi na kusubiri hadi alipotoa salamu ya kuaga. Mtu fulani alipotoka, nilimwuliza yule mzee ni nani.

As I turned, I saw that the gate opened onto a mosque where an elder with a dyed beard was standing and leading the congregation in prayer. I sat and waited until he spoke the parting salutation. When someone came out, I asked him who the elder was.

"Huyo ni Isḥāq, mjomba wa Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal," alisema.

“That’s Isḥāq, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s uncle,” he said.

"Kwa nini Aḥmad hataki kusali nyuma yake?" "Hazungumzi naye, wala na wanawe wa kiume, kwa sababu wanapokea posho kutoka kwa mamlaka." [Ṣāliḥ:] Wakati fulani baba yangu alipokuwa hasemi nasi, aligundua kwamba tulikuwa tumetumiwa kiasi kingine cha fedha.454 Baba yangu alikuja kwenye tundu la mlango na kusema, "Ṣāliḥ! Tafuta ni sehemu zipi ni za Ḥasan na Umm ʿAlī455 kisha uzipeleke kwa Fūrān.

“Why won’t Aḥmad pray behind him?” “He won’t talk to him, or to his own sons, because they accept a stipend from the authorities.” [Ṣāliḥ:] At some point when my father wasn’t speaking to us, he found out that we’d been sent another sum.454 My father came to the opening in the door and said, “Ṣāliḥ! Find out which parts are for Ḥasan and Umm ʿAlī455 and take them to Fūrān.

"Mwambie aende mahali pesa zilipotoka na azitoe kama sadaka." 75.6

Tell him to go to wherever the money came from and give it away as alms.” 75.6

"Fūrān angewezaje kujua ilitoka wapi?" "Fanya tu kama ninavyokuambia." Basi nikampelekea Fūrān sehemu hizo mbili.

“How would Fūrān know where it came from?” “Just do as I say.” So I sent the two portions to Fūrān.

Wakati huo huo, baba yangu, aliposikia kwamba tumekubali pesa, alienda kulala bila kula. Sikumwona kwa mwezi mzima. Kisha wavulana walifungua mlango na kuingia ndani. Lakini bado hakuwaruhusu kuleta chochote kutoka nyumbani kwangu. Hatimaye nilimtumia ujumbe nikisema: “Hili limedumu vya kutosha, na nakukosa.” Kisha niliingia ndani. Hakutaka kuzungumza nami. Niliinama na kumkumbatia.

Meanwhile, my father, after he heard that we had accepted the money, went to bed without eating. I didn’t see him for a month. Then the boys opened the door and went in. But he still wouldn’t let them bring in anything from my house. Finally I sent him a message saying: “This has gone on long enough, and I miss you.” Then I went in. He wouldn’t speak to me. I bent down and embraced him.

"Baba," nilimuuliza, "kwa nini unajifanyia hivi?" "Ni jambo ambalo siwezi kulizuia, mwanangu." Baada ya hapo hatukukubali chochote kwa muda. Kisha tulipewa kitu zaidi na tukakichukua. Baba yangu alipogundua, aliacha kuzungumza nasi kwa miezi kadhaa.

“Dad,” I asked, “why are you doing this to yourself?” “It’s something I can’t help, son.” After that we didn’t accept anything for a while. Then we were granted something more and we took it. When my father found out he stopped talking to us for months.

Hatimaye Furqān alizungumza naye, nami nikaingia. 75.7

Finally Fūrān had a word with him and I went in. 75.7

"Ni Ṣāliḥ," alisema Fūrān. "Kumbuka ni kiasi gani unavyomjali." "Ṣāliḥ alikuwa mtu ninayempenda zaidi duniani," alisema baba yangu. "Nilichotaka ni yeye kupata kile nilichotaka kwa ajili yangu mwenyewe. Kuna kosa gani hapo?" "Baba," nilisema, "je, umewahi kukutana na mtu aliyeweza kustahimili yale uliyojitia ndani yake?" "Sasa unabishana nami?" Kisha aliandika barua kwa Yaḥyā ibn Khāqān akimtaka asimamishe malipo ya mshahara na asiwahi kulitaja tena. Ujumbe huo ulipomfikia Yaḥyā tu, mkuu wa intelijensia alautwaa na kutuma nakala yake kwa al-Mutawakkil.

“It’s Ṣāliḥ,” said Fūrān. “Remember how much you care for him.” “Ṣāliḥ was the dearest person in the world to me,” said my father. “All I wanted was for him to have what I wanted for myself. What’s wrong with that?” “Dad,” I said, “have you ever met anyone who could survive what you put yourself through?” “So now you’re arguing with me?” Then he wrote to Yaḥyā ibn Khāqān demanding that he stop paying the stipend and never mention it again. No sooner had the message reached Yaḥyā than the chief of intelligence took it and sent a copy to al-Mutawakkil.

"Miezi mingapi inastahili kwa wana wa Aḥmad?" aliuliza khalifa.

“How many months are due to Aḥmad’s sons?” the caliph asked.

"Kumi." "Peleka dirham elfu arobaini—sarafu nzima kutoka hazina—kwao mara moja bila kumwambia Aḥmad." "Nitamwandikia Ṣāliḥ na kumjulisha," alisema Yaḥyā kwa afisa huyo.

“Ten.” “Have forty thousand dirhams—whole coins from the treasury—sent to them immediately without telling Aḥmad.” “I’ll write to Ṣāliḥ and let him know,” said Yaḥyā to the official.

Nilipopokea barua ya Yaḥyā, nilimtumia habari baba yangu.

When I received Yaḥyā’s letter, I sent word to my father.

Mjumbe aliyesimulia alisema: "Aḥmad alikaa kimya kwa muda mrefu akiitazama ardhi. Kisha akainua kichwa chake na kusema, 'Ikiwa ninataka jambo moja lakini Mungu ameamua jingine, hakuna ninachoweza kufanya tena.'" [Al-Būshanjī:] Mtu mmoja alimnukuu al-Mutawakkil akisema, "Aḥmad hataturuhusu kuwatunza watu wa familia yake." Hii ilitokana na ukweli kwamba alikuwa amewatumia fedha nyingi watoto wa Aḥmad, wajukuu zake, na mjomba wake, ambao walizipokea bila kumwambia. Aḥmad alipogundua kilichotokea, aliwalaumu na kuwaambia warudishe fedha hizo. "Mliwezaje kuzichukua wakati mpaka hauna ulinzi na hakuna mtu anayegawa ngawira kwa Waislamu wanaostahili sehemu yao?"456 75.8

The one who delivered the message reported: “Aḥmad sat silently for a while staring at the ground. Then he raised his head and said, ‘If I want one thing but God decrees another, there’s nothing more I can do.’” [Al-Būshanjī:] Someone quoted al-Mutawakkil as saying, “Aḥmad won’t let us take care of his family.” This was because he had sent vast sums to Aḥmad’s children, grandchildren, and uncle, who had taken it without telling him. When Aḥmad realized what had happened, he reproached them and told them to return the money. “How could you take it when the frontier is undefended and no one is distributing the spoils to the Muslims who deserve a share?”456 75.8

Kila mtu alisihi kwamba tayari alikuwa amelipa fedha hizo kwa wadai wake.

Everyone pleaded that they had already paid the money to their creditors.

Kisha al-Mutawakkil akatuma kiasi kingine cha pesa, akiamuru kipewe kwa wanawe bila yeye kujua. Tena wakakipokea. Aḥmad aliposikia habari hizo, aliwaita na kuwaambia: "Kwa kiasi cha kwanza, mlidai kwamba mlikwisha kukitumia au mlikitumia kulipa madeni yenu. Lakini hiki, bado mnaweza kukirudisha."75.9

Then al-Mutawakkil sent another sum, ordering that it be given to his sons without his knowing about it. Again, they accepted it. When Aḥmad found out, he summoned them and said, “With the first amount, you claimed that you had spent it already or used it to pay your debts. This one, though, you can still send back.” 75.9

Mimi mwenyewe nilimwona akiziba mlango uliounganisha nyumba yake na ile ya mwanawe Ṣāliḥ. Pia nilimwona akiepuka msikiti uliokuwa karibu na nyumba yake, ambapo mwenye kuadhini alikuwa mjomba wake na imamu wa sala alikuwa Ibn ʿUmayr. Ilikuwa kwa sababu ya pesa ndipo alipoacha kuzungumza nao. Nilimwona akipita njia yote ya uchochoroni, kisha barabarani, kisha kuingia barabara nyingine ambapo kulikuwa na msikiti uitwao Msikiti wa Sidrah, mkubwa wa kutosha kwa sala ya Ijumaa.

I myself saw him block off the door that joined his house to his son Ṣāliḥ’s. I also saw him stay away from the mosque that adjoined his house, where the prayer caller was his uncle and the prayer leader was Ibn ʿUmayr. It was because of the money that he stopped talking to them. I saw him walk all the way through the alley, into the lane, onto the main thoroughfare, and then down another lane where there was a mosque called the Sidrah Mosque, big enough for Friday prayers.

Wakati Aḥmad alipopelekwa Samarra wakati wa utawala wa al-Mutawakkil, walimpeleka kwenye jumba la kifalme ili asimulie Hadithi kwa watoto wa khalifa al-Muʿtazz, al-Muntaṣir, na al-Muʾayyad, warithi wake wa kiti cha ufalme. Aḥmad alijibu kwa kujifanya mgonjwa, na akiulizwa kuhusu riwaya fulani, alisema, “Sikumbuki, na vitabu vyangu havipo hapa.” Hatimaye al-Mutawakkil alikubali na kumruhusu aende, akitia sahihi amri iliyosomeka hivi: “Kwa hivyo tunamwondolea Aḥmad kufanya chochote anachokichukia.” 75.10

When Aḥmad was sent to Samarra during the reign of al-Mutawakkil, they took him to the palace to recite Hadith for caliph’s children al-Muʿtazz, al-Muntaṣir, and al- Muʾayyad, his heirs apparent. Aḥmad responded by feigning illness and, if asked about a report, saying, “I don’t remember, and I don’t have my books here.” In the end al- Mutawakkil relented and let him go, signing an order that read as follows: “We herewith excuse Aḥmad from doing anything he detests.” 75.10

Siku moja Aḥmad alipokea zawadi ya tende zilizokuwa na muhuri wa al-Mutawakkil, lakini alikataa kuonja. Ili kueleza sababu yake, inasemekana alisema, "Amiri wa Waumini amenisamehe kufanya kitu chochote ninachokichukia." Alisema maneno hayo hayo kila wakati kitu kilipotumwa nyumbani kwake, na jambo hilo likawa desturi yake.

On one occasion Aḥmad received a gift of dates bearing al-Mutawakkil’s seal but refused to taste them. To explain himself, he reportedly said, “The Commander of the Faithful has excused me from doing anything I detest.” He said the same thing whenever anything was sent to his house, and that became his custom.

[ʿAbd Allāh:] Nilipokuwa mgonjwa, baba yangu alikuja kunijulia hali. 75.11

[ʿAbd Allāh:] When I was ill, my father came to check on me. 75.11

"Baba," nilisema, "bado tuna baadhi ya pesa ambazo al-Mutawakkil alitupa. Je, ikiwa ningezitumia kwenda kuhiji?" "Unapaswa kufanya hivyo," alisema.

“Dad,” I said, “we still have some of the money al-Mutawakkil gave us. What if I used it to make the pilgrimage?” “You should,” he said.

“Lakini kama huna shida kuitumia,” nilimuuliza, “kwa nini hukuichukua?” “Sioni kuwa ni haramu, mwanangu,” alijibu, “lakini ningependa kujizuia.”

“But if you don’t mind spending it,” I asked, “why didn’t you take it?” “I don’t consider it forbidden, son,” he answered. “But I’d rather abstain.”