Bizning ibrat bo‘lgan Ahmad, yuqorida aytib o‘tganimizdek, Bag‘dodda tug‘ilib, o‘sha yerda voyaga yetgan.

Our exemplar Aḥmad was born in Baghdad, as we have mentioned, and grew up there.

Shahardagi ustozlar va hadis olimlari huzurida ilm olgach, u boshqa joylarda ham ilm izlash uchun safarga chiqdi. 3.1

After studying with the teachers and Hadith scholars of the city, he set out to seek learning elsewhere as well. 3.1

Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’ning uyi orqasida to‘g‘ridan-to‘g‘ri Ko‘zi bir ko‘zli Dajla15 joylashgan edi. 3.2

[Ibn Kurdī:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s house had the One-Eyed Tigris15 directly behind it. 3.2

[Abū ʿAfīf:] Aḥmad bizning Qur'on maktabida, u hali kichik bola bo'lganida, biz bilan birga edi.

[Abū ʿAfīf:] Aḥmad was with us in Qurʾan school when he was just a little boy.

Hatto shunda ham u ajralib turardi. O'sha paytda xalifa ar-Raqqa shahrida yashardi va u yerda unga qo'shilgan saroy a'yonlari Bag'dodda qolgan oilalariga xat yozishni boshladilar.

Even then he stood out. At that time, the caliph was living in al-Raqqah and the courtiers who joined him there began writing letters to their families in Baghdad.

Xatlarga javob yozmoqchi bo‘lganlarida, ularning ayollari maktabimiz ustozidan Ahmad ibn Hanbalni o‘z uylariga yuborishni so‘rashardi. Ustoz uni yuborardi, u esa yerga qarab, diqqat bilan yo‘lga tushardi. Ayollar ko‘pincha uyatsiz so‘zlarni aytib berishardi, lekin u ularni yozmasdi. 3.3

When they wanted to reply to a letter, their womenfolk would ask our schoolmaster to send Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal to their homes. The teacher would send him out and off he’d go, looking carefully at the ground. The women often dictated obscene words but he wouldn’t write them down. 3.3

[Abū Sirāj:] Biz Aḥmad bilan Qur'on maktabida o'qiganimizda, ayollar muallimga xabar yuborardi: "Ibn Ḥanbalni yuboring, bizga yozib bersin, shunda kelgan xatlarimizga javob yozamiz." U ayollar oldiga kirganda, ularga qaramaslik uchun boshini egib yurardi.

[Abū Sirāj:] When we were in Qurʾan school with Aḥmad, women would send messages to the schoolmaster saying, “Send Ibn Ḥanbal to write for us so we can reply to the letters we’ve received.” Whenever he went in to where the women were, he would keep his head down so as not to look at them.

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Abū Sirāj also said that his father, whose name he gave, was impressed by how well Aḥmad conducted himself: “One day my father said to us, ‘I spend money to hire tutors for my children hoping they’ll learn to behave properly, but it doesn’t seem to do any good. Then take Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: he’s an orphan, but look how well he’s turned out!’16 He went on marveling for some time.” 3.4

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Abū Sirāj also said that his father, whose name he gave, was impressed by how well Aḥmad conducted himself: “One day my father said to us, ‘I spend money to hire tutors for my children hoping they’ll learn to behave properly, but it doesn’t seem to do any good. Then take Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: he’s an orphan, but look how well he’s turned out!’16 He went on marveling for some time.” 3.4

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Ahmad menga aytdi: “Men bola bo‘lganimda Qur’on maktabiga borardim, o‘n to‘rt yoshimda esa vazifalarni qabul qildim.”17 3.5

[Al-Marrūdhī:] Aḥmad told me, “When I was a boy, I would go to the Qurʾan school, and then when I was fourteen I took up duties.”17 3.5

[Abu l-Munabbih:] Ahmad ibn Hanbal haqida birinchi marta eshitganimiz, uning amakisi hukumat idoralaridan xat olganida bo‘ldi. U javob xat yozib, uni Ahmadga berdi, Ahmad esa uni kutib turgan elchiga topshirishi kerak edi. Ammo Ahmad xatni topshirmasdan, uyda bor bo‘lgan tokchaga qo‘yib qo‘ydi. Elchi xatni so‘raganida, amakisi uni allaqachon jo‘natib yuborganini aytdi. Keyin u Ahmadga: “Eshik oldidagi odamga berishni aytgan xat qayerda?” deb so‘radi. 3.6

[Abū l-Munabbih:] The first we heard of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was when his uncle received a letter from the authorities. He wrote a reply which he gave to Aḥmad, who was supposed to pass it on to a courier who was waiting for it. But instead of handing it over, Aḥmad put it inside an alcove18 they had in the house. When the courier asked for it, the uncle replied that he had already sent it out. He then asked Aḥmad, “Where’s the letter I asked you to give the man at the door?” 3.6

“U uzun yengli libos kiygan edi”, — deb javob berdi u. — “Xatingizni tokchada topasiz.”20

“He was wearing a long-sleeved gown,”19 he replied. “You’ll find your letter in the alcove.”20

[Al-ʿAbbās:] Dovud ibn Bistom menga aytdi: «Bir safar Bag‘dodden kelishi kutilayotgan xabarnoma kechikkanida, men Ahmadning amakisiga xabar yuborib, xalifaga yuboriladigan barcha xabarlarni yozib tugatmoqchi edim, lekin uning xabarnomasi hali ham kelmagan edi, deb aytdim. U javob berib, jiyanini uni yetkazish uchun yuborganini aytdi. So‘ng u o‘sha paytda hali bola bo‘lgan Ahmadni chaqirtirdi. 3.7

[Al-ʿAbbās:] Dāwūd ibn Bisṭām told me: “Once when the briefing from Baghdad was delayed, I sent word to Aḥmad’s uncle telling him I was hoping to write up all the dispatches to forward to the caliph but his still hadn’t arrived. He replied that he had sent his nephew to deliver it. Then he sent for Aḥmad, who was only a boy at the time. 3.7

“Men senga hisobotimni topshirishni aytmaganmidim?” — deb so‘radi u.

“‘Didn’t I tell you to deliver my report?’ he asked.

"Ha," deb javob berdi Aḥmad.

“‘Yes,’ replied Aḥmad.

“Nega unday qilmading?” “Men ilgari o‘sha xabarlarni olib yurardim, ammo endi yo‘q.21 Uni suvga tashladim.” Shundan so‘ng Ibn Bisṭām «Biz Allohga tegishlimiz va Unga qaytuvchimiz!»22 — deb o‘qidi-da, qo‘shib qo‘ydi: “Agar bir bola shunday vijdonli bo‘lsa, bizning ahvolimiz nima bo‘ladi?”23

“‘Why didn’t you, then?’ “‘I used to carry those reports but not any more.21 I threw it into the water.’” Ibn Bisṭām then recited «We are of God, and to Him we return!»22 adding: “When a boy has such scruples, where does that leave us?”23

[Yūnus al-Muʾaddib:] Men Hushaym hali tirik paytida Ahmad ibn Hanbalni ko'rganman va o'sha paytdayoq u katta hurmatga sazovor edi. 3.8

[Yūnus al-Muʾaddib:] I saw Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal while Hushaym was still alive, and even then he was already well respected. 3.8

Al-Marrūdhī rivoyat qiladi: Ahmadning shunday deganini eshitdim: "Hushaym vafot etganida men yigirma yoshda edim."24

[Al-Marrūdhī:] I heard Aḥmad say, “When Hushaym died I was twenty years old.”24

[Hadis izlovchi bir do'stim:] Ahmad har doim ajralib turardi. Bir kuni men Isma'il ibn Ulayyanikida uni kutib o'tirgandim. O'sha paytda Ahmad hali o'ttiz yoshga to'lmagan edi. Ammo u kirib kelganda, hamma unga joy bo'shatishga urinib, baland ovozda: "Bu yerga o'tiring!" deb chaqirdi. 3.9

[A fellow Hadith-seeker:] Aḥmad always stood out. One day, I was waiting for him at Ismāʿīl ibn ʿUlayyah’s. At the time, Aḥmad was not yet thirty. But when he came in, everyone tried to clear a space for him, calling out, “Come sit over here!” 3.9