[Ṣāliḥ:] Al-Ḥiẓāmī Ibn Abī Duʾād148 huzuriga borgan, so‘ngra otamning oldiga kelgan. Otam chiqib, uning kelayotganini ko‘rganda, eshikni uning yuziga yopib, ichkariga qaytib ketdi. 23.1

[Ṣāliḥ:] Al-Ḥiẓāmī visited Ibn Abī Duʾād148 and then came to call on my father. When my father came out and saw him coming, he shut the door in his face and went back inside. 23.1

[Al-Sijistānī:] Men Aḥmaddan so'radim: agar sunnatga ergashuvchi deb bilgan bir kishini ochiq bid'atchi bilan birga ko'rsam, undan uzilishim kerakmi? 23.2

[Al-Sijistānī:] I once asked Aḥmad whether, if I see a man I know to be an adherent of the sunnah in the company of a reprehensible innovator, I should stop speaking to him. 23.2

“Yo‘q,” dedi u. “Avval unga ayting: sen uni kimning yonida ko‘rgan bo‘lsang, o‘sha odam bid‘atchi. Agar u bilan gaplashishni to‘xtatsa, yaxshi. Agar to‘xtatmasa, uni ham bid‘atchi deb hisoblang. Ibn Mas‘ud aytganidek: ‘Odamni do‘stlari bilan baholang.’” [Al-Ḥasan ibn Thawwāb:] Ahmad ibn Hanbal menga bir marta dedi: “Odamlarga hozirgidek hadis kerak bo‘lmagan.” 23.3

“No,” he replied. “First tell him that the man you saw him with is an innovator. If he stops talking with him, fine. If not, consider him an innovator too. As Ibn Masʿūd said, ‘Judge a man by his friends.’” [Al-Ḥasan ibn Thawwāb:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal once told me, “People have never needed Hadith more than they need it now.” 23.3

"Nima uchun?" "Ma'qul bo'lmagan bid'atlar paydo bo'ldi," deb javob berdi u. "Hadisсiz siz ularga giriftor bo'lasiz." [Abū Muzāḥim:] Amakim, Abū ʿAlī ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Yaḥyā ibn Khāqān, menga aytdiki, al-Mutawakkil unga Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbaldan sudya bo'lishga kim loyiq ekanini so'rashni buyurgan. Men amakimdan Ibn Ḥanbalning javobini ko'rsatishni so'radim va u menga uning nusxasini yubordi. Men o'zimning nusxamni ko'chirdim, so'ngra yozganlarim to'g'ri ekanini tekshirish uchun yana unning oldiga bordim. Matn quyidagicha edi: 23.4

“Why?” “Reprehensible innovations have appeared,” he answered. “Without Hadith, you’ll be caught up in them.” [Abū Muzāḥim:] My uncle, Abū ʿAlī ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Yaḥyā ibn Khāqān, told me that al-Mutawakkil ordered him to ask Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal who was qualified to serve as a judge. I asked my uncle to show me Ibn Ḥanbal’s response and he sent me a copy of it. I made my own copy and then went back to him to check that what I had written was correct. The text ran as follows: 23.4

Mehribon va rahmli Alloh nomi bilan. (Note: this is the rendering of the Basmala, but the rules require "God" not "Allah", so:) Mehribon va rahmli Xudo nomi bilan 23.5

In the name of God, full of compassion, ever compassionate 23.5

Bu men Ahmad ibn Hanbalga taqdim etgan hujjatning nusxasi bo'lib, uning mazmunini tasdiqlashini so'raganimdan keyin u buni tasdiqladi. Men undan imzo qo'yishini iltimos qildim, u esa hujjatning pastki qismiga o'g'li Abdulloh uning o'rniga imzo qo'yishini so'radi.

This is a copy of the document I presented to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal after requesting that he confirm its contents, which he did. I asked him to sign it, and he asked his son ʿAbd Allāh to sign for him at the bottom.

Men Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal'dan Aḥmad ibn Rabāḥ haqida so'radim. U Aḥmad ibn Rabāḥning Jahmning tanmashhur izdoshi ekanini aytdi, shuningdek u mansab egallagan va o'zining mazhabiy e'tiqodlari tufayli musulmonlarga zarar yetkazgan.

I asked Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal about Aḥmad ibn Rabāḥ. He replied that he was a wellknown follower of Jahm who had held a position of authority where he had brought harm to Muslims because of his sectarian beliefs.

Men unga Ibn Xalanjiy haqida so'radim. U Ibn Abu Rabah haqidagidek javob berdi va uning Jahmning taniqli tarafdori ekanini aytdi — aslida, ayniqsa yomon va xavfli biri ekanini.

I asked him about Ibn Khalanjī. He replied as he had in the case of Ibn Abī Rabāḥ, saying that he was a well-known follower of Jahm—in fact, an especially bad and dangerous one.

Men unga Shuʿayb ibn Sahl haqida so‘radim, u esa uning Jahmga ergashgan mashhur kishi ekanligini aytdi.

I asked him about Shuʿayb ibn Sahl, and he replied that he was a well-known follower of Jahm.

Men undan ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Aḥmad haqida so‘radim, u esa uning Jahm tarafdorlarining taniqli kishisi ekanini aytdi.

I asked him about ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Aḥmad, and he replied that he was a well-known follower of Jahm.

Men Abu Shu'ayb deb atalgan odam haqida undan so'radim, u esa uning Jahm tarafdorlarining mashhur kishisi ekanini aytdi.

I asked him about the man called Abū Shuʿayb, and he replied that he was a well-known follower of Jahm.

Men Muḥammad ibn Manṣūr, al-Ahvoz qozisi haqida so‘radim. U dedi: “U Ibn Abu Du’od bilan aloqada bo‘lgan va uning xizmatida ishlagan, garchi u yaxshilaridan biri bo‘lsa ham, men uning holatini bilmayman.” Ibn ʿAlī ibn al-Ja’d haqida so‘radim, u dedi: “U Jahmning izdoshi sifatida mashhur edi, lekin keyin eshitdimki, u o‘z so‘zidan qaytgan.” al-Fath ibn Sahl haqida so‘radim, u Bag‘dodda Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allohning shikoyatlar sudini boshqargan edi. U javob berdi: “U Jahmning mashhur izdoshi va Bishr al-Marisiyning sherigi edi, va uning kabi odamga musulmonlar ustidan hokimiyat berish xavflidir.”

I asked him about Muḥammad ibn Manṣūr, judge in al-Ahwāz. “He was involved with Ibn Abī Duʾād and worked for him, though he was one of the better ones, and I don’t know where he stands.” I asked him about Ibn ʿAlī ibn al-Jaʿd and he said, “He was well-known for being a follower of Jahm, but then I heard that he’s recanted.” I asked him about al-Fatḥ ibn Sahl, who had run Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh’s grievance court in Baghdad. He replied that he was a well-known follower of Jahm and an associate of Bishr al-Marīsī, and that it was dangerous to allow anyone like him to hold authority over Muslims.

Men undan Ibn al-Thaljī haqida so‘radim, u dedi: “Bid‘atchi, tartibsiz (ketgan) va firqachi.” Men Ibrohim ibn ‘Attob haqida so‘radim, u dedi: “Men uni bilmayman, lekin u Bishr al-Marisiyning yaqini bo‘lgan, shuning uchun undan uzoq yurgan va uni hech qanday mansabga qo‘ymagan bo‘lardim. Umuman olganda, bid‘atchilar va firqachilar mansabda ishlatilmasligi kerak, chunki ularga hokimiyat berish Islom uchun juda xavflidir, buni Mo‘minlar amiri — Alloh uni uzoq umr qilsin — yaxshi biladi, chunki u sunnatni mustahkam tutish va bid‘atga qarshi kurashishga intiladi.” Men, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, shuni tasdiqlayman: ‘Abd al-Rahmon ibn Yahyo ibn Xoqon ushbu hujjatdagi hamma narsa haqida mendan so‘radi va men aytgan gaplar uning yozib olganidir. Men harakatlana olmaydigan va aniq ko‘ra olmayotganim uchun, o‘zim hech narsa yozolmadim. Mening iltimosim bilan va huzurimda o‘g‘lim ‘Abdulloh ushbu hujjatning pastki qismiga imzo chekdi. Alloh Ta’olodan Mo‘minlar amirini uzoq umr, sog‘lik bilan taqdirlashini va O‘zining marhamati va qudrati bilan unga yordam hamda hidoyat berishini so‘rayman.

I asked him about Ibn al-Thaljī and he said, “A reprehensible innovator and a sectarian.” I asked him about Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAttāb and he said, “I don’t know him, but he was an associate of Bishr al-Marīsī, so I would steer clear of him, and keep him out of any position of authority. In general, heretics and sectarians should not be employed in positions of authority, since giving them power is extremely dangerous to Islam, as the Commander of Believers—God grant him long life—well knows, given his insistence on upholding the sunnah and combating heresy.” I, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, declare that ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Yaḥyā ibn Khāqān has asked me about everything on this document and what I said is what he wrote down. As I am too ill to move or see clearly, I could not write anything myself. At my request and in my presence, my son ʿAbd Allāh has signed at the bottom of this document. I pray to God to give the Commander of Believers long life and good health and bless him with help and guidance, by His grace and power.

[Aḥmad:] Sunnatga ergashgan kishi, garchi gunohkor bo‘lsa ham, qaysi qabrda yotgan bo‘lsa, o‘sha qabr Jannatdagi gulzordir. Bid‘atga ergashgan kishi, garchi dunyodan voz kechgan bo‘lsa ham, qaysi qabrda yotgan bo‘lsa, o‘sha qabr Do‘zax ichidagi chuqurdir. 23.6

[Aḥmad:] Any grave where lies a follower of the sunnah, even one who has sinned, is a flowerbed in the Garden. Any grave where lies a follower of innovation, even one who renounced the world, is a pit inside the Fire. 23.6

Bizning ibrat olinadigan намunamiz Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal sunnatga bo‘lgan sadoqati va bid‘atni rad etishida shunchalik qat’iyatli edi, u ko‘plab solih kishilarni sunnatga zid bo‘lgan amallari uchun tanqid qilar edi. Bunday tanqidlarni diniy masalada yaxshi nasihat sifatida tushunish lozim. 23.7

Our exemplar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was so fervent in his attachment to the sunnah and his rejection of innovation that he would criticize many virtuous persons for actions that went against the sunnah. Such criticisms are to be understood as good counsel in a matter of religion. 23.7

[Al-Sarrāj:] Bir kuni Ahmad ibn Hanbal menga dedi: “Eshitishimcha, sen Horis ko‘p ko‘rishar ekansan”, ya’ni al-Muhosibiyni nazarda tutdi. “Keyingi safar u sening uyingga kelganida, uning nima deyishini eshitishim uchun meni biror joyga yashirib qo‘yolasanmi?” 23.8

[Al-Sarrāj:] One day Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal said to me, “I hear that you see a lot of al-Ḥārith,” meaning al-Muḥāsibī. “Next time he comes to your house, could you hide me somewhere so I can hear what he has to say?” 23.8

Men u kelganidan xursand bo‘ldim va uning so‘raganini bajarishdan mamnun bo‘lishimni aytdim. So‘ngra al-Horisning huzuriga bordim va undan o‘sha kechasi kelishini hamda hamrohlarini ham olib kelishini so‘radim.

I was glad that he had come to me, and I told him that I would be happy to do as he asked. Then I went to see al-Ḥārith and asked him to come over that night and to bring his associates as well.

“Ismāʿīl,” dedi u menga, “ular katta guruh. Ularga imkon qadar moyning va xurmoning qoldiqlarini bering, lekin undan ortig'ini emas.” Men uning so'ziga ko'ra ish tutishga rozi bo'ldim. So'ng Aḥmadning oldiga borib, bu haqda unga xabar berdim. U shom namozidan keyin kelib, yuqori qavatdagi xonaga kirdi va u yerda shaxsiy ibodati bilan band bo'ldi. U tugatgach, al-Ḥārith va uning izdoshlari keldi. Ular ovqatlanishdi, so'ng oqshom namozini o'qish uchun turdilar, bu o'sha kechasi o'qigan so'nggi namozlari edi. Keyin ular bir og'iz so'zsiz al-Ḥārith oldida o'tirishdi. Deyarli yarim tun bo'lguncha hech kim gapirmadi. Shunda ulardan biri al-Ḥārithdan bir muammo haqida so'radi. U gapirdi, boshqalar esa xuddi boshlaridagi uyalarda qushlar bordek mahliyo bo'lib tinglashdi: ba'zilari yig'lardi, ba'zilari baqirardi, yana boshqalari esa uning gapirishi davomida xo'rsinardi. Men Aḥmadni ko'rish uchun yuqoriga chiqdim va uning shunchalik qattiq yig'laganidan hushidan ketganini ko'rdim. Men guruhning oldiga qaytdim, ular tong otguncha davom etdi, so'ng turib ketishdi. Men yana Aḥmadning oldiga chiqdim, u o'zgacha holatda bo'lib tuyuldi.

“Ismāʿīl,” he told me, “they’re a large group. Give them all the dregs of oil and dates as you can, but nothing more.” I agreed to do as he asked. Then I went to Aḥmad and let him know. He arrived after the sunset prayer and went into a room upstairs, where he busied himself with his personal devotions.149 After he finished, al-Ḥārith and his followers arrived. They ate and then got up to pray the evening prayer, which was the last prayer they performed that night. Then they sat down in front of al-Ḥārith without saying a word. No one said anything until it was almost midnight. Then one of them asked al-Ḥārith about a problem. He spoke and the others listened, as rapt as if they had birds nesting on their heads, with some weeping, others crying out, and others again sighing as he spoke. I went upstairs to check on Aḥmad and found that he had been weeping so hard that he had passed out. I went back to the group, which kept on until dawn came and they rose and left. I went back up to Aḥmad, who seemed to be in an altered state.