[Ahmad ibn al-Abbos ash-Shomiy:] Men Bag'dodni tark etib, haj safariga chiqdim. Yo'lda taqvo izini aks ettirgan bir kishi bilan uchrashdim. U meni qayerdanligimni so'radi. 17.1

[Aḥmad ibn al-ʿAbbās al-Shāmī:] I left Baghdad to make the pilgrimage. On the way I met a man who bore the stamp of piety. He asked me where I was from. 17.1

"Bag'dodan", dedim men, "shunchalik buzilib ketganki, Xudo ehtimol uni va u yerda yashovchilarning hammasini yer yuzidan yo'q qilib yuboradi. Men qo'rqib ketdim, shuning uchun qochdim." "Qayt", dedi u, "va qo'rqma. Shaharda Xudoning to'rt do'sti qabrlari bor, ular Bag'dodni zarardan asrab turadilar." "Ular kimlar?" "Imom Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ma'ruf al-Karxiy, Bishr ibn al-Horis va Mansur ibn Ammor." Shunda men qaytib bordim va qabrlarni ziyorat qildim.

“From Baghdad,” I replied, “which has gotten so corrupt that God is likely to wipe it off the face of the earth along with everyone who lives there. I was afraid, so I ran.” “Go back,” he said, “and don’t be afraid. In the city are the graves of four allies of God who will protect Baghdad from harm.” “Who are they?” “The exemplar Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Maʿrūf al-Karkhī, Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith, and Manṣūr ibn ʿAmmār.” So I went back and visited the graves.

[Muallif:] Ikkala rivoyat ushbu nuqtagacha bir-biriga mos keladi. Abu Yaʼqub qo‘shimcha qiladi:

[The author:] Both reports agree up to this point. Abū Yaʿqūb adds:

«Men undan: "Qayoqqa ketyapsiz?" — dedim. "Qabristonlarni ziyorat qilishga", — deb javob berdi u.

I asked him, “Where are you headed?” “To visit the graves,” he replied.

"Sen qayerdansan?" "Orqangga qara." Qaradim, lekin hech narsa ko‘rinmadi. Orqamga o‘girilganimda, u yo‘q edi.

“Where are you from?” “Look behind you.” I looked but there was nothing to see. When I turned around, he was gone.