[Muḥammad ibn Naṣr the Worshipper:] 我听到艾哈迈德·本·罕百勒说：“如果你有机会行善，不要等待！” 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

我向他询问去边境作战的事，他说："不要等待，去吧！"【Al-Ṭarasūsī：】我与被认为是“替身”之一的Yaḥyā l-Jallāʾ一同去见Aḥmad。他当时与Fūrān、Zuhayr以及搬运工Hārūn al-Ḥammāl（挑夫）在一起。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

“愿神赐福于你，艾哈迈德！”我说，“告诉我：是什么软化人的心？”他转向他的同伴，眨了眨眼。然后他低下头，沉默了一会儿。

“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.

最后他抬起头说:“孩子,是吃合法的食物。”我离开后,直接去找阿布·纳斯尔·比什尔·本·哈里斯,向他问了同样的问题。他诵读道:«难道心灵不是因想念真主而得安宁吗?»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

我告诉他，我刚刚从艾哈迈德·伊本·罕百勒那里过来。

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

“我明白了，”他说，“那么艾哈迈德对你说了什么？”“他说：‘吃合法的食物。’”“他说得对，”比шр说，“这正是开始的地方！”然后我去拜访了阿卜杜勒-瓦哈卜·沃拉格，并向他问了同样的问题。

“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.

他诵道："难道心不是因记念真主而安宁吗？"我告诉他，我刚从艾哈迈德·伊本·罕百勒那里过来。他的脸因高兴而泛起红晕，问我他说了什么。

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.

“他说：‘食用合法的食物。’”“他说得对，这才是精髓！”他惊呼道，“应当从他所指示的地方开始。”[穆尔祖迪：]我听到艾哈迈德对自己的灵魂说：“现在吃苦，总好过日后后悔！”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:] 我曾听父亲说，当有人谈起今世的事物时，他说人可以满足于拥有很少，却永远无法满足于拥有很多。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

另一次,有人提到贫穷,他说:"有德行的贫穷!"[Al-Marrūdhī:]我曾听到艾哈迈德说:"没有什么比贫穷更有功德的了。你知道吗,当你的妻子向你要什么东西而你负担不起时,你就获得了多大的回报!"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告诉我们，Aḥmad曾对他说：“我们中的每个人能活多久？五十年？六十年？你离我们也不远了！” 31. Note: the transliterated names are kept as they appear in the original.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:] 我曾听艾哈迈德·伊本·罕百勒说：“在我看来，失去青春就像从袖子里掉出一件东西一样。”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:] 我曾听艾哈迈德说："你从今世取得越少，最终的清算就越轻松。" 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:] 有人问艾哈迈德·伊本·罕百勒，完全依赖真主是什么意思，他说："就是学会不四处张望，指望他人的帮助。" 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

“你的出处是什么？” “易卜拉欣被放上投石机时所说的话。”178

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

[Yaʿqūb ibn Isḥāq:] 有人问艾哈迈德·伊本·罕百勒，完全依靠真主是什么意思，他回答说："就是学会不向任何其他受造物寻求帮助。"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

“你这话的出处是什么？”“关于易卜拉欣这位安拉的密友的故事：他被投入投石机时，对吉卜利勒说：‘与你无关。’吉卜利勒说：‘那么，你去求那位能帮助你的主吧。’他回答：‘我接受祂为我所选定的一切。’”[阿卜杜拉：]有人问艾哈迈德什么是勇敢，他说：“舍弃你所渴望的，接受你所畏惧的。”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

[穆罕默德·本·纳斯尔:] 我听到艾哈迈德·本·罕百勒说:“如果你有任何想做的善事,就赶快去做,趁还没有什么东西阻碍你。” 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:] 有一次我在艾哈迈德·伊本·罕百勒家过夜，他为我准备了水。早晨他看到我没有用过那水。3113

[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

“你自称是圣训学者，”他说，“却连夜间的礼拜都没做？”我辩解说，我正在旅途之中。

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

“那又怎样？”他反驳道，“麦斯鲁格朝觐时，只用一种姿势睡觉：额头贴在地上。”179

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

[Abū ʿIṣmah：] 有一次我在艾哈迈德·伊本·罕百勒家过夜，他端来了一些水，放在我身边。早上他看到水原封未动。3114

[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

“天哪，求主护佑我们！”他喊道，“一个寻求圣训的人，却不在夜里礼拜？”[伊本·麦迪尼：]有一次，我出门远行前向伊本·罕百勒辞行，问他是否需要我为他做什么。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

“是的，”他回答道，“无论你走到哪里，都要心存对真主的敬畏，并把目光投向后世。”[Yaḥyā l-Jallāʾ：] 我听到艾哈迈德·本·罕百勒说：“我厌恶看到今世的事物削弱了通晓《古兰经》之人的决心。”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:] 有一天，我请父亲给我一些建议。他说：“要始终怀着做正确之事的意图。只要你的意图端正，你就会平安无事。” 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:] 有人曾问伊本·罕百勒，他的族人做了什么，才得到如此的尊重。3118

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

“他们说的是实话。”他说。

“They’ve been truthful,” he said.

[ʿAbd Allāh:] 我听父亲说：“除非你知道该畏惧什么，否则你无法真正地心怀敬畏。”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