[Al-Warrāq:] 诋毁艾哈迈德的同伴，就等于攻击艾哈迈德本人。凡是这样做的人，心中必定怀有某种怨恨，且不是逊尼派。99.1

[Al-Warrāq:] To criticize Aḥmad’s associates is to attack Aḥmad himself. Anyone who does that must be harboring a grudge of some kind and is no Sunni. 99.1

[Al-Athram:] 艾哈迈德·本·罕百勒的同伴们，有时会为了避免引起对艾哈迈德的非议，而放弃那些在真主看来并无后果的事情。99.2

[Al-Athram:] Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s associates sometimes decide to give up matters that have no consequence as far as God is concerned in order to avoid provoking any criticism of Aḥmad. 99.2

[Abū l-Faḍl:] 我听说，在艾哈迈德去世之后，有人向穆塔瓦基勒提到，他的追随者与标新立异者之间可能会爆发冲突。993

[Abū l-Faḍl:] I heard that after Aḥmad’s death, someone mentioned to al- Mutawakkil that unpleasantness was liable to break out between his partisans and the innovators. 99.3

“不要再跟我说他们的事了。”穆塔瓦基勒对线人说。

“Don’t tell me anything more about them,” al-Mutawakkil told the informant.

“反之，应当站在他们一边。艾哈迈德及其追随者是穆罕默德社群的领袖。真主深知艾哈迈德所遭受的磨难，因为祂在他生前和死后都使他声名显赫；而他的拥护者是他所能期望的最好的人。我相信，真主将赐予艾哈迈德与说真话者所得的同样报酬。”[穆尔祖奇：]与伊本·胡巴布·贾瓦里有姻亲关系的伊本·苏赫特说：“我梦见了一些人，还有一个身着白衣的人在说：‘真主已经宽恕了艾哈迈德·伊本·罕伯勒以及所有为他辩护的人。’”99.4

“Instead, take their side. Aḥmad and his people are the lords of Muḥammad’s community. God knows well enough the ordeal Aḥmad suffered, since He raised him to fame during his life and after his death; and his partisans are the best he could wish for. I daresay that God will give Aḥmad the reward He gives to the truth-tellers.” [Al-Marrūdhī:] Ibn Suḥt, who was Ibn Ḥubāb al-Jawharī’s relation by marriage, said, “I dreamed I saw some people, and a man in white saying, ‘God has forgiven Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and all who defend him.’” 99.4

[Abū l-Qāsim:] 我听一位虔诚的人讲述，他的一位同伴在梦中出现，有人问他，真主是如何审判他的。99.5

[Abū l-Qāsim:] I heard a righteous man relate that one of his fellows appeared in a dream and was asked how God had judged him. 99.5

“他原谅了我。”这是回答。

“He forgave me,” was the reply.

“那么，天堂里的大多数人是谁？”“沙斐仪派的追随者。”“那艾哈迈德·本·罕百勒呢？”“你问的是谁人数最多，而不是谁地位最高。沙斐仪派的人数更多，但艾哈迈德的追随者地位更高。”[阿勒-希玛尼：] 我梦见自己坐在家中的一处廊下，先知ﷺ出现了。他站在门口，双手扶着门框，发出了宣礼声，并宣布拜功已经开始。然后他说：“得救的人已经得救，沉沦的人已经沉沦。”99.6

“So who are the majority of people in the Garden?” “Followers of al-Shāfiʿī.” “What about Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?” “You asked me who the majority were, not who the highest ones were. Al-Shāfiʿī has the greater number, but Aḥmad’s people have the higher rank.” [Al-Ḥimmānī:] I dreamed I was sitting under a portico at home when the Prophet appeared. He stood in the doorway with his hands resting on the jamb, issued the call to prayer, and announced that prayer had begun. Then he said, “The saved are saved and the damned damned.” 99.6

“使者啊，”我问道，“得救的是哪些人？”“艾哈迈德·伊本·罕百勒及其追随者。”[阿勒-哈尔比：]我梦见自己身处一群人之中，我们被强行扣留，我为此很不快乐。然后有一个声音问道：“你们是什么人？”997

“Emissary of God,” I asked, “who are the saved?” “Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and his followers.” [Al-Ḥarbī:] I dreamed I was in a group and we were being held against our will and I was unhappy about it. Then a voice asked, “What are you?” 99.7

“追随伊本·罕百勒的人。”我说。“去吧，罕百里派的人是不会受到约束的。”随后仿佛有一个声音说：“从未有罕百里学派的信徒因其罪过而受到追究。”伊本·阿尔·阿qīl——愿真主怜悯他！——常说：99。8

I said, “Followers of Ibn Ḥanbal.” “Go, then; Ḥanbalīs aren’t to be confined.” Then it felt as if a voice said, “No adherent of the Ḥanbalī school has ever been held accountable for his sins.” Ibn ʿAqīl—God have mercy on him!—used to say: 99.8

“我们学派的问题出在我们自己的成员身上。如果一位哈乃斐派或沙斐仪派的学者在学业上出类拔萃，他就会被任命为法官或担任其他职务，因此凭借这一任命，他便能够专心于教学与研究。而艾哈迈德学派的人，则几乎无法专心学习任何东西，因为他们往往一心想投身于功修、弃绝尘世，而这一群体本身又极为虔诚。结果，他们便不再成为学者了。”

“The problem with our school is our own members. If a Ḥanafī or a Shāfiʿī excels in his studies, he’s appointed to a judgeship or some other position and as a result of his appointment can devote himself to teaching and research. Aḥmad’s people, on the other hand, can hardly study anything without deciding to devote themselves to pious exercises and renounce the world, given how godly the group tends to be. As a result, they stop being scholars.”