Virtues of the Imam Ahmad ibn Ḥanbal: Volume One

Chapter 27: His Works

٣٥٥ 355 27: His Works I read aloud to Abū l-Faḍl ibn Abī Manṣūr, citing Abū l-Qāsim ibn al-Busrī, citing Abū ʿAbd Allāh ibn Baṭṭah, his report citing Abū Bakr al-Ājurrī, who cites Muḥammad ibn Kurdī, who heard Abū Bakr al-Marrūdhī say: [Al-Marrūdhī:] Aḥmad once had a visit from Abū l-ʿAlāʾ the Servant,249 who was a humble old man who went around with his sleeves and pant legs rolled up250 looking like a Qurʾan-reader. When he arrived at the gate of the mosque, Aḥmad came out to welcome him. It so happened that there was also a stranger in the mosque: a man dressed in rags and carrying a writing kit. As he sat down, Aḥmad happened to look around. As soon as he noticed the stranger, he said to Abū l-ʿAlāʾ, “I wouldn’t want you to get caught outside in the heat,” and Abū l-ʿAlāʾ got up and left. Then Aḥmad began looking over at the stranger expecting him to ask a question, but the man said nothing. Finally Aḥmad asked, “Can I help you?” “Teach me some of what God has taught you.” Aḥmad rose, went inside, and came back with some books. “Come over here,” he said, then began dictating Hadith to the man, stopping to say, “Read back what you’ve written down.” Chapter 27: His Works251 Our exemplar Aḥmad—God be pleased with him—did not believe in writing books. He forbade anyone to write down what he said or to record his replies to legal questions.252 Had he believed otherwise, he would have generated many compilations and had many had many writings to his credit. His works are therefore compilations of Hadith reports, such as the Authenticated Hadith Listed by Transmitter, which contains thirty thousand reports.253 He used to tell his son ʿAbd Allāh: “Take good care of that Authenticated Hadith because people will need it.” He also compiled the Interpretation of the Qurʾan, which contains 120,000 reports,254 The Abrogating and Abrogated Verses of the Qurʾan,255 Fixing of Dates,256 Hadith Reports Transmitted by Shuʿbah,257 Transposed Elements in the Qurʾan, Answers Regarding the Qurʾan, 26.3 27.1 ٣٥٦ 356  * D E " #P@ / # * + ,NO )  $X89©ª « _ çaÇÄ / #    d²™³Ö@/ #» w  >Z [01 $X` dÞÉ#P˜ i™ P˜ i™   * +  ,   ¢01P _“aÇÞ wx@ / #01   _?@ / #  f ?@ / #  ê9 v=¡ > §   ÁZ [ Œ    `ab  * + ,I/ " # * + ,I/ v w x- $ % &'#P ¿›/œ §   $X im nXù h i $X AB g? h iij  Ë ) ÎÏ?@ / #  * + E‰  ?‘ ¢ñ h i 01 ©ª   ÅF01 . / 01ÊZ [ "2 3 4 5 6 #01 Æ 01P  S=T@ / #    ŸœŠ£ v‰ §   $X†@ / 01 2 3 4 5 6 " #  $X†@ /" `abл w  = TB ¢ " #    ä=µ     ‹›/œŒ=ð 01 $X –›/œ  v=T@ /" # .#01áwÚ 01 #01  á=  úd‹ [    7^†@ / # |v‰ Œ=  =T@ / # Ÿœ01ÊZ [ Š£  $X†@ /" `aÇÄ / # à99†B  * +  ,    Ð O )   # AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /    7  JKL M     . / im nXvÉ AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /    $X =  =T@ / #  " #     `aÇ  HI/ # AB "    ?‘ " # :. /    F01ÊZ [e  * + ,- " #    7  JKL M  AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /    ö©ª «”bcI/ # " #P  â  01 $ % &'# ( )01 Q q HI/  Z [01 AB " #   ` d      " #  wÚ  :. /    ¼   : •sØp " #      ` d  _ ?‘  7°̄¦ _Ž^˜ i™ " #   $X` d  Þ= > ?‘#01 $XwÚ       f g? h iij#  vÉ :?@ / . /   01 AB¦Ž^  O ) $Xe $Xv w媫ÿp 01 `ìaÇÄ / #  ` dê9O ) $ % &'# . / 01ÙopF _  ݑ7°̄   $X §   ¢01¶9`aÇÄ / #  ?@ / # * + ,I/ " #  f  "= >?@ / 2 3 4 5 6 # F1  A   #01  û dc@ /  * D E " #P@ / # * + ,N> )  $X89©ª « _ çaÇÄ / #    d²™³Ö@/ # à9`aÇĪ «I/ #      Ì01  * D E " #P@ / #01» w  x-P  S= >?@ / # * + ,NO ) ©ª « _ çab „  * D  Y@ / #    d²™³Ö@/ #» w  >Z [01 ÁP²™³ Ö $X( ) $ % &'#  * D  YZ [F ¢ñ h i .P _  "2 3 4 5 6  AB ¢©ª«¬9`op    7  JKL M      " #  * +  ,-¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /     * D EF  Z [ Š£ "2 3 4 5 6 # 7  JKL M     $ % &'# ( ) AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /    k‚ ÿp v=T@ / #  * + ,- " #    à99© / # ( ) AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /    ÎÏ01( )    k‚ ´É#P  " #  * + Ë ) _ ?‘  7°̄ :. /    ÎÏ01( )     " #    7  JKL M  P²™³Ö 01¤£ " # AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /     * D Yÿp01¡ \  ! wx@ / # ٢،٢٧ ٣،٢٧ ١،٢٨ ٢،٢٨ ٣٥٧ 357 28: His Aversion to Writing Books Containing Opinions The Greater Book on Pilgrimage Rites, The Lesser Book on Pilgrimage Rites, and other titles.258 Although Aḥmad did not allow anyone to write down what he said, God nevertheless allowed him to fulfill his benevolent intentions by ensuring that his words were transmitted and preserved. Few indeed are the questions where he has not contributed a relevant text, whether on the principles of jurisprudence or on specific points of law. In many cases, his...