Virtues of the Imam Ahmad ibn Ḥanbal: Volume One

Chapter 33: Poems He Recited or Had Attributed to Him

٣٨٣ 383 Chapter 33: Poems He Recited or Had Attributed to Him We cite ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad, who cites Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī ibn Thābit, who cites Abū Nuʿaym al-Ḥāfiẓ, who heard Abū ʿAlī ʿĪsā ibn Muḥammad al-Jurayjī report that he heard Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyā Thaʿlab report: [ Thaʿlab:] I wanted to meet Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, so I went looking for him. When I found him he asked me what my field was. “Grammar and Arabic,” I told him. He then recited: You may think yourself unnoticed But One on high is watching you, Never sleeping or forgetting Every deed done here below. Heedless do we let the days pass Adding sin to grievous sin; Pray God pardon all our evil When we turn contrite to Him.276 We cite ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Abī l-Qāsim, who cites ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad, who cites Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Manṣūr al-Shīrāzī, who heard Ṣāliḥ ibn Aḥmad ibn Makram say that he heard Abū l-Ḥusayn Aḥmad ibn al-Walīd al-Tamīmī report that he heard Thaʿlab say: [Thaʿlab:] The first thing I noticed about Ibn Ḥanbal was his gaze: he looked as if he could see Hell blazing before him.277 I greeted him and he asked me who I was. “Thaʿlab.” “What kind of learning are you after?” “Rhymes and poems,” I said, and immediately wished I had said something else. “Write this down!” he said. Then he recited: 33.1 33.2 ٣٨٤ 384 $X?@ / " #  üab¡„01 " #PS w _ Úabc@ / #   Á_`ab „ " #P˜ i™   * +  ,   ¢01 _¤£im nX_?@ / #01 _ c@ / _?@ / #  f ?@ / # ٣،٣٣ ٤،٣٣¡  H d     8: !  * + ! ,N ! O ) :     \ ! ²™³Ö@/ 01¡  f \ 01 !¾9 !   5  : \ ¡ ä= !  TB im nX    — 01¤£ ! 8 \­É ! 7^†@ / # !  f \ 01 !¾9 ! °̄  #   " #¡  H d Þ w !  x- $X\  ! À9 ! > )  * + ­= \ D 5 ¡ Ì  !¢ !" # 2 3 4 5 6 01—  $X  > ) `op¡ ¡   "= \  w !  x- $ % &'# !  ! Ž ! ! aÇ \   ! Ì 2 3 4 5 6 01¡  ZB01¡¤£¡  ! vÉ! 8: _ AB æ #  ! [9 ! > ) Í  H01 ¤£¡  \  H ! Þ w !  x-!! ?‘   \s°̄ ! . / 9 }K \  ) !"2 3 4 5 6 # !  Ë ) AB\ 01 ! ԉ !Š@ /¡  H01 ÊO  !       ݑ !  AB \ 01 !¤£    ½  ¡¢ !  !"   AB01  ! \s] [ ! ;  8! ­= \ D " w !  x- ! $ % &'# ¢ " # !  dc@ /     ¡  H ݑ8  ^ ) !  \ݑ !" !   — ¢ \ F ! 1  A    * +  ,   !  \ Þ=! ®9¡ °̄01 ¡ t‡ˆ‰ §   !  \ݑ " #  * D E7^†@ / #¡¢ \ P !  S=T@ / #  ! \s] [ ! ø  #   " # :. / 01  á= TB   ` d      " #» w媫ÿp $X AB " # k l! P \_“ab !        * + ,NO )  Ë )  * D Y  ç w®9 †B01¡ 8: " wx@ / #01 ¡ t‡1_ .£ ! " 2 3 4 5 6 # * + !­= \ D ! ݑ01 ! k l#8 ! Ò M HI/ # ! !  v‰ ! I .£! 01 \ á= ! >Z [ ! . / AB \  ! ß ! 1¡  Á ! Â#  7 ! 89†@ / #  ! \ \ s  "= !  TB¡ 8:!   c@ / # vÉ !  \ v w !  x- \ !  —  Á ! 7^ !†@ /  * +  ,   !¦ \ Ž^ ! °̄ ! K L ! vF!  J !  e ! Þ w ! Ú  !  —|01Ùop¡  H!     #01 !  ) * + !­= \ D !  ݑ :. /       HI/ #    7  JKL M      `aÇ  HI/ #01¤£ " # AB_`ab „ " # :. /     " #     `aÇ  HI/ #   * + ,NO )01¤£ " # AB "    ?‘ " # :. /   P“‹ [AB   # AB¦Ž^°̄ " #   * + ,NO )  * +  ,   $X†@ / 01 ¶       ` d      "2 3 4 5 6 ¡  f_`ab „ " # :. /    ï›/œ   y  HI/ # $ % &'# ( ) 01¤£ " #  * +  ,- _`ab „ " # :  * D Y  !© / #   #  "F !›/  O ! c@ / ! $X !    ݑ  .£ !   5        \ݑ¡  $X†@ / \  ! d‹ [ ! F  1 > )  * D E7^†@ / # !   * D Y  7 / # !  \  #   AB ‫؟‬  "F !›/    A   \  !  #— 8! ­   ñ h i¡ t‡¡ 1> ) \ P !   !   d¡ ˜ i™\     A   —  $X†@ /  v=! Ú ! . /  5 ! • \ sÖ# * + ,I/ " # ! P Q / 9O ) !  #   ‫؟‬  "F !›/ #01 !¤£ !  f \  ! 8: !" #  ݑ¡ 7^†@ / #¡  ÁF \ 1 "É! 8: \ k l " #¡ $X !\ w ! ç !  d  _  A   ¡ Á \ _ op¡ F !`9 !†@ / #!  .£ Í 8 \  !" #  "F !›/ * + !  ) \ ¡  .£ ١  * D  Y¬9†@ /  $X†@ /  v= ! D7 / # !   \ Þ w ! D‹ [ #— Â!   ! _`aÇ ! ¸^¡  Í  Á !  F ! 1 !`9¡  AB! v‰ !  ) \  v= C T@ /! 01   "F !›/  ! Z [ ;  A   ! 01 Í  $X  A   AB " # !  8: ! F¡ 1 .£ \  !  K L $X !  !  ?‘ .£ ¡  f Z [¡ Š£ \ a !  " # !  8: ! P¡“u / # ¢ " # .      :   ١ ٣٨٥ 385 33: Poems He Recited or Had Attributed to Him You may think yourself unnoticed But One on high is watching you, Never sleeping or forgetting Every deed done here below. Heedless do we let the days pass Adding sin to grievous sin; Pray God pardon all our evil When we turn contrite to Him. Once your generation passes All those you knew are gone, Leaving you amid new faces, Abandoned, friendless, and alone.278 It was also reported to me that ʿAlī ibn Khashram heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal recite: How swiftly fly the joys of sin! How long-abiding is the shame! How dear the thrill of sinful pleasures That damn you to eternal flame!279 We cite Ibn Nāṣir, who was informed by Abū ʿAlī l-Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad, who who heard Abū Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥibb recite what he had heard Abū ʿAbd All...