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Chapter 10: Praise of Him by His Teachers
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١٠٩ 109 10: Praise of Him by His Teachers Ibn ʿAqīl added: Aḥmad’s striking feats of reasoning attest to the presence of a mind that had reached the highest level of understanding. On one occasion, for example, he received a visit from Abū ʿUbaydah and rose from his seat. “Hasn’t it been reported,” asked Abū ʿUbaydah, “that ‘a man’s place is his own’?” “That’s right,” said Aḥmad. “It means he can take the place if he wants, or offer it to someone else.” This degree of understanding, here joined with quick thinking, is unsurpassable. Faced with this degree of insight and sound judgment, any fair observer can only avert his eyes in modesty.87 The only people who do find fault with Aḥmad are purveyors of reprehensible innovations who burn with resentment when they see how often his judgments are adopted and theirs forgotten . So well known are his verdicts that most scholars say, “My ruling in particular cases follows that of So-and-So, but the basis for my reasoning is Aḥmad’s.” To see a man’s judgments adopted as foundational should be enough to convince anyone of his merits. Chapter 10: Praise of Him by His Teachers As you doubtless know, a person’s character is manifest even in youth; the way a life begins gives a good idea of how it is likely to end. In Aḥmad’s case, piety and love of learning were evident in him from the beginning. As a result, his teachers praised him and granted him precedence. We cite Muḥammad ibn Abī Manṣūr, who cites ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Muḥammad, who said that Ibrāhīm ibn ʿUmar informed him that ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Jaʿfar informed him, citing Abū Bakr al-Khallāl, who heard Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Ṣāʾigh report that he heard Abū l-ʿAbbās al-Nasāʾī say: 9.16 9.17 10.1 10.2 ١١٠ 110 $XÀ9O ) $X: Ì _`abÐ |!_ ?P i  * + , P _opv wx@ / # f ?@ / # _ f! 7: ; / # * + ,I/ " # | °̄ #  " # ` d " # ¢ñ h i :. / 01 á= TB * + " ,- `aÇ ¸^@ / # ÎÏ wx@ / # AB " # Þ w媫ÿp .$X ]^`ab #01áw媫b * D _ Ý7: HI/ # f: s [ "2 3 4 5 6 ¢  " `ìop# :$X: Ì _`abÐ " # * + ,NO ) * D Y_ " # íª 01 ¢01 F vÉ AB P ! :. / $ % &'# ( ) " # AB¦^°̄ " # :. / " # \ ! AB¦^°̄ " # : 2 3 4 5 6 k ÿp v=T@ / # * + ,- " # 7 JKL M 01 " # ( ) ©ª«ÿp " # AB¦^°̄ " # :. / ` d " # $ % &'# ( ) _ ? 7°̄ :. / " # ¢©ª«¬9`op _ ? 7°̄ $X?@ / " # | : * + ,NZ [£ ¢01F vÉ AB P Ý " #F :. / $X AB01 G Ì F à99© / # ( ) 7 JKL M * D Y_ 7°̄ ` d " # * + ,I/ " # Þ= >?@ / # Áim nXZ [@ / # AB P t u `op 9 ` d " # $ % &'# ( ) 01¤£ " # ؟ $X ABF v wx@ / # * + , . / 01 á= TB $ % &'# ( ) AB " # AB :. / v=µ . Á# Â" 01¡¶ :. / . $XAB01Ȫ « [ ø üaǸ^@ / :. / k ! ,²³ !y HI/ # Ë ) Q R : ! AB¦^°̄ " # : AB P $X@ / . / v=µ 9 O ) #F " # $X ! e¡ " # ¢#01 á=>Z [ t u `op01 $XÀ9O ) $ % &'# * + ,NZ [ * D ec@ / #F v w çìop# : " # $X@ / . / v=µ . Á#Â" 01¶ $X ABF v wx@ / # : t u `op01 $XÀ9O ) $ % &'# * + ,NZ [ * D ec@ / # $X@ / . / v=µ ؟ Á# Â" 01¶ $X ABF9O ) :$X@ / . / v=µ . ` d " # . / 01 ¶ * + ,I/ " # F Z [01 AB P ²³çab :. / * D E P ! \· w ! å / # * + ,NO ) `aÇ HI/ # _ ? 7°̄01 : " # ¢©ª«¬9`op . / $XÀ9©ª «çabл wÚ AB P Q R P , ¢01F vÉ AB P îÇê9 : * + , g ? h iij :. / 01 á= TB t u / `op ? $X@ / #01¤@ / 01 ¶ ؟ ` d " # É vÉ :. / Áim nXZ [@ / # Ī« õ ¡ " # :. / . /im nX : HI/ # 7 JKL M `aÇ HI/ # 7 JKL M 01¤£ " # AB¦^°̄ " # :. / F y HI/ # ( ) öF í / # AB¦^°̄ " # :. / F01ÊZ [e * + ,- " # 7 JKL M AB¦^°̄ " # :. / ! O ) Z [ # _ ? 7°̄ :. / ٣ ¼ #F01¤@ / # ( ) ©ª«ÿp " # 7 JKL M _ ? 7°̄ . : ١ . ٢ . : ٣ ٦،١٠ ٧،١٠ ٨،١٠ ١١٣ 113 10: Praise of Him by His Teachers bearing in his presence and wouldn’t tease him. Once when Aḥmad fell ill Yazīd even rode to his house to visit him. We cite Muḥammad ibn Abī Manṣūr, who cites ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Muḥammad, who said that Ibrāhīm ibn ʿUmar al-Barmakī informed him that ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Jaʿfar informed him, citing Abū Bakr al-Khallāl, who cites Abū Bakr al-Marrūdhī: [Al-Marrūdhī:] I asked Aḥmad how it happened that Yazīd ibn Hārūn visited him when he was ill. He replied: [Aḥmad:] It was in Wāsiṭ. I used to sit near him while he taught Hadith, and he knew who I was. One day he recited, “Yaḥyā ibn...
