Virtues of the Imam Ahmad ibn Ḥanbal: Volume One

Chapter 30: His Remarks on Sincerity, on Acting for the Sake of Appearances, and on Concealing One’s Pious Austerities

٣٦٣ 363 30: His Remarks on Sincerity What he meant was that certain people have leadership thrust upon them. He also seems to have meant that good people duck their heads modestly when that happens. Out of modesty, too, did Aḥmad forbid people to write his words down, but God decreed that they be recorded, put in order, and made known to all.262 Chapter 30: His Remarks on Sincerity, on Acting for the Sake of Appearances, and on Concealing One’s Pious Austerities We cite ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Abī l-Qāsim, who cites ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Anṣārī, who cites Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh, who cites Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad, who heard ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Aḥyad al-Balkhī report that he heard ʿAlī ibn al-Faḍl say that he heard Abū Saʿīd al-Bardaʿī say that he heard Ibn al-Sammāk say: [Ibn al-Sammāk:] I heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal say, “Letting people see your inkwell is showing off.”263 Al-Anṣārī said, “I think the Ibn al-Sammāk who reported this comment is Muḥammad ibn Bundār al-Sammāk al-Jarjarāʾī, who associated with Aḥmad.” We were informed by Muḥammad ibn Abī Manṣūr, who cites al-Mubārak ibn ʿAbd al-Jabbār, who cites ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar ibn Shāhīn, who said that his father reported that Aḥmad ibn Zakariyyā ibn Yaḥyā reported hearing Abū Bakr al-Marrūdhī say: [Al-Marrūdhī:] Someone once asked Ibn Ḥanbal what his people had done to become so well regarded. “They’ve been truthful,” he said. I read aloud to Abū Faḍl ibn Abī Manṣūr his report citing Abū l-Qāsim ibn al-Busrī citing Abū ʿAbd Allāh ibn Baṭṭah, who cites Abū Bakr al-Ājurrī, who cites Abū Naṣr ibn Kurdī, who heard Abū Bakr al-Marrūdhī report: 30.2 30.1 30.3 ٣٦٤ 364 ¼½ "¤£  P@ / #01 \ vÉ¡  P@ / #  * +  ,   $X im nXù h i P˜ i™   * +  ,   ¢01 _¤£im nX_?@ / #01  * D EÂ:  HI/ #  f ?@ / # ٤،٣٠ ٥،٣٠ ١،٣١ ¼   Z [Š@ / # $X†@ / P˜ i™ Â01 – $ % &'# ( )  * + ,- "2 3 4 5 6 . / 01  á= TB— im nX°̄F  Þ w媫ÿp :. /     * D E Â01¡  P !“u / #P²™³Ö 01¤£ " # _ ?‘  7°̄ . k l01  á=T@ / #» w  = TBF# #  v‰Š£ :$ % &'# ( ) 01¤£ " # . /  v=µ   – Ÿœim nX°̄ " 2 3 4 5 6 #01     P  PS wx@ / # ( ) AB "    ?‘ " # :. /   P“Ë )    k‚ ´É#P  " # AB "    ?‘ " # :. /    7  JKL M     F v=T@ / # ( ) AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /    F01ÊZ [e  * + ,- " #    7  JKL M  AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /    . /im nX:  HI/ # 7  JKL M      " # _ ?‘  7°̄ :. /   P  S= w ¹  P²™³çaÇÞ wx@ /   AB F‰ _ üop " #  $Xv w x-F " #   #— 01G   Ì $ % &'# ( )  * + ,- " #» wÚ    d˜ i™ :. /     * D E Â01 P !“u / #P²™³Ö 01¤£ " # AB¦Ž^°̄ " # .à9†@ /    P !“ab¡ „ ¢ñ h i 01 v‰ Ȫ « !  $ —  $X©ª «  $  Ì ¡  Ѝ9O )   ,   F v‰ ?@ / #  Á |#P  â  01  À9†@ / # k l  §   Æ  AB 2 3 4 5 6 01  * D EP P ! à  HI/ # 7°̄#01¤@ / # ( )    7  JKL M   `aÇ  HI/ #01¤£ " # AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /    F    y  HI/ # ( )     Ž`aÇ  HI/ #01¤£ " # AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /   P“‹ [AB    7  JKL M  AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /    7  JKL M     k‚ ÿp v=T@ / # 7  JKL M  01¤£ " #  * D Y_   7°̄ :. /     * +  ,-    :  HI/ # k‚! # P¡“ 01¤£ " # AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /    $X \  AB! 01 !   Ê ! y     P“Ë ) 01¤£ " # AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /    ¢ñ h i   °̄F $X =T@ / 01 – $ % &'# ( )   AB " #  Þ w媫ÿp :. /    Q  R  :  0 HI/ #    7  JKL M      " #P²™³Ö 01¤£ " # _ ?‘  7°̄ .#— 7°̄ " #    Þ=  ð   !   0•s– [ 01¤@ / :$ % &'# ( ) 01¤£ " # $X†@ / . /  v=µ   |  * D _ Yÿp  * +  ,   ١$X ! É# .   ?‘» wÚß1–›/œ!Š@ / $X y   Ì 2 3 4 5 6 \¢ " # :. /  v=µ   $ % &'#  * +  ,       HI/ #  Ë )  ! " `¡ ìop01 $ % &'# ( )   AB " #  Þ w媫ÿp 01 :. /    P˜ i™     ½  ¢01 _¤£im nX_?@ / #01  * D E 5  HI/ #  fc@ / # ¼½ "¤£  A  P@ / #01  \  "É¡  P@ / #  * +  ,   $X im nXù h i  ï›/œ Ó ) #01¤@ / # ¢©ª _«ò )     `aÇ  HI/ #P“Ë ) 01¤£ " # AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /     ݑ_ AB      * + ,NO )     " # AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /     F#  P  S=T@ / # 7  JKL M      P@ / # ( ) AB¦Ž^°̄ " # :. /     * +! ,N \ ù è j é ! _ çabc@ / #  ?@ / # * + ,I/ " # Q  R01P à  HI/ #  * +  ,   $X ABF01 _`op01 :. /    .    :   ١ ٣٦٥ 365 31: His Statements about Renunciation and Spiritual Weakness [Al-Marrūdhī:] After someone mentioned being truthful and earnest, Aḥmad said, “That’s what makes this group264 better than others.” We cite Muḥammad ibn Abī Manṣūr, who cites ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Muḥammad, who was informed by Ibrāhīm ibn ʿUmar, who was informed by ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Jaʿfar, who heard Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Khallāl report that he cites Abū Bakr al-Marrūdhī, who said: [Al-Marr...