The Biography of the Eminent Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal

Ibn Kathīr said: “Al-Bayhaqī narrated from ar-Rabī’ saying:

” ‘Ash-Shāfi’ī sent me with a letter from Egypt to Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal. I came to him while he was returning from the Fajr prayer, so I presented the letter to him; he said, “Have you read it?” I said, “No.” So he took it and read it, and his eyes welled up with tears. I said, “Abū ‘Abdillāh, what does it contain?” He said, “It mentions that he saw the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ in a dream and he said, ‘Write to Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal and convey to him, from me, the salām, and say to him: Indeed, you will be tried and called to a statement that the Qur’ān is created, but do not respond to them. Allāh will elevate you as a sign until the Day of Judgment.”

The Imām of Imāms, Ibn Khuzaymah, said:

“I heard Muḥammad bin Saḥnūn saying: ‘I heard Abū ‘Umayr bin an-Niḥḥās ar-Ramlī mention Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal, saying: “May Allāh have mercy upon him on behalf of the dunyā; how patient is he and how resemblant is he to those who have passed away and the righteous people, and how near is he to them! The dunyā was presented to him, but he refused it. Innovation was presented to him and he refuted it.