Page "Al-Mu'tasim" Paragraph 19

“ And what did you see, 0 Ameerul-Mu ’ mineen ?” He said, ‘ I saw in my dream as if there were two lions approaching me and they desired to tear me apart.

And then two angels appeared and repelled them from me.

They gave me a hook and said to me, ‘ This written ( piece ) is the dream that Ahmad ibn Hanbal saw in his cell .’ So what is it that you saw, 0 son of Hanbal ?’ So Ahmad faced al-Mu ’ tasim and said, “ 0 Ameerul-Mu ’ mineen, is the book with you ?” He said, ‘ Yes, and when I awoke, I read what was in it.

So Ahmad said to him, “ 0 Ameerul-Mu ’ mineen, I saw as if the Day of Judgement had been established, and as if Allaah had gathered the first and the last ( of people ) in a single plain and He was calling them to account.

Whilst I was standing, I was called for, so I proceeded until I stood in front of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and He said to me, ‘ 0 Ahmad, for what were you beaten ?’ I said, “ On account of the Qur ’ aan .” He said, “ And what is the Qur ’ aan ?” I said, “ Your words, 0 Allaah, belonging to You .” He said, ‘ From where do you ( derive and ) say this ?’ I said, “ 0 Lord, ‘ Abdur-Razzaaq narrated to me .” So ‘ AbdurRazzaaq was called for and he was brought, until he was made to stand in front of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and He said to him, ‘ What do you say about the Qur ’ aan, 0 ‘ Abdur-Razzaaq ?’ He said, ‘ Your words, 0 Allaah, belonging to You ,’ so Allaah said, ‘ From where do you ( derive and ) say this ?’ He said, ‘ Ma ’ mar narrated to me .’ So Ma ’ mar was called for and he was brought, until he was made to stand in front of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and He said to him, ‘ What do you say about the Qur ’ aan, 0 Ma ’ mar ?’ He said, ‘ Your words, 0 Allaah, belonging to You ,’ so Allaah said, ‘ From where do you ( derive and ) say this ?’ He said, ‘ Az -- Zuhree narrated to me .’ So az-Zuhree was called for and he was Brought, until he was made to stand in front of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and He said to him, ‘ What do you say