Al-Khallāl related: “Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī narrated to us, and al-ʿAbbās ibn Abī Ṭālib narrated to us; I heard Ibrāhīm ibn Shammās say, ‘I knew Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal when he was still a youth, and he would spend the whole night in prayer.’

ʿUmar ibn Muḥammad ibn Rajāʾ reported: ‘ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad told us that when Abū Zurʿa arrived he stayed with my father, and my father engaged him in long scholarly discussions. One day I heard my father say, “Today I have performed nothing beyond the obligatory prayers; I preferred my exchange with Abū Zurʿa to my voluntary worship.”’

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad also said: ‘There was a raised bench in our entrance hall. If someone came whom my father wished to see in private, he would seat him there; if he did not wish this, he would stand in the doorway, grasp the posts, and speak with him from there.’

‘One day a man arrived and said to me, “Announce that Abū Ibrāhīm the sāʾiḥ (the itinerant ascetic) is here.” My father said, “Greet him, for he is among the best of Muslims.” I greeted him, and my father said, “Tell me something, Abū Ibrāhīm.”

Abū Ibrāhīm began: “I set out for a certain place and was taken ill. I thought, ‘If I draw near to the monastery, perhaps the monks will treat me.’ Suddenly a huge wild beast approached, lifted me onto its back, and carried me to the monastery. When the monks witnessed this, all four hundred of them embraced Islam.”

‘Then he said to my father, “Now you, Abū ʿAbd Allāh, relate something to me.” My father said, “I saw the Prophet in a dream and he said, ‘Ahmad, perform the pilgrimage.’ I awoke, put a few crumbs in my satchel, and set off toward Kufa. Before the day was half-gone I found myself in Kufa. I entered the congregational mosque and saw a handsome young man with a pleasant fragrance. After greeting him and performing the prayer, I asked, ‘Is anyone still setting out for the ḥajj?’ He replied, ‘Wait until one of our brothers arrives.’ Presently a man appeared who was in the same condition as I was.

“We travelled on together. My companion said to the young man, ‘May Allah have mercy on you, take it easy on us.’ The young man replied, ‘If Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal is with us, he will be gentle with us.’ It occurred to me then that he was al-Khiḍr. So I said to the man with me, ‘Shall we have something to eat?’ He answered, ‘Eat from what…’”