the One who dwells above the heaven, upon His Throne, is pleased with you, and the angels are pleased with you because you have given yourself over to Allah.

Aḥmad replied, “What Allah wills. There is no power except through Allah. Do you have any need besides this?”

The man answered, “I came to you for no other reason,” and departed.

This report was transmitted by Abū Nuʿaym, from Abū al-Shaykh: Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Baḥr related it to us; Salamah narrated it in these very words.

It was also reported by ʿAbd Allah ibn Muḥammad al-Ḥāmiḍ, from Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Ḥusayn al-Marwazī, who heard it from Salamah in the same form.

Shaykh al-Islām likewise related it—through his own chain—from al-Ḥasan ibn Idrīs, from Salamah.

Al-Khaṭīb transmitted it through Ibn Abī al-Fawāris, from Abū Ḥayywayh, from Muḥammad ibn Ḥafṣ al-Khaṭīb; Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Dāwūd al-Muʾaddib informed us, from Salamah.

An abbreviated version is also cited with a chain from Hanbal, from Salamah, in which he said, “Allah has boasted to the angels about the lashes you endured.”

Al-Ṭabarānī reported: Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Abbār narrated to us; Ḥubaish ibn Abī al-Ward told me:

“I saw the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—in a dream, and I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?’ He replied, ‘Moses will come to you; ask him.’

“Then Moses appeared, so I asked him, and he said, ‘Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was tested in both ease and hardship, was found truthful, and has therefore been joined to the ṣiddīqūn (the most steadfastly truthful).’ ”

Al-Khallāl reported: Abū Yaḥyā al-Nāqid told us; I heard Ḥajjāj ibn al-Shāʿir say:

“I saw an uncle of mine in a dream—he had written hadith from Hushaym—and I asked him about Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal. He replied, ‘He is among the companions of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb.’ ”

Al-Khallāl also said: ʿAbd Allah ibn Muḥammad narrated to us; ʿAbd Allah ibn Abī Qurrah