Abu ʿUmar ibn al-Nahhas once mentioned Ahmad and said:

“May Allah have mercy on him—how steadfast he was in matters of religion (1); how closely he was linked to the righteous; how strikingly he resembled the early generations! The world was offered to him and he rejected it; innovations confronted him and he repelled them.”

Bishr ibn al-Harith al-Hafi, after Ahmad ibn Hanbal had been flogged, remarked: “He entered the furnace and emerged as pure red gold.”

Al-Maimuni related: “ʿAli ibn al-Madini said to me after Ahmad had been put to trial, and before he himself was tested, ‘O Maimuni, no one has stood for Islam the way Ahmad ibn Hanbal has stood.’ I was greatly amazed, so I went to Abu ʿUbayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam and conveyed to him ʿAli ibn al-Madini’s words. He replied, ‘He has spoken the truth. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, on the Day of the Ridda, found supporters and helpers, whereas Ahmad ibn Hanbal found neither supporters nor helpers.’ Abu ʿUbayd then began praising Ahmad, saying, ‘I know of no one in Islam like him.’”

Ishaq ibn Rahawayh said: “Ahmad ibn Hanbal is a proof between Allah and His servants on His earth.”

ʿAli ibn al-Madini declared: “If I am tried in any matter and Ahmad ibn Hanbal gives me a ruling, I do not care how I meet my Lord.” He also said: “I have taken Ahmad as a proof between myself and Allah—exalted is He—.” Then he added, “And who has the strength to endure what Abu ʿAbd Allah endures?”

Yahya ibn Maʿin stated: “Ahmad ibn Hanbal possessed qualities I have never seen gathered in any scholar: he was a muhaddith, a memorizer, a scholar, devout, ascetic, and intelligent.” He also said: “People want us to be like Ahmad ibn Hanbal. By Allah, we cannot equal Ahmad, nor even tread his path.”

[Muhammad ibn Yahya] (2) al-Dhuhli said: “I have taken Ahmad ibn Hanbal as a proof between myself and Allah—exalted is He—.”

Hilal ibn al-Malik al-Raqqi (3) said: “Allah has blessed this community with four men: with al-Shafiʿi—he understood the hadiths, explained them to the people, and distinguished the ambiguous from the explicit (4), the specific from the general, and the abrogating from the abrogated; with Abu ʿUbayd—he identified and clarified rare expressions; with Yahya ibn Maʿin—he cleansed the hadiths of falsehood; and with Ahmad ibn Hanbal—he stood firm during the ordeal. Were it not for these four, the people would have perished.”

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Dawud remarked: “Ahmad ibn Hanbal is superior to everyone who has ever held a pen and an inkwell,” meaning: in his time.