and were unaware of the intentions of those heretics who sought to corrupt this Islamic community, just as Paul achieved his aim of corrupting the Christian faith through the epistles he composed for them.

He answered:

Whoever relates that fabricated tale about Ahmad ibn Hanbal—claiming that chests containing books were entrusted to him, that he died without knowing their contents, and that his followers then took them and adopted the beliefs they contained—thereby displays his utter ignorance. For Muslims have not taken from Ahmad a single statement concerning Allah Most High’s attributes that originated with him. Rather, the hadiths that scholars transmit concerning Allah Most High’s attributes already existed among the Muslim community before Imam Ahmad was born. Scholars other than Imam Ahmad also transmitted them, so people have no need to rely on Ahmad’s transmission of them. They would still be well known and authentically established from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, even if Ahmad had never been created.

It was only when the persecutions of the “Jahmiyyah” arose that Ahmad became renowned as the imam of the people of the Sunnah and as one who patiently endured the ordeal. They deny Allah Most High’s attributes and say that Allah will not be seen in the Hereafter; that the Quran is not Allah’s speech but a created thing among other created things; that He Most High is not above the heavens; and that Muhammad did not ascend to Allah. They led some rulers astray, and these rulers subjected people to tests through inducements and threats. Some people complied out of desire for reward, others out of fear, while others went into hiding and did not appear before them. Whoever refused to comply had his livelihood cut off and was removed from office. If he was a captive, they would not secure his release, nor would they accept his testimony. They might even kill or imprison him.

The “ordeal” is famous and well known. It took place during the rule of al-Ma’mūn, al-Mu‘tasim, and al-Wāthiq;