An account of part of the ordeal of Abu ‘Abd Allah Ahmad ibn Hanbal—may Allah have mercy on him—and of his debate with Ibn Abi Du’ad and his followers in the presence of al-Mu‘tasim¹

Ibn Batta—may Allah have mercy on him—said:
Abu Hafs ‘Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Raja’ narrated to us; he said:
Abu Nasr ‘Ismah ibn Abi ‘Ismah narrated to us; he said:
Abu al-‘Abbas al-Fadl ibn Ziyad narrated to us; he said:
Abu Talib Ahmad ibn Humayd narrated to us; he said:

“Ahmad ibn Hanbal said to me, ‘Abu Talib, nothing weighed on them more heavily than the argument I advanced when they debated me. I asked them, “Is the knowledge of Allah created?” They answered, “No.” I said, “Then the knowledge of Allah is the Quran.” Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“Then whoever disputes with you concerning it after knowledge has come to you …”
(Al ‘Imran 3:61),

and He says:

“… and were you to follow their desires after knowledge has come to you …”
(Al-Baqarah 2:145).

In several passages the Quran refers to itself as knowledge.’”

My father—may Allah have mercy on him—also told me; he said:
Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Badina narrated to us; he said:
Salih ibn Ahmad narrated to us; he said:
My father (i.e., Ahmad) narrated to me; he said:

“The caliph—meaning al-Mu‘tasim—said to them, ‘Speak to him.’ ‘Abd al-Rahman then asked me, ‘What do you say about the Quran?’ I replied, ‘What do you say about the knowledge of Allah?’ He fell silent.”

¹