He said:

2284 – ʿAbd Allah ibn Ahmad narrated to us; he said: Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr al-Saffār narrated to us; he said: I heard ʿAbd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal say:

“When my father’s final hour arrived I was sitting by him. He had fallen into a faint because of what he was suffering, and in my hand was a cloth with which I wiped his eyes from time to time. Suddenly my father opened his eyes, fixed his gaze, gestured with his hand, and said several times, ‘Not yet, not yet!’ I asked him, ‘Dear father, whom are you speaking to?’ He replied, ‘Iblis is standing right here in front of me, biting his fingertips and saying, “O Ahmad, you have escaped me!” So I answered him, “No—not until I actually die.”’”