420 — ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad informed us: ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn ‘Isa al-Mustamli informed us: Abu Nu‘aym al-Jurjani narrated to us. [Through another chain of transmission:]
421 — And al-Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Tabari informed us: Muhammad ibn Bundar and Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Bishr narrated to us; they said: Abu Nu‘aym al-Istarabadi narrated to us: Al-Rabi‘ ibn Sulayman informed us: One day, I came to al-Shafi‘i and found Hafs al-Fard leaving his presence. He said, “By Allah, al-Shafi‘i nearly struck off my head.”
I then entered, and Isma‘il—a man mentioned by al-Rabi‘—said to me, “Hafs al-Fard debated with al-Shafi‘i and maintained that the Quran is created. Al-Shafi‘i said to him, ‘By Allah, you have disbelieved in Allah the Almighty.’” Al-Shafi‘i would not call him Hafs al-Fard; rather, he called him Hafs al-Mutafarrid.
Al-Husayn informed us: Ibrahim ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim informed us: Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Adam al-Misri informed us: Al-Rabi‘ informed us: I heard Abu Shu‘ayb say: “I was present with al-Shafi‘i while Hafs al-Fard was questioning him. Al-Shafi‘i argued against him that the Quran is the speech of Allah, uncreated, and declared Hafs al-Munfarid to be a disbeliever.” Al-Rabi‘ said: “I met him, and he said, ‘Al-Shafi‘i intended to kill me.’”
423 — ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Umar informed us: ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hatim stated in his book, on the authority of al-Rabi‘ ibn Sulayman, who said ⦗280⦘: “I was present with al-Shafi‘i—or Abu Shu‘ayb related it to me—though I know that he was present with ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Hakam, Yusuf ibn ‘Amr ibn Zayd, and Hafs al-Fard. Hafs asked ‘Abd Allah, ‘What do you say concerning the Quran?’ But he refused to answer him. He then asked Yusuf ibn ‘Amr ibn Yazid, but he did not answer him either. Both of them gestured toward al-Shafi‘i.
“Hafs then questioned al-Shafi‘i, who argued against him, and their debate became lengthy. Al-Shafi‘i established the proof against him that the Quran is the speech of Allah, uncreated, and declared Hafs al-Munfarid to be a disbeliever.” Al-Rabi‘ said: “Afterwards, I met Hafs in the mosque, and he said, ‘Al-Shafi‘i intended to kill me.’”
The narration of al-Muzani from al-Shafi‘i, and al-Muzani’s school of thought—may Allah be pleased with them both.