The Shaykh : And similar to that is what happened to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) when he was subjected to the famous, great trial, being forced to say that the Qur'an is created and not the speech of Allah. He refused, so he was harmed and punished until he was dragged through the markets on a mule. The Imam of the People of the Sunnah was dragged through the markets on a mule and beaten with a whip until he fainted. But every time he regained consciousness, he said: "The Qur'an is the speech of my Lord, not created." He did not permit himself to say a word of disbelief, even under coercion, because Imam Ahmad was one whom the people were waiting to see what he would say. If he had said, "The Qur'an is created," all the people would have said, "The Qur'an is created," and the religion would have been corrupted. But he (may Allah be pleased with him) made himself a ransom for the religion. And with this, he was patient and sought reward from Allah. The outcome was for him, and praise be to Allah. The caliph died, and the second caliph after him died, and Allah brought a righteous caliph who honored Imam Ahmad with great honor. Imam Ahmad did not die until Allah made his eyes rejoice by allowing him to say the truth loudly and with a raised voice, and the people said the truth with him. His enemies were abandoned, and praise be to Allah. His enemies, who were inciting the caliphs against him, were abandoned. This is evidence that the outcome is for the patient, and it is so. And Allah grants success.
The reader: He said (may Allah have mercy on him):
" Then that young boy was brought and it was said to him: Turn back from your religion. He refused to do so and he was handed over to a group of his courtiers. And he 'said to them: Take him to such and such mountain; make him climb up that mountain and when you reach its top (ask him to renounce his faith) but if he refuses to do so, then throw him (down the mountain). So they took him and made him climb up the mountain and he said: O Allah, save me from them (in any way) Thou likest and the mountain began to quake and they all fell down and that person came walking to the king. The king said to him: What has happened to your companions? He said: Allah has saved me from them. He again handed him to some of his courtiers and said: Take him and carry him in a small boat and when you reach the middle of the ocean (ask him to renounce) his religion, but if he does not renounce his religion throw him (into the water). So they took him and he said: O Allah, save me from them and what they want to do. It was quite soon that the boat turned over and they were drowned and he came walking to the king, and the king said to him: What has happened to your companions? He said: Allah has saved me from them, and he said to the king: You cannot kill me until you do what I ask you to do. And he said: What is that? He said: You should gather people in a plain and hang me by the trunk (of a tree). Then take hold of an arrow from the quiver and say: In the name of Allah, the Lord of the young boy; then shoot an arrow and if you do that then you would be able to kill me. So he (the king) called the people in an open plain and tied him (the boy) to the trunk of a tree, then he took hold of an arrow from his quiver and then placed the arrow in the bow and then said: In the name of Allah, the Lord of the young boy; he then shot an arrow and it bit his temple. He (the boy) placed his hands upon the temple where the arrow had bit him and he died and the people said: We affirm our faith in the Lord of this young man, we affirm our faith in the Lord of this young man, we affirm our faith in the Lord of this young man. The courtiers came to the king and it was said to him: Do you see that Allah has actually done what you aimed at averting.
ثم جيء بالغلام فقيل له ارجع عن دينك فأبى فدفعه إلى نفر مِن أصحابه فقال : اذهبوا به إلى جبل كذا وكذا فاصعدوا به الجبل ، فإذا بلغتم ذِروته فإن رجع عن دينه وإلا فاطرحوه ، فذهبوا به فصعدوا به الجبل ، فقال : اللهم اكفنيهم بما شئت ، فرجف بهم الجبل فسقطوا وجاء يمشي إلى الملك ، فقال له الملك : ما فعل أصحابك ؟ فقال : كفانيهمُ الله تعالى ، فدفعه إلى نفر من أصحابه فقال : اذهبوا به فاحملوه في قُرقور وتوسطوا به البحر ، فإن رجع عن دينه وإلا فاقذفوه ، فذهبوا به فقال : اللهم اكفنيهم بما شئت ، فانكفأت بهم السفينة فغرقوا وجاء يمشي إلى الملك ، فقال له الملك : ما فعل أصحابك ؟ فقال : كفانيهم الله تعالى ، فقال للملك : إنكَ لستَ بقاتلي حتى تفعل ما آمرك به ، قال : ما هو ؟ قال : تجمع الناس في صعيد واحد ، وتصلبني على جذع ، ثم خذ سهما من كنانتي ، ثم ضع السهم في كبد القوس ، ثم قل : بسم الله رب الغلام ، ثم ارمني ، فإنك إذا فعلت ذلك قتلتني ، فجمع الناس في صعيد واحد ، وصلبه على جذع ثم أخذ سهماً من كنانته ، ثم وضع السهم في كبد القوس ، ثم قال : بسم الله رب الغلام ، ثم رماه فوقع في صدغه فوضع يده في صدغه فمات ، فقال الناس : آمنا برب الغلام ، فأُتي الملك فقيل له أرأيتَ ما كنت تحذر .
