imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal born on 780 AD, Baghdad, Iraq and passed away on 855 AD, Baghdad, Iraq was a Iraqi Islamic scholar. Some quotes of him are as follows:
“If you desire Allah to be persistent in granting you the things you love, be persistent in doing the things He(Allah) loves.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“If you claim that you are amongst those who seek refuge from the Fire and desire Paradise, then strive for that which you seek and do not be misled by your worldly desires.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“If destiny was presented to a man, he would choose the one that Allah has already chosen for him.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“The foundations of the Sunnah with us are: Clinging firmly to what the Companions of Messenger of Allah, (Peace Be Upon him) were upon, taking them as examples to be followed, abandoning innovations, since all innovations are misguidance.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“If a person delivers Salaam to you from someone, then it is recommended to answer: ‘Alayka wa ‘Alayhi salaam.’” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, (Aadaab ush-Sharee’ah 1/475) // Wa alaika Wa Alaihi al-Salaam means Peace be upon you and him
“Whoever rejects a hadith of the Messenger of Allah, (Peace Be Upon Him) is on the brink of destruction.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“Music causes hypocrisy to sprout/grow in the heart.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, [al-Mughnī of Ibn Qudâmah]
Ibn Taymiyah quotes: Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: “Beware of developing a view that you have never heard from any scholar.” – [Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa: 21/291]
Imâm Abû Dâwûd Al-Sijistânî said:
”Imam Ahmad.ibn Hanbal never used to involve himself in the things of this world that people involved themselves in; but when knowledge was mentioned, he would speak.”
Al-Maymooni said: Ahmad ibn Hanbal said to me: O Abu’l-Hasan, if you see a man speaking ill of any of the Sahaabah, then have doubts about his Islam.”
“Love the people of the Sunnah according to the degree that they are upon the Sunnah” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“I left trying to please people and from that moment I got the energy needed to speak the truth.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“Do not follow my opinion; neither follow the opinion of Maalik, nor Shaafi’i, nor Awzaa’i, nor Thawri, but take from where they took.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal:
“The opinion of Awzaa’i, the opinion of Maalik, the opinion of Abu Haneefah: all of it is opinion, and it is all equal in my eyes. However, the proof is in the narrations (from the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) and his Companions).” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“People need knowledge more than they need food and drink, because they need food and drink two or three times a day, but they need knowledge all the time.” – Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
“Innovation has spread, so whoever does not have the Sunnah, or the narrations, then he will fall into innovation.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“I worshiped Allah 50 yrs and I didn’t find the sweetness of worshiping until I left 3 things1. I left pleasing people and I got energy of talking the truth,1. I left pleasing people and I got energy of talking the truth,2. I left the company of evil people till I found the company of righteous people,3. I left the sweetness of World until the sweetness of World until I found the sweetness of the hereafter..” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“Innovation has spread, so whoever does not have the Sunnah, or the narrations, then he will fall into innovation.” – : Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“Intend good, for you will always be in a good state as long as you intend good. “ – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“The best of my days is when I awaken and find my cupboards bare. For that is a day my reliance on Allah is complete.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal Rahimahullah was asked;
“Why don’t you spend more time with people?”
He Rahimahullah answered;”Because I hate saying goodbye”.
“I never wrote a single hadith except that I acted upon it, to the point that I came across a report that the Prophet (peace be upon him) got cupped and gave Abu Taybah (his cupper) a dinar. So, I got cupped and gave the cupper a dinar.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal
“It is a most amazing thing that you should continue to be unmindful, chasing after vain desires, wasting your time in disregard of this most important matter, for you are being driven at a fierce pace (towards death) day and night, hour by hour, like the blink of an eye.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
It was reported from Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal that his father Ahmad ibn Hanbal said:
I began to study Hadeeth when I was sixteen years old and Hushaim died when I was twenty years old. I first began to hear from Hushaim in the year 179 A. H.”
“…and in no way is Allaah to be described with anything more than what He – the Mighty and Majestic – has described himself with.” – Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
“For everything there is a blessing; the blessing of the hearts is being pleased with Allah, the Almighty, the All-powerful.”: – Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
“If you love that Allah should keep you upon that which you love, then remain upon that which He loves, and the good is in the one who sees no good in himself.” – Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal // You should be proud of to see good in yourself, But continuously should improve. Allah is one who is perfect but none.
It was said to Ahmad bin Hanbal: ‘Indeed some people sit with the people of Bida’a.
Ahmad bin Hanbal said: ‘Advise him.’
The person said: ‘But he rejected the advice.’
Ahmad said: ‘Count him from amongst them.’
“If a person delivers Salaam to you from someone, then it is recommended to answer:
‘Alayka wa ‘Alayhi salaam.’ – Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
Salih the son of Imam Ahmed Ibn Hanbal said;
“Whenever a righteous, pious man who wasn’t tempted by the beauties of this world came to visit, my father would send for me so that I could see them. He loved for me to be like them.”
[Source: “As-Siyar” (12/530)]
“People need politeness and kindness, and enjoining what is good without harshness, except a man who does evil openly, who must be told and stopped (harshly)” – Ahmad ibn Hanbal Rahimahullah
“Describe Allaah with what He has described Himself with, and negate from Allaah what He has negated from Himself…” [Manaaqibul Imaam Ahmad, by Ibn Al-Jawzee, p. 221]
“Occupy yourself with every good deed and hasten to do it before something prevents you from doing so. “ – Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
“The basic principles of Sunnah in our view are: adherence to the way of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, following their example and forsaking bid’ah, for every bid’ah is a going astray.” -Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“All people should rely on Allah, but should gain their livelihood as well.” – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
“Knowledge is like money, the more you possess the more Zakaah you have to pay.” Ahmad ibn Hanbal // Meaning, the more knowledge you acquire, the more responsibility you have.
Regarding the difficulty of criticizing innovators, Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah) relayed the following quote:
“When some people said to Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (rahimahullaah) that they felt uneasy about criticizing people, he replied, ‘If you remain silent and I remain silent, then who will make the ignorant person aware of the authentic from the defective?'”
[Majmoo’-ul-Fataawaa of Ibn Taimiyyah (28/231)]
In fact, when Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal was asked about a person who fasted, prayed and secluded himself in the mosque for worship; if he was dearer to him than a person who spoke out against ahlul-bid’ah (the innovators), he replied:
“When he fasts and prays and secludes himself, then he does so for the benefit of his own self. However, when he speaks out against the innovators, he does so for the benefit of the Muslims in general, and this is more virtuous.”
