804 - I heard Muhammad ibn Ubayd Allah ibn Yazid al-Munadi narrating something about Ahmad ibn Hanbal, but I did not memorize it nor did I write it down. Then Muhammad ibn Abi Harun informed me, saying: I heard Ibn al-Munadi saying: I was with Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Mawsili, who used to narrate [hadith], came with a son of his. Al-Mawsili took out a notebook from his son's sleeve and handed it to Abu Abd Allah [Ahmad ibn Hanbal]. Ahmad looked into the book, and his complexion began to change, as if he were feeling offended. When Ahmad finished looking through the notebook, he said: 'The Almighty and Majestic has said: "Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet, and do not be loud to him in speech" [Al-Hujurat: 2]. Does the one who narrated these [reports] not fear that his deeds might be rendered void while he is unaware?' Then, after al-Mawsili had left, Ahmad said: 'Do you know who narrates these things?' I replied: 'No.' He said: 'This is your neighbor,' meaning Khalaf.
٨٠٤ - سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ الْمُنَادِيَ، يَحْكِي عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ، فَلَمْ أَحْفَظْهُ وَلَمْ أَكْتُبْهُ، فَأَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي هَارُونَ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ الْمُنَادِي، قَالَ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ، فَجَاءَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمَوْصِلِيُّ الَّذِي كَانَ يُحَدِّثُ وَمَعَهُ ابْنٌ لَهُ، فَأَخْرَجَ الْمَوْصِلِيُّ مِنْ كُمِّ ابْنِهِ دَفْتَرًا فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، فَنَظَرَ أَحْمَدُ فِي الْكِتَابِ وَجَعَلَ يَتَغَيَّرُ لَوْنُهُ كَأَنَّهُ يُنْتَقَصُ، فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَحْمَدُ مِنَ النَّظَرِ فِي الدَّفْتَرِ قَالَ: قَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ {لَا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ، وَلَا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ} [الحجرات: ٢] الْآيَةَ، أَمَا يَخَافُ الَّذِي حَدَّثَ بِهَذِهِ أَنْ يَحْبَطَ عَمَلُهُ وَهُوَ لَا يَشْعُرُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ أَحْمَدُ بَعْدَ أَنْ مَضَى الْمَوْصِلِيُّ: تَدْرِي مَنْ يُحَدِّثُ بِهَذِهِ؟ قُلْتُ: لَا. قَالَ: هَذَا جَارُكَ، يَعْنِي خَلَفًا