984 - Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Ibrahim informed me that his father narrated to him, saying: Ahmad ibn al-Qasim narrated to me, and Zakariyya ibn al-Faraj informed me, from Ahmad ibn al-Qasim, that they mentioned to Abu 'Abd Allah [Ahmad ibn Hanbal] those who used to say: 'It is merely a statement,' and did not make an exception [i.e., by saying 'if Allah wills']. They mentioned Mis'ar. It was said to him: 'O Abu 'Abd Allah, did he hold the view of Irja'?' He said: 'They only mean that he said: "I am in doubt about everything except for my faith." He said: "I heard Abu Nu'aym say: I heard it from Mis'ar, and they do not narrate anything other than this from Mis'ar." I [the author] said: "What is the meaning of his saying: 'I am in doubt about everything'? Did he intend to strengthen his view on omitting the exception? What is the meaning of his saying 'I am in doubt about everything'? Does he mean we doubt death, Paradise, the Fire, or the Resurrection?" He replied: "Subhan Allah! He did not intend this path. He only intended—as I see it—doubts regarding Hadith and things that are absent from him." And I heard him [Abu 'Abd Allah] say from Ibn 'Uyaynah: "Sufyan al-Thawri said to me: 'Will you not speak to Mis'ar regarding this thing he says?'" He said: "Mis'ar was, in his view, not like others, and he was a righteous man."
٩٨٤ - فَأَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَنَّ أَبَاهُ حَدَّثَهُ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، وَأَخْبَرَنِي زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ الْفَرَجِ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ، أَنَّهُمْ ذَكَرُوا لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مَنْ كَانَ يَقُولُ: إِنَّمَا قَوْلٌ، وَلَا يَسْتَثْنِي، فَذَكَرُوا مِسْعَرًا، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، كَانَ يَقُولُ بِالْإِرْجَاءِ؟ قَالَ: " إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُونَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: أَشُكُّ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا فِي إِيمَانِي، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا نُعَيْمٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ مِسْعَرٍ، وَلَيْسَ يَرْوُونَ عَنْ مِسْعَرٍ غَيْرَ هَذَا " ⦗٥٧٣⦘، قُلْتُ: فَمَا مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ: أَشُكُّ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ؟ أَرَادَ تَقْوِيَةَ قَوْلِهِ فِي تَرْكِ الِاسْتِثْنَاءِ، أَيُّ مَعْنًى لِقَوْلِهِ: أَشُكُّ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، لَا مَا يَشُكُّ نَحْنُ فِي الْمَوْتِ، وَلَا فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَلَا فِي النَّارِ، وَلَا فِي الْبَعْثِ. فَقَالَ: " سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، لَمْ يُرِدْ هَذَا الطَّرِيقَ، إِنَّمَا أَرَادَ فِيمَا أَرَى، أَيْ شَكَّ فِي الْحَدِيثِ، وَفِي الْأَشْيَاءِ الَّتِي تَغِيبُ عَنْهُ، وَسَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ لِي سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ: «أَلَا تُكَلِّمْ مِسْعَرًا فِي هَذَا الَّذِي يَقُولُهُ» : قَالَ: كَانَ مِسْعَرٌ عِنْدَهُ لَيْسَ كَغَيْرِهِ، وَكَانَ رَجُلًا صَالِحًا "
