1761 - Abd Allah ibn Ahmad informed me that al-Bandaniji said: Abd Allah ibn al-Hasan al-Zarrad al-Hamadhani narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Baghdadi narrated to us, saying: I heard Abu Bakr al-Athram say: I heard Abu Abd Allah Ahmad ibn Hanbal say: "I saw Ibn Abi Du'ad in a dream, so I asked him: 'What has your Lord done with you?' He replied: 'What has He done with me? He said to me: "Go to what you used to worship." O Ahmad, hold fast to what you are upon, for it is the truth.'"
١٧٦١ - أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ، أَنَّ الْبَنْدَنْجِيَّ قَالَ: ثنا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الزَّرَّادُ الْهَمَذَانِيُّ، قَالَ: ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الْأَثْرَمَ، يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ حَنْبَلٍ يَقُولُ: " رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ أَبِي دَاوُدَ فِي الْمَنَامِ، فَقُلْتُ: مَا فَعَلَ بِكَ رَبُّكَ؟ فَقَالَ: مَا فَعَلَ لِي قَالَ لِي: انْطَلِقُوا إِلَى مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْبُدُونَ. يَا أَحْمَدُ، تَمَسَّكْ بِمَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ، فَإِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ "