1793 - Ya'qub ibn Yusuf al-Mutawwi'i informed me, saying: I was present at the door of Ahmad ibn Hanbal when a group of people from Van al-Qutn came and said: "There is a man here whose heart has become attached to the doctrine of Ibn al-Ash'ath, and he says: 'Whatever Abu Abd Allah tells me, I will follow.'" Ahmad said: "Bring him to me." The man came, and Ahmad said: "What have you to do with argumentation? What have you to do with speculative theology (kalam)? What have you to do with disputation?" The man said: "O Abu Abd Allah, may Allah reward you with goodness; you prohibit argumentation, speculative theology, and disputation." The people who brought him said to him: "This man will go out this very hour and say: 'I went to Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and he forbade me from argumentation, speculative theology, and disputation,' while he remains silent regarding the doubt (he harbors)." Ahmad then said: "Whoever doubts is a disbeliever."
١٧٩٣ - وَأَخْبَرَنِي يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الْمُطَوِّعِيُّ، قَالَ: حَضَرْتُ بَابَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ، فَجَاءَ قَوْمٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ وَانِ الْقُطْنِ، فَقَالُوا: إِنَّ هَاهُنَا رَجُلًا قَدْ عَلِقَ بِقَلْبِهِ مَذْهَبُ ابْنِ الْأَشْعَثِ، وَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ مَا قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَأَنَا أَصِيرُ إِلَيْهِ. فَقَالَ: «جِيئُوا بِهِ» . فَجَاءَ الرَّجُلُ، فَقَالَ أَحْمَدُ: «مَا لَكُمْ وَلِلْجَدَلِ؟ مَا لَكُمْ وَلِلْكَلَامِ؟ مَا لَكُمْ وَلِلْخُصُومَةِ؟» ، فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ: يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا، تَنْهَى عَنِ الْجِدَالِ وَعَنِ الْكَلَامِ وَعَنِ الْخُصُومَةِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ الْقَوْمُ الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا بِهِ: إِنَّ هَذَا السَّاعَةَ يَذْهَبُ فَيَقُولُ: ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ فَنَهَانِي عَنِ الْجِدَالِ، وَالْكَلَامِ، وَالْخُصُومَةِ، وَيَسْكُتُ عَلَى الشَّكِّ، فَقَالَ أَحْمَدُ: «مَنْ شَكَّ فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ»
