Ah.mad ibn Salmân
ibn al-H.asan, Abû Bakr al-Baghdâdî al-H.anbalî al-Najjâd (d. 348),
eulogized by al-Dhahabî as "the imâm, the h.adîth scholar, the h.adîth Master, the jurisprudent,
the mufti, the shaykh of Iraq." The shaykh of al-Dâraqut.nî, al-H.âkim, al-Khattâbî, Ibn Mandah,
al-Khiraqî, and others, he narrated from `Abd Allâh ibn Ah.mad ibn H.anbal and was the last to narrate
from Abû Dâwûd. He was reported to relate narrations which were not
consigned in his own records, perhaps due to the loss of his sight. Abû
`Alî ibn al-Sawwaf said: "Ah.mad ibn Salmân al-Najjâd used to
come with us to the h.adîth scholars such as Bishr ibn
Mûsâ and others, holding his shoes in his hands because, he said, `I
love to walk barefoot in pursuit of the h.adîth of the Prophet – Allah
bless and greet him.’" Ibn Abî Ya`la comments: "He may have done so to
conform with the Prophet’s (saws) saying: `Shall I not inform you of
the one who will carry the lightest burden on the Day of Judgment in
front of Allâh? It is the one who races towards good deeds, walking
barefoot. Gibrîl told me: `Allâh looks kindly upon a servant of His who
walks barefoot in the pursuit of good.’"(*)
Al-Najjâd
used to fast every day of the year, and he would break his fast every
night with a loaf of bread of which he left aside one mouthful. On the
night of Jumu`a he would give away his loaf as
charity, and eat the mouthfuls he had put aside.
Al-Najjâd
relates:
One time I found
myself in difficulty so I went to visit Ibrâhîm al-H.arbî. I told him of my condition
and he said: "You should know that I too found myself in difficulty,
until I only had small change left in my possession. My wife said to
me: `Look among your books, see what you don’t need, and sell it!’
After I prayed `isha I sat in the lobby of my house (al-dihlîz) to write, whereupon someone knocked at the
door. I asked who it was and he said: `Let me speak to you.’ I opened
the door. He said to me: `Put out the light,’ so I put it out. He came
into the lobby and put down a food-basket (karra).
Then he said to me: `We have prepared food for the children, and we
wanted you and your children to have your share of it. This is
something else together with it,’ and he placed something next to the
basket, adding: `Use it as you wish.’ I did not know who that man was.
Then he left. I called my wife and told her to light the candles. She
lit them and came to see. The basket was wrapped in an expensive scarf
and contained fifty different kinds of food. Next to it was a purse
containing a thousand dinars." I got up and took my leave of al-H.arbî, after which I went to Ah.mad [ibn H.anbal]’s grave to visit him. Then
I went on my way. As I was walking on the side of the road, an old
woman, one of our neighbors, met me and said: "O Ah.mad, why do you look so
downcast?" I told her of my predicament. She said: "Do you know that
your mother gave me three hundred dirhams before she died, and said to
me: `Keep them, and if you see my son in difficulty or downcast one
day, give them to him.’ Come with me so I can give them to you." I went
with her and she gave me the sum."
Main sources:
Ibn Abi Ya`lâ, T.abaqât al-H.anâbila 2:7-8; al-Dhahabî, Siyar 12:137 #3132; Mîzân 1:101.
(*) Al-Munâwî
cited similar narrations in Fayd al-Qadîr: "If you
race with each other towards good, walk barefoot, because Allâh
multiplies the reward of those who walk barefoot over those who wear
shoes." Al-Munâwî said: "Narrated from Ibn `Abbâs by al-T.abarânî in al-Awsat,
al-Khatîb in Târîkh Baghdâd, and al-H.âkim in his Târîkh
Naysabûr. Its chain contains `Îsâ ibn Nujayh who, al-Dhahabî said,
forged narrations. Hence Ibn al-Jawzi included it among his Mawdû`ât
(1:217). It is somewhat strengthened by al-T.abarânî’s other report
whereby `Whoever walks barefoot in Allâh’s obedience, Allâh will not
ask him to account for His orders on the Day of Judgment.’ However,
even the latter report was said to be a fabrication." Ibn al-Jawzi’s
verdict was confirmed by al-Suyût.î in al-La’ali’
(1983 ed. 1:194), Ibn `Arraq in Tanzih al-Shari`a
(1:251), al-Ghumârî in al-Mughir (p. 14) and al-Ah.dal in Zawa’id
Târîkh Baghdâd (8:199-200 #1745). Of note here is Shu`ba ibn al-H.ajjâj’s saying: "Those who go in
pursuit of the h.adîth on horse-back (`alâ al-dawâbb) cannot succeed." Narrated by Abû Nu`aym
in the H.ilya (7:179 #10117).
Blessings and peace on the Prophet, his Family,and his Companions.