The hardship and its impact on the methodology of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate [Introduction] Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, I praise Him as He deserves, and I praise Him with all goodness, and I send blessings and peace upon His best creation and seal of His messengers, and upon His family and companions, and those who follow them with goodness until the Day of Judgment. To proceed: These are brief pages regarding the impact of the trial in the methodology of Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, in his critical approach, as it is not hidden from the people of knowledge — especially those specialized in Hadith — that the trial, which lasted more than fifteen years, left a clear impact on the Imam, particularly since it occurred in his later years; so after the trial was removed from him, only a few years remained. The reasons that prompted me to undertake this study are as follows: 1. The fame and generality of this trial. 2. Its long duration in time and its widespread occurrence geographically, as it affected most regions. 3. That it is among the rare trials in which a number of rulers and governors repeatedly endorsed it and carried people upon it. 4. The large number of prominent imams, scholars of the Sunnah, and scholars of the religion who were afflicted by it. 5. The clear impact it had on Imam Ahmad’s life, condition, and health, and there is no doubt that it is among the most famous events in his life, with the greatest influence and effect. 6. The consequences it had — especially for the Imam — in terms of Hadith and critical discussions, including talking about some narrators and criticizing them due to their response during the trial. 7. The numerous interpretations and differing directions of the imams’ positions — and specifically Imam Ahmad’s stance — during this trial, between excess and deficiency, extremism and harshness, justification and condemnation, which led to some degree of belittling or sanctification. 8. The misconception held by some students of knowledge — and others — that the trial was merely a historical event like others that occurred in past ages; but this is certainly not the case, as this trial had a clear and evident impact on doctrinal, Hadith, and historical aspects. 9. The danger of the issue from a doctrinal perspective, as it — perhaps — is among the dangerous pitfalls for the researcher. How not?! It is a clear dividing line and a visible barrier between the Sunnah and innovation, indeed between Islam and disbelief. Its effects even appeared later in names and descriptions, which became known as: "Ahmad the Sunnah" and "Ahmad the Innovation." 10. I have not come across a study that addresses the impact of this trial on Imam Ahmad’s scientific and critical methodology, may Allah have mercy on him. The closest to this goal is a small message by Sheikh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah titled: "The Issue of the Creation of the Qur'an and Its Impact on the Rhetoric of Narrators, Hadith Scholars, and Books of Jarh and Ta'dil (Criticism and Praise)." References to it will be made, and some scholars’ comments on it will follow.