Imams Ahmad and ibn Ma’een Catch a Fabricator

Ibnul Jawzee narrated with his own chain of narrators until Ja’far ibn Muhammad at Tayalsee who said:

Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’een prayed in Masjid ar Rasaafah, after the prayer, a story teller stood saying:

Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’een narrated to me saying; Abdur Razzaaq ibn Ma’mar narrated to us on the authority of Qataadah that Anas said:

The Messenger of Allah - صلى الله عليه وسلم - said: ‘Whoever says La Ilaha illAllah, then Allah would create a bird with a beak of gold and feathers of pearls from every word…’

He continued telling his story of about twenty pages.

Ahmad ibn Hanbal looked at Yahya ibn Ma’een and Yahya ibn Ma’een looked at Ahmad ibn Hanbal, he said; ‘Have you narrated this to him?!’

He responded: ‘By Allah, I never heard of these narrations until now.’

When he finished his story and received his donations, he sat down waiting for the rest. Yahya ibn Ma’een beckoned for him to approach.

He approached thinking that he would receive some money, Yahya said to him: ‘Who narrated this Hadeeth to you?’

He responded: ‘Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’een.’

Yahya ibn Ma’een said: ‘I am Yahya ibn Ma’een and this is Ahmad ibn Hanbal and we have never heard of this at all in the Ahadeeth of the the Messenger of Allah - صلى الله عليه وسلم .

The man said: ‘I’ve been hearing that Yahya ibn Ma’een is a fool, and I haven’t verified this until now. As if there are no other Ahmad ibn Hanbals and Yahya ibn Ma’eens except for the both of you. Indeed I have written Ahadeeth on the authority of seventeen Ahmad ibn Hanbals and Yahya ibn Ma’eens.’

Ahmad ibn Hanbal covered his face with his sleeve and said; ‘Let him go.’

So he got up and left like one belittling them.