Sahar’s Reviews > The Four Imams > Status Update

“What secured Imam Ahmad’s reputation as a defender of the Sunnah was his dedication to the truth, even when it cost him everything.”

“Imam Ahmad’s unease with fame was so great that he said: ‘I want to live in a remote valley in Makkah where no one will recognise me. I have been afflicted with fame. I desire death every morning and evening.’”

“One time, when an excited visitor said to him, ‘May Allah reward you for everything you have done for Islam’, Imam Ahmad immediately became agitated and responded: ‘Rather, may Allah reward Islam for what it has done for me! Who am I? Who am I?’”

“I wish that people could have learnt this knowledge without any of it being attributed to me, hence Allah would reward me without the need for peoples praise.”

Imam Shafi’i