Aḥmad b. Manṣūr al-Ramādī (d. 265) said, “I went out with Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal (d. 241) and Yaḥyá b. Maʿīn (d. 233) to ʿAbd al-Razzāq (d. 211), as their servant.
When we returned to al-Kūfah, Yaḥyá b. Maʿīn said to Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, “I want to test Abū Nuʿaym (d. 218/19).” Aḥmad said to him, “You don’t want to, the man is trustworthy.” Yaḥyá b. Maʿīn said, “No, I must.” So he took a piece of paper and wrote 30 ḥadīths on it from the ḥadīths of Abū Nuʿaym, and he placed at the head of every ten traditions, a ḥadīth that was not from his ḥadīths.
They then came to Abū Nuʿaym and knocked on the door, so he came out and sat on a clay bench opposite his door. He took Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal and sat him on his right, and he took Yaḥyá b. Maʿīn and sat him on his left, then I sat below the bench.
Then Yaḥyá b. Maʿīn took out the sheet of paper and read ten ḥadīths to him while Abū Nuʿaym stayed silent. He then read the eleventh, and Abū Nuʿaym said, “This is not from my ḥadīth – cross it out.” He then read the second ten while Abū Nuʿaym stayed silent. Then he read the second ḥadīth and Abū Nuʿaym said, “This is not from my ḥadīth – cross it out.” Then he read the third ten and read the third ḥadīth, and Abū Nuʿaym changed and his eyes rolled backed. He turned to Yaḥyá b. Maʿīn and said, “As for this one – and Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal’s forearm was in his hand – he is too pious to do something like this, and as for this one – meaning me – he is too insignificant to do something like this, but this is your doing o doer!” He then took out his leg and kicked Yaḥyá b. Maʿīn, knocking him off the bench. He then got up and entered his house.
Aḥmad said to Yaḥyá, “Did I not forbid you from the man and tell you he was reliable?” he said, “By Allāh, his kicking me is dearer to me than my journey.”
Reported by al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī in Tārīkh Baghdād (14: 315-316) ed. Bashshār ʿAwwād Maʿrūf.
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