Gabriel visits Ibn Hanbal

Question:

Do the innovators report that Ahmad Ibn Hanbal was visited by Gabriel (a.)?

Answer:

Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said: “One day i was with a group. They were undressing and going into the water, while i followed the tradition: “Those who believe in God and the Last Day do not enter the bath without a cloth around their waist.” So i did not undress and that night i saw someone who said to me: “O ahmad, proclaim the good news, for god has forgiven you for following the sunnah and has appointed you as an imam to be imitated.” I said: “Who are you?” He said: “Gabriel.” [Ash-Shifa Bi-Ta’rif Huquq Al-Mustafa of Al-Qadi Iyad, Volume 2 Page 16]

قال أحمد بن حنبل: كنت يوما مع جماعة تجردوا, ودخلوا الماء, فاستعملت الحديث من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فلا يدخل الحمام إلا بمئزر ولم أتجرد فرأيت تلك الليلة قائلا لي: يا أحمد, أبشر فإن الله قد غفر لك باستعمالك السنة وجعلك إماما يقتدى بك قلت : من أنت؟ قال: جبريل

Ibn Hajar Al-Haitami writes: “As for the widespread claim that Gabriel (a.) would not come down to earth after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (s.), there is not a single proof for this.” [Al-Fatawa Al-Hadithiyyah, page 133]

قال ابن حجر الهيتمي: وما اشتهر أن جبريل عليه السلام لا ينزل إلى الأرض بعد موت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فهو لا أصل له