Saka Kufah, Ahmad bin Hanbal najur nerusaké rihlahang negri-negri Islam lan natngokake hadist saka Abdullah bin Mubarak, Abu Mu’awiyah Muhammad bin Khazim, Sufyan bin Sa’id Ats-Tsauri, Sufyan bin ‘Uyainah, Mu’tamir bin Sulaiman, Abu Bakar bin ‘Iyasy, ‘Abidah bin Humaid Al-Hadzdza’, Muhammad bin Ja’far Ghundar, Ismail bin ‘Ulayyah, Hafsh bin Ghiyats, Waki’ bin Jarrah, Abdurrahman bin Mahdi,Muhammad bin Basysyar Bundar, Abdurrazzaq bin Hammam, lan Muhammad bin Idris Asy-Syafi’i—imam madahab Sapingi.