Is the narration concerning Al-Shafi'i's dream, in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) told him to convey salutations to Ahmad ibn Hanbal and inform him that he would be tested regarding the saying that the Qur'an is created, and that he should not answer them, authentic?

More than one scholar, such as Ibn al-Jawzi, Ibn Asakir, al-Subki, Ibn Muflih, and Ibn Kathir, mentioned the story of Imam Al-Shafi'i's letter to Imam Ahmad concerning his ordeal regarding the creation of the Qur'an. Ibn Kathir narrated al-Bayhaqi's account via Al-Rabi', stating that Al-Shafi'i sent him with a letter to Ahmad ibn Hanbal informing him of a vision of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and that Ahmad would be tested on the issue of the creation of the Qur'an and should not answer them.

However, Al-Dhahabi judged this story to be incorrect, and Muhammad Rashid Rida commented that its chain of narration is not authentic. Therefore, that narration is not sound.