When Ahmad bin Hambal was imprisoned, one of the prison guards came to him and asked him:
“O Abu ‘Abdillah! The hadith that is narrated regarding the oppressors and those that aid them – is it authentic?”
He said: “Yes.”
The prison guard then said: “So, I am considered to be an aide of the oppressors?”
Ahmad replied: “No. The aides of the oppressors are those that comb your hair, wash your clothes, prepare your meals, and buy and sell from you. As for you, you are one of the oppressors themselves.“
['Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad' by Ibn al-Jawzi; p. 397]
subhanAllah..i have searched for this hadith for quite a while now. jazakAllah khair sister. plz keep your blog running inshaAllah.
wassalaam