a) Imam Abu Hanifa rahimaullah was offered the post of Judge, but he refused and got lashed.

b) The prayer of mercy by Imam Ahmad for Imam Abu Hanifa.

Khateeb Baghdadi said:

ذكر إرادة ابن هبيرة أبا حنيفة على ولاية القضاة وامتناع أبي حنيفة من ذلك

Ibn Habeerah wished to give Imam Abu Hanifa the post of Judge but He rejected.

Then he narrated from Ubaidullah bin Amr al Raqqi, who said:

كلم بن هبيرة أبا حنيفة أن يلي له قضاء الكوفة ، فأبَى عليه ، فضربه مائة سوط وعشرة أسواط ، في كل يوم عشرة أسواط ، وهو على الامتناع ، فلما رأى ذلك خلى سبيله.

Ibn Habeera wished to make Abu Hanifa the judge of Koofa but he refused, due to that Ibn Habeera lashed him 110 times, every day he lashed 10 times and every day he refused, then He (Ibn Habeera) left him. [Tareekh Baghdad 15/448, the Muhaqqiq dr. Bashar Awad said: The chain is authentic, and the narration after this (quoted by Khateeb) back this (statement) and makes it more powerful]

Then Khateeb narrated other narrations regarding this matter and one of that is, Ismaeel bin Salim Baghdadi said:

وكان أَحْمَد بن حنبل إذا ذكر ذلك بكى وترحم على أبي حنيفة ، وذلك بعد أن ضرب أَحْمَد

When Ahmad bin Hanbal remembered this story he would cry and say prayer of mercy for Abu Hanifa, because He (Ahmad) also went through the situation like this. (i.e. he was also lashed).

[Ibid 15/449, Dr Bashar remained silent but as he already said regarding the narration of Ubaidullah bin Amr al Raqqi that: “its chain is saheeh and the narrations after it (including the narration of Imam Ahmad) back this statement and makes it more powerful”]