Did you know that a student of Ahmad Zayni Dahlan repented under the guidance of a Hanbali Najdi scholar?
3- مما يدلُّ على رسوخ النجديين أنه قد رجع عدد من الأشاعرة لما ناقشوا بعض علمائهم، كرجوع التلمساني([5]) لما ناقش أحمد بن عيسى النجدي (شارح النونية)، ورجوع الشيخ خوقير المكي أيضًا صاحب (مختصر خوقير) في المذهب الحنبلي، وقد كان شافعيًّا من تلامذة زيني دحلان، ثم لما ناقش الشيخ أحمد بن عيسى رجع إلى مذهب السلفية
One indication of the steadfastness of the Najdis is that several Ash‘aris returned to the Najdi position after debating some of their scholars. For example, Talmisani ([Ulama’ Najd Khilal Thamaniya Qurun (1/438)) returned after debating Ahmad bin ‘Isa al-Najdi (the commentator of al-Nuniya), and also Shaykh Khawqir al-Makki, the author of Mukhtasar Khawqir, who was originally a Shafi‘i student of Zayni Dahlan. After debating Shaykh Ahmad bin ‘Isa, he returned to the Salafi (Najdi) creed (Mashahir Ulama’ Najd wa Ghayruhum by Al-Bassam (1/302)).
The return of such individuals despite being scholars themselves demonstrates that the Najdis possessed deep religious knowledge and principles of reasoning, enabling them to debate even the most prominent scholars.