ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shaybah narrated to us; Yazīd ibn Mihrān narrated to us; Abū Bakr ibn ʿAyyāsh narrated—through al-Aʿmash—who said:
“I once saw ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, his head newly shaved, sitting on the raised platform while people were saying to him, ‘Curse the liars!’ He was a large man who suffered from asthma (1). He replied, ‘O Allah, curse the liars—ah!’ Then he paused and added, ‘ʿAlī, ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr, and al-Mukhtār’ (2).”

The name of Abū Laylā’s father was Yasār; it has also been said that it was Bilāl, and others say it was Dāwūd ibn Abī Uḥayḥah ibn al-Julāḥ ibn al-Ḥarīsh ibn Jaḥjabā ibn Kulfa (3).

Ibn ʿUyaynah transmitted—from Ibn Abī Najīḥ—from Mujāhid—who said:
“ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā had a room filled with Qur’an codices; the reciters would gather there and seldom dispersed except after sharing a meal.

I came to him carrying some gold dust (tibr). He asked, ‘Do you intend to plate a sword with it?’ I said, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Then will you ornament a copy of the Qur’an with it?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Perhaps you will turn it into earrings; such things are disliked (4).’”

Thābit said: “When Ibn Abī Laylā had prayed the dawn prayer, he would open the Qur’an and recite until the sun had risen (5).”

Sharīk narrated—from Mughīrah—from al-Shaʿbī—from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā, who said:
“A man from the Children of Israel was working with his hoe when he struck his father and gashed his head. The father said, ‘No one who has done to my father what you have done shall keep my company.’ So the son cut off his own hand. News of this reached the Children of Israel.

Later, the king’s daughter wished to pray in Jerusalem. The king asked, ‘Whom shall we send with her?’ They suggested a certain man. A messenger was sent to him, but he said, ‘Excuse me.’ The king replied, ‘No.’ He then said, ‘In that case, grant me a few days.’ Permission was given, so he went away, severed his private parts, placed them in a container (6), and brought it back sealed…"