He replied, “Slaves—just as you know.”
“And the people of al-Jazīrah?”
“The bravest of horsemen and the deadliest against their peers.”
“And the people of Yemen?”
“People who listen and obey.”
Al-Ḥajjāj then questioned him about the Arab tribes and the various regions, and he answered each time. Thereupon al-Ḥajjāj had him beheaded and later regretted it; that was in the year 84 AH. Ibn ʿAsākir relates his story at length. (1)
120 – al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam al-Umawī *
The caliph, Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam al-Umawī, of Damascus, the one who built the Umayyad Mosque. He was given the pledge of allegiance by a covenant from his father. He lived in luxury; of uncomely appearance, his nose continually ran. He was tall, dark-complexioned, with pockmarks on his face and a few grey hairs in the tuft beneath his lower lip, (2) and he would swagger as he walked. He possessed little learning; his passion was construction. He also rebuilt and embellished the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and during his reign he enjoyed good fortune.
He opened the gateway to al-Andalus and to the lands of the Turks. Prone to grammatical errors, he studied syntax for several months but gained no benefit. He campaigned against the Byzantines several times in his father’s day and performed the pilgrimage.
It is said that he completed a full recitation of the Quran every three nights, and in Ramadan he completed seventeen recitations. He used to say, “Had Allah not mentioned the people of Lot, I would never have imagined that anyone could commit such an act.”
(1) Ibn ʿAsākir narrates his account in greater detail.
(2) Referring to the grey hairs in the tuft below his lower lip.