Hammām narrated from ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib:

Al-Ḥajjāj handed a man over to Sālim ibn ʿAbd Allāh to be executed. Sālim asked him, “Are you a Muslim?”

“Yes,” the man replied.

“And did you perform the dawn prayer today?”

“Yes,” he said.

So Sālim sent him back to al-Ḥajjāj, threw the sword aside, and declared, “He avers that he is a Muslim and that he prayed the dawn prayer. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Whoever prays the dawn prayer is under Allah’s protection.’ (1)”

Al-Ḥajjāj retorted, “We are not killing him on account of his prayer; he is one of those who helped in the killing of ʿUthmān.”

Sālim replied, “There are people here who have a stronger claim concerning ʿUthmān than I.”

When this reached Ibn ʿUmar he said, “Mikyas, Mikyas.” (2)

Ibn ʿUyaynah reported: Hishām once entered the Kaʿbah and found Sālim ibn ʿAbd Allāh inside. He said, “Ask me for something you need.”

Sālim answered, “I am too shy before Allah to ask anyone but Him while I am in His House.”

After they had stepped outside, Hishām said, “Now ask me for a need.”

Sālim asked, “A need of this world or of the Hereafter?”

“Of this world,” Hishām replied.

Sālim said, “By Allah, I have never asked the world of Him who owns it; so how could I ask it of someone who does not?” (3)

Sālim was noted for his fine character. Ibrāhīm ibn ʿUqbah said, “When Sālim was alone with us, he would entertain us with tales suited to young men.”

Abū Saʿd, on the other hand, said, “Sālim was stern, as though he were a porter.” (4)

It was also said that he followed his father’s example in abstaining from luxury.

Ḥammād ibn ʿĪsā al-Juhanī narrated to us: Ḥanẓalah reported from Sālim, from his father, from