and Wahb was sitting beside him. A group of people arrived and complained about their administrator, recounting something outrageous he had done. Wahb snatched the staff that was in ʿUrwah’s hand and struck the man on the head until blood flowed.

ʿUrwah burst into laughter, lay back, and said, “Wahb censures us for getting angry, yet he himself becomes angry!”

Wahb replied, “And why should I not be angry when the One who created intellects became angry? The Exalted says, ‘So when they provoked Our wrath, We exacted vengeance on them.’ ⦗1⦘ [al-Zukhruf 43:55].

Ismaʿil ibn ʿAbd al-Karim transmitted—from ʿAbd al-Ṣamad ibn Maʿqil—that it was said to Wahb, “Abu ʿAbd Allah, you used to see a dream, relate it to us, and it would come true!” He answered, “Alas, that left me the day I accepted the judgeship.” ⦗2⦘

Wahb also said, “Dirhams are Allah’s signet-rings on earth; whoever takes Allah’s ring will have his need fulfilled.” ⦗3⦘

Ibn ʿUyaynah narrated—from ʿAmr ibn Dinar—who said, “I entered Wahb’s house in Sanʿaʾ. He gave me some walnuts from his courtyard. I said to him, ‘I wish you had never written a book about qadar (divine decree).’ He replied, ‘By Allah, so do I.’ ⦗4⦘”

Aḥmad related—through ʿAbd al-Razzaq—who said: I heard my father say, “Most of the jurists performed the pilgrimage in the year 100 AH, and Wahb was among them. After they had prayed the night prayer, a group that included ʿAtaʾ and al-Hasan came to him, intending to discuss qadar. He began instead with a discourse on praise; he remained on that topic until dawn broke, and they dispersed without asking him a single question.” ⦗5⦘

Aḥmad added, “He was suspected of some inclination toward that view, but he later recanted.” Al-ʿIjli likewise said, “He recanted.”