the dawn prayer, so he said, “Wake up; do not let people think this is because you were up all night.” (1)

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Bakr al-Sahmī reported: Muḥammad ibn Dhakwān narrated to us from Rajāʾ ibn Ḥaywah, who said:

“I was standing at Sulaymān’s door when a man came to me—one I had never seen before nor since—and said:

‘O Rajāʾ, you have been tried by this man and he has been tried by you; drawing near to him brings watagh (harm). (2) Therefore, hold fast to what is right and to helping the weak. O Rajāʾ, whoever enjoys standing with a ruler and then lifts the need of a helpless person who cannot lift it himself will meet Allah with his feet firmly fixed for the Reckoning before Him.’ (3)

I say: Rajāʾ held high rank with Sulaymān ibn ʿAbd al-Malik and with ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, and God brought many acts of goodness about through his hands. Afterward he was sidelined, so he turned to his private affairs.

Ibn ʿAwn related: It was said to Rajāʾ, “You used to frequent those in authority, but you have left them!” He replied, “What I leave them for suffices me.” (4)

Ḍamrah narrated from Ibrāhīm ibn Abī ʿAblah:

“We used to sit with ʿAṭāʾ al-Khurasānī, who would make supplications after the dawn prayer. When he was absent, (5) a man from among the muʾadhdhins began to speak, and Rajāʾ ibn Ḥaywah disapproved of his voice, saying, ‘Who is this?’ He replied, ‘It is I, Abū al-Miqdām.’ Rajāʾ said, ‘Be quiet, for we dislike hearing good words except from those who are qualified to utter them.’” (6)