Yahya ibn Saʿid saying:

“They told me—by Allah—on the authority of Ayyub that someone said to him, ‘Ikrimah does not perform the prayer properly.’ Ayyub replied, ‘Did he even pray at all?!’

Al-Fadl ibn Musa, from Rishdin ibn Kurayb, said, ‘I saw Ikrimah standing there, absorbed in a game of nard.’

Yazid ibn Harun said, ‘When Ikrimah came to Basra, Ayyub, Sulayman al-Taymi, and Yunus went to him. While he was narrating to them he heard the sound of singing and said, “Be silent.” Then he added, “May Allah fight him—how skillfully he sings!” Sulayman and Yunus never returned to him, but Ayyub went back, and Ayyub acted commendably.’

Ibn ʿUlayyah said: ‘Ayyub once mentioned Ikrimah and remarked, “He was feeble-minded. We visited him one day and he said, ‘By Allah, I shall certainly narrate to you.’ He kept us waiting, then began narrating, and afterwards asked, ‘Can your Hasan narrate like this?’ While I was sitting with him he saw a Bedouin and called out, ‘Hah (1)! Did I not see you in the land of al-Jazirah or somewhere else?’ He then turned to the man and left us.’

Shababa transmitted from al-Mughira ibn Muslim: ‘When Ikrimah reached Khurasan, Abu Majlaz said, “Ask him: what is julājil al-hajj?” He was asked, and he replied, “How could that occur in this land?!” (Julājil al-hajj means the ifādah, the dispersal from Muzdalifah). When this answer was relayed to Abu Majlaz he said, “He answered correctly.”’

ʿAbd al-ʿAziz ibn Abi Rawwad said, ‘I asked Ikrimah, “You left the Two Sanctuaries and came to Khurasan?!” He replied, “I am earning a living for my daughters.”’

Shababa reported to us from Abu al-Tayyib Musa ibn Yasar, who said: ‘I saw Ikrimah coming from Samarkand riding a donkey with two saddlebags (2) beneath him filled with silk; the provincial governor had granted him that.’