He was born in the year 90 AH; others say 92 AH.
At his father’s death al-Walid was a little over ten years old, so his father bound the oath of succession for him—after Hisham ibn ʿAbd al-Malik—and when Hisham died the caliphate was handed to him.
Ahmad ibn Hanbal said in his Musnad: “Abu al-Mughīra narrated to us; Ibn ʿAyyāsh narrated to us; al-Awzāʿī—and others—narrated to me, from al-Zuhri, from Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, from ʿUmar, who said:
‘A child was born to the brother of Umm Salamah and they named him al-Walid. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “You have given him the names of your pharaohs! There will certainly arise in this ummah a man called al-Walid who will be more severe upon this community than Pharaoh was upon his people.” (1)’
This was reported by al-Walid, al-Hayql and a group from al-Awzāʿī in mursal form, omitting ʿUmar. Another wording says: “he will be more harmful to my ummah.” A weak chain also transmits: “There will be in the ummah a Pharaoh who is called al-Walid.”
Marwān ibn Abī Ḥafṣah said: Hārūn al-Rashīd asked me, “Describe al-Walid for me.” I replied, “He was among the most handsome of men, the hairiest, and the strongest.”
Al-Layth said: Al-Walid performed the pilgrimage while crown prince in the year 116 AH.
Al-Walid’s sons were: ʿUthmān and al-Ḥakam—both slaughtered in prison—together with Yazīd, al-ʿAbbās, and several daughters.
Al-Waqidī said: Ibn Abī Zinād related to us, from his father:
“Al-Zuhri was forever disparaging al-Walid before Hisham, recounting grave matters—even mentioning the young boys and how he dyed them—and saying, ‘He must be deposed.’ Yet Hisham was powerless, and had al-Zuhri lived on, al-Walid would undoubtedly have killed him. (2)”