who meant to kill a man. I said, “There were covenants between you and them.”

He replied, “Woe to you! Put me and them in a position where there is no covenant at all.”

My soul was overcome (1), and I found killing hateful. I remembered my standing before Allah on the Day of Judgment, so I blurted out, “Their blood is unlawful for you.”

He grew furious, his eyes bulged and the veins of his neck swelled. He said to me, “Woe to you! And why is that?!”

I answered, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘The blood of a Muslim is not lawful except in one of three cases: a married adulterer, a life for a life, and one who abandons his religion (2).’”

He said, “Woe to you! Do we not possess authority in religion?”

I asked, “And how is that?”

He said, “Did not the Messenger of Allah ﷺ bequeath authority to ʿAlī?”

I replied, “Had he done so, he would not have appointed the two arbiters.”

He fell silent, his anger still mounting, and I expected my head to be struck off in front of me.

Then he motioned with his hand like this—indicating that they should take me out—so I left. I mounted my beast, and when I had gone only a short distance, a horseman came after me. I dismounted and said, “He has sent to take my head; let me pray two cycles.” I pronounced the takbīr, and while I was standing in prayer he arrived, offered me the greeting of peace, and said, “The emir has sent you these dinars—take them.” I accepted them and distributed them before I reached my house.

Sufyān said, “I only wished that you would not swerve when he said to you what he said.”

Al-Walīd ibn Mazīd reports that he heard al-Awzāʿī say:

“It is not fitting for the imam to single himself out with any particular supplication; if he does so, he has betrayed them.”