can counsel you with words like these?

At that he burst into bitter weeping, sobbing until he lost consciousness.

I said to him, “Be gentle with the Commander of the Faithful.”

He retorted, “Son of Umm al-Rabi‘, you and your companions are the ones killing him, and I am the one who should go easy on him?”

When Hārūn came round he said to him, “Give me more—may Allah have mercy on you.”

He replied, “It has reached me that a governor under ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz was complained of, so ʿUmar wrote to him:

‘My brother, I remind you of the long sleeplessness of the people of Hell in the Fire, in everlasting eternity. Beware lest you be dismissed from the presence of Allah, for that would be the last meeting and the cutting off of all hope.’

When the man read the letter, he crossed the provinces until he reached ʿUmar. ʿUmar asked, ‘What has brought you here?’

He replied, ‘Your letter tore my heart out. I will never again accept any office until I meet Allah.’”

Hārūn wept uncontrollably.

He went on, “O Commander of the Faithful, al-ʿAbbās, the Prophet’s uncle, once came to him and said, ‘Give me authority.’ The Prophet ﷺ replied, ‘Leadership is grief and remorse on the Day of Resurrection; if you can manage not to be a ruler, then do so.’ (1)

Hārūn wept again and said, “Give me more.”

He said, “O fair-faced one, you are the man whom Allah will question about these people on the Day of Resurrection. If you can shield this face of yours from the Fire, then do so. And beware of beginning the morning or ending the evening with any deceit in your heart toward a single member of your flock, for the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Whoever rises in the morning having cheated them shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise.’ (2)

Hārūn wept once more and said to him