Ibrāhīm ibn al-Layth related: The ḥadith scholar ʿAlī ibn Khushram narrated to us, saying:
A man who lived near Fudayl in Abiward told me, “Fudayl used to prowl the road alone, waylaying travellers. One night a caravan reached the spot where he was hiding. Some of them said, ‘Let us turn aside to that village, for Fudayl is on the road and he robs travellers.’ He overheard them, shuddered, and declared, ‘People, go on your way! By Allah, I shall strive never again to disobey Allah.’ ”

A similar report is transmitted through another chain, but it contains Ibn Jahdam, who is utterly unreliable. In any case, polytheism is more heinous than highway robbery, and many who repented from it became the very best of this community. The forelocks of all slaves are in Allah’s hand; He leads astray whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back in repentance.

Ibrāhīm ibn Saʿīd al-Jawharī said: Al-Maʾmūn told me, “Hārūn al-Rashīd said to me, ‘My eyes have never seen anyone like Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ. I entered upon him, and he said to me, “Empty your heart for sorrow and fear until they take up residence there; they will sever you from sins and keep you far from the Fire.” ’ ”

Ibn Abī ʿUmar said, “After Fudayl, I never saw anyone more devoted in worship than Wakīʿ.”

Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ashʿath said, “I saw Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah kiss Fudayl’s hand twice.”

Ibn al-Mubārak said, “Whenever I look at Fudayl, grief is renewed within me and I detest my own soul,” and then he wept.

Yaḥyā ibn Ayyūb recounted: “I entered with Zāfir ibn Sulaymān upon Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ, and an elderly man was with him. Zāfir went in and seated me at the door.

Zāfir said: Fudayl kept glancing at me and then remarked, ‘These ḥadith transmitters are impressed by short chains of narration. Shall I not give you a chain about which there is no doubt? The Messenger of Allah, from Gabriel, from Allah: “A Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are angels, stern and mighty” (Qur’an 66:6). I—and you, Abū Sulaymān—are among those people.’ Then