He used to denounce blind imitation, saying, “It springs from a deficiency of intellect or from low aspiration.” He would also remark, “What business has a scholar with the comfort of beds?” And he would say, “The sign of sound mastery is to speak little, whereas the sign of shortcoming is to speak much.” He was counted among the foremost champions of the Sunnah.

Ibn Ḥārith said, “He had noble stations and praiseworthy stands in defending Islam and shielding the Sunnah. In that cause he debated Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Maʿjūqī—the brother of Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Shīʿī, the propagandist for the state of ʿUbayd Allāh—and Ibn al-Ḥaddād spoke without fearing their power, until his son Abū Muḥammad said to him, ‘Father, fear Allah with regard to yourself and do not go to extremes.’ He replied, ‘Sufficient for me is the One for whose sake I grew angry and whose religion I defended.’”

He also held debates in Kairouan with the Muʿtazilite shaykh al-Farrāʾ, through which a number of the innovators returned to the truth. It is said that he wrote a refutation of the Mudawwanah (1) and composed other works.

Abū Bakr ibn al-Labbād related: “While Saʿīd ibn al-Ḥaddād was seated, a messenger from ʿUbayd Allāh—the Mahdī—arrived. I therefore accompanied him, and Abū Jaʿfar al-Baghdādī was standing there. I spoke with whatever words came to me, and he said, ‘Sit.’ So I sat, and there was a slender booklet. Then he said to Abu…"