Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar al-Bazzār say: “I heard Abū Muḥammad al-Yāqūtī say:
‘I once saw al-Hallāj on the bridge, mounted on a cow with his face turned toward its tail. I heard him declare, “I am not al-Hallāj; al-Hallāj has cast his likeness upon me and then disappeared.”
When he was led up to the wooden frame on which he was to be crucified, I heard him murmur:
O Helper who makes anguish weigh on me, help me against the anguish…’

Abū al-Ḥusayn ibn Sālim related: A man came to Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh carrying an inkwell and a notebook. He said to Sahl, “I wish to write something from which Allah will let me benefit.” Sahl replied, “Write this: If you can meet Allah while the inkwell is still in your hand, then do so.” The man said, “Abū Muḥammad, a useful piece of advice!” Sahl continued, “The whole world is ignorance, except what is knowledge; all knowledge is a proof against you, except what is acted upon; every action is suspended, except that which accords with the sunnah; and the sunnah stands upon God-fearingness.”

Abū Muḥammad al-Murtaʿish said, “If you see anyone claiming a hidden state with Allah for which there is no outward evidence or reliable testimony, then suspect him with regard to his religion.”

It is said that al-Hallāj once wrote to Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAṭāʾ:
I have written, yet not written, to you at all;
Rather I wrote to my own spirit without a scroll.
For the spirit knows no difference at all
Between itself and those who love it—words cannot divide.
So every letter that departs from you returns to you;
Without my sending a reply, your answer is supplied. (1)

Abū Saʿīd al-Naqqāsh, in his “Classes of the Sufis,” also mentioned al-Hallāj, saying: “Some accused him of heresy, while others attributed his deeds to sorcery and sleight of hand.”