ʿAbd Allah ibn Jaʿfar, who had given his daughter in marriage to al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf. He instructed her:

“When he comes in to you, recite: lā ilāha illā Allah al-ḥalīm al-karīm, subḥāna Allah rabb al-ʿarsh al-ʿaẓīm, al-ḥamdu lillāh rabb al-ʿālamīn. He maintained that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—would say this whenever a matter distressed him.”

Ḥammād added, “I understood him to say that al-Ḥajjāj therefore never even touched her.” (1)

Al-Shāfiʿī said: When al-Ḥajjāj married the daughter of ʿAbd Allah ibn Jaʿfar (2), Khālid ibn Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya said to ʿAbd al-Malik, “Will you really allow him to do that?” ʿAbd al-Malik replied, “And what is wrong with it?” Khālid said, “By Allah, he is the harshest of men!” “How so?” asked ʿAbd al-Malik. He answered, “By Allah, Commander of the Faithful, every trace of resentment I once felt toward the family of al-Zubayr vanished the day I married Ramla bint al-Zubayr.” It was as though ʿAbd al-Malik had been asleep and was now awakened; he immediately wrote to al-Ḥajjāj ordering him in the strongest terms to divorce her, and so he divorced her.

Saʿīd ibn Abī ʿArūbah reported: Al-Ḥajjāj once performed the ḥajj. While travelling between Mecca and Madinah his lunch was set before him, so he said to his chamberlain, “See who will eat with me.” The man went out and found a Bedouin asleep; he prodded him with his foot and said, “Answer the summons of the governor.” The Bedouin rose, and when he entered upon al-Ḥajjāj the latter told him, “Wash your hands and dine with me.” He replied, “One better than you has invited me.” Al-Ḥajjāj asked, “Who?” He said, “Allah invited me to fast, and I responded.” Al-Ḥajjāj said, “In this fierce heat?” The Bedouin replied, “Yes; I am fasting for a day whose heat is fiercer still.” Al-Ḥajjāj said, “Then break your fast and fast tomorrow.” The man said, “If you guarantee that I shall live until tomorrow.” “That is not within my power,” al-Ḥajjāj answered. The Bedouin retorted, “Then how can you ask me to exchange what is immediate for what is deferred when you do not control it?” Al-Ḥajjāj said, “Our food is delicious.” The Bedouin replied, “Neither you nor the cook made it delicious; its flavor comes from good health.” (3)

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We have already described how al-Ḥajjāj entered Kūfa in the year 75 AH, surprising the inhabitants with his sermon, his threats, and his warnings; how they became extremely afraid of him; how he killed ʿUmayr ibn Ḍābiʿ and likewise executed Kumayl ibn Ziyād in cold blood; and how matters stood in his war with Ibn al-Ashʿath, including his eventual victory after prolonged struggle and fighting, and his domination over the leaders, commanders, worshippers, and Qur’an reciters who had been with Ibn al-Ashʿath—until the last of them to be killed was Saʿīd ibn Jubayr.

Al-Qāḍī al-Maʿafā ibn Zakariyyā said: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd al-Kalbī related to us; Muḥammad ibn Zakariyyā al-Ghallābī related to us; Muḥammad—that is, the son of ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbās—related to us, from ʿAṭāʾ—that is, the son of Muṣʿab—from ʿĀṣim, who said:

After the battle of Dayr al-Jamājim, al-Ḥajjāj addressed the people of Iraq, saying:

“O people of Iraq! Satan has penetrated your very cores until he has mingled with your flesh and blood, your nerves, your hearing, and your limbs (4); then he reached your bone-marrow (5), brains, and sinews. He rose up, built his nest, laid eggs, hatched them, and then spread about. He has filled you with hypocrisy and schism and has woven dissent into your very skin; you have taken him…”