ʿAbd al-Malik; then, when Hisham came to power he reverted to the earlier practice of the caliphs—that is, he allowed a Muslim to inherit from an unbeliever (1).

Al-Walid ibn Muslim narrated from Ibn Jābir: “While we were sitting with Makḥūl, Yazid ibn ʿAbd al-Malik approached. We were about to make room for him, but Makḥūl said, ‘Leave him to sit where he finds a place; let him learn humility.’” (2)

This Yazid used to keep frequent company with the scholars before he assumed the caliphate. When he did become caliph he resolved to model himself on ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz, but his evil companions would not leave him alone and made tyranny seem attractive to him.

Harmala related from Ibn Wahb, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Zayd ibn Aslam: When Yazid ibn ʿAbd al-Malik acceded to power he said, “Conduct affairs in accordance with the policy of ʿUmar.” He continued thus for forty nights, after which forty shaykhs were brought in to testify before him that the caliphs would face neither reckoning nor punishment (3).

Some people accused him of laxity in religion, but that is untrue; the one deserving of such censure was his son, al-Walid ibn Yazid the profligate, as will be mentioned. As for this Yazid, there was nothing objectionable about him.

ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz wrote to him during his final illness:

“To proceed: I see myself succumbing to my condition (4), and I believe that authority will shortly come to you. So fear Allah, fear Allah with regard to the community of Muhammad. Before long you will die, leaving this world to those who will not praise you, and passing on to One who will not excuse you. Peace.” (5)

Yazid ibn ʿAbd al-Malik wrote to his brother Hisham:

“To proceed: The Commander of the Faithful has learned that you have grown impatient with his life, wished for his death, and sought the caliphate.” At the end of the letter he added (6):

Men have wished that I might die—and if I die,
It is a road on which I am not the only traveler.

They know—if knowledge could avail them—that whenever I depart,
The one who covets my place (7) shall not be made immortal.

His appointed term is moving toward its set time,
And death will find him one day, unannounced.

So tell the man who yearns to succeed the one who is gone:
Prepare for another turn like it, for it is as good as here. (8)