I have a soul that will either perish, or—by your life (1)—will be raised to some momentous affair (2).

Among his finest sayings is what he uttered when a man asked him to counsel him with something beneficial (3). He said:
“Take charge of your own self; if you do not keep it occupied with the truth, it will keep you occupied (4) away from the Truth.”

Another man said to him, “Admonish me.” He answered:
“Be with the Truth in accordance with what He has made obligatory.”

Al-Khatib narrated, with his chain to him, that he said:
“The knowledge of those who came first and of those who will come later boils down to four words: love of the Majestic, hatred of the paltry, following the Revelation, and fear of alteration.” (5)

I say: al-Hallaj was stricken (6) in the last two matters, for he did not follow the Revelation, nor did he remain upright. Rather, he turned away from it to crookedness and innovation [and misguidance] (7). We ask Allah for safety.

Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Sulami said: It was related (8) from ʿAmr ibn ʿUthman al-Makki that he said, “I was walking with al-Hallaj in one of the alleyways of Mecca while I was reciting the Quran. When he heard my recitation he said, ‘I can compose something like that.’ So I left him.” (9)

Al-Khatib also said: Masʿud ibn Nasir told me; Ibn Bakuya al-Shirazi narrated to us [saying]: I heard Abu Zurʿah al-Tabari say, “People differ about him—that is, al-Husayn ibn Mansur—between acceptance and rejection. Yet I heard Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Razi say, ‘I heard ʿAmr ibn ʿUthman curse him, saying: “If I had power over him, I would kill him with my own hand.”’ I asked, ‘What was it that the shaykh found against him?’ He said, ‘I was reciting a verse from the Book of Allah, and he said: “I can compose the like of it and speak it.”’” (10)

Abu Zurʿah al-Tabari said: I also heard Abu Yaʿqub al-Aqtaʿ say, “I married my daughter to al-Husayn ibn Mansur because of what I had seen of his good conduct and diligence, but after a short time it became clear to me [about him] (11) that he was a sorcerer and an impostor—vile and unbelieving.” (12)