Scholars, both his contemporaries and those who transmitted their accounts, compiled reports about him in numerous historical works. Among them was Abū Alī al-Hatī, who mentioned him in “History of Baghdad.” The hadith master Abū Bakr al-Khatīb devoted a lengthy biographical entry to him in “History of Baghdad.” Abū Yūsuf al-Qazwīnī compiled a volume of reports about him, and Abū al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzī wrote a work concerning him entitled “Dispelling Contention over Reports about al-Hallāj.”

Abū Abd al-Rahmān al-Sulamī discussed him at length in his historical work, “Generations of the Sufis,” reporting that many of the masters censured him, denounced his conduct, and did not count him among the masters of the spiritual path. Most of them disparaged him. Among those who censured and disparaged him was Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd. Al-Hallāj was not executed during al-Junayd’s lifetime, but after his death: al-Junayd died in 298 AH, whereas al-Hallāj was executed a few years after 300 AH.

He was brought to Baghdad riding a camel, with someone proclaiming about him: “This is the missionary of the Qarmatians!” He remained imprisoned for some time, until statements containing disbelief and heresy were found among his words, and he acknowledged them. For example, he stated in one of his books that anyone who missed Hajj could erect a structure in his home, circumambulate it as one circumambulates the Sacred House, and give thirty orphans a specified amount of charity; that would suffice in place of Hajj.

They asked him, “Did you say this?”

He replied, “Yes.”

They asked him, “What is your source for this?”

He replied, “Al-Hasan al-Basrī mentioned it in ‘The Book of Prayer.’”

The judge Abū Umar said to him, “You are lying, you heretic! I have read this book, and this is not in it.”

The vizier then asked them to testify to what they had heard and issue a ruling on the penalty he deserved. They agreed that he must be executed.