“A man should not spend the night in a house with a beardless youth.”

Ibn Abī al-Dunyā related through his chain of transmission that Abū Sahl al-Su‘lūkī said: “There will be people in this community called sodomites, divided into three groups: those who look, those who shake hands, and those who commit the act itself.”

Ibrāhīm al-Nakha‘ī said: “They used to disapprove of keeping company with the wealthy and the sons of kings.” He also said: “Keeping their company is a temptation; they are just like women.”

A young woman of unsurpassed beauty stopped before Bishr al-Hāfī and asked him for directions to Bāb Harb, and he directed her. Then a handsome youth stopped before him and asked him for directions to Bāb Harb, but he lowered his head. The youth repeated his question, and Bishr closed his eyes. He was asked: “Abū Nasr, a young woman came and asked you, and you answered her; yet this youth came and asked you, and you did not speak to him.” He replied: “Yes. It is related that Sufyān al-Thawrī said: ‘With a young woman there is one devil, but with a youth there are two devils.’ So I feared for myself on account of his two devils.”

Abū al-Shaykh al-Qazwīnī related through his chain of transmission that Bishr said: “Beware of these youths.” Fath al-Mawsilī said: “I accompanied thirty elders who were counted among the abdāl. Whenever I parted from one of them, he would advise me: ‘Beware of keeping company with youths; beware of associating with youths.’”

Sufyān al-Thawrī would not allow a beardless youth to sit with him. Mālik ibn Anas used to bar beardless youths from attending his sessions to hear hadith. Hishām, who was still beardless, therefore contrived to enter among the crowd, concealed by those around him, and heard sixteen hadith from him. Mālik was informed of this and gave him sixteen lashes. Hishām said: “If only I had heard