Medina, and the position of Ahmad according to the better-known of the two reports transmitted from him. It is also one of the two opinions in the school of Abū Hanīfa and an opinion within the school of al-Shāfi‘ī. The other opinion is that his repentance is accepted. They agree, however, that when someone of this kind is executed, it cannot be said that he was executed unjustly.

As for the claim:

“Al-Hallāj is one of Allah’s friends,”

anyone who says this is certainly ignorant and speaks without knowledge—even if al-Hallāj had not expressed the views of the heretics. For a friend of Allah is someone who dies in a state of friendship with Allah, whom Allah loves and with whom He is pleased. According to many scholars, or most of them, such testimony may not be given concerning anyone unless the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, testified that he would enter Paradise.

A group of the early generations, including Ibn al-Hanafiyya and ‘Alī ibn al-Madīnī, held that such testimony may not be given concerning anyone other than the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Others said that such testimony may indeed be given concerning someone widely praised among Muslims, because:

“A funeral procession passed by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the people spoke well of the deceased. He said, ‘It is assured, it is assured.’ Another funeral procession passed by him, and they spoke ill of the deceased. He said, ‘It is assured, it is assured.’ He explained: ‘You spoke well of the deceased in this funeral procession, so I said that Paradise was assured for that person. You spoke ill of the deceased in the other funeral procession, so I said that the Fire was assured for that person. You are Allah’s witnesses on earth.’”

Thus, if it is permissible to testify that certain people are inwardly friends of Allah—whether on the basis of an explicit text or the testimony of the Muslim community—al-Hallāj is not among them. The great majority of the Muslim community condemn him and regard him as one of