38 – He then related another report, saying: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared, “It is not fitting for a believer to demean himself.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, and how does he demean himself?” He replied, “By exposing himself to an ordeal he cannot bear.”
I said to Abu Saʿīd, “Was that like what Yazīd al-Ḍabbī did when he rose and spoke out?” Al-Ḥasan answered, “He did not leave prison until he regretted what he had said.” ⦗80⦘
Muʿallā b. Ziyād recounts: I rose from al-Ḥasan’s circle and went straight to Yazīd al-Ḍabbī. I entered and said, “Abū Mawdūd, I have just been with al-Ḥasan and mentioned you to him at length.” He replied, “Enough, Abū l-Ḥasan!” I said, “I have already done it.” He asked, “What did al-Ḥasan say?” I answered, “He said: ‘He did not leave prison until he regretted that statement of his.’”
Yazīd said, “I have never regretted it—by Allah! I stood in a place that put my own life at risk.”
Yazīd continued: “I came to al-Ḥasan three times, saying, ‘Abū Saʿīd, we are overpowered in everything—even in our prayer.’” Jaʿfar explains: that was during the turmoil brought about by al-Ḥajjāj. Al-Ḥasan would reply, “Servant of Allah, you have achieved nothing; you are merely exposing yourself to them.”
Yazīd goes on: “I rose while al-Ḥakam b. Ayyūb, al-Ḥajjāj’s cousin, was delivering the sermon and called out, ‘The prayer, may Allah have mercy on you!’ The guards rushed at me from every side. They seized my collar, my beard, my hands—everything—and began beating me with their sandals. Al-Ḥakam fell silent, and I was nearly killed on account of him. They dragged me to him; when they reached the door of the governor’s enclosure they opened it and led me in.
“Al-Ḥakam said, ‘Are you insane?’ I replied, ‘May Allah set you right; I am not mad.’ He asked, ‘Were we not in prayer?’ ⦗81⦘ I said, ‘May Allah set you right—can any book be superior to the Book of Allah?’ He said, ‘No.’ I asked, ‘Suppose a man were to open his copy of the Quran (muṣḥaf) and recite from morning until evening yet neglect the prescribed prayers in between—would that relieve him of the obligation to pray?’ Al-Ḥakam exclaimed, ‘By Allah, I think you are out of your mind!’
“Anas b. Mālik was sitting close to the pulpit, his face wrapped in a green cloth. I called, ‘Anas, Abū Ḥamzah! I remind you by Allah—you accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and served him—have I spoken truth or falsehood?’ By Allah, he did not answer me with a single word. Al-Ḥakam said to him, ‘Anas!’ He replied, ‘At your service—may Allah set you right.’ By then the appointed time for the prayer had lapsed. Anas said, ‘There was still some daylight remaining.’ Al-Ḥakam ordered, ‘Detain him!’—so I was detained. They left me standing in the sun until men testified that I was insane—Jaʿfar comments: that was how he escaped execution.
“Al-Ḥakam wrote to al-Ḥajjāj: ‘May Allah set the governor right. A man from Banū Ḍabbah stood up and spoke during the prayer; trustworthy witnesses testify before me that he is mad.’ Al-Ḥajjāj wrote back: ‘If reliable witnesses have indeed testified that he is insane, then release him; otherwise cut off his hands, his feet, and his tongue’—Jaʿfar adds: ‘and imprison him and put out his eye.’ Thus I was set free.
⦗82⦘ Yazīd continues: “Later, a brother of ours died. I joined the funeral, we prayed over him, and he was buried. I was sitting off to one side with my companions remembering Allah when al-Ḥakam b. Ayyūb appeared with his cavalry. He headed straight for us; when the people saw him, my companions fled and I was left alone.
“He came directly up to me and, finding me by myself, asked, ‘What were you doing?’ I said, ‘May Allah set the governor right. A brother of ours died and was buried, so we sat to remember Allah, to reflect on our return to Him, and to recall what has overtaken him.’ He asked, ‘Why did you not run away as the others did?’ I said, ‘May Allah set the governor right, what should make me flee from you? I am altogether innocent of wrongdoing and pose no threat to the governor.’
“ʿAbd al-Malik b. al-Muhallab—commander of his police, standing before him with his spear in hand—said, ‘May Allah set the governor right, do you not recognise this man?’ ‘And who is he?’ Al-Ḥakam asked. He replied, ‘This is the very speaker who addressed you on Friday.’
“Al-Ḥakam said, ‘So—you are daring with me once more! Seize him.’ I was taken and flogged with four hundred lashes while he stood there; I no longer knew when the beating began or when it ended. Then I was sent to Wāsiṭ and kept in the dungeon until al-Ḥajjāj died.”