1282 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; ʿAbd al-Ṣamad narrated to me; Abu al-Ashhab narrated to us; al-Hasan reported that Hārim b. Ḥayyān was once in command of one of those military campaigns. A man asked him for permission to leave, and Hārim assumed the man merely wished to attend to some personal need. Instead, the man made his way home to his family, stayed there for a time, and then returned.

Hārim said to him, “Where have you been?”

The man replied, “On such-and-such a day I asked your leave and you granted it.”

Hārim said, “So that was the purpose for which you wanted my permission?”

He answered, “Yes.”

Abu al-Ashhab said, “It reached me that Hārim spoke to that man with severe words, and none of those sitting with him dared address him when they saw his anger and heard what he was saying to his brother. Then he turned to them and said,

‘What worthless companions you are! Do you imagine I can speak to my brother as I have just done and not one of you will stop me? O Allah, leave the men of evil for the age of evil.’”