‘Asim said:

I heard al-Hajjaj say on the pulpit: Fear Allah as much as possible; there is no exception in it. Hear and obey the Commander of the Faithful ‘Abd al-Malik; there is no exception in it. I swear by Allah, if order people to come but from a certain gate of the mosque, and they come out from another gate, their blood and their properties will be lawful for me. I swear by Allah, if I seize the tribe of Rabi’ah for the tribe of Mudar, it is lawful for me from Allah. Who will apologies to me for the slave of Hudhail (i.e. ‘Abd Allah b. Mas’ud) who thinks that his reading of the Quran is from Allah. I swear by Allah, it is a rhymed prose of the Bedouins. Allah did not reveal it to his Prophet ﷺ. Who will apologies to me for these clients (non-Arab). One of them thinks that he will throw a stone and when it falls (on the ground) he says: Something new has happened. I swear by Allah, I shall leave them (ruined and perished) like the day that passes away.

He said: I mentioned it to al-A’mash. He said: I swear by Allah, I heard it from him.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْحَجَّاجَ، وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ يَقُولُ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ لَيْسَ فِيهَا مَثْنَوِيَّةٌ وَاسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا لَيْسَ فِيهَا مَثْنَوِيَّةٌ لأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ وَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَمَرْتُ النَّاسَ أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْ بَابٍ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَخَرَجُوا مِنْ بَابٍ آخَرَ لَحَلَّتْ لِي دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَأَمْوَالُهُمْ وَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَخَذْتُ رَبِيعَةَ بِمُضَرَ لَكَانَ ذَلِكَ لِي مِنَ اللَّهِ حَلاَلاً وَيَا عَذِيرِي مِنْ عَبْدِ هُذَيْلٍ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ قِرَاءَتَهُ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ مَا هِيَ إِلاَّ رَجَزٌ مِنْ رَجَزِ الأَعْرَابِ مَا أَنْزَلَهَا اللَّهُ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ وَعَذِيرِي مِنْ هَذِهِ الْحَمْرَاءِ يَزْعُمُ أَحَدُهُمْ أَنَّهُ يَرْمِي بِالْحَجَرِ فَيَقُولُ إِلَى أَنْ يَقَعَ الْحَجَرُ قَدْ حَدَثَ أَمْرٌ فَوَاللَّهِ لأَدَعَنَّهُمْ كَالأَمْسِ الدَّابِرِ . قَالَ فَذَكَرْتُهُ لِلأَعْمَشِ فَقَالَ أَنَا وَاللَّهِ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ .