قتل صالح بن عبد القدوس
قتل صالح بن عبد القدوس
c. 775 CE · c. 158 AH
Salih ibn Abd al-Quddus of Basra was denounced to al-Mahdi for zandaqa and the caliph meant to kill him; 'I repent to God,' he said, and recited: 'what foes inflict on a fool is less than the fool inflicts on himself — and the old man never leaves his ways until buried in the dust of his grave.' Released and nearly gone, he was called back: 'Did you not say the old man never leaves his ways?' 'Yes.' 'So you will not leave yours until you die' — and ordered his execution 1.
At a glance
- Era
- The Early Abbasid Caliphate
- Region
- Levant & Iraq
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
In time
Overview
The account
Al-Mahdi wanted to kill him, and Salih said he repented, and recited verses about the old man who does not abandon his character. Al-Mahdi dismissed him, then brought him back as he was about to leave, and reminded him of his words. He told him that he would not give up his character until he died, and then ordered him killed. 1
The account is linked with al-Mahdi's campaign against the heretics, and that link needs an additional source.
Connections
- Had participant
- صالح بن عبد القدوس البصري· Muhammad al-Mahdi
- Related to
- تتبع الزنادقة في عهد المهدي
People and things also explored
تتبع الزنادقة في عهد المهدي· Muhammad al-Mahdi· The Digging of Nahr al-Sila· The Aman of Samalu and its People's Transfer to Baghdad· The Taking and Settling of Mar'ash· وفاة المهدي· خلع عيسى بن موسى من ولاية العهد· The Building of Madinat al-Hadath
Sources
- Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition), p. 444
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “قتل صالح بن عبد القدوس”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/execution-of-salih-ibn-abd-al-quddus/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.