al-Walid ibn 'Uqba's dismissal from Kufa (30 AH)

عزل الوليد بن عقبة عن الكوفة

650 CE · 30 AH

Kufa

Al-Walid, governor of Kufa for five beloved years, was dismissed after two chains of scandal: the execution of Ibn al-Haysuman's killers on the palace gate made enemies who watched him, and witnesses bore that he drank wine — one account has him lead the dawn prayer with four rak'as then ask «shall I give you more?«, Ibn Mas'ud answering «we have been with you in increase since today.« Carried to 'Uthman he was flogged forty; 'Ali held the count: «the Messenger and Abu Bakr flogged forty, 'Uthman eighty — both are sunna, and this is dearer to me«; when al-Hasan was told to do the flogging he said «let him who took the cool side of it take the hot,« so 'Abdallah ibn Ja'far struck the blows and his Khamisa was stripped off ¹.