Al-Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj was born in al-Bayda, Persia, in 858 CE, and grew up between Wasit and Basra, learning mysticism from several teachers including Sahl al-Tustari, 'Amr al-Makki, and Junayd al-Baghdadi.
Al-Hallaj traveled through vast regions from Khurasan to India and Turkestan preaching asceticism, and became known for ecstatic utterances that sparked intense juristic and political controversy over their apparent meaning, leading to accusations of overstepping the bounds of religious law.
Legacy
Al-Hallaj was tried in Baghdad and executed in 922 CE after a prolonged ordeal. His personality and mystical poetry have remained subjects of extensive study and debate in the history of Islamic mysticism to this day, viewed by some as a wronged ascetic and by others as having made claims warranting critique.
