A Sufi poet and mystic born in Fars (in present-day southern Iran). He is mainly remembered for his proclamation anā al-ḥaqq (I am the truth), and for his tragic execution at the hands of the Abbasids. Early in his life, al-Ḥallāj moved with his family to live in Baghdad. Soon, al-Ḥallāj became engaged with the religious and political life of 10th century Baghdad. He was imprisoned for nine years and executed in 922 CE. It is debatable though, whether it was al-Ḥallāj’s political activity or his Sufi utterances that led to his execution. It is believed that al-Ḥallāj wrote 49 books; the only one that has survived is his Kitāb al-ṬawāsĪn, besides a collection of poems collected in his Diwān al-Ḥallāj.
