Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 32678 — Reports on talk about rulers

Habib bin Abi Thabit said: While we were sitting in the Sacred Mosque, Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) was seated in a corner of the mosque with his sons sitting on his right and left, and al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf had said to the people in a sermon: "Beware! Abdullah bin al-Zubayr has distorted the Book of Allah; may Allah Almighty distort his heart." At this Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Beware! This is neither in your power nor in his." Al-Hajjaj remained silent at this for a little while, such that if I were to call this silence long I could say so, and if I were to say it was not very long that too would be correct. Then he said: "O old man! Take heed! Allah Almighty has granted us, you and every Muslim the knowledge that He does this." The narrator said: At this Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) began to laugh, and he said to the companions around him: "I left out the decisive statement, namely that I should have said: You have lied."