Saying of Hasan al-Basri (RA):

Hajjāj bin Yūsuf was responsible for widespread oppression and killing towards the end of the time of the Companions. He besieged Makkah and bombarded the Kaʿbah. He killed the Companion ʿAbdullāh bin Zubair and crucified him in Makkah. See as-Siyar of Adh-Dhahabī.*

Stated al-Hasan al-Basri,
"Know - may Allaah pardon you - that the tyranny of the kings is a retribution (niqmah) from among the retributions of Allaah the Most High. And Allaah's retributions are not to be faced with the sword, but they are to be faced with taqwaa and are repelled with supplication and repentance, remorse (inaabah) and abstention from sins. Verily, when the punishments of Allaah are met with the sword, are more severe. And Maalik bin Deenaar narrated to me that al-Hajjaaj (Ibn Yoosuf) used to say,
"Know that every time you commit a sin Allaah will bring about a punishment from the direction of your ruler (sultaan)".

And I have I have also been told that a person said to al-Hajjaaj,
"Do you do such and such with the Ummah of Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam)?"

So he replied,
"For the reason that I am the punishment of Allaah upon the people of Iraaq, when they innovated into their religion whatever they innovated, and when they abandoned the commands of the their Prophet - alaihis salaam - whatever they abandoned."

(Adaab Hasan al-Basri, of Ibn al-Jawzee, pp.119-120, by way of Mu'aamalat ul-Hukkaam, of Abdus-Salaam al-Burjis).
http://www.islamagainstextremism.com/…/ibn-taymiyyah-the-ta…

*Source: http://www.abukhadeejah.com/the-tyranny-of-the-rulers-a-re…/