He was the first vizier of the Abbasids. After the fourth month of his accession to the caliphate, by the order of al-Saffāḥ, Abū Muslim killed him in the city of Anbār, in the month of Rajab. He enjoyed wit, and was a virtuous and respected person. Al-Saffāḥ would converse with him and take pleasure in his company. However, when he suspected that he inclined toward the family of ʿAlī, he gave the order to Abū Muslim. Abū Muslim then set a trap and killed him unawares. Upon his killing, al-Saffāḥ recited the following poem:
"He and those like him may go to the fire of Hell. What have we lost from him that we should grieve?"
Abū Salama was called "Ah, the vizier of Muḥammad." He was also known by the nickname "Ḥallāl," because he resided in a house on the road of Ḥallālīn in Kūfa. He was the first to bear the title of "vizier."
Ibn Khallikān relates that Ibn Qutayba said: "The word 'vizier' is derived from the root 'wizr', which means 'burden.' Because the ruler or sultan relies on the opinion of the vizier, he places a kind of burden upon him. For this reason, he is called 'vizier.' Just as a cowardly person seeks refuge in a mountain, so too does the sultan, in times of distress, take refuge in the counsel of his vizier."