Abū Al-Dardā` once wrote to Salmān Al-Fārsī:
Come to the Holy Land. [Salmān] wrote back, “Verily, the land does not make anyone holy; it is the deeds of a man that make him pure.”
Al-Dhahabī, SIyar A’lām Al-Nubalā 1:549.
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Prepare for death yourself [khutbah of Uthman]
It is narrated that ‘Uthmān b. ʿAffān – Allāh be pleased with him – said in a sermon:
Son of Adam! Know that the angel of death who has been assigned to you has not ceased to pass you and move on to others, ever since you have been in this world. But it is as if he is about to pass someone else and move on to target you, so be careful and prepare for him (by correcting your deeds). And do not forget him, for he does not forget you. And know o son of Adam, if you are heedless about yourself and do not prepare, no one else will prepare for you. You must meet Allah the Mighty and Majestic, so take for yourself and do not leave it to someone else. Peace be on you.
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm 2: 73, 74.
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Love and Hate for the Companions
It is reported that Bishr b. Al-Ḥārith said:
I heard Al-Fuḍayl b. ʿAyyāḍ say, “It has reached me that Allāh has barred repentance from every adherent of bid’ah (religious innovation), and the worst of the people of bid’ah are those who hate the Companions of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him.” He then turned to me and said, “Make the firmest of your deeds with Allāh your love for the Companions of His Prophet, for [then], were you to come to the standing of judgment (on the Day of Resurrection) with the likes of the Earth in sins, Allāh would forgive you; but if you come [on that Day] with even the smallest amount of hatred for them, no [good] deed will benefit you.”
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm 5: 412.
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The Integrity of a Man and his Prayer
It is reported that Abū Al-‘Āliyah – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
I would travel for days to a man to hear [knowledge/ḥadīth ] from him, and the first thing I would check about him is his prayer: if he performed it properly I would stay and hear [knowledge] from him, but if he neglected it, I would return without hearing from him, and I would say, ‘He will be even more neglectful of other matters.’
Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baghdādī, Al-Riḥlah fī Ṭalab Al-Ḥadīth article 22; Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:209.
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As if I saw The Prophet
It is reported that Imām Al-Shāfi’ī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
When I see a man from the Adherents of Ḥadīth, it is as if I have seen the Prophet – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – alive.
Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baghdādī, Sharaf Ashāb Al-Ḥadīth article 85.
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Weapons of Mass Distinction
Abū Isḥāq [Al-Fazārī] states:
The enemy was never able to stand up to the Companions of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him, so when the news of the defeat of the Romans came to Heraclius at Antioch he asked [his people], “Woe to you, tell me about these people who fight you, are they not humans like you?” They replied, “Indeed, they are.” He asked, “So are you more in number or them?” They replied, “We outnumber them greatly in all places.” He said, “So how is it that you are defeated whenever you meet them [in battle].” A senior and esteemed elder amongst them replied, “Because they stand in prayer at night, fast during the day, fulfill their agreements and promises, enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil, they are fair and just amongst themselves; and because we drink wine, fornicate, commit sin, break our agreements, steal, oppress and do injustice, enjoin the committing of what angers Allāh and forbid what pleases Allāh the Mighty and Majestic, and we cause evil and corruption in the land.” Heraclius said, “You are the one who has told me the truth.”
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm 4:91.
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Did the Companions used to laugh?
It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar – Allāh be pleased with him – was asked:
Did the Companions of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – used to laugh? He replied, “Yes, and the īmān (faith) in their hearts was greater than the mountains.”
ʿAbd Al-Razzāq Al-Ṣan’ānī, Al-Muṣannaf 11:327.
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Honor in the Houses of Allah
It is reported that ‘Amr b. Maymūn said:
The Companions of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – used to say, “The mosques are the houses of Allāh on Earth, and it is a right from Allāh that He will honor those who visit Him in [His houses].”
Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq 4:159.
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Umar on the Virtue of Hajj
It is reported that ʿUmar b. Al-Khattāb – Allāh be pleased with him – once came out and saw a travelling party; he asked:
Who is this travelling party? They replied, “Pilgrims (on Hajj).” He asked them three times, “And nothing else has brought you forth?” They replied, “Nothing else.” He said, “If the travelers [on Hajj] knew who they were coming to, they would feel the delight of having great virtue after forgiveness [from Allāh]. By He in whose hand is ʿUmar’s soul, never does [the pilgrim’s] camel raise its hoof and place it back down except that Allāh raises [the pilgrim] in rank, forgives one of his sins and writes for him a good deed.”
ʿAbd Al-Razzāq Al-Ṣan’ānī, Al-Muṣannaf 5: 4, 5.
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The Age of Knowledge
It is reported that Ayyūb Al-Sakhtiyānī was asked:
Is knowledge today greater or lesser [in amount]? He replied, “There is more speech today, but there was more knowledge in the past.”
Al-Fasawī, Al-Ma’rifah wa Al-Tārīkh 2:136.