A man once asked Ka’b, “Which illness cannot be treated?” “Death”, he replied. The son of Zayd b. Aslam [d136H] said:
My father said, “There is one treatment for death: gaining the pleasure of Allah ‘azza wa jall.”
Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā in Dhikr Al-Mawt no. 418.
Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allah have mercy on him – said:
Faith (īmān) is not by embellishment or wishful thinking, but it is what settles in the heart and is verified through your works. Whoever says good but does not do good will have his words compared to his deeds by Allah. Whoever says good and does good will have his words raised by his deeds. This is because Allah ‘azza wa jalla said:
To Him ascends the good word, and the righteous deed raises it. [Sūrah Fāṭir: 10]
Ibn Battah in Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā Vol. 3 p120, and Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baghdādī in Iqtiḍā’ Al-‘Ilm Al-‘Amal no.56.
Ma’n b. ‘Īsa Al-Qazzāz reports:
Whenever Mālik b. Anas – Allah have mercy on him – would sit to narrate ḥadīth he would bath and perfume himself. If anyone raised his voice in the gathering [Imām Mālik] would reprimand him and say, “Lower your voice, for Allah tabāraka wa ta’ālā said:
O Believers! Do not raise your voices over that of the Prophet [Sūrah Al-Ḥujarāt: 2]
Whoever raises his voice over the sound of the ḥadīth of Allah’s Messenger – peace and blessing be upon him, then it is as if he is raising his voice over that of the Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him.”
Nasr b. Ibrāhīm Al-Maqdisī in Mukhtasar Al-Hujjah ‘alā Tārik Al-Mahajjah Vol.1 p121.
Abū ‘Uthmān Sa’īd b. Ismā’īl Al-Naysābūrī (d290H) said:
Whoever governs himself by the Sunnah – in word and deed – will speak with wisdom. But whoever governs himself according to his own desires will speak heresies (bid’ah); because Allah tabāraka wa ta’ālā said:
And if you obey him (the Messenger) you will be guided. [Sūrah Al-Nūr: 54]
Abū Nu’aym in Al-Ḥilyah Vol.10 p244, and others.
After mentioning this and other similar narrations Shaykh Al-Islām Ibn Taymīyah said (Minhāj Al-Sunnah Vol.5 p117):
It is as they said, for if a person does not follow what the Messenger came with he will act according to his own wishes. Thus he will be one who follows his desires without guidance from Allah.
‘Urwah b. Al-Zubayr – Allah have mercy on him – said:
‘Ā’ishah – Allah be pleased with her – gave seventy thousand (dirham) in charity, while her own skirt used to be patched.
‘Abdullah b. Mubārak in Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā’iq Vol. 1 p588, no.705.