Intentions and the Salaf - 1

Muhammad ibn Yazeed narrated to us…that Ibraheem said:

“[The Salaf] used to hate that a man would show the best of what he has when they gather”

‘Aasim ibn ‘Aamir ibn ‘Alee narrated to us…that Maymoon ibn Mahraan said:

“Umar ibn ‘Abdul ‘Azeez was speaking to a gathering of his brothers one day, he was giving a beautiful sermon when he saw a man in the circle wiping a tear drop from his eyes so he stopped. I said to him, ‘O leader of the believers, continue.’

He said; “leave me, for indeed there is a Fitnah in speech, and actions are more rightful for a believer than speech.”

My father narrated to me that…I heard Muhammad ibn Waasi’ saying:

“A man would cry for twenty years while his wife is with him, and yet she would not know of it.”

Ahmad narrated to us…Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah az Zarraad said:

“Hisaan ibn Abi Sinaan would buy a whole household (of slaves), a man and his family and then free them all, he wouldn’t even get to know them or tell them who he was.”

Both Khaalid and ‘Ubayd Allah said…that al Hassan said:

“If a man were free for an hour, he would seclude himself and pray, he would tell his family: ‘If someone asks for me just tell them I’m busy.’

Muhammad ibn ‘Alee ibn al Hasan narrated to us…that al Hassan was teaching or giving a sermon one day, a man in the gathering sighed deeply, al Hassan said to him:

“If you did it for Allah you have made yourself known, and if you did it for other than Allah you have destroyed yourself.”

Ya’qoob ibn Isma’eel said…that as Saleel used to teach or read, tears would well up in his eyes but he would turn it to laughter.

Khaalid ibn Khadaash narrated to us…that Ayyoub cried one time, so we looked at him and he said:

“It’s just a cold that I get from time to time.”

He cried another time until it became clear he was crying, he said:

“If a man reaches an old age, he becomes sick.”

Khaalid ibn Khadaash narrated to us…that ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Abdullah said:

“Goodness was not known from ‘Umar or ibn ‘Umar until they spoke or acted. A man would worship Allah for twenty years, his own neighbor would not know of it.” Hamaad [in the chain of narration] said: “One of you would pray one night or part of a night, and his neighbor would know in the morning.”