حياة السلف بين القول والعمل

Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, said: The status of one who seeks knowledge to benefit from it is like that of a servant who seeks everything that pleases his master, seeking to endear himself to him, to draw near to him, and to have a high standing with him so that he does not find anything with him that he dislikes. [Sifat al-Safwah 2/541].

Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, said: Jesus, peace be upon him, said: Wisdom has its people. If you place it with those who are not its people, it will be wasted. If you withhold it from its people, it will be wasted. Be like the doctor who places the medicine where it should be. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/427].

Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, said: Jesus and John, peace be upon them, used to come to the village. Jesus would ask about the worst of its people, and John would ask about the best of its people. John said to him: Why do you stay with the worst of people? He said: I am only a physician who treats the sick. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/427].

Bilal ibn Abi Burda, may God have mercy on him, said: “Do not let the bad things you know about us prevent you from accepting the best things you hear.” [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/523].

Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad, may God have mercy on him, said: A man does not know the mistake of his teacher until he sits with someone else. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/713].