عَنْ أَبِي تَمِيمَةَ الْهُجَيْمِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ قَالَ لَقِيتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي بَعْضِ طُرُقِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْمَعْرُوفِ فَقَالَ لَا تَحْقِرَنَّ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ شَيْئًا وَلَوْ أَنْ تُعْطِيَ صِلَةَ الْحَبْلِ وَلَوْ أَنْ تُعْطِيَ شِسْعَ النَّعْلِ وَلَوْ أَنْ تُفْرِغَ مِنْ دَلْوِكَ فِي إِنَاءِ الْمُسْتَسْقِي وَلَوْ أَنْ تُنَحِّيَ الشَّيْءَ مِنْ طَرِيقِ النَّاسِ يُؤْذِيهِمْ وَلَوْ أَنْ تَلْقَى أَخَاكَ وَوَجْهُكَ إِلَيْهِ مُنْطَلِقٌ وَلَوْ أَنْ تَلْقَى أَخَاكَ فَتُسَلِّمَ عَلَيْهِ وَلَوْ أَنْ تُؤْنِسَ الْوَحْشَانَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَإِنْ سَبَّكَ رَجُلٌ بِشَيْءٍ يَعْلَمُهُ فِيكَ وَأَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ فِيهِ نَحْوَهُ فَلَا تَسُبَّهُ فَيَكُونَ أَجْرُهُ لَكَ وَوِزْرُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَمَا سَرَّ أُذُنَكَ أَنْ تَسْمَعَهُ فَاعْمَلْ بِهِ وَمَا سَاءَ أُذُنَكَ أَنْ تَسْمَعَهُ فَاجْتَنِبْهُ
Abu Tamimah Hajimi narrates from a man of his tribe, who says: I met the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, on one of the roads of Madinah and asked him about virtue. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Do not consider any act of goodness to be insignificant, even if (that goodness is that you) give someone a rope as a gift, give someone a shoelace as a present, pour water from your bucket into the vessel of one who asks for water, remove something harmful from the path of people, meet your brother with a cheerful face, greet your brother when you meet him, comfort the heart of a person afflicted with fear and anxiety. If someone abuses you because of a fault in you that he knows, then do not abuse him because of his fault; the reward for this action will be for you and the sin will be upon him. Act upon that which your ear likes to hear, and avoid that which your ear dislikes to hear.