The words of Isa (peace be upon him)

Shamir bin Atiyyah said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) said: "Eat the wild herbs, drink plain water, and escape from the world in safety."

Abu Salih said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) said to his companions: "Make the mosques your homes and your houses places of rest, escape from the world in safety, and eat the wild herbs." He said: Al-A'mash mentioned this report with the addition: "Drink plain water."

It was narrated to Al-Ala bin al-Musayyab by a man, who said: The disciples of Isa (peace be upon him) said to him: "What do you eat?" He said: "Barley bread." They said: "What do you wear?" He said: "Wool." They said: "What do you spread out to sleep on?" He said: "The ground." They said: "Taking up all of this is very hard." He said: "You will not attain the kingdom of the heavens until you prefer these things to pleasure." Or he said: "(Until you prefer them) to desires."

Muhammad bin Ya'qub said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) said: "Do not speak much of anything other than the remembrance of Allah, or your hearts will harden. Hard hearts are far from Allah Almighty, but you do not know it. Do not look at the sins of people as though you were lords; rather, look at your own sins. For people are in only two states: those afflicted with a trial and those in well-being. So have mercy on the afflicted, and praise Allah Almighty for well-being."

Khaythamah said: A woman passed by Isa (peace be upon him) and said: "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts that nursed you." Isa (peace be upon him) replied: "Rather, blessed is the one who recites the Qur'an and follows the commands in it."

Salim said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) said: "Fear Allah Almighty, work for Allah Almighty, and do not work for your bellies. Look at these birds: they do not farm, yet Allah Almighty provides for them. If you suppose that your bellies are bigger than the bellies of these birds (and that you must therefore farm), then look at these cows, buffaloes and donkeys: they do not till the land either, yet Allah Almighty provides for them. Beware of the surplus of this world, for it is filth in the sight of Allah Almighty."

Khaythamah said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) said: "Blessed are the children of the believer; blessed are they, for even after he (the believer) has died they are protected (because of him)." Having said this, Khaythamah recited this verse: "And their father was a righteous man" [Al-Kahf: 82] (which is why their treasure was protected).

Abu Thumamah said: The disciples (of Isa, peace be upon him) said: "O Isa (peace be upon him), what does it mean to make something purely for Allah Almighty?" He said: "It is that a man does a deed in a state where he would not like anyone among the people to praise him for it. The one devoted purely to Allah Almighty is he who fulfils the right of Allah Almighty before occupying himself with the rights of people, and gives the right of Allah Almighty preference over the right of people. When two tasks come before him, one for (the benefit of) this world and the other for (the benefit of) the Hereafter, he carries out the task for the Hereafter before the task for this world."

Thabit al-Bunani said: A man said to Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him): "Would it not be better if you got a donkey and rode it to see to your needs?" He said: "I am more honoured before Allah Almighty than that He should give me something with which He would keep me occupied."

Isma'il bin Abi Khalid said: Before (the battle of) al-Jamajim, a man from the people of the mosques told me this. He said: I was informed that Isa (peace be upon him) used to say: "O Allah, my state is that I have no power to obtain for myself what I hope for, nor the ability to ward off from myself what I dislike. Good is in the hand of another, and I am held in pledge for what I have earned. In short, no poor person is more in need than I. So do not test me in my religion, do not make this world my chief aim, and do not set over me anyone who will not have mercy on me."

Khaythamah said: Isa (peace be upon him) said to a wealthy man among his companions: "Give your wealth in charity." The man disliked this. So Isa (peace be upon him) said: "Only with great difficulty will the rich enter Paradise."

Mujahid said: Maryam (peace be upon her) said: "When Isa and I were alone, we would talk. And when some person diverted my attention from him, he would begin glorifying Allah in my womb, and I could hear it."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Isa (peace be upon him) spoke no words other than those mentioned in the verses, until he reached the age of (speaking) children.

Salim said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) said: "Musa forbade you from fornication, and I too forbid you from it. And I forbid you from entertaining thoughts of sin within yourselves. The likeness of this is that of the worm in a beam: even if it does not break it, it hollows it out and weakens it. Or it is like smoke filling a room: even if it does not burn it, it discolours it and makes it foul-smelling."

Khalaf bin Hawshab said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) said to his disciples: "O salt of the earth, do not spoil it, for when a thing goes bad, nothing can set it right but salt. And know that there are two (unseemly) traits in you: laughing without cause, and sleeping through the morning without having stayed awake at night."

Maymun bin Ustadh said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) said: "O company of disciples, make the mosques your homes, and (use) your houses merely as guest quarters. You have no (permanent) abode in this world; you are only passers-by."

Khaythamah said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) would prepare food for his companions, then watch over them (attentively while they ate), and afterwards (once they had eaten) he would say: "Treat the devout in this way."

It is narrated from al-Sha'bi: When the Hour was mentioned before Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him), he would cry out (involuntarily) and say: "It is only fitting for the son of Maryam that when the Hour is mentioned before him, he should cry out (at the thought of its severity)." Or he said: "It is only fitting for the son of Maryam that when the Hour is mentioned before him, he should fall silent (at the thought of its severity)."

Abdullah bin Abi al-Hudhayl said: When Yahya (peace be upon him) had the opportunity to meet Isa (peace be upon him), he said to him: "Advise me." He said (by way of advice): "Do not become angry." He said: "I do not have the power to refrain from anger." He said: "Do not amass wealth." He said: "Perhaps (I can do that)."