The words of the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him)

The paternal cousin of Sayyiduna Hanzalah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the scribe of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), stated that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, revealed to Musa (peace be upon him): Indeed your people have adorned their mosques, yet have ruined the state of their hearts. And they have swollen (from excessive eating), just as pigs are fattened for slaughter. I look at them (in this wretched state) and curse them; I neither answer their supplication nor give them what they ask for.

It is narrated from Ubayd bin Umayr that Dawud (peace be upon him) prostrated (with weeping and humility) for so long that greenery sprouted around him (from the moisture of) his tears. So Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, revealed to him: O Dawud (peace be upon him), what do you want? Do you want Me to increase your wealth, children and lifespan? Dawud (peace be upon him) said (in humility, as a complaint): O my Lord! Is it (that in Your sight I am one who loves and desires the world, that after my long weeping) You have given me this answer? At that very moment Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, forgave him.

Hisham bin Urwah narrated from his respected father that Musa (peace be upon him) said to Allah, the Blessed and Exalted: O my Lord, tell me which of Your creation is the most honoured in Your sight? Allah, Exalted is His Majesty, said: (In My sight the most deserving of respect is) the one who advances towards My commands (eagerly and with delight, to fulfil them) just as a vulture swoops upon its food (with great desire and delight). And the one (who is also the most honoured in My sight) who is as devoted to My righteous servants as a small child is fond of people. And the one (who is also the most honoured in My sight) who becomes angry when My commands are violated, just as a leopard becomes angry in its own defence. And when a leopard is angry, it does not care whether its opponents are many or few.

The father of Abdullah bin Ubayd said: Musa (peace be upon him) said (in the presence of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted): O my Lord! You have mentioned Ibrahim, Ishaq and Ya'qub (peace be upon them) (among Your beloved servants); for what (deed, by whose blessing) did You grant them this (rank and station)? Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said (in reply): Indeed, whenever Ibrahim (peace be upon him) (saw a false deity or an unlawful thing set against Me or My command and was compelled to) weigh it against Me, he chose (to abandon that false deity and unlawful thing and to follow My command and) Me alone. And Ishaq (peace be upon him) offered his life as a sacrifice for My pleasure, and as for things other than life (spending them for My pleasure in charity), his generosity was far greater (even than that). And Ya'qub (peace be upon him) (had such trust in Me that) whenever I tested him, his good opinion of Me only increased (and no ill opinion arose).

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Musa (peace be upon him) said (in the presence of Allah, the Lord of Honour): O my Lord! Which of Your servants is most beloved to You? Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said: The one who remembers Me the most. He said again: O my Sustainer! Which of Your servants is the richest? Allah, Exalted is His Glory, said: The one who is content with what I have given (of blessings). He said again: O my Lord! Which of Your servants is the best in judgement? Allah Almighty said: The one who judges against himself just as he judges against people.

Ka'b said: Musa (peace be upon him) said (in the Divine presence): O my Lord! (Tell me,) are You (so) near (to me) that (when I wish to submit something before You) I should speak to You in a whisper, or are You (so) far (from me) that (when presenting my needs) I should call out to You (in a somewhat raised voice)? Allah, Glorified and Exalted, said: O Musa! I am (indeed) near to everyone who remembers Me. Musa (peace be upon him) said again: O my Lord! We are sometimes in a state in which we do not consider it befitting Your majesty to remember You. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said: What state is that (in which you do not consider remembering Me befitting My majesty)? He said (in reply): Ritual impurity and (the time of) relieving oneself. Allah, Exalted is His Majesty, said: O Musa, remember Me in every state (although when relieving oneself and on other such occasions where remembrance with the tongue is not appropriate, one should remember inwardly in the heart).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Musa (peace be upon him) said to Allah, Exalted is His Glory: O my Lord! What is the thanks (the way of giving it) that is (in some measure) befitting You? Allah, Glorified and Exalted, said: (The way is) that your tongue remains ever moist with My remembrance. Musa (peace be upon him) said: O my Lord, I am sometimes in a state in which I do not consider it befitting Your majesty to remember You, such as ritual impurity, relieving oneself, urinating, and being without ablution (so should I remember You even in such states)? Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said: Why not! (Allah Almighty can be remembered inwardly in the heart even in such a state.) Musa (peace be upon him) said: How should I say it (which words of praise and glorification should I say inwardly on such occasions)? Allah, Glorified and Exalted, said: Say (thus): Glorified are You (O Allah Almighty), and praise belongs to You (alone). There is no true deity except You, so keep me away from filth. Glorified are You (O Allah Almighty), and praise belongs to You (alone). There is no true deity except You, so protect me from filth.

Khalaf bin Hawshab said: Jibra'il (peace be upon him), or he said: an angel, came to Yusuf (peace be upon him) in the prison. Yusuf (peace be upon him) said: O angel of pleasant scent and pure garments! Tell me about Ya'qub (peace be upon him). Or he said: What has become of Ya'qub (peace be upon him)? The angel replied: His sight has gone. Yusuf (peace be upon him) asked again: How great was his grief? The angel replied: Equal to the grief of seventy mothers bereft of their children. Yusuf (peace be upon him) asked again: What reward is there for him (for this)? The angel replied: (For this he has) a reward equal to that of one hundred martyrs.

Yazid bin Maysarah (who had read the scriptures) said: Among what Allah Almighty revealed to Musa (peace be upon him) was this: The most beloved to Me of My servants are those who are well-wishers in the world, those who walk on foot to the Friday prayers, and those who seek forgiveness in the time before dawn. When I intend to punish the people of the earth, I avert the punishment from them because of these people. And the most hateful to Me of My servants are those who follow the example of a believer's bad deed and do not follow the example of his good deed.