Amir bin Abd Qays

It is narrated from Amir bin Abd Qays that he said: The pleasures of life lie in four things: women, clothing, food and sleep. As for women, by Allah, seeing a woman and seeing a goat are the same to me. As for clothing, by Allah, whatever cloth I get to cover my private parts, I do not care for any other cloth. As for food and sleep, they have overpowered me. By Allah, I will harm them both with all my effort.

Al-Hasan said: By Allah, he did harm them both.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: Amir was visited in his house, and he had with him only a jar holding his water for ablution and drinking, and a basket holding his food.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: The part of the body of Amir bin Abd Qays that touched the ground was (hard) like the callused knee pads of a camel.

It is narrated from Sahm bin Shaqiq that he said: I came to Amir bin Abd Qays and sat at his door. He came out having taken a ritual bath, so I said: I think you like the ritual bath. He said: Sometimes I take a ritual bath. Then he asked: What do you need? I said: Love of hadith. He said: Is this your impression of me, that I love hadith?

It is narrated from Muhammad bin Sirin that he said: It was said to Amir bin Abdullah: Why have you not married? He said: I have no desire (for it), nor do I have wealth. So I cannot deceive a Muslim woman.

It is narrated from Thabit that he said: Amir bin Abd Qays said to his two paternal cousins: Entrust your affair to Allah.

Amir bin Abdullah said: "I find myself grieving over Basrah for four things: its muezzins answering one another, the thirst of the midday heat in summer, that my friends are there, and that it is my homeland."

Sa'id al-Jurayri reports: When Amir bin Abdullah was sent into exile, some of his brothers came out to see him off. At the back of al-Mirbad he said: "I am going to make supplication, so say Amin." His brothers said: "Go ahead; this is exactly what we want from you." He (may Allah have mercy on him) supplicated: "O Allah, whoever has wronged me, lied against me, exiled me from my city and separated me from my brothers, O Allah, increase his wealth and his children, keep his body healthy and make his life long."

It is narrated from Malik bin Dinar, who said: The one who saw Amir bin Abd Qays himself told me that he called for olive oil, poured it into his hand and rubbed one hand over the other, then recited this verse of the Noble Qur'an: "And a tree that springs forth from Mount Sinai, producing oil and a relish for those who eat." [Al-Mu'minun: 20] The narrator said: Then he applied the oil to his head and beard.

Malik bin Dinar reports from a man that Amir bin Abdullah was at al-Rahbah when a dhimmi was being wronged. The narrator said: So Amir threw down his cloak and said: "Shall I go on watching the covenant of Allah being broken while I am alive?" So he rescued him.

It is narrated from Fudayl bin Zayd al-Raqashi, who said: "Do not let people make you heedless of yourself, for your matter will be with you, not with them. And do not say: 'Pass the day for us in such and such a way,' for whatever you do in it will all be counted against you. And you will not find anything quicker to overtake or better in pursuit than a fresh good deed after a great sin."

It is narrated from Qasamah bin Zuhayr, who said: "Give rest to the hearts, and they will retain the remembrance."