Mustadrak al-Hakim — Hadith 7899

Muhammad bin Ka'b al-Qurazi narrates: I met Sayyiduna Umar bin Abd al-Aziz (may Allah be pleased with him) in Madinah in the days of his youth, handsomeness and freshness. Then when he became caliph, I came to him and asked permission to enter, and he permitted me. I began to look at him intently, and he asked me: O Ibn Ka'b, what is the matter, why are you looking at me so intently? I said: O Commander of the Faithful, I am astonished at your changed complexion, your emaciated body and your dishevelled hair. He said: O Ibn Ka'b, how would you be if you saw me in my grave after three days had passed, when the ants will have pulled out my eyeballs and they will be flowing down my cheeks, and pus will be coming out of my nostrils and mouth?! Then you would refuse to recognize me altogether. Leave these matters aside; narrate to me again the hadith of Ibn Abbas which he narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So I said: Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, everything has a height (of honour), and the most honoured of gatherings is the one in which one sits facing the Qiblah. Your gatherings with one another should be held with trust. Kill the snake and the scorpion, even if you are in prayer. Do not cover your walls (with cloth and the like). None of you should look into his brother's writing without his permission. And none of you should pray behind one who is sleeping or one who is talking." The narrator said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the deeds most beloved to Allah Almighty, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever brings happiness to a believer, whether by feeding him when he is hungry, paying off his debt, or relieving him of one of the hardships of this world, Allah Almighty will relieve him of the hardships of the Hereafter. Whoever grants respite to one who is well-off, or overlooks (the debt of) one in hardship, Allah will shade him on the Day when there is no shade but His shade. Whoever walks with his brother to a corner of the town to fulfil his need, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will make his feet firm on the Day when feet will slip. And for one of you to walk with his brother to fulfil his need - and he (peace and blessings be upon him) pointed with his finger - is better than observing i'tikaf in this mosque of mine for two months." (Then he said): "Shall I not tell you about the worst among you?" The Companions said: Certainly, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! He said: "The one who camps alone, does not help anyone, and beats his slave."
This hadith has another chain of narration, in which there are some additional words.