He was a leader of ascetics and worshippers and he was a learned man who acted as per the learning. So in this way he was a perfect pious personality of his time. He was always a content person. May Allah bless him and there was no person like him during his time. He served many followers of the holy prophet’s companions. He met many pious personalities of his time. He has a great share in the tariqat (mystic knowledge) and Islamic law. He used to eat dry bread by mixing it in water. He told “One who is content on this then he will not require any thing from the mankind.” In the hymens he used to say “Oh Allah! You used to keep me hungry and naked like your friends. But I do not know the reason that how I have got such a great position similar to your friends.” When he would be much hungry, he used to visit house of Hasan of Basra and ate what ever found available there and Hasan of Basra would always welcome him at his house. He told “A successful man is one who wakes up hungry and sleeps hungry but he should not forget to remember Allah in that condition.” One person requested him to advice him and he told him “I will advice you to become the king of this world and other world after death. So you should become ascetic in the world and do not have greed and temptation with others and think that all creations are given every thing from Allah and then he will be free from the needs and resigned from all others. In this way he will become the king of the two worlds.”
One day he told Malik Bin Dinar “It is difficult to control the tongue than to look upon the world and dinars and never say any bad thing to others.”
One day he went to Qutaiba bin Muslim and he was wearing a woolen dress so he asked him why he was wearing such a dress but he did not reply in this matter. Upon asking by second time by Qutaiba bin Muslim, he told him “He wanted to explain about ascetic condition but could not explain the same because in which it will be praise for himself or there will be complain against Allah.”
One day he saw his son in happy condition and so he told him “Do you know who are you? I have bought your mother in 200 dirhams and your father is worst in the whole mankind. So why you are so much proud?”
When a person asked him do you know Allah? He replied after silence of some time “One who knows Allah so he should get lost himself permanently in the condition of surprise.”
“Allah will give respect to that person who will not look other than Allah. But no-body has authority on Allah. True person will not be called true unless he has balance in between fear and hope.”
As per the saying of the holy prophet, “In every thing the middle path is better.”
