It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The people of the Suffah were the guests of Islam; they had neither family home nor wealth. By Allah, besides whom there is no god! I used to press my liver (stomach) against the ground because of the severity of hunger, and sometimes I would tie a stone over my stomach because of hunger. One day I sat on the path by which they used to come out. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by, so I asked him about a verse from the Book of Allah, and my only purpose was that he would take me along with him (so that I might get something to eat), but he passed by and did not do so. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by, and I asked him too about a verse from the Book of Allah, and my purpose was the same, that he would take me along with him, but he too passed by and did not do so. Then Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings be upon him) came by; he smiled when he saw me and said: "O Abu Hurayrah!" I said: O Messenger of Allah, here I am at your service. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Come with me," and he (peace and blessings be upon him) went ahead, and I followed him (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) entered his house; I asked permission and was granted permission. There was some milk in a bowl. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Where did you get this milk from?" It was said that such-and-such a person had sent it to you as a gift. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abu Hurayrah!" I said: Labbayk (here I am). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Go to the people of the Suffah and call them here." They were the guests of Islam; they had neither home nor wealth. When charity (sadaqah) came to him (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) would send it to them and would not partake of any of it himself; and when a gift came, he would send for them, and he would partake of it himself and share it with them as well. This (calling them) displeased me somewhat, and I said (to myself): What is this one bowl among all the people of the Suffah? I am only the messenger sent to call them; he (peace and blessings be upon him) will command me and I will pass this bowl around among them, so what will be left for me from it? And I had hoped to get from it enough to satisfy my need. But there was no choice except to obey Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So I went to them and called them. When they came to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and took their seats, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abu Hurayrah! Take the bowl and give it to them." I took the bowl and began giving it to one person after another; that person would drink until he was satisfied, then return the bowl, until I reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and all the people had drunk their fill. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) took the bowl and placed it on his blessed hands, then raised his blessed head towards me, smiled and said: "O Abu Hurayrah!" I said: Labbayk, O Messenger of Allah! He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Now sit down and drink." I drank. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Drink," and I drank again. He (peace and blessings be upon him) kept on saying: "Drink," until I said: By the One who sent you with the truth! I no longer find any room for it (the milk). Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) took the bowl, praised Allah, said "Bismillah" and drank it himself. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it with this wording.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the people of the Suffah were seventy (70) men, and they did not even have cloaks to wrap themselves in. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it! Imam al-Hakim says: I reflected on these narrations reported about the people of the Suffah, and I found them to be among the most excellent of the Companions in piety, in reliance upon Allah, and in constant devotion to serving the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah Almighty chose for them the same humility, poverty, single-minded devotion to the worship of Allah, and leaving of the world to its people that He had chosen for His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They are the group to whom the Sufis have traced their affiliation century after century. So whoever follows their way, their patience in leaving the world, their contentment with poverty, and their refraining from asking others, is in every age a follower of the people of the Suffah and one who relies upon his Creator.

Sahl bin Abdullah al-Tustari says: When Allah Almighty sent the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), there were seven categories of people in the world: kings, farmers, herders of livestock, merchants, craftsmen, laborers, and the weak and the poor. None of them was commanded to abandon his occupation; rather, they were commanded to have knowledge, certainty, piety (taqwa) and reliance (tawakkul) in all their circumstances. Sahl (may Allah have mercy on him) says that the intelligent person should say: Since I have come to know that I am Your servant, it is not fitting for me to hope in or long for anyone other than You; nor should I imagine about You, when You have created me and made me Your servant, that You would leave me to my own self or entrust my affairs to anyone other than You. Imam al-Hakim says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has described this group with the qualities which Allah Almighty granted them specifically in contrast to the other groups; so whoever is found to have those qualities deserves the name of Sufism (tasawwuf).