It is narrated from Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The virtue of knowledge is better than the virtue of worship, and the best trait of your religion is piety and scrupulousness."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed the people during the Farewell Hajj and said: "Satan has despaired of ever being worshipped (again) in this land of yours, but he is content to be obeyed in those of your deeds which you consider trivial and insignificant; so beware (of Satan), O people! I am leaving among you something which, if you hold fast to it, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; the Muslims are all brothers, and it is not lawful for anyone to take anything of his brother's wealth except what he gives willingly. Do not wrong one another, and do not become disbelievers after me, striking one another's necks." Imam Bukhari used the hadiths of Ikrimah as evidence and Imam Muslim used Abu Uways Abdullah bin Uways as evidence, and all its other narrators are agreed upon. There is agreement on recording in the "Sahih" the narration of this sermon of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) containing these words: "O people! I am leaving among you that after which you will never go astray if you hold fast to it: the Book of Allah; and you will be asked about me, so what will you say?" The mention of holding fast to the Sunnah in this sermon is gharib (singular), and it is needed.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I am leaving among you two things after which you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah; and these two will never separate until they come to me at the Pond (al-Kawthar)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that in the blessed time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) there were two brothers. One of them would stay in attendance on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (to acquire knowledge), and the other worked for a living. The one who worked complained about his brother to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (that he did not lend a hand in the work). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Perhaps you are being provided for because of him (by the blessing of your brother)." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, and all its narrators are firm and trustworthy, but the two Shaykhs did not record it.

It is narrated from Ibn Buraydah that Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) came out of the bathhouse of Hims and said to his servant: Bring me my sibti (tanned leather) sandals. He put them on, then entered the mosque of Hims and prayed two rak'ahs. When he finished, he saw some people sitting, and asked them: Why are you sitting here? They said: We offered the obligatory prayer, then a preacher gave an admonition, and when he finished, we sat down to discuss the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: There is no one among those who met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who narrates fewer hadiths than I; I will tell you two things that I memorised from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "A person who rules over people, with men standing (humbly) before him, and who loves that many disputants and petitioners gather around him (that is, he is arrogant), how will he enter Paradise?" He said: One day I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); he (peace and blessings be upon him) entered the mosque and there were some people sitting there. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "What keeps you sitting here?" They said: We prayed the obligatory prayer, then sat down to discuss the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, when Allah mentions something, its mention becomes very great." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), and Abdullah bin Buraydah al-Aslami heard several hadiths from Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sat together, their conversation centred on deep understanding of the religion (fiqh), unless a man recited a surah of the Qur'an or asked someone to recite one. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, but they did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Discuss hadiths among yourselves, for the mutual discussion of hadith is what awakens and refreshes more hadiths in the mind. It has a mawquf shahid (a supporting report stopping at the Companion) narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Buraydah that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Discuss hadiths among yourselves, for if you do not do so, this knowledge will be effaced (you will forget it).

It is narrated from Alqamah that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Discuss hadiths among yourselves, for the mention of hadith is its very life (the means of keeping it alive).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: We did not hear all the hadiths directly from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); rather our companions (the Companions) would narrate them to us, because we were (often) busy tending and grazing the camels. This hadith has several chains from Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i, and it is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim); there is no hidden defect ('illah) in it, but they did not record it.