Ibn ʿAjlān transmitted—on the authority of ʿAwn ibn ʿAbd Allāh—that he said to Umm al-Dardāʾ, “Which form of worship did Abū al-Dardāʾ engage in most?” She replied, “Deep reflection and taking heed.” (1)

It is also related from Abū al-Dardāʾ: “One hour of contemplation is better than an entire night spent standing in prayer.” (2)

ʿAmr ibn Wāqid—reporting from Ibn Ḥalbas—stated that Abū al-Dardāʾ, who was never seen without remembering Allah, was asked, “How many glorifications do you utter each day?” He answered, “One hundred thousand—unless my fingers miss the count.” (3)

Al-Aʿmash—through ʿAmr ibn Murrah, from Abū al-Bakhtarī—narrated: While Abū al-Dardāʾ was tending a fire beneath his cooking pot, I heard from inside the pot a sobbing sound like that of a small child. The pot tipped over, then righted itself and returned to its place without spilling a drop. Abū al-Dardāʾ called out, “Salman! Come and behold something the like of which neither you nor your father has ever seen!” Salman replied, “Had you remained silent, you would have heard some of your Lord’s greatest signs.” (4)

Al-Awzāʿī—on the authority of Bilāl ibn Saʿd—reported that Abū al-Dardāʾ said, “I seek refuge with Allah from the scattering of the heart.” It was asked, “What is the scattering of the heart?” He responded, “That wealth should be set aside for me in every valley.” (5)