Muʿādhah said, “His companions—meaning Ṣilah—would embrace one another whenever they met.”

Thābit related: A man came to Ṣilah with news of his brother’s death. Ṣilah said to him, “Come near and eat, for news of my own brother’s death reached me a short while ago.” Then he recited the Almighty’s words, “Indeed, you are to die, and indeed they are to die.” (1) [al-Zumar, 39:30].

Hammād ibn Salamah reported from Thābit that Ṣilah was once on campaign with his son. He said, “My dear son, go forward and fight so that I may seek reward through you.” The boy charged, fought, and was killed; Ṣilah then advanced and was himself killed. When the women gathered around his wife Muʿādhah, she said, “Welcome, if you have come to congratulate me; but if you have come for anything else, then go back.” (2)

Jarīr ibn Ḥāzim narrated, from Ḥumayd ibn Hilāl, from Ṣilah, who said:

“We set out for a village while I was on my mount during the season of high waters. I was moving along a raised embankment (3) and travelled an entire day without finding anything to eat. A foreigner carrying something on his shoulder met me, and I said, ‘Put it down.’ It was bread, so I said, ‘Give me some to eat.’ He replied, ‘If you wish—but it contains swine fat.’ So I left it.

“Then I met another man and said, ‘Feed me.’ He said, ‘It is my provision for several days; if you take from it, you will leave me hungry.’ So I left him.

“By Allah, as I was riding on, I heard behind me a thud like the beating of a bird’s wings. I turned and saw something wrapped in a white cloth. I dismounted and found a small basket of fresh dates at a time when not a single date could be found on earth. I ate some of them, wrapped what was left, remounted my horse, and took the pits with me.”