It is reported that a man once overheard him saying:
“O Allah, You know that humiliation is dearer to me than honour, that poverty is dearer to me than wealth, and that death is dearer to me than continued life.”

Another saying attributed to him is: “A person may still be showing off even after his death; he longs for the people to crowd around his funeral.” (1)

“You will never taste the sweetness of worship until you place a barrier between yourself and your passions.” (2)

Abu Muhammad ibn ʿUlwan informed us. Imam Muwaffaq al-Din ʿAbd Allah ibn Ahmad, in the year 611 AH, related to us. He said: My son, Abu al-Majd ʿIsa, narrated to me; Abu Tahir ibn al-Maʿtush informed us; Abu al-Ghanaʾim Muhammad ibn Muhammad informed us; Abu Ishaq al-Barmaki informed us; ʿUbayd Allah ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Zuhri informed us; Hamzah ibn al-Husayn al-Bazzaz narrated to me; ʿAbd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn ʿUbayd narrated to us; and Hamzah ibn Dhihqan narrated to me, saying:

“I said to Bishr ibn al-Harith, ‘I would like to withdraw with you in seclusion.’

“He replied, ‘Whenever you wish—just choose a day.’

“I then saw him enter a small pavilion and perform four units of prayer such as I could never hope to match. In his prostration I heard him say:

‘O Allah, You know—above Your Throne—that humiliation is dearer to me than distinction; O Allah, You know—above Your Throne—that poverty is dearer to me than wealth; O Allah, You know—above Your Throne—that I prefer nothing to Your love.’

“When I heard these words, sobs and tears overcame me. He thereupon said, ‘O Allah, You know that had I realised anyone was here, I would not have spoken.’”

ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hatim said: “Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna, a close companion of Bishr, narrated to us…,”