He also said: “I have never eaten kurrath (leek) nor qanabarā (1).”

I asked, “Why is that?”

He replied, “I dislike annoying those who are with me by the foul odor they leave.”

I said, “And the same applies to raw onions?”

He answered, “Yes.”

Muhammad ibn al-ʿAbbās al-Farabrī told me: “I was sitting with Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Bukhārī in the mosque at Farabr when I removed from his beard a speck no bigger than a grain of dust, as I remember it. I was about to drop it inside the mosque, but he said, ‘Throw it outside the mosque (2).’ ”

He continued: “One day he dictated a large number of hadiths to me, and, fearing that I might grow weary, he said, ‘Take heart. The people of amusements are absorbed in their amusements, artisans in their crafts, and merchants in their trade, whereas you are in the company of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions.’

“I replied, ‘Nothing of this, may Allah have mercy on you, reaches me without my seeing a portion of good in it for myself.’

“I also heard him say: ‘Whenever I intend to utter a word in which there is mention of worldly matters, I begin by praising Allah and extolling Him.’ ”

One of his companions said to him, “They say that you have spoken against so-and-so.”

He answered, “Glory be to Allah! I have never mentioned anyone with ill intent except inadvertently, and the name of so-and-so shall not come forth from my record on the Day of Resurrection.”

He added: “One of his companions once entertained him—and us along with him—in an orchard of his. After we had sat down, the owner of the orchard began to admire it, for he had arranged seating areas in it and had brought water flowing through its channels….”