646 — Ismāʿīl ibn Abī al-Hārith related to me: Khalaf ibn Tamīm related to us, from Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Taymī, from an associate of theirs, from al-Shaʿbī—may Allah have mercy on him—who said: The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said to Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him: “Shall I direct you to the best deed and the easiest on the body?” He replied, “Yes—may my father and mother be sacrificed for you.” He said, “Good character and prolonged ⦗287⦘ silence. Hold fast to both, for you will never meet Allah with anything comparable to them.”