And whenever ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn al-Qāsim mentioned the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, his complexion would look as though the blood had drained from him, and his tongue would grow dry in his mouth out of awe for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I used to visit ʿĀmir ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr, and whenever the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was mentioned in his presence, he would weep until no tears remained in his eyes. I also saw al-Zuhrī—who was among the most amiable and approachable of people—but whenever the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was mentioned in his presence, it was as though he did not know you and you did not know him. I used to visit Safwān ibn Sulaym, who was among those devoted to diligent worship. Whenever the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was mentioned, he would weep and continue weeping until the people rose, leaving him alone.”

Al-Qādī ʿIyād transmitted all of this from the well-known books of Mālik’s followers. He then cited an account with a singular, disconnected chain of transmission, which he related from several people who had authorized him to transmit it. They said:

Abū al-ʿAbbās Ahmad ibn ʿUmar ibn Dilhāt narrated to us, saying: Abū al-Hasan ʿAlī ibn Fihr narrated to us: Abū Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Farah narrated to us: Abū al-Hasan ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Muntāb narrated to us: Yaʿqūb ibn Ishāq ibn Abī Isrā’īl narrated to us: Ibn Humayd narrated to us, saying:

Abū Jaʿfar, the Commander of the Faithful, debated with Mālik in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Mālik said to him:

“Commander of the Faithful, do not raise your voice in this mosque, for Allah instructed some people in proper conduct, saying:

‘Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet’

—and the rest of the verse. He praised others, saying:

‘Indeed, those who lower their voices before the Messenger of Allah’

—and the rest of the verse. And He censured others, saying:

‘Indeed, those who call out to you