508 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; my father narrated to me; Ibrahim ibn Khalid narrated to me; ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman narrated to me that he heard Wahb ibn Munabbih say:

“A scholar from among the Children of Israel went to another scholar who surpassed him in knowledge and asked:

‘What shall I eat?’
He replied, ‘Whatever quenches your hunger.’

‘What shall I wear?’
He said, ‘Whatever covers your nakedness’—or, he said, ‘the clothing of the Messiah, peace be upon him.’ (Ibrahim Abū Muhammad was uncertain which wording was used.)

‘What shall I build?’
He answered, ‘What will shelter you from the sun and screen you from the wind.’

‘How much may I laugh?’
He said, ‘Only enough for your face to brighten.’

‘How much should I weep?’
He replied, ‘Never grow weary of weeping out of reverence for Allah.’

‘Which of my deeds should I make public?’
He answered, ‘Those by which the earnest may follow your example, without lending credence to what people might say about you.’

‘And which of my deeds should I keep hidden?’
He said, ‘Whatever would lead others to think you do no good deeds at all.’”