Shu’bah says...

Shu’bah says: I used to (in the past) be delighted whenever sighting anyone of men of hadith! While nowadays nothing is more detestable in my eyes than to see one of them. He also used to say: Verily, this hadith curbs you from remembering Allah, and from prayers (salat). So would you give up (relating the hadith)? Al-Shi’bi was of the opinion that to be engaged in poetry is safer than relating the hadith.

Once upon a day he said to his companions: If I sought (to serve) Allah, I wouldn’t go out for you, and if you sought Allah (His pleasure), you wouldn’t come to me... but we all like flattery and dislike censure. ‘Amr ibn al-Harith says: I have…