Umm Anas narrated that she once said: ''O messenger of Allah, advise me!'' He said: ''Renounce all sins, for they are the best to forsake. Adhere to obligatory duties, for they are the best from jihad. Remember Allah a great deal, for there is no better {deed} with which to meet Allah''.

It is related from Abu Hurayrah that the messenger of Allah said: ''Allah almighty says: 'I am as my servant consider me to be, and I am with him when he mentions me. If he mentions me to himself, I mention him to myself; if he mentions me in an assembly, I will mention him in a better assembly. If he draws a hand's span nearer to me, I draw an arm's length nearer to him; and if he draws an arm's length nearer to me, I draw a fathom nearer to him. And if he comes walking towards me, I go towards him at speed'''.

(Related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi)

According to Muawiyah, the messenger of Allah once passed a group of his companions sitting in a circle and asked them: ''Why are you sitting here?''. They replied: ''We have gathered to invoke Allah, praising him for guiding us to Islam and for all that he granted us''. He asked: ''By Allah, are you here for that reason only''.

They replied: ''By Allah, we are here only for that''. {The prophet (PBUH)} said: ''I assure you, I did not adjure you out of any suspicion of you; but Gabriel came to me and told me that Allah is speaking proudly of you to angels''.

(related by Muslim, al-Bukhari, and an-Nisai)