A man wrote to 'Umar b. 'Abd al-Aziz asking him about Divine decree. He wrote to him: To begin with, I enjoin upon you to fear Allah, to be moderate in (obeying) His Command, to follow the sunnah (practice) of His Prophet (saws) and to abandon the novelties which the innovators introduced after his Sunnah has been established and they were saved from its trouble (i.e. novelty or innovation) ; so stick to Sunnah, for it is for you, if Allah chooses, a protection ; then you should know that any innovation which the people introduced was refuted long before it on the basis of some authority or there was some lesson in it, for the Sunnah was introduced by the people who were conscious of the error, slip, foolishness, and extremism in case of (the sunnah) was opposed. So accept for yourself what the people (in the past) had accepted for themselves, for they had complete knowledge of whatever they were informed, and by penetrating insight they forbade (to do prohibited acts); they had more strength (than us) to disclose the matters (of religion), and they were far better (than us) by virtue of their merits. If right guidance is what you are following, then you outstriped them to it. And if you say whatever the novelty occurred after them was introduced by those who followed the way other then theirs and disliked them. It is they who actually outstripped, and talked about it sufficiently, and gave a satisfactory explanation for it. Below them there is no place for exhaustiveness, and above them there is no place for elaborating things. Some people shortened the matter more than they had done, and thus they turned away (from them), and some people raised the matter more than they had done, and thus they exaggerated. They were on right guidance between that. You have written (to me) asking about confession of Divine decree, you have indeed approached a person who is well informed of it, with the will of Allah. I know what whatever novelty people have brought in, and whatever innovation people have introduced are not more manifest and more established than confession of Divine decree. The ignorant people (i.e. the Arabs before Islam) in pre-Islamic times have mentioned it ; they talked about it in their speeches and in their poetry. They would console themselves for what they lost, and Islam then strengthened it (i.e. belief in Divine decree). The Messenger of Allah (saws) did not ...

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was neither very tall of stature, nor short. His skin was neither pale white, nor tawny, and his hair was neither crisply curled, nor lank. Allah (Exalted is He) sent him [to serve as His Messenger] at the end of forty years of life, so he stayed in Mecca for ten years and in Medina for ten years, and Allah took him unto Himself at the end of sixty years, with fewer than twenty white hairs on his head and his beard.”

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) went out and I went with him, then he went in to see a woman from among the Helpers [al-Ansar], so she slaughtered a sheep for him and he ate some of it. She also brought him a dish of ripe dates, and he ate some of them. Then he performed the minor ritual ablution for the noon prayer, and performed it. Then he departed, and she brought him a leftover from the remnant of the sheep, and he ate. Then he performed the afternoon ritual prayer but did not perform the minor ritual ablution.”

Mazida al-'Abdi said, "Ashajj came and took the hand of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and kissed it. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told him, 'You have two qualities which Allah and His Messenger love.' He asked, 'Was I born with them or are they characteristics which I have acquired?' He said, 'No, they are part of the natural character on which you were formed.' Ashajj said, 'Praise belongs to Allah who has created me with what Allah an His Messenger love!'"

Mu'awiya ibn Hudayj said, "I came to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, and asked him for permission to enter. They told me, 'Stay where you are until he comes to you.' I sat down near his door." He continued, "'Umar came out to me, called for water and did wudu'. Then he wiped over his leather socks. I said, 'O Amir al'-Mu'minin, is this on account of urine?' He replied, 'On account of urine or other things.'"

if they live, they will have enough, and if they die, they will enter the Garden. Allah Almighty is responsible for whoever enters his house , saying 'Peace'. Allah is responsible for whoever goes out to the mosque. Allah is responsible for whoever goes out in the Way of Allah."

Abu Hurayra described the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the words, "He was of medium height, but nearer to being tall. He was very white with a black beard and good front teeth. He had long eye-lashes. He was very broad between the shoulders and had full cheeks. He walked on his entire foot, but they did not have a hollow. He turned completely towards people or turned his back completely. I have not seen anyone like him before or since.'"