Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad-zuhd:192ʿAbdullāh from my father > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Hilāl > Farwah b. Nawfal al-Ashjaʿī

[Machine] I was a neighbor to Khabbab, and one day I left the mosque while he was holding my hand. He said, "O Hanat, draw close to Allah to the best of your ability, for you will never draw closer to Him with anything more beloved to Him than His words."  

الزهد لأحمد:١٩٢حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ هِلَالٍ عَنْ فَرْوَةَ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ الْأَشْجَعِيِّ قَالَ

كُنْتُ جَارًا لِخَبَّابٍ فَخَرَجْتُ يَوْمًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ وَهُوَ آخِذٌ بِيَدِي فَقَالَ يَا هَنَاةُ تَقَرَّبْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ بِمَا اسْتَطَعْتَ؛ فَإِنَّكَ لَنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيْهِ بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Ḥākim, Aḥmad's Zuhd
hakim:3652Abū Zakariyyā al-ʿAnbarī > Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Salām > Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Hilāl b. Yasāf > Farwah b. Nawfal al-Ashjaʿī > Kunt

[Machine] "O you who is in a state of well-being, draw near to Allah with whatever means you are capable of, for indeed, you will not draw near to Him with anything more beloved to Him than His speech."  

الحاكم:٣٦٥٢أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو زَكَرِيَّا الْعَنْبَرِيُّ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ السَّلَامِ ثنا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَنْبَأَ جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ هِلَالِ بْنِ يَسَافٍ عَنْ فَرْوَةَ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ الْأَشْجَعِيِّ قَالَ كُنْتُ جَارَ الْخَبَّابِ بْنِ الْأَرَتِّ فَخَرَجْنَا مَرَّةً مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَقَالَ

«يَا هَنَاهْ تَقَرَّبْ إِلَى اللَّهِ بِمَا اسْتَطَعْتَ فَإِنَّكَ لَنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيْهِ بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ»  

هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحُ الْإِسْنَادِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ صحيح
ahmad-zuhd:1123ʿAbdullāh from my father > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Hilāl > Farwah b. Nawfal al-Ashjaʿī

[Machine] I was a neighbor of Khubbab and one day I went out with him from the mosque while he was holding my hand. He said, "O Hantah, come closer to Allah as much as you can, for you will never get closer to Him with anything more beloved to Him than His speech."  

الزهد لأحمد:١١٢٣حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ هِلَالٍ عَنْ فَرْوَةَ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ الْأَشْجَعِيِّ قَالَ

كُنْتُ جَارًا لِخَبَّابٍ فَخَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ يَوْمًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ وَهُوَ آخِذٌ بِيَدِي فَقَالَ يَا هَنْتَاهْ تَقَرَّبْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ بِمَا اسْتَطَعْتَ فَإِنَّكَ لَنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيْهِ بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ