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.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
ahmad:17680 – ʿAlī b. ʿAyyāsh > Ḥassān b. Nūḥ > ʿAmr b. Qays > ʿAbdullāh b. Busr

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ was approached by two bedouins, and one of them asked him, "O Muhammad, who are the best of men?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "The best of men are those who live a long life and perform good deeds." The other bedouin said, "We have been overwhelmed with numerous Islamic laws and regulations. Is there a way for us to hold onto something comprehensive?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah."  

أحمد:١٧٦٨٠ – حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ حَدَّثَنَا حَسَّانُ بْنُ نُوحٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ قَيْسٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ بُسْرٍ قَالَ

أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَعْرَابِيَّانِ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا مَنْ خَيْرُ الرِّجَالِ يَا مُحَمَّدُ؟ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مَنْ طَالَ عُمْرُهُ وَحَسُنَ عَمَلُهُ وَقَالَ الْآخَرُ إِنَّ شَرَائِعَ الْإِسْلَامِ قَدْ كَثُرَتْ عَلَيْنَا فَبَابٌ نَتَمَسَّكُ بِهِ جَامِعٌ؟ قَالَ لَا يَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللهِ  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Aḥmad, Bayhaqī, Aḥmad's Zuhd
ahmad:17698 – ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Mahdī > Muʿāwiyah / Ibn Ṣāliḥ > ʿAmr b. Qays > ʿAbdullāh b. Busr

[Machine] I heard Abdullah ibn Busr saying, "Two Bedouins came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and one of them asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is the best?' He said, 'The one whose life is long, and his deeds are good.' The other one asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, the rules and regulations of Islam have become abundant upon me. Command me with something that I can hold on to.' He said, 'Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah.'"  

أحمد:١٧٦٩٨ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ صَالِحٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ قَيْسٍ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ بُسْرٍ يَقُولُ جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيَّانِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَيُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ؟ قَالَ مَنْ طَالَ عُمْرُهُ وَحَسُنَ عَمَلُهُ وَقَالَ الْآخَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ شَرَائِعَ الْإِسْلَامِ قَدْ كَثُرَتْ عَلَيَّ فَمُرْنِي بِأَمْرٍ أَتَثَبَّتُ بِهِ فَقَالَ لَا يَزَالُلِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا مِنَ ذكر اللهِ  

bayhaqi:6526 – Abū al-Ḥusayn b. al-Faḍl al-Qaṭṭān> ʿAbdullāh b. Jaʿfar > Yaʿqūb b. Sufyān > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > ʿAmr b. Qays al-Kindī > ʿAbdullāh b. Bishr

[Machine] Two Arab men came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asking him. One of them said, "O Messenger of Allah, who is the best of people?" He replied, "The one whose life is long and his actions are good." The other one said, "O Messenger of Allah, the Islamic laws have become numerous on me, so please tell me something that I can hold onto." He said, "Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah."  

البيهقي:٦٥٢٦ – وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ الْقَطَّانُ بِبَغْدَادَ أنبأ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ثنا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ ثنا أَبُو صَالِحٍ حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ قَيْسٍ الْكِنْدِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ بِشْرٍ قَالَ

جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيَّانِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يَسْأَلَانِهِ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أِيُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ؟ قَالَ مَنْ طَالَ عُمُرُهُ وَحَسُنَ عَمَلُهُ وَقَالَ الْآخَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ شَرَائِعَ الْإِسْلَامِ قَدْ كَثُرَتْ عَلَيَّ فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِأَمْرٍ أَتَشَبَّثُ بِهِ قَالَ لَا يَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا بِذِكْرِ اللهِ  

ahmad-zuhd:189 – ʿAbdullāh from my father > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Mahdī > Muʿāwiyah / Ibn Ṣāliḥ > ʿAmr b. Qays > ʿAbdullāh b. Busr

[Machine] I heard Abdullah ibn Busr saying that two Bedouins came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and one of them asked, "O Messenger of Allah, who is the best of people?" He replied, "The one whose lifespan is long and his actions are good." The other one said, "O Messenger of Allah, the laws of Islam have become too many for me. Command me with something that I can hold onto." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah."  

الزهد لأحمد:١٨٩ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ أَخْبَرَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ صَالِحٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ قَيْسٍ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ بُسْرٍ يَقُولُ جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيَّانِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ؟ قَالَ «مَنْ طَالَ عُمْرُهُ وَحَسُنَ عَمَلُهُ» وَقَالَ الْآخَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ شَرَائِعَ الْإِسْلَامِ قَدْ كَثُرَتْ عَلَيَّ فَأْمُرْنِي بِأَمْرٍ أَتَشَبَّثُ بِهِ فَقَالَ يَعْنِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ «لَا يَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ»