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.
bayhaqi:6526Abū 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:٦٥٢٦وَأَخْبَرَنَا 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  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Tirmidhī, Aḥmad, Ḥākim, Ibn Ḥibbān, Aḥmad's Zuhd
tirmidhi:3375Abū Kurayb > Zayd b. Ḥubāb > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > ʿAmr b. Qays > ʿAbdullāh b. Busr > a man

A man said: “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, indeed, the legislated acts of Islam have become too much for me, so inform me of a thing that I should stick to.” He ﷺ said: “Let not your tongue cease to be moist with the remembrance of Allah.”  

Abū ʿĪsá said that this Ḥadīth is Ḥasan-Gharīb in this particular context.
الترمذي:٣٣٧٥حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ حُبَابٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ قَيْسٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُسْرٍ ؓ أَنَّ رَجُلاً قَالَ

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ شَرَائِعَ الإِسْلاَمِ قَدْ كَثُرَتْ عَلَىَّ فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِشَيْءٍ أَتَشَبَّثُ بِهِ قَالَ لاَ يَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ
ahmad:17680ʿAlī 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:١٧٦٨٠حَدَّثَنَا 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  

ahmad:17698ʿAbd 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:١٧٦٩٨حَدَّثَنَا 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  

hakim:1822Abū al-Faḍl al-Ḥasan b. Yaʿqūb al-ʿAdl > Yaḥyá b. Abū Ṭālib > Zayd b. al-Ḥubāb > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > ʿAmr b. Qays al-Sakūnī > ʿAbdullāh b. Busr > Aʿrābī

"The laws of Islam are burdensome for me. Tell me of something that I will be able to adhere to. He said: 'Always keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.'" (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3793)  

الحاكم:١٨٢٢حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْفَضْلِ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْعَدْلُ ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ثنا زَيْدُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ ثنا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ قَيْسٍ السَّكُونِيُّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُسْرٍ أَنَّ أَعْرَابِيًّا قَالَ

لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ شَرَائِعَ الْإِسْلَامِ قَدْ كَثُرَتْ عَلَيَّ فَأَنْبِئْنِي بِشَيْءٍ أَتَشَبَّثُ بِهِ فَقَالَ «لَا يَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ»  

هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحُ الْإِسْنَادِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ

ذِكْرُ الِاسْتِحْبَابِ لِلْمَرْءِ دَوَامَ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَلَا فِي الْأَوْقَاتِ وَالْأَسْبَابِ

ibnhibban:814Ibn Qutaybah > Yazīd b. Mawhab > Ibn Wahb > Muʿāwiyah b. Ṣāliḥ > ʿAmr b. Qays al-Kindī > ʿAbdullāh b. Busr

[Machine] An Arab came to the Prophet ﷺ and one of them said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell me something that I can cling to." He said, "Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah."  

ابن حبّان:٨١٤أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ قُتَيْبَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ مَوْهَبٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ أَنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ قَيْسٍ الْكِنْدِيَّ حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُسْرٍ قَالَ

جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيَّانِ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَخْبِرْنِي بِأَمْرٍ أَتَشَبَّثُ بِهِ قَالَ «لَا يَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ»  

ahmad-zuhd:189ʿAbdullāh 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:١٨٩حَدَّثَنَا 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»