Malik said, "I heard that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad used to say, 'I have seen the people, (i.e. the companions), and they were not impressed by speech.' " Malik said, "He meant that only action and deeds would be looked at, not words."
أَنَّ الْقَاسِمَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ كَانَ يَقُولُ أَدْرَكْتُ النَّاسَ وَمَا يَعْجَبُونَ بِالْقَوْلِ قَالَ مَالِكٌ يُرِيدُ بِذَلِكَ الْعَمَلَ إِنَّمَا يُنْظَرُ إِلَى عَمَلِهِ وَلاَ يُنْظَرُ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ