Ibn Al-Mubarak reported: Hasan Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Verily, the believer is a guardian over himself and he holds himself accountable to Allah the Exalted. Verily, the reckoning will only be lightened on the Day of Resurrection for people who held themselves accountable in this world. Verily, the reckoning will only be grueling on the Day of Resurrection for people who did not hold themselves accountable.”

Source: As-Zuhd war Raqa’iq 307

عن ابن المبارك عَنِ الْحَسَنِ رحمه الله قَالَ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ قَوَّامٌ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ يُحَاسِبُ نَفْسَهُ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَإِنَّمَا خَفَّ الْحِسَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَى قَوْمٍ حَاسَبُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّمَا شَقَّ الْحِسَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَى قَوْمٍ أَخَذُوا هَذَا الأمْرَ مِنْ غَيْرِ مُحَاسَبَةٍ

307 الزهد والرقائق لابن المبارك

Abu Ishaq reported: A man asked Al-Bara, “Was the face of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, like a sword?” Al-Bara said, “No, it was like the moon.”

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 3636

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to At-Tirmidhi

عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَقَ قَالَ سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ الْبَرَاءَ أَكَانَ وَجْهُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِثْلَ السَّيْفِ قَالَ لَا مِثْلَ الْقَمَرِ

3636 سنن الترمذي كتاب المناقب باب ما جاء في صفة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

Yasir Qadhi wrote on his Facebook page
'Imam al-Shafi'i (d. 204 AH) once remarked, "Sometimes a young man comes to me and quotes me a hadith that I've already heard even before his mother gave birth to him. Yet, I remain silent and listen, out of respect to the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam)."

Never interpret the silence of a person of knowledge as his weakness or ignorance, for at times even in his silence there is wisdom and manners.

Imam al-Shafi'i was the greatest scholar of his generation, yet he still humbled himself to remain quiet when a hadith was recited. If this was his respect in merely listening to a hadith, then how does one think he felt about the importance of *acting* on a hadith? And the same goes for all of the great scholars of Islam: all of their legal rulings are based on their sincerest attempts to derive laws from the hadiths of the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam).

Respect these great figures of our religion, and never assume that you know more than them. And know that all of these great scholars respected hadiths more than any of us ever can.'

Al-Bayhaqi reported: Ash-Shafi’ee, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The most beneficial of provisions is the fear of Allah, and the most harmful of provisions is aggression.”

Source: Al-Madkhal Sunan Al-Kubra 401

عن البيهقي قال الشَّافِعِيَّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنْفَعُ الذَّخَائِرِ التَّقْوَى وَأَضَرُّهَا الْعُدْوَانُ

401 المدخل إلى السنن الكبرى للبيهقي بَابُ كَرَاهِيةِ طَلَبِ الْعِلْمِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ

Ibn Asakir reported: Iyas ibn Mu’awiya said, “No man does not recognize the defects in his soul except that he is the greatest fool.” It was said, “O Abu Wathila, what is your defect?” Iyas said, “Speaking too much.”

Source: Tareekh Dimashq 7784

عن بن عساكر قَالَ إياس بْن مُعَاوِيَة ما من رجل لا يعرف عيب نفسه إلا وَهُوَ أحمق قيل يا أَبَا وَاثِلَة فما عيبك قَالَ كثرة الكلام

7784 تاريخ دمشق لابن عساكر

Ash-Sha’bi reported: Shuraih said, “Verily, if I am afflicted with a calamity, then I praise Allah four times. I praise him that it was not worse than it was. I praise him when he provides me with patience to bear it. I praise him when he guides me to supplicate appropriately and hoping for reward, and I praise him for not making it a calamity in my religion.”

Source: Siyar A’lam An-Nubula 4/105

عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ قَالَ شُرَيْحٌ إِنِّي لَأُصَابُ بِالْمُصِيبَةِ فَأَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ عَلَيْهَا أَرْبَعَ مَرَّاتٍ أَحْمَدُ إِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَعْظَمَ مِنْهَا وَأَحْمَدُ إِذْ رَزَقَنِي الصَّبْرَ عَلَيْهَا وَأَحْمَدُ إِذْ وَفَّقَنِي لِلِاسْتِرْجَاعِ لِمَا أَرْجُو مِنَ الثَّوَابِ وَأَحْمَدُ إِذْ لَمْ يَجْعَلْهَا فِي دِينِي

4/105 سير أعلام النبلاء وممن أدرك زمان النبوة شريح القاضي

Don't let the non-occurrence of a promise, even if it has a time value, make you suspicious of the promise as it may obscure your intellect and extinguish your inner light. - Ibn 'Atwa'illah al-Iskandari, Kitab al-Hikam.