What he said to three men who had raised the bar
They had asked how he worshipped and found it modest.
أَنْتُمُ الَّذِينَ قُلْتُمْ كَذَا وَكَذَا أَمَا وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَخْشَاكُمْ لِلَّهِ وَأَتْقَاكُمْ لَهُ
Antumu-lladhīna qultum kadhā wa kadhā. Amā wa-Llāhi innī la-akhshākum lillāhi wa atqākum lah
Are you the ones who said such and such? By Allah, I am the one among you with the most awe of Allah and the most mindful of Him.
Where this comes from
One said he would pray all night forever. One said he would fast every day and never break it. One said he would keep away from women and never marry. He said: but I fast and I break my fast, I pray and I sleep, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my way is not from me.
The full narration
Narrated Anas bin Malik:A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) asking how the Prophet (ﷺ) worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, "Where are we from the Prophet (ﷺ) as his past and future sins have been forgiven." Then one of them said, "I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever." The other said, "I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast." The third said, "I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to them and said, "Are you the same people who said so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (not one of my followers)
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī · 5063
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)