It is reported from Nu’aym b. Hammâd:

‘Abdullah b. Al-Mubârak used to often stay at home, so he was asked, “Don’t you get lonely?” He replied, “How could I get lonely when I am with the Prophet – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him (i.e. I read his hadîth)?”

Also on the authority of Nu’aym b. Hammâd:

It was once said to ‘Abdullah b. Al-Mubârak, “O Abû ‘Abd Al-Rahmân, you often sit alone at home.” He said, “I am alone? I am with the Prophet – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – and his Companions.” Meaning: reading hadîth.

Ibn ‘Asâkir, Târîkh Dimishq Vol. 32 p458.

Shaqîq b. Ibrâhîm reports:

It was once said to ‘Abdullah b. Al-Mubârak, “After you have prayed with us you don’t sit with us?” He replied, “I go and sit with the Sahâbah and the Tâbi’în.” We said, “And how can you sit with the Sahâbah and Tâbi’în (when they have all passed away)?” He replied, “I go and read the knowledge I have collected, I find their narrations and deeds. What would I do with you? You sit around backbiting people.”

Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` in his biography of ‘Abdullah b. Al-Mubârak.

It is reported that ‘Abdullâh b. Al-Mubârak – Allâh’s mercy be upon him – was criticized for spending on [other people in] other lands and not his own. In response, he said, “I know the locations of virtuous, sincere and truthful people who seek and study hadîth and do it well because people are in need of them. They are needy, and if we leave them, their knowledge will be lost; but if we help them, they will spread knowledge to the Ummah of Muhammad – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him. I do not know of anything more virtuous, after Prophecy, than spreading knowledge.”

Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ`, in his biography of ‘Abdullâh b. Al-Mubârak.

It is reported that ‘Abdullâh b. Al-Mubârak said, “I once borrowed a pen in Al-Shâm (Transjordan) and went to return it. But when I came back to Marwu (Eng. Merv, in Central Asia) I saw that I still had it, so I went back to Al-Shâm to return it to its owner.”

Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ`, Vol. 8 p395.

It is reported that ‘Abdullâh b. Al-Mubârak – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

It is right that an intelligent person does not undervalue three [types of people]: the scholars, the rulers, and [his Muslim] brothers. Whoever undervalues the scholars will lose his afterlife, whoever undervalues the rulers will lose his worldly life, and whoever undervalues his brothers loses his good character and conduct.

Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ`17:251.