Abu Salih reported: A man said to Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, “What is God-fearing mindfulness?” Abu Huraira said, “Have you ever taken a thorny path?” The man said yes. Abu Huraira said, “What did you do?” The man said, “If I saw thorns, I would avoid them, pass over them, or stop short of them.” Abu Huraira said, “That is God-fearing mindfulness.”
Source: al-Zuhd al-Kabīr 963
عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه مَا التَّقْوَى قَالَ أَخَذْتَ طَرِيقًا ذَا شَوْكٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَكَيْفَ صَنَعْتَ قَالَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَ الشَّوْكَ عَدَلْتُ عَنْهُ أَوْ جَاوَزْتُهُ أَوْ قَصُرْتُ عَنْهُ قَالَ ذَاكَ التَّقْوَى
963 الزهد الكبير للبيهقي