The salafs and being humble

Ayyuhal-'Ikhwah wa 'Akhawaat, some of the Salaf would apply the kuhl on the eyes so that the people wouldn't know that they were up all night in Qiyaam.

كان منصور بن المعتمر مكث ستين سنة يقوم ليلها ويصوم نهارها، وكان يبكي، فتقول له أمه: يا بني! قتلت قتيلاً؟ فيقول: أنا أعلم بما صنعت بنفسي. فإذا كان الصبح كحل عينيه، ودهن رأسه، وبرق شفتيه، وخرج إلى الناس

Mansoor bin al-Mu'tamir used to make qiyaamul-layl at night and fast during the day over the course of sixty years (straight), and weep excessively. So his mother said to him: "Oh my son! have you murdered someone? So he said: "I'm aware of what I have accumulated upon myself." So when the sunrised, he would apply kuhl on his eyes, oil his hair, put chap balm on his lips and go out amongst the people.

And in another narration,

كان يبكي في الليل بكاء الثكالى فتأتيه أمه فتشفق عليه فتقول يا بني : أقتلت قتيلا ؟ والله لو كنت قتلت قتيلا وعلم أهله ما تكابده من البكاء لرحموك ، فقال نعم يا أمي لقد قتلت قتيلا ، فقالت أمه : في لهفة ومن هو هذا القتيل يا بني حتى نخبر أهله لعلهم أن يسامحوك ؟ فقال يا أمي : لا تخبري أحدا إنما قتلت نفسي قتلتها بالذنوب

He would be weeping in the night, the crying of a bereaved child, which resulted in his mother feeling sympathy for him, So his mother said: "Oh my son, did you kill someone? By Allaah, if you have killed a person, his family will become aware of what you caused him to suffer and endure from your compassionate tears."

So he said: "Yes Oh mother, I killed a person." His mother now terribly anxious and nervous, said: "Who is this man that you murdered, Oh my son so we can tell his family with the hopes that they might grant you forgiveness?" He said: "Oh my mother, I do not need to inform anyone, because I have only killed myself, I have killed my soul with sins!"

When they reached the age of forty and they would eagerly look forward to reaching this age, they would roll up their beds and become more serious and dilligent in performing Qiyaamul-layl.