Al-Dhahabî describes Al-Fudayl b. ‘Ayyâd as an Imâm, an example, and Shaykh Al-Islâm.
He is renowned as one of the pious Salaf, and many wise and inspiring statements are related from him. Allâh have mercy on him. Here is the story of how he made tawbah.
Al-Fadl b. Mûsâ reports:
Al-Fudayl b. ‘Ayyâd used to be a highwayman, between Abyûrd and Sarkhas. He was in love with a girl, and the cause of his repentance was that he was once climbing a wall to meet her when he heard someone reciting the following verses:
Has not the time come for those who believe, that their hearts should be humbled and submitted (to Allah)…? [Al-Hadîd: 16]
When he heard this, Al-Fudayl said, “Indeed my Lord, it is time.” So he left, and seeking a night’s shelter he found himself at some ruins, and there he saw some travelers. Some of them said, “We should move on.” Others said, “Wait until morning, Al-Fudayl operates in this area, he will rob us.” Al-Fudayl said, “So I thought and said to myself: I spend the night in sin and there are some Muslims here who fear me; I think that Allah only led me to them so that I might take lesson and stop what I am doing. O Allah! I have repented, and as part of my tawbah I will live next to Al-Bayt Al-Harâm (in Makkah).” Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` in his biography of Al-Fudayl b. ‘Ayyâd

Anas b. Mâlik – Allah be pleased with him – said:


You people do things today that you regard as less significant than a strand of hair, whereas we, during the time of the Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – used to consider them destructive sins.Al-Bukhârî in his Sahîh, Chapter on sins that are seen as insignificant but which should be kept away from







‘Abdullah b. Mas’ûd – Allah be pleased with him – said:

Singing sprouts hypocrisy (nifâq) in the heart as water sprouts greens and herbs.
Ibn Battah, Al-Ibânah Al-Kubrâ Vol.2 p469, and Al-Bayhaqî, Al-Sunan Al-Kubrâ Vol. 52 p231.


Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawzîyah – Allah have mercy on him – said in Madârij Al-Sâlikîn, Vol.1 p487:
These are the words of someone who fully understood singing and its effects, for no one regularly sings or listens to song except that his heart falls into nifâq without him realizing. If such a person understood the reality of nifâq and its end he would see it in his own heart. Never do the love of song and the love of Qur`ân come together in a person’s heart except that one expels the other. I and others have witnessed how heavy the Qur`ân feels to singers and song-listeners; how they coil when it is recited and how they get angry with a reciter when he recites too long for them (in prayer etc); and how their hearts do not benefit from what he recites: they are not moved to do anything by it. But when the Qur`ân of Shaytân comes, lâ ilâha illallâh! How they lower their voices and settle down! How their hearts feel at peace and how the crying and emotions start, how moved they are inwardly and outwardly and spend on clothing and perfume and staying up hoping for a long night ahead. If this is not nifâq then it is certainly the way to it and its foundation

Zayd b. Wahb reports:
We were once sitting in the masjid with Hudhayfah (ibn Al-Yamân) – Allah be pleased with him, when a man entered from the gates of Kindah and stood to pray; but he did not complete the bowing or prostration postures. When he had finished praying, Hudhayfah asked him, “How long have you been praying in this manner?” The man replied, “For forty years.” Hudhayfah said, “You have not prayed for forty years! And if you were to die praying in this manner you would die upon a way (fitrah) other than the way of Muhammad – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.”
Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh, The Book of Adhân.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (r.h) narrated that Abu Yoosuf, the student of Abu Haneefah, said:

No one among Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah should mix with anyone from among the people of whims and desires so that he makes friends with him and becomes his close confidante, lest he causes him to slip or causes others to slip because of this friendship.

(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (16/475))

It is reported from Abû Al-‘Âliyah – Allah have mercy on him – that he said:
A fasting person is in a state of worship as long as he does not backbite, even if he is sleeping in bed.
Al-Imâm Ahmad, Al-Zuhd Vol.4 p313.








It is reported from Abû Idrîs Al-Khawlânî – Allah have mercy on him – that he used to say:
I would rather hear of a fire in the masjid than hear of a bid’ah in it without there being anyone to do away with it. Never do a people innovate a bid’ah in their religion except that Allah removes a sunnah from them.
Ibn Waddâh, Al-Bida’ p92. Abû Idrîs Al-Khawlânî was the chief judge of Damascus in his time, its main scholar, renowned for his exhortations. He was born in the year of the Conquest of Makkah and his father is regarded as a Companion. He narrated from a number of the Companions. He died in 80H, Allah have mercy on him.

It is reported from Imâm Sufyân b. ‘Uyainah – Allâh have mercy on him – that he said:

Whoever’s sin was because of [carnal] desires, hope for him (as he may repent and be forgiven); but whoever’s sin was out of pride, fear for him. For indeed, Âdam sinned out of simple desire, and was forgiven; whereas Iblîs sinned out of pride, and was cursed.

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

Al-Dhahabî said about Zâdhân:
He was one of the major scholars, he was born during the life of the Prophet – Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him…he was a reliable and truthful reporter…he reported numerous ahâdîth. The following are some of the Companions he reported from:

• ‘Umar
• ‘Alî
• Salmân (Al-Fârsî)
• Ibn Mas’ûd
• ‘Â`ishah
• Hudhayfah
• Jarîr Al-Bajalî
• Ibn ‘Umar
• Al-Barâ` b. ‘Âzib

Here is the story of how he repented. He narrates:
I was a boy with a nice voice and I was good at playing drums. I was once with a friend and we had nabîdh (a date infusion drink that can turn alcoholic) and I was singing for my friends. Ibn Mas’ûd was passing by and entered upon us; he struck the drink container we had and broke the drum. Then he said, “O boy! If your nice voice was to be heard reciting Qur`ân instead you would be the man!” And then he went on his way. I asked my friends, “Who was that?” They told me it was Ibn Mas’ûd. At that point tawbah was cast into my soul, and so I ran after him crying, I grabbed his garment and he turned to me and embraced me and cried. He said, “Welcome to him who Allah loves. Sit down.” He then went inside and brought out some dates for me.
Thereafter, Zâdhân became pious; Al-Dhahabî also reports that he was seen praying and it was as if he was a piece of wood or a tree in his stillness and humility in prayer.
He died in 82H, Allah have mercy on him. Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ`, in his biography of Zâdhân.
















‘Abdullâh b. Mubârak said:
I asked Sufyân Al-Thawrî, “When a man stands to pray, what should he intend by his recitation and prayer?” He replied, “He should intend that he is personally entreating his Lord.”
Muhammad b. Nasr Al-Marwazî, Ta’dhîm Qadr Al-Salâh Vol. 1 p199.

Imâm Al-Awzâ’î – Allâh have mercy on him - said:
We used to say – while the Tâbi’ûn were abundant – that Allâh is above his ‘Arsh (Throne), and we believe in what is present in the Sunnah about His attributes.
Al-Baihaqî, Al-Asmâ` wa Al-Sifât and Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` in his biography of Al-Awzâ’î.

In Majmû’ Al-Fatâwâ, Shaykh Al-Islâm Ibn Taymîyah says that this narration is reported by Al-Baihaqî in Al-Asmâ` wa Al-Sifât with a sahîh chain of narrations. He then states, “Al-Awzâ’î here cited – and he is one of the four great imâms of the period of the Tâbi’ Al-Tâbi’în (the students of the students of the Companions): Mâlik, imâm of the people of Al-Hijâz; Al-Awzâ’î, imâm of the people of Shâm; Al-Layth, imâm of the people of Egypt and Al-Thawrî, imâm of the people of ‘Irâq – Al-Awzâ’î here cited that belief in Allâh being above the Throne and in His other revealed attributes was well known and widespread in the period of the Tâbi’în. He said this following the emergence of the creed of Jahm, who denied that Allâh is above His Throne and negated His attributes, so that people would know that the creed of the Salaf was contrary to this.”




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It is reported from ‘Abdullâh b. Mas’ûd – Allâh be pleased with him – that he said:
“One should get used to the idea that if everyone on Earth disbelieved, you would not disbelieve. Do not be an im’ah (characterless).” He was asked, “And what is an im’ah?” He replied, “A person who says, ‘I am with the people (I do what they do).’ Verily, there is to be no following examples in evil.”
Ibn Battah, Al-Ibânah Al-Kubrâ Vol.1 p33.

Ibn Abî Mulaykah – Allah have mercy on him – said:
I met thirty of the Prophet’s Companions – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and every one of them feared falling into nifâq (hypocrisy); not one of them claimed he had the level of faith of Jibrîl or Mîkâ`îl.
Quoted by Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh, Chapter on the believer fearing that his deeds will be nullified without him realizing.

In this chapter and narration there is a refutation of the Murji`ah sect who claimed that îmân (faith) consists of belief in the heart and nothing else i.e. a person’s deeds are not part of his faith and do not affect it.
This narration indicates that a person may perform deeds in which his intention may not be totally pure and sincere and because of which he falls into a type of practical hypocrisy.
The fact that they feared hypocrisy does not mean they actually fell into it. Rather this was by way of them being very careful not to fall into it, and it is part of their taqwâ – Allah be please with them.
This narration also indicates that the Companions believed that people can have different levels of faith, contrary to the Murji`ah who claimed that the îmân of the most pious true believers is the same as everyone else.
Nothing contrary to any of this has been related from the Companions, so it is as if there is a consensus (ijmâ’) amongst them on this.
The following are some of the illustrious Companions Ibn Abî Mulaykah met:
· ‘Alî b. Abî Tâlib
· Sa’d b. Abî Waqqâs
· Mother of the Believers ‘Â`ishah
· Her sister Asmâ`
· Mother of the Believers Umm Salamah
· ‘Abdullah b. Mas’ûd
· ‘Abdullah b. ‘Umar
· ‘Abdullah b. ‘Abbâs
· ‘Abdullah b. Al-Zubayr
· Abû Hurayrah
· ‘Uqbah b. Al-Hârith
· Miswar b. Mikhramah Allah be pleased with them all.
These notes have been summarized from Fath Al-Bârî.

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.

Fudail Ibn 'Iyaad said


Two actions harden the heart: Much talk and much eating.


[The Bookf of Manners by Fu'ad Ibn Abdul-'Azeez Ash-Shuloob]