Pearls of Wisdom of the Salaf

[BeTheChange]

"A man should be content with having one wife and should not take advantage of permissibility of enjoying more than one woman, for it disperses the heart and weakens the strength, and the desires for women have no end."
[Ibn Al-Jawzi]

If you are aware of your natural weaknesses you are in a better position to overcome your weaknesses. In sha Allah.

[Khalid Saifullah]

Sheikh Ibn Baaz:
"The nudity of a woman in her dress is evidence of the anger of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى upon her. "

[Khalid Saifullah]

Sufyaan Ath-thawri (rahimahullaah) said:
The one who sits with a person of innovation is not safe from one of three affairs:
Either he becomes a trial for other than himself.
Or something of (misguidance) falls into his heart, so he slips by way of that and Allaah enters him into the hell fire.
Or he says: By Allaah, I don’t care what they say because I am sure of myself;” but whoever feels safe about his religion (without Allaah’s guidance, protection) in the twinkling of an eye, it will be snatched away from him.”
[البدع والنهي عنها of Ibn Wadaah page 54]

[Khalid Saifullah]

Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen said:
❝No matter how many good deeds you may have done , don’t be amazed at your actions.
Verily! Your actions are but few in comparison to the rights of Allah upon you.❞
[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (1/575) of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen]

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[Khalid Saifullah]

Abu Al-Hasan An-Naqeeb said:
❝A sign of how debased this life is to Allah is that He extracted the best of it from the worst of it, and the good of it from the evil of it: silver from rocks, and musk from a gland of the male deer, Amber from the dung of sperm whales, sugar from sugar cane, silk from a worm and mankind from a drop of sperm; glory be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds.❞
(Khaas Al-Khaas by Ath-Tha’labi)

[Khalid Saifullah]

Even if you studied for a hundred years and collected a thousand books, you would not be eligible for the mercy of Allâh the Exalted except through action.
[~ Imam Ghazali]

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ‘Abdullâh b. Mas’ûd – Allâh be pleased with him – said:
The house in which the Qur’ân is not recited is like a derelict house that has no one to maintain it.
It is also reported that he said:
Verily the emptiest of houses are those that are empty of the Book of Allâh.
It is reported that Abû Hurayrah – Allâh be pleased with him – used to say about the house in which the Qur’ân is recited:
It becomes spacious for its inhabitants, the good of it becomes plentiful, the angels come to it and the devils leave it. And the house in which the Qur’ân is not recited becomes cramped for its inhabitants, has little good in it, and the devils come to it.
Ibn Abî Shaybah, Al-Musannaf articles 30645, 30647 and 30650.

[Misbah0411]

Al-Awzai'i said: " Be patient with practicing the Sunnah, and stop where the people before you stopped, say as they said, avoid what they avoided, and follow the path of your righteous predecessors, because that which was sufficient for them will be sufficient for you." (Abu Nu'aym in al-Hilyah, 6/143) [As recorded in Tablis Iblis by Imam Ibn Jawzi]

[eesa the kiwi]

A man once asked Abû Al-Dardâ’ – Allah be pleased with him – for advice. He said:
Remember Allah in good times and He will mention you in hard times. When you remember those who have passed away, consider yourself like one of them. And when you think of involving yourself in some worldly matter, consider first what it will lead to in the end.
Al-Dhahabî in Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ’, under the biography of Abû Al-Dardâ’.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ‘Umar b. ‘Abd Al-‘Azîz once wrote to Al-Hasan Al-Basrî to get a brief exhortation from him, so Al-Hasan wrote back , “The dunyâ distracts and preoccupies the heart and body, but al-zuhd (asceticism, not giving importance to worldly things) gives rest to the heart and body. Verily, Allâh will ask us about the halâl things we enjoyed, so what about the harâm!”
Al-Bayhaqî, Al-Zuhd Al-Kabîr, article 26.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that a man came to ‘Abdullâh b. Mas’ûd – Allâh be pleased with him – and asked, “Teach me some comprehensive and beneficial words.” He replied, “Worship Allâh and do not associate any partners with Him, and be with the Qur’ân wherever it is. And whoever comes to you with some truth – whether he is young or old, even if he is hated by you – then accept [that truth]. And whoever comes lying to you – even if he is beloved and close – then reject it from him.”
Abû Bakr Al-Kharâ`itî, Masâwî Al-Akhlâq wa Madhmûmihâ p72.

[eesa the kiwi]

‘Umar b. Al-Khattâb – Allâh be pleased with him – said:
Verily, the followers of opinion are the enemies of the Sunan (the teachings of Allâh’s Messenger as passed down in hadith): they were unable to preserve them and their meanings escaped them, and when asked [questions] they were too embarrassed to say ‘We don’t know,’ so they opposed the Sunan with their opinions.
Ibn Abî Zamanîn, Usûl Al-Sunnah article 8; Al-Lâlakâ`î, Sharh Usûl I’tiqâd Ahl Al-Sunnah article 201 et al.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
How strange it is that a people whose departure (from this world to the next) has been announced, and whose predecessors have already departed, still play around!
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 843.

[eesa the kiwi]

Ma’an b. ‘Îsâ reports that Imâm Mâlik said, “I am but a man. I make mistakes sometimes and I am correct sometimes, so examine my opinions and accept anything that agrees with the Book and Sunnah; and leave anything that does not agree with the Book and Sunnah.”
Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jâmi’ Bayân Al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihi Vol.2 p465.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported from ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar:

When ʿUmar b. Al-Khaṭṭāb arrived in Al-Shām, he said to Abū ʿUbaydah – Allāh be pleased with them: “Take us to your home.” Abū ʿUbaydah said, “And what will you do with my home?” ʿUmar replied, “Just take us there.” Abū ʿUbaydah said, “You only want to cry your eyes out over me.” So he entered his house and saw nothing [by way of furnishings] in it. ʿUmar asked, “Where are your things? I see nothing but rags, a water-skin and a dish (tray), and you are a governor! Do you have food?” So Abū ʿUbaydah went over to an old pail (bucket) and took out some scraps, and ʿUmar began to weep. Abu ʿUbaydah said to him, “I told you you would cry your eyes out over me. O Commander of the Believers, sufficient for you from the dunyā is what delivers you to your place of rest.” ʿUmar said, “The dunyā changed us all except you Abū ʿUbaydah.”

Abū Dāwūd, Kitāb Al-Zuhd article 123, and others.

[eesa the kiwi]

Mu’âdh b. Jabal – Allâh be pleased with him – used to say:
Ahead of you are times of trials (fitan) in which there will be much wealth and in which the Qur’ân will be opened and taken (read) by believers and hypocrites, men and women, young and old and freemen and slaves. At that time it is likely that there will be people who will say, “Why aren’t the people following me when I have read the Qur’ân? They will not follow me until I invent something else.” So, beware of everything that is innovated (in religion), for those things that are innovated are misguidance.
Ibn Waddâh, Al-Bida’ p62, Al-Lâlakâ`î, Sharh Usûl I’tiqâd Ahl –Al-Sunnah wa Al-Jamâ’ah Vol. 1 p125 and others.

[jameelash]

I
_✍Quote for the day
_Coffee never knew it will taste nice and sweet, before it met sugar and milk. We are good as individuals but become better when we blend with the right people. The world is full of nice people, if you can't find one, be one._
_The richest wealth is health and wisdom. The strongest weapon is patience. The best security is faith. The greatest tonic is laughter, and the greatest force is love. Surprisingly all are free.

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To eat a dead Mule!





‘Amr b. Al-‘Âs was once walking with a group of his friends, when he passed by the bloated, rotting carcass of mule. He said: “By Allah! To eat your fill from this carcass is better than eating the flesh of a Muslim (by backbiting him).”
Al-Bukhârî, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad. Shaykh Al-Albânî (Sahîh Al-Adab Al-Mufrad p266) said this narration’s chain of narration is sahîh.

[SeekersElite]

The world is nothing except like a man who dreams of things that he loves. Then he wakes up.
al-Hasan Basori

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Whoever knows himself will be preoccupied rectifying his own affairs rather than looking for mistakes in others.
Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah

[eesa the kiwi]

Why is Knowledge Learned?

It is reported that Sufyān Al-Thawrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Knowledge is only learned to [apply it and] put into practice the Taqwā of Allāh the mighty and sublime.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm article 943.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Ḥudhayfah – Allāh be pleased with him – was asked:

“What is the worst fitnah?” He replied, “That good and evil is presented to you and you do not know which of them to follow.”

Ibn Abī Shaybah, Al-Muṣannaf, Kitāb Al-Fitan, article 38565.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

Two Days and Two Nights like no others

It is reported that Anas b. Mâlik – Allâh be pleased with him – said:

There are two days and two nights the likes of which no one has ever heard of before: the Day on which you will receive the news about Allâh the Exalted: whether you will receive His punishment or His mercy, the Day you will be given your book (of deeds): either in your right hand or your left, that [first] night you will spend alone in your grave, a night like no other you have spent, and that night on the morning of which will be the Day of Resurrection, after which there will be no more night.

Abû Bakr Al-Daynûrî, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawâhir Al-‘Ilm article 19.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Al-Sha’bî – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

Allâh the Exalted distinguished Abû Bakr Al-Siddîq – Allâh be pleased with him – with four qualities He did not distinguish anyone else with: He called him Al-Siddîq (the true believer), and He never named anyone else Al-Siddîq; [Abû Bakr] was the companion of Allâh’s Messenger – praise and peace of Allâh be upon him – in the cave, and his companion during the Migration (Al-Hijrah); and Allâh’s Messenger – praise and peace of Allâh be upon him – told him to lead the prayer in the presence of the rest of the Muslims.

Abu Bakr Al-Daynûrî, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawâhir Al-‘Ilm article 2815.

[eesa the kiwi]

:salams


Mâlik b. Dînâr – Allâh have mercy on him – once said:

Verily you are in greatly troubled times. Only one with true insight knows the times you live in. Verily you are in a time of [people] boasting and being proud. [1] Their tongues are swollen in their mouths, and they seek worldly gain through the deeds of the hereafter. So be warned against them for yourselves, lest they catch you in their nets. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you devour [wealth] with your knowledge. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you boast with your knowledge. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you seek to amass [wealth] with your knowledge. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you transgress [against others] with your knowledge. If you had truly sought this knowledge for Allâh, it would have been seen on you and in your deeds.

[1] The word in some reports is tafâkhur (boasting and being proud) but in some other versions, other somewhat ambiguous words are found in its place.

Abû Bakr Al-Âjurrî, Kitâb Al-‘Âlim Al-Jâhil article 73 et al.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that Hafsah – Allâh be pleased with her – once said to her father (‘Umar, during his Caliphate):

Allâh has increased the provisions; if only you would eat better food than the food you eat now and wear softer clothes then those you wear now?! He said, “I will argue [against] you with your own self: Was not the condition of Allâh’s Messenger – praise and peace be upon him – such-and-such [when you were his wife]!?” He kept reminding her until she cried. He continued, “I have told you, by Allâh, I will share in their hard living (in this world, referring to The Prophet and Abû Bakr) so that I may partake in their good life (in Paradise).”

Hunâd b. Al-Sarî, Al-Zuhd article 687; Imâm Ahmad, Al-Zuhd article 201, et al. (1)

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

‘Umar b. Al-Khattâb – Allâh be pleased with him – once took him by the hand and said:

O Abû Umayah, by Allâh, I know not if we will meet again after today. Fear and obey Allâh your Lord until the Day of Resurrection, as if you see Him, and obey the ruler (imâm) even if he is a cut-nosed Abyssinian slave: if he beats you, be patient; if he robs you, be patient and if he belittles you, be patient. And if he tells you [to do something] to the detriment of your religion (to sin), say: “I hear and obey, [but] my blood goes before my religion.” Never leave the Main Muslim Body (Al-Jamâ’ah).

Ibn Zanjawayh, Kitâb Al-Amwâl article 30; Ibn Abî Zamanîn, Usûl Al-Sunnah article 205 with a slight variation in wording. Also recorded in other collections.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

The Sahabah on Leaving the Salah

‘Abdullâh b. Shaqîq Al-‘Uqaylî – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

The Companions of Allâh’s Messenger – Allah’s praise and peace be upon him – did not consider the leaving of any action to be kufr (unbelief), except the prayer (salâh).

Al-Tirmidhî, Al-Sunan hadîth 2622. Graded sahîh by Al-Albânî in his edition of Sunan Al-Tirmidhî.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

Ibn Al-Muhallab reports that he heard Abȗ Mȗsâ Al-Ash’arî – Allah be pleased with him – standing on his minbar (pulpit) saying:

Whoever Allâh has given some knowledge should teach it. And he must not say anything he has no knowledge of, lest he become one of the pretenders and leave the religion.

Ibn Sa’d, Al-Tabaqât 4:102. Maktabah Al-Khânjî, Cairo.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

Imâm Al-Awzâ’î – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

Faith (îmân) is not sound except with [correct] words. Faith and words are not sound except with [good] works. And faith, words and deeds are not sound except with [the correct] intentions in conformance to the Sunnah. Those who went before us of our Salaf did not separate faith from deeds: deeds are a part of faith, and faith is from [ones deeds]. îmân is a word that brings together these aspects of the religions [of Allâh] and is confirmed through [a person’s] works.

So whoever believes in word, knows in his heart and confirms [his belief] through his works, then this is the strongest handhold that will never break. And whoever says [words of faith] but does not know [faith] in his heart nor confirms it with his works, it will never be accepted of him and he will be in the hereafter from those who suffer in loss.

Ibn Ba tt ah, Al-Ibânah Al-Kubrâ article 1097.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Al-‘Awâm b. Hawshab (148H) – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

I once came to an area in one part of which was a graveyard. After ‘asr, one of the graves split open and a man with the head of a donkey and the body of a human came up from it and brayed three times, after which the grave closed back up on him. I then saw an old woman weaving fleece or wool, and a woman said, “Do you see that old woman?” I said, “What about her?” She replied, “That is the mother of this [dead] man.” I asked, “What was his story?” She replied, “He used to drink wine, and whenever he would go out his mother would say, ‘O my son, fear Allâh; until when will you keep drinking wine?’ He would reply, ‘You bray like a donkey.'” The woman said, “He then died after ‘asr, so every day after ‘asr the grave opens up and he brays a few times, then the grave closes up on him again.”

Al-Hâfidh Abul-Qâsim Al-Asbahânî, Al-Targhîb wa Al-Tarhîb article 471.

Shaykh Nâsir Al-Dîn Al-Albânî graded this narration hasan in his edition of Al-Mundhirî’s Al-Targhîb wa Al-Tarhîb. See Sahîh Al-Targhîb wa Al-Tarhîb hadîth 2517.

Al-Mundhirî quotes Al-Asbahânî as saying:
This [story] was narrated by Abul-‘Abbâs Al-Asam in a dictation at Naysâbûr, in the presence of great preservers [of traditions] and people of knowledge, and they did not reject it.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that Abû Hurayrah – Allâh be pleased with him – used to say:

Whoever does not think that his speech is part of his deeds and that his character is part of his religion will be destroyed without even realizing.

Ibn Abî Al-Dunyâ Dham Al-Kadhib wa Ahlî article 94.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


The best thing after Iman and the worst thing after Kufr [women]

It is reported that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattâb – Allâh be pleased with him – once addressed the people and said:

No man can have anything better after faith (îmân) than a woman of righteous character, loving and child-bearing. And no man can have anything worse after unbelief (kufr) than a sharp-tongued woman of bad character.

Al-Hâfidh Abul-Qâsim Al-Asbahânî, Al-Targhîb wa Al-Tarhîb article 1528. Also recorded in other sources with a slight variation in wording.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Mujâhid – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

Those who strive and exert themselves (al-mujtahid) amongst you today are like those who used to play around amongst those before you.

Wakî’ b. Al-Jarrâh, Al-Zuhd article 221.

[M.I.A.]

Abdullâh b. Shaqîq Al-‘Uqaylî – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

The Companions of Allâh’s Messenger – Allah’s praise and peace be upon him – did not consider the leaving of any action to be kufr (unbelief), except the prayer (salâh).

Al-Tirmidhî,-Al-Sunan-hadîth 2622. Graded-sahîh-by Al-Albânî in his edition of-Sunan Al-Tirmidhî.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

Soft Poison

It is reported that ‘Alî b. Abî Tâlib wrote to Salmâm Al-Farsî – Allâh be pleased with them both – saying:

The likeness of this worldly life (dunyâ) is that of a snake: soft to the touch, it will kill you with its poison. So turn away from what impresses you of it, since what stays with you is so little. And do not be concerned about it, since you are certain about its parting. And be most happy in it when you are most heedful of it; for every time its companion takes solace in one of its delights, it gives way to one of its woes.
Was-Salâm.

Ibn Abî Al-Dunyâ, Kitâb Al-Zuhd article 164.

[eesa the kiwi]

:salams

Four Signs of the Wretched

It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrî – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

Four signs of wretchedness are: [having] a hard heart, dry eyes [that never cry], extended hopes [about this life], and greed and keenness to amass worldly things (the dunyâ).

Ibn Abî Al-Dunyâ, Kitâb Al-Zuhd article 36.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

This life in brief

It is reported that some people asked ‘Alî b. Abî Tâlib – Allâh be pleased with him – to describe this worldly life (the dunyâ). He said:

Do you want a long description or a brief one? They replied, “a brief one.” He said, “Its permissible things (halâl) [lead to] accounts being taken from you, and its forbidden things (harâm) [lead to the] Fire.

Ibn Abî Al-Dunyâ, Dham Al-Dunyâ article 17.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Abdullâh b. ‘Abbâs – Allâh be pleased with them – said:

O Muslims, how can you ask the People of the Book [about their scripture] when the Book of Allâh that was revealed to your Prophet – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – is the most recent news of Allâh; you recite it complete and unaltered? Allâh has informed you that they replaced what Allâh wrote and changed the Book with their hands and said ‘This is from Allâh,’ to purchase with it a measly price (Quran 2:79). Does not the knowledge that has come to you forbid you from asking them? By Allâh, we have not seen a single man among them asking you about what was revealed to you.

Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh hadith 2685, Chapter on not asking the Polytheists for testimonies or anything else. He also records it in other chapters.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Abû Hâzim Al-Ashja’î – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

If you find yourself in a time when speech is accepted as knowledge and knowledge is accepted as deeds [instead of putting it into practice], then you are in the worst time and with the worst people.

Abû Bakr Al-Daynûrî, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawâhir Al-‘Ilm` 4:338.

Abû Hâzim Salmân Al-Ashja’î (died circa 100H) was one of the eminent Tâbi’în. He was a fully reliable transmitter of hadîth and a companion of Abû Hurayrah – Allâh be pleased with him.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Falsehood that leads to Falsehood [Al-Kalam, dialectical, speculative theology]

Abd Al-Rahmân b. Mahdî reports:

I entered upon Mâlik b. Anas when a man was asking him about the Qur`ân. [Imâm Mâlik] said, “Perhaps you are a companion of Amr b. ‘Ubayd. May Allâh curse ‘Amr, for he was the one who innovated this bid’ah of Kalâm . If Kalâm was knowledge, the Companions and their Followers would have spoken it, like they spoke about the regulations and laws [of Islam]. But [Kalâm] is falsehood that leads to falsehood.”

Abul-Fadl Al-Muqri`Al-Râzî, Ahâdîth fî Dham Al-Kalâm wa Ahlihî p96.
Al-Harawî, Dham Al-Kalâm wa Ahlihî no.874.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrî – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

If people called on Allâh when put to trial because of their rulers, Allâh would relieve their suffering; but instead they resorted to the sword, so they were left to it. And not one day of good did they bring.

Then he recited (Quran 7: 137):
And the good word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, for the patience and perseverance they had, and We destroyed the works of Pharaoh and his people and what they had erected.

Ibn Abî Hâtim, Al-Tafsîr no. 8897.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

The Provision of a Traveler [this world to the next]

Anas reports that when Salmân [Al-Fârsî] – Allâh be pleased with him – was ill, Sa’d visited him and found him crying, so he asked him:

O my brother, what makes you cry? Did you not accompany the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ ? Did you not do such-and-such [good deeds]? He replied, “I am not crying over any one of two things: I am not crying out of love and yearning for this world nor out of dislike for the hereafter, but I am crying because Allâh’s Messenger ﷺ took a covenant from me about something I think I have only transgressed. He made me promise that it is enough for anyone only to have enough [of this world] as would suffice as the provisions of a traveler, but I think I have only gone too far. As for you o Sa’d, fear Allâh when you judge, and when you distribute anything and when you think about doing anything.”

Thâbit (one of the reporters) said, “And it reached me that [when he died] he left only about twenty dirham of spending he had.”

Ibn Mâjah, Al-Sunan. Shaykh Al-Albânî graded this narration sahîh. See sahîh wa Daʿīf Sunan Ibn Mājah no. 4104.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that Abû Al-Dardâ – Allâh be pleased with him – said:
You will never be pious (a person of taqwâ) until you become knowledgeable, and you will never be beautiful with your knowledge until you act [by it].

Ibn Ábd Al-Barr, Jâmi’ Bayân Al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihî article 1239.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattâb – Allâh be pleased with him – said:

We were once in a time when we did not think anyone learned the Quran seeking anything but Allâh the Exalted, but now I fear there are men who learn it and intend the people and what they can get from them. So seek Allâh with your recitation and deeds. For verily, we used to know you when Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – was amongst us, when revelation would descend and Allâh would tell us about you. As for today, Allâh’s Messenger – peace and blessings be upon him – has passed on, and the revelation has stopped; and I only know you as I say: whoever shows what is good, we love him for it and think good of him, and whoever shows what is evil, we hate him for it and suspect him. Your secret and private matters are between you and your Lord the Mighty and Majestic.

Al-Âjurrî, Akhlâq Hamalat Al-Qur`ân article 26.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that Al-Fudayl b. ‘Ayyâd – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
How will you be if you reach a time when you will see people who do not distinguish truth from falsehood, believer from unbeliever, trustworthy from treacherous, nor ignorant from knowledgeable, and neither recognize what is right nor censure what is wrong?

Ibn Battah, Al-Ibânah Al-Kubrâ 1:188.

After reporting this narration, Imâm Ibn Battah (d. 387H) said:

To Allâh we belong and to Him we will return! We have reached that time, we have heard this and have come to know most of it and witnessed it. If a man to whom Allâh has bestowed sound reasoning looks and thinks carefully and ponders the matter of Islâm and its people and treads the rightly guided path as regards to them, it will become clear to him that most people have turned back on their heals, deviated from the correct path, and turned away from correct proof. Many people have started to like what they used to hate, allow what they used to forbid and recognize what they used to reject. And for sure – Allâh have mercy on you – this is not the [right] character of the Muslims, nor the behaviour of those who have insight into this religion, and neither of those who believe in it and are certain about it.

[eesa the kiwi]

:salams


How the Salaf studied the Quran

Abdullâh b. Mas’ûd – Allâh be pleased with him – said:

When a man amongst us learned ten verses [of the Quran], he would not move on [to the next verses] until he had understood their meanings and how to act by them.

Al-Tabarî, Al-Tafsîr 1:80. Shaykh Ahmad Shâkir graded its chain of transmission sahîh.

Abû ‘Abd Al-Rahmân Al-Sulamî said:

Those who used to teach us the Quran (the Companions) told us that they used to learn the Quran from the Prophet – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him; when they had learnt ten verses they would not move on until they put into practice what was in them. So we learnt knowledge and deeds (implementation) together.

Ibid. Shaykh Ahmad Shâkir graded its chain of transmission sahîh also

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Khâlid b. ‘Umayr Al-‘Adawî reports, ‘Utbah b. Ghazwân – Allâh be pleased with him – once gave us a sermon. He praised Allâh, then said:

The life of this world has announced its departure and is quickly turning away, and nothing remains of it save the likes of the last drop of water in a vessel as its possessor tries to catch it. You are moving on to an abode that has no end, so move on with the best [deeds] that you have. For it has been said to us that a rock can be dropped from the edge of Hell and fall for seventy years without reaching the bottom. Yet, by Allâh, it will be filled. Do you not then wonder? And it has been said to us that a single entrance to Paradise is as wide as a journey of forty years, yet there will come a day when it will be crowded.

I have seen myself as the seventh of seven [followers of] Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him; we had no food save the leaves of trees which put sores round our mouths. I once got a cloak which I tore in half to share with Sa’d b. Mâlik: I used half as my waist-wrap and he used the other. And yet today, there is not one of us except he has become a governor over some city – and I seek refuge with Allâh that I consider myself great and important when I am small in front of Allâh. Verily there was never prophet-hood except that it gradually changed until it ended up being a kingship, and verily you will see what the governors after us are like.

Sahîh Muslim no. 7624

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that ‘Alî b. Abî Tâlib – Allâh be pleased with him – said:

Goodness is not in your wealth and offspring being plentiful; true goodness is when your [good] deeds are plenty and you have great understanding and forbearance, and when you compete to worship your Lord. If you do good you praise Allâh and thank Him, and if you sin you beg Allâh’s forgiveness. There is no good in this life except with two types of men: A man who sins but then corrects himself through repentance, and a man who strives and hastens to get [the good] of the hereafter.

Ibn ‘Asâkir, Al-Tawbah article 13.

[eesa the kiwi]

:salams

leave him in the path he has chosen and land him in Jahannam (Hell); and what an evil destination that is.'”

Al-Lâlakâ`î, Sharh Usûl I’tiqâd Ahl Al-Sunnah 1:94.

Notes

In this statement, Caliph ‘Umar b. ‘Abd Al-Azîz affirms a number of important points related to the creed and methodology of Ahl Al-Sunnah wa Al-Jamâ’ah – orthodox Islam:

The path of guidance, the Sunnah, is what was laid down by the Prophet, as understood and implemented by the Rightly Guided Caliphs and Companions.
For a person to truly believe in the Quran, and to be guided, he must adhere to this Sunnah and to it alone.
A Muslim is not allowed to innovate in the religion or exchange any part of it for foreign beliefs and ideologies.
True enlightenment and insight lies in adhering to this way.
A Muslim is not supposed to be interested in and expose himself to the views and opinions of people who go against the Sunnah and way of the Salaf.
Going against this way is to follow ‘a way other than the way of the Believers’ and take a path to Hell; a reference to Al-Quran 4:115 where this principle is evidenced.
This narration is recorded with variant wordings in numerous other sources. In a version recorded on the authority of Muttarrif b. ‘Abdillâh by Al-Qâdî Abû Ya’lâ (d458H) in Ibtâl Al-Ta’wîl 1:52, it is stated that when those who ‘deflected the narrations speaking of the Sifât’ (divine attributes of Allâh) were mentioned in the presence of Imâm Mâlik, he would quote this saying of Caliph ‘Umar b. ‘Abd Al-‘Azîz. In yet another report of this statement, the heretics being referred to are described as ‘the deviants in the religion.’

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Abû Al-Dardâ` – Allâh be pleased with him – said:

Be a scholar or a learner, or a person who loves [the scholars] or a follower [of the scholars], but do not be the fifth.
Humayd (one of the reporters) asked Al-Hasan (Al-Basri, who reported this from Abû Al-Dardâ`), “And who is the fifth?” He replied, “A heretic (mubtadi’, religious innovator}.”

Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jâmi’ Bayân Al-‘Ilm 1:142.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu
Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications

It is reported that Ibrâhîm b. Adham (d162H) – Allâh have mercy on him – once passed through the market of Basrah. People gathered around him and asked:

O Abû Ishâq, Allâh the Exalted says in his Book. ‘Call on me, I will answer your prayers’, but we have been calling on Him for a long time and He does not answer our prayers. [Ibrâhîm] replied, “O people of Basrah, your hearts have died in respect to ten things: First, you know Allâh but you do not give Him His rights; second, you have read Allâh’s Book but you do not act by it; third, you claim to love Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – yet you abandon his Sunnah; fourth, you claim to be enemies to Shaytân but you conform to [his ways]; fifth, you say you love Paradise yet you do not work for it; sixth, you say you fear The Fire yet you put yourselves closer to it [by sinning]; seventh, you say death is true but you do not prepare for it; eighth, you busy yourselves with the faults of others and disregard your own; ninth, you consume the favors of your Lord but are not grateful for them; and tenth, you bury your dead but take no lesson from them.”

Abû Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyâ’ 8: 15, 16.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Ibn Shihâb reports:

‘Umar b. ‘Abd Al-‘Azîz – Allah have mercy on him, said, “The Messenger of Allâh – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – and the authorities (leaders of the Muslims, the Caliphs ) after him set certain ways and practices. To follow those ways is to believe in Allâh’s Book and to complete [ones] obedience of Him, and to be strong upon the religion of Allâh. It is not for anyone to alter those ways or change them for something else, and it is not for anyone to consider the views and opinions of those who contradict them. Whoever follows what [the Prophet and his Caliphs] laid down will be guided, whoever seeks enlightenment through it will be enlightened. But whoever contradicts those ways and follows a way other than the way of the Believers, Allâh the Mighty and Majestic will leave him in the path he has chosen and land him in Jahannam (Hell); and what an evil destination that is.'”

Al-Lâlakâ`î, Sharh Usûl I’tiqâd Ahl Al-Sunnah 1:94.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Abû Bakr Al-Siddîq – Allâh be pleased with him – said:

I will not leave anything Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – did, except that I will also do it; for I fear that if I were to leave any of his commands and ways I would deviate.

Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh 2:386 hadîth no. 3093; Ibn Battah, Al-Ibânah article 77, and others.

Notes

After recording this narration, Ibn Battah states:

This, my brothers, is the greatest Siddîq (true believer i.e. Abû Bakr), fearing that he would fall into deviation if he were to leave any of the commandments of his Prophet – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him. What then is to happen in a time in which people deride their Prophet and his commandments, and compete with each other and show off in contradicting him and mock his Sunnah? We ask Allâh to protect us from slipping and to save us from evil deeds.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

Abû Al-Dardâ` once wrote to Salmân Al-Fârsî:

Come to the Holy Land. [Salmân] wrote back, “Verily, the land does not make anyone holy; it is the deeds of a man that make him pure.”

Al-Dhahabî, SIyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ 1:549.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is narrated that ‘Uthmān b. ʿAffān – Allāh be pleased with him – said in a sermon:

Son of Adam! Know that the angel of death who has been assigned to you has not ceased to pass you and move on to others, ever since you have been in this world. But it is as if he is about to pass someone else and move on to target you, so be careful and prepare for him (by correcting your deeds). And do not forget him, for he does not forget you. And know o son of Adam, if you are heedless about yourself and do not prepare, no one else will prepare for you. You must meet Allah the Mighty and Majestic, so take for yourself and do not leave it to someone else. Peace be on you.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrî, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm 2: 73, 74.

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:salams


The Integrity of a Man and his Prayer

It is reported that Abû Al-‘Âliyah – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

I would travel for days to a man to hear [knowledge/hadîth ] from him, and the first thing I would check about him is his prayer: if he performed it properly I would stay and hear [knowledge] from him, but if he neglected it, I would return without hearing from him, and I would say, ‘He will be even more neglectful of other matters.’

Al-Khatîb Al-Baghdâdî, Al-Rihlah fî Talab Al-Hadîth article 22; Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` 4:209.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that ‘Abdullâh b. ‘Umar – Allâh be pleased with him – was asked:

Did the Companions of Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – used to laugh? He replied, “Yes, and the îmân (faith) in their hearts was greater than the mountains.”

‘Abd Al-Razzâq Al-San’ânî, Al-Musannaf 11:327.

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Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that Ayyûb Al-Sakhtiyânî was asked:

Is knowledge today greater or lesser [in amount]? He replied, “There is more speech today, but there was more knowledge in the past.”

Al-Fasawî, Al-Ma’rifah wa Al-Târîkh 2:136.

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Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Imam Al-Awzai’s Letter of Warning against Heresy and Heretics

It is reported that Imâm Al-Awzâ’î (d157H) wrote:

O Muslims, fear Allâh and obey Him, and accept the advice of the sincere advisers and the exhortation of the exhorters, and know that this knowledge is religion, so be careful about what you do [in it] and from whom you take [it] and who you follow and who you trust your religion to. For verily, the followers of Bid’ah are all falsifiers and liars, neither are they careful nor do they fear and protect [against wrongdoing], and nor are they to be trusted to not distort what you hear. They say what they know not when criticizing and decrying or when affirming their lies. But Allâh encompasses what they do. So be on guard against them, suspect them, reject them and distance yourselves from them, for this was what your earlier scholars and the righteous latter ones did and instructed others to do.

Beware of rising against Allâh and becoming instruments in the destruction of His religion and undoing its handholds by respecting the innovators, for you know what has come down to us about respecting them. And what stronger respect and veneration can there be than taking your religion from them, following them, believing them, being close to them and helping them in alluring those they allure and attracting those they attract of the weak Muslims towards their ideas and the religion they practice? This is enough to be considered a partnership and contribution to what they do.

Ibn ‘Asâkir, Târîkh Dimishq 6:361, 362.

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:salams


It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrî – Allâh have mercy on him – said when asked ‘what is îmân (faith)?’:

It is perseverance (al-sabr) from the things that are forbidden by Allâh the Mighty and Majestic and acceptance. He was asked, “What is perseverance and acceptance?” He replied, “al-sabr is to persevere in holding back from what Allâh has forbidden, and [acceptance is] acceptance of what Allâh the Mighty and Majestic has commanded.”

Abû Bakr Al-Daynûrî, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawâhir Al-‘Ilm 3:535.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


No poverty after Paradise and no wealth in the Fire

It is reported that Jundub b. ‘Abdillâh Al-Bajalî – Allah be pleased with him – was once asked for advice and instruction. He said:

I advise you to fear Allâh and obey Him (taqwâ) and I advise you to adhere to the Quran, for it is a light in the dark night and a guidance during the day, so implement it no matter how much struggle and poverty you have to face. If a calamity befalls you, put your wealth forward to protect your religion, and if the calamity continues, put forward your wealth and your life to save your religion [but never risk your religion], for the ruined is he whose religion is ruined, and the looted is he whose religion is taken. And know that there is no poverty after Paradise, and no riches after the Fire.

Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` 3:174.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


The likeness [of the munâfiq] is as the likeness of one who kindled a fire; then, when it lighted all around him, Allâh took away their light and left them in darkness. So they could not see. They are deaf, dumb and blind, so they return not [to the Right Path]. (Quran 2:17)

Qatâdah – Allâh’s mercy be upon him – said:

This is the likeness Allâh has given of the Hypocrite (munâfiq); he says lâ ilâha illallâh and with it marries into the Muslims, inherits from the Muslims, fights alongside the Muslims, and protects his blood and wealth. But when death comes, [the testimony of faith] has no basis in his heart, and no reality in his actions, so the munâfiq is stripped of it at death and left in darkness and blindness wondering therein, just as he was blind about the right of Allâh and obedience to Him in his worldly life and deaf to the truth.

Al-Tabarî, Al-Tafsîr.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Al-Bukhârî reports that ‘Umar – Allâh be pleased with him – came to the Black Stone (performing tawâf, circumambulation), kissed it, and said, “I know that you are a stone, you do not cause benefit or harm; and if it were not that I had seen Allâh’s Messenger – peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him – kiss you, I would never have kissed you.”

Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh, Chapter on what has been said about the Black Stone.

Points to note

· The illustrious Companion and Caliph ‘Umar reminded us in this narration of the pure belief that benefit and harm are not caused by created objects and thus should not be sought from them. Only Allâh has control over these things.

· We are reminded that acts of worship are taken from Allâh’s Messenger, and a person is not supposed to make up his own way of worship, he must follow the manner of worship that the Prophet taught and practiced.

· We also learn that once an action is confirmed in the Sunnah, the believer submits and complies and practices it because it is confirmed that Allâh’s Messenger did it, even if we don’t know the wisdom behind it.

· This narration is also an example of how a responsible person tries to clarify and do away with any misunderstandings that people may have about matters of faith. The people had recently left their unbelief and polytheism, so ‘Umar wanted to make it clear that kissing the Black Stone is by no means done as an act of devotion to it, as people used to do with their stone idols.

Adapted from Ibn Hajr, Fath Al-Bârî, and other hadîth commentaries.

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Jazakallah Khairan, thanks for all these wisdom. Lovers of Islamic quotes can also explore wonderful quotes here.

May Allah accept our Ibaadah

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Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu It is reported that ‘Alî b. Abî Tâlib – Allâh be pleased with him – said, “The servant [of Allâh] should not fear except his sins, and should not hope except in his Lord. The ignorant should not be ashamed to ask, and the knowledgeable should not be ashamed to say – if he does not know something – ‘Allâh knows best.’ Patience (al-sabr) to faith (Al-Îmân) is like the head to the rest of the body: if the head is cut off, the body will rot. And one who has no patience, has no faith.”Al-Baihaqî, Shu’ab Al-Îmân, Vol.12 p195.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Shurayh – Allâh have mercy on him – said, “If I am afflicted with a calamity, I praise Allâh for it four times: I praise Him because it wasn’t worse than it was, I praise Him when He gives me the patience to bear it, I praise Him for enabling me to say al-istirjâ’ (‘To Allâh we belong and to him we will return’; see Al-Baqarah: 154-156 ) in hope of a great reward, and I praise Him for not making it a calamity in my religion.”

Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ`, in his biography of Shurayh Al-Qâdî.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


‘Âsim b. ‘Umar b. Qatâdah [Al-Ansârî] reports from some men amongst his people, “One of the things that called us to accept Islam – with the mercy of Allâh and His guidance – is what we used to hear from some Jewish men. We were polytheists who worshipped idols. They (the Jews) were people of scripture and had knowledge that we did not possess. There was always some badness between us; if we did to them something they hated, they would say to us, ‘The time is nigh when a Prophet will be sent, with whom we will fight and kill you like ‘Âd and Iram.’ We would often hear this from them. When Allâh sent His Messenger- Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – we answered him when he called us to Allâh the Exalted, and we recognized what they used to warn us about. So we preceded them to him; we believed in him and they disbelieved. And it is about us and them that these verses of Al-Baqarah were revealed:

And when there came to them (the Jews), a Book (this Qur’ân) from Allâh confirming what is with them (Torah) and the Gospel, although aforetime they had invoked Allâh (for coming of the Prophet), in order to gain victory over those who disbelieved. Then when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it. So let the curse of Allâh be on the disbelievers.” [Al-Baqarah: 89]

Ibn Hishâm, Al-Sîrah Vol.1 p211, and others. Shaykh Muqbil Al-Wâdi’î graded this narrations chain of transmission hasan. See Al-Sahîh Al-Musnad min Dalâ`il Al-Nubûwah p93.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

Ibrâhîm Al-Taymî reports from his father that Abû Dharr [Al-Ghifârî] – Allâh be pleased with him – said, “A person possessing two dirhams will have a harsher reckoning (on the Day of Judgment) than a person who possesses just one dirham, and a person who possesses two dinars will have a harsher reckoning than someone who possesses only one.”

Ibn Al-Mubârak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqâ`iq article 555. Shaykh Al-Albânî graded this narration’s chain of transmission sahîh is Al-Da’îfah Vol. 8 p117.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that the last sermon ‘Umar b. ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz – Allâh have mercy on him – delivered was as follows:

He praised Allâh and said, “You were not created in vain, nor will you be left without purpose. Verily, you have an appointed time in which Allâh – the Most High – will come down to judge you. Wretched and ruined will he be who leaves the mercy of Allâh and is denied a Garden whose width is that of the heavens and Earth. Know you not that no one will be safe tomorrow save one who is wary of today and fears it; and sells the transitory for what will remain, and the little for the plenty, and fear in exchange for security [in the hereafter]? See you not that you are in the loins of the dead, to be taken by those who remain after you, until all matters return to the Best of Inheritors? Every day, [in the funerals] you accompany those returning to Allâh the Mighty and Sublime, having spent their time, until you hide them in a crevice in the ground, in the belly of a bare and unfurnished hole, having parted from their loved ones, stroking the dirt and facing their accounts. Now, they are dependent on their deeds, free of what they left behind, in need of [the deeds] they put before them. So fear Allâh before the time He appointed is up and death descends upon you. This is what I have to say.” He then lifted the edge of his garment over his face and wept profusely, and made everyone around him weep.

Abû Bakr Al-Daynûrî, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawâhir Al-‘Ilm Vol. 3 p343.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that Imâm Layth b. Sa’d – Allâh have mercy on him – said, “Even if I saw a heretic (follower of bid’ah) walk on water, I would not accept him.” This was reported to Imâm Al-Shâfi’î – Allâh have mercy on him, to which he replied, “He didn’t go far enough. Rather, if I saw one walk in the air, I would not accept him.”

Al-Lâlakâ`î, Sharh Usûl ‘I’tiqâd Ahl Al-Sunnah Vol.1 p228; Ibn Battah, Al-Ibânah Al-Kubrâ Vol2. P175; Ibn Al-Jawzî, Talbîs Iblîs p14 – with slightly variant wordings.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported on the authority of Ibrâhîm b. Al-Ash’ath that he said, “I asked Al-Fudayl b. ‘Ayyâd – Allâh have mercy on him – about patience (al-sabr) in the face of adversity and he said, ‘It is to not broadcast it.’ I asked him about asceticism (al-zuhd) and he said, ‘Al-zuhd is to be content with what you have, and that is what it means to be rich.’ I asked him about prudence (al-wara’) and he said, ‘It is to stay away from what is forbidden.’ And I asked him about humbleness (al-tawâdu’) and he said, ‘It is when you submit to the truth and comply no matter who you hear it from; even if it was from the most ignorant of people, you would be required to accept it from him.’”

Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jâmi’ Bayân Al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihi Vol. 1 p498.

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Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu
It is reported on the authority of Al-Walīd b. Mazyad that he said:

I heard Al-Awzā’ī say, when I asked him, “Who is a fool?” He replied, “One who is blind to what is wrong (evil), [though] he has insight into what is good.”

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 7:116.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that Harim b. Ḥayyān – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Never does the servant turn wholeheartedly to Allāh except that Allāh turns the hearts of the believers to him, providing him their love.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:49.

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:assalam:

Muhammad Ibn Al-Hanafīyah – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

He is not wise who does not live in a good way with the person he has no choice but to live with, until Allāh gives him relief from that [situation].

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:117 et al. Shaykh Al-Albānī graded it Sahīh in Silsilatu Al-Da’īfah 6:172, after explaining that it is not authentic as a hadīth from the Prophet – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Calami-ties that Af-flict Knowl-edge

Imām Al-Zuhrī said:

Verily, knowledge has calamities [that afflict it]. One of its calamities is when the scholar is left, until he goes away with his knowledge. Another calamity is forgetting [knowledge]. Yet another calamity is lying about [knowledge], and this is the worst type.

Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm article 684.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that Ibrāhīm Al-Taymī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

What a great difference there is between you and those people [of the past, the Salaf]! Worldly wealth came to them but they fled from it, whereas the world turns its back on you and you go after it.
Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq article 538.

It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

By Allāh, never was a person given an abundance of worldy wealth and then not feared this might be a plot against him [for his wrongdoing] except a person lacking intelligence and sound opinion. And never has Allāh held back worldy wealth from a person and that person has not thought that a good choice has been made for him except a person who [also] lacks intelligence and sound opinion.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dham Al-Dunyā article 42.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that ‘Imrān b. Husayn – Allāh be pleased with him – was once relating hadīth amongst a group of people, when a man said:

Leave this and give us something from the Book of Allāh. ‘Imrān said, “You are a dunce (stupid). Do you find in the Book of Allāh details of prayer. Do you find in the Book of Allāh details of fasting!? This Qur`ān prescribes those matters, and the Sunnah explains them.”

Al-Harawī, Dham Al-Kalām article 244, et al with various wordings.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

A man once said to Ibn al-Mubarak: ‘Is there anyone who will advise us?’ He replied, ‘Rather, is there anyone who will accept the advice?’

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Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Abū ‘Ubaydah b. Al-Jarrāḥ – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
O people! Yes, I am a man from Quraysh, but there is not a white man (literally: red), nor a black man amongst you who exceeds me in righteousness (taqwā) except that I wish I was in his skin.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 1:18.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu




It is reported that Mufaddal b. Muhalhal – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
If the heretic started mentioning his bid’ah right at the beginning of the sitting, you would be on your guard and flee from him, but what he does is begin by mentioning ḥadīth from the Sunnah. Then, he slips his bid’ah in on you. It might then stick to your heart; but when will it leave your heart?

Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā, 2:444.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

Will Allah Punish Me for Praying? [Bidah]

Imām Sa’īd b. Al-Musayyib – Allāh have mercy on him – once saw a man praying more than two rak’ah after sunrise the beginning of Fajr, making many bows and prostrations, and so he forbade him. The man said, “O Abu Muḥammad, is Allāh going to punish me for praying?” Sa’īd said, “No, but He will punish you for contradicting the Sunnah.”

Al-Bayhaqī, As-Sunan Al-Kubraa 2:466. graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh Al-Albānī. See Irwā Al-Ghalīl 2:236.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu
It is reported that Al-A’mash – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
They (the Salaf) never used to ask about [the religious condition of ] a man after knowing three things about him: where and upon whom he entered, where and with whom he walked, and the close company he kept.

Meaning: Knowing these things about a man is more than sufficient for knowing whether he is following the right path on the Sunnah or not.

Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah article 419.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Jundub b. ʿAbdillāh Al-Bajalī said:

I once sought permission to see Ḥudhayfah three times without being given permission. So I left, but his messenger caught up with me. [When I spoke to Ḥudhayfah] he asked, “What made you leave?” I replied, “I thought you were sleeping (after Fajr).” He said, “I do not sleep until I see where the sun rises from.” [The narrator] said, “I related this to Muḥammad (another narrator), to which he said, ‘More than one of the Companions of Muḥammad – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him – did this.’”

Ibn Abī Shaybah, Kitāb Al-Adab articles 156 and 157.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

This world (the dunyā) is [only taken as] a home by those who will have no real home [in Jannah], and it is the wealth of those who will have no real wealth, and it is gathered and collected for by those who have no real intelligence.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dhamm Al-Dunyā article 16.

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Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

This world (the dunyā) is [only taken as] a home by those who will have no real home [in Jannah], and it is the wealth of those who will have no real wealth, and it is gathered and collected for by those who have no real intelligence.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dhamm Al-Dunyā article 16.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Imām Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

To learn a single topic of knowledge and teach it to a Muslim is more beloved to me than having the whole world and giving it in the cause of Allāh.

Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baghdādī, Al-Faqīh wa Al-Mutafaqqih article 53.

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Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Imām Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

To learn a single topic of knowledge and teach it to a Muslim is more beloved to me than having the whole world and giving it in the cause of Allāh.

Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baghdādī, Al-Faqīh wa Al-Mutafaqqih article 53.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Abū Bakr Al-Maṭū’ī said:

I sat in the circle of Abū ‘Abdillāh Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal for twelve years while he read the Musnad to his children, and I never wrote a single ḥadīth, I only looked at his behavior, character and etiquette.

Ibn Al-Jawzī, Manāqib Aḥmad, article 210.

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It is reported that Abū Bakr Al-Maṭū’ī said:

I sat in the circle of Abū ‘Abdillāh Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal for twelve years while he read the Musnad to his children, and I never wrote a single ḥadīth, I only looked at his behavior, character and etiquette.

Ibn Al-Jawzī, Manāqib Aḥmad, article 210.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


At the Crossroads of Gratitude

It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

It has reached me that when Allāh the Mighty and Majestic blesses a people and gives them some good he asks them to be grateful. If they are grateful, He is all-able to give them more. But if they are ungrateful, He is all-able to turn His blessings into a punishment.

Al-Bayhaqī, Shu’ab Al-Imān article 4536.

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At the Crossroads of Gratitude

It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

It has reached me that when Allāh the Mighty and Majestic blesses a people and gives them some good he asks them to be grateful. If they are grateful, He is all-able to give them more. But if they are ungrateful, He is all-able to turn His blessings into a punishment.

Al-Bayhaqī, Shu’ab Al-Imān article 4536.

[eesa the kiwi]

:assalam:


It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

One who acts without knowledge is like one who travels off the path; and the one who acts without knowledge corrupts more than he rectifies. So seek knowledge in a way that does not harm your worship, and seek to worship [Allāh] in a way that does not harm [your seeking of] knowledge. For verily, there were people (the Khawārij extremists) who sought to worship [Allāh] but abandoned knowledge until they attacked the Ummah of Muḥammad – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him – with their swords. But if they had sought knowledge, it would not have directed them to do what they did.

Quoted by Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm wa Faḍlihi article 905.

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:assalam:


It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

One who acts without knowledge is like one who travels off the path; and the one who acts without knowledge corrupts more than he rectifies. So seek knowledge in a way that does not harm your worship, and seek to worship [Allāh] in a way that does not harm [your seeking of] knowledge. For verily, there were people (the Khawārij extremists) who sought to worship [Allāh] but abandoned knowledge until they attacked the Ummah of Muḥammad – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him – with their swords. But if they had sought knowledge, it would not have directed them to do what they did.

Quoted by Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm wa Faḍlihi article 905.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that the son of Al-Fuḍayl b. ‘Ayyāḍ – Allāh have mercy on him – said to his father:

Father! How sweet (beautiful) the speech of the Companions is! [Al-Fuḍayl] said, “Son, do you know why it was so sweet?” He replied, “No father, I do not.” He said, “Because they sought Allāh the Exalted when they spoke.”

Al-Bayhaqī, Shu’ab Al-īmān 2:299

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Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that the son of Al-Fuḍayl b. ‘Ayyāḍ – Allāh have mercy on him – said to his father:

Father! How sweet (beautiful) the speech of the Companions is! [Al-Fuḍayl] said, “Son, do you know why it was so sweet?” He replied, “No father, I do not.” He said, “Because they sought Allāh the Exalted when they spoke.”

Al-Bayhaqī, Shu’ab Al-īmān 2:299

[eesa the kiwi]

:assalam:


It is reported that Imām Muḥammad b. Sīrīn – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

There were people who abandoned knowledge and sitting with the scholars, and [instead] took to their chambers and prayed until their skin dried [from exertion in worship]. Thereafter they began to contradict the Sunnah and thus were destroyed. By Allāh, never does a person act without knowledge, except that he spoils and corrupts more than he fixes and rectifies.

Al-Aṣbahānī, Al-Targhīb wa Al-Tarhīb 3:98

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:assalam:


It is reported that Imām Muḥammad b. Sīrīn – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

There were people who abandoned knowledge and sitting with the scholars, and [instead] took to their chambers and prayed until their skin dried [from exertion in worship]. Thereafter they began to contradict the Sunnah and thus were destroyed. By Allāh, never does a person act without knowledge, except that he spoils and corrupts more than he fixes and rectifies.

Al-Aṣbahānī, Al-Targhīb wa Al-Tarhīb 3:98

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It is reported from Abī Qilābah that when Ibn ‘Abbās – Allāh be pleased with him – went out to the masjid, the neighbors knew that he had passed due the pleasant scent [of perfume] that came from him.

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It is reported from Abī Qilābah that when Ibn ‘Abbās – Allāh be pleased with him – went out to the masjid, the neighbors knew that he had passed due the pleasant scent [of perfume] that came from him.

[eesa the kiwi]

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It is reported that Imām Abū Dāwūd Al-Sijistānī – Allah have mercy on him – said:

Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal never used to involve himself in the things of this world that people involved themselves in; but when knowledge was mentioned, he would speak.

Ibn Al-Jawzī Ṣifatu Al-Ṣafwah 2:519

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It is reported that Imām Abū Dāwūd Al-Sijistānī – Allah have mercy on him – said:

Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal never used to involve himself in the things of this world that people involved themselves in; but when knowledge was mentioned, he would speak.

Ibn Al-Jawzī Ṣifatu Al-Ṣafwah 2:519

[eesa the kiwi]

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It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

The believer does the best deeds yet is most fearful [that his deeds will not be accepted]. If he were to spend a mountain of wealth [in charity], he would not feel sure [of the reward] until he sees it. The more righteous and pious he becomes, the more he fears. But the hypocrite (munāfiq) says, ‘There are so many people, I will be forgiven, no problem.’ So he does wrong and evil deeds, yet holds foolish wishes about Allāh.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:586.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

Umar b. Al-Khattāb – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Verily, the followers of opinion are the enemies of the Sunan (the teachings of Allāh’s Messenger as passed down in hadith): they were unable to preserve them and their meanings escaped them, and when asked [questions] they were too embarrassed to say ‘We don’t know,’ so they opposed the Sunan with their opinions.

Ibn Abī Zamanīn, Uṣūl Al-Sunnah article 8; Al-Lālakā`ī, Sharḥ Uṣūl I’tiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah article 201 et al.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that Imām Al-Shāfi’ī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

If you fear becoming deluded and impressed by your deeds then remember whose pleasure you are seeking, and the joy (Paradise) in which you want to be, and what punishment you fear. Whoever thinks about these things will diminish his deeds.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 10:42.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu



It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

The intelligent person’s tongue is behind his heart: when he wants to speak, he first thinks. If [his words] will be in his favor, he says them, and if they will be against him, he does not speak. And the ignorant person’s heart is behind his tongue: when he merely thinks of saying something, he says it, whether it is for or against him.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 2049.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Salmān Al-Fārsī – Allāh be pleased with him – once visited a sick friend. When he entered upon him he said:

Have glad tidings, for verily Allāh makes the illness of a believer an expiation [for his sins] and a cause of being pleased, whereas the illness of a sinner is like a camel that has been tied by its owners, then released by them: it knows not why it was tied up nor why it was released.

Al-Bukhārī, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad in the Chapter on the Expiation [of sins through] illness. Graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Adab Al-Mufrad.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

The example of the believer, the unbeliever and the hypocrite is that of three people who arrived at a valley. One of them descended and passed through to the other side. One of them descended until he reached half way, when the third man on the edge of the valley called to him, “Woe to you, where are you going? You will die. Come back.” The man who made it to the other side called to him, “Come and be saved.” So [the man in the middle of the valley] kept looking back and forth at the two [on each side of the valley], when a flood came into the valley and drowned him. The man who passed through to the other side is the believer; the one who drowned is the munāfiq (hypocrite) –

مُّذَبْذَبِينَ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ لَآ إِلَىٰ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَلَآ إِلَىٰ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ۚ

[The Hypocrites] sway between this and that, neither [fully] with the believers nor with the unbelievers.

Quran 4:143

And the one who remained at the edge of the valley [not able to escape the flood and pass] is the kāfir (unbeliever).

Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Al-Tafsīr article 6144.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Al-Aḥnaf b. Qays – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

“Restraint is praiseworthy except in three things.” People asked, “And what are they o Abū Baḥr?” He replied, “Make haste to do the righteous deed, hurry to conduct the funeral of your deceased, and marry the girl in your charge to a suitable man [as soon as you find him.]”

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm 6:307.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that ‘Awn b. ‘Abdillāh – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Those before you used to give to their worldly affairs what was left over from their pursuit of the hereafter. But today, you give to the matters of the hereafter the left-overs from your pursuit of worldly affairs.

Abū Nu’aym, Ḥilyat Al-Awliyā` 10:242.

[eesa the kiwi]

:assalam:


It is reported that Imām Al-Awzā’ī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

At the time of Fajr, or a while before it, the Salaf would be as if birds were sitting on their heads: (still ) concentrating on themselves [and their worship], so much so that even if one of their closest friends came to them after having been parted from them, they would not notice him. They would remain in this state until just before sunrise. Then, they would meet each other and sit in the circles. The first thing they would discuss is the matter of their afterlife and what would become of them in the hereafter. Then they would begin the circles of Quran and Fiqh study.

Ibn ‘Asākir, Tārīkh Dimishq 35:184, 185.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Two Days and Two Nights like no others

It is reported that Anas b. Mālik – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

There are two days and two nights the likes of which no one has ever heard of before: the Day on which you will receive the news about Allāh the Exalted: whether you will receive His punishment or His mercy, the Day you will be given your book (of deeds): either in your right hand or your left, that [first] night you will spend alone in your grave, a night like no other you have spent, and that night on the morning of which will be the Day of Resurrection, after which there will be no more night.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 19.

[eesa the kiwi]

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It is reported that on the first night of Ramaḍān, ‘Umar – Allāh be pleased with him – would pray Maghrib, then say (to the people):

Sit down. Then he would give a small address: Verily the fasting of this month has been made a duty upon you, and standing in night prayer has not been made a duty upon you, but those amongst you who can stand in prayer should do so, for it is from the extra good deeds about which Allāh told us: so whoever cannot stand in prayer, let him sleep on his bed.

And beware of saying: I will fast if so and so fasts and I will stand in night prayer if so and so stands in prayer. Whoever fasts or stands in night prayer, he must make this for Allāh. And you should know that you are in prayer as long as you are waiting for a prayer.

Minimize any vain or false speech in the houses of Allāh (mosques; he said this two or three times). Let none of you fast a few days before the month (in order to avoid missing the beginning of the month; he said this three times). And do not fast until you see [the crescent of the new month] unless it is overcast. If it is overcast, count [the previous month] as 30 days. Then do not break your fasts until you see the night upon the mountain (i.e. you are sure the sun has set).

‘Abd Al-Razzāq Al-Ṣan’ānī, Al-Muṣannaf article 7748.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Mālik b. Dīnār – Allāh have mercy on him – once said:

Verily you are in greatly troubled times. Only one with true insight knows the times you live in. Verily you are in a time of [people] boasting and being proud. [1] Their tongues are swollen in their mouths, and they seek worldly gain through the deeds of the hereafter. So be warned against them for yourselves, lest they catch you in their nets. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you devour [wealth] with your knowledge. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you boast with your knowledge. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you seek to amass [wealth] with your knowledge. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you transgress [against others] with your knowledge. If you had truly sought this knowledge for Allāh, it would have been seen on you and in your deeds.

[1] The word in some reports is tafākhur (boasting and being proud) but in some other versions, other somewhat ambiguous words are found in its place.

Abū Bakr Al-Ājurrī, Kitāb Al-‘Ālim Al-Jāhil article 73 et al.

[eesa the kiwi]

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It is reported that ‘Umar – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Fasting does not mean keeping away from only food and drink, it also means keeping away from lying, falsehood, inanity and swearing [by Allāh without need].

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The hard life now for the good life later

It is reported that Ḥafṣah – Allāh be pleased with her – once said to her father (‘Umar, during his Caliphate):

Allāh has increased the provisions; if only you would eat better food than the food you eat now and wear softer clothes then those you wear now?! He said, “I will argue [against] you with your own self: Was not the condition of Allāh’s Messenger – praise and peace be upon him – such-and-such [when you were his wife]!?” He kept reminding her until she cried. He continued, “I have told you, by Allāh, I will share in their hard living (in this world, referring to The Prophet and Abū Bakr) so that I may partake in their good life (in Paradise).”

Hunād b. Al-Sarī, Al-Zuhd article 687; Imām Aḥmad, Al-Zuhd article 201, et al. (1)

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu.

‘Abdullāh b. Shaqīq Al-‘Uqaylī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

The Companions of Allāh’s Messenger – Allah’s praise and peace be upon him – did not consider the leaving of any action to be kufr (unbelief), except the prayer (ṣalāh).

Al-Tirmidhī, Al-Sunan ḥadīth 2622. Graded ṣaḥīḥ by Al-Albānī in his edition of Sunan Al-Tirmidhī.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

Imām Al-Awzā’ī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Faith (īmān) is not sound except with [correct] words. Faith and words are not sound except with [good] works. And faith, words and deeds are not sound except with [the correct] intentions in conformance to the Sunnah. Those who went before us of our Salaf did not separate faith from deeds: deeds are a part of faith, and faith is from [ones deeds]. īmān is a word that brings together these aspects of the religions [of Allāh] and is confirmed through [a person’s] works.

So whoever believes in word, knows in his heart and confirms [his belief] through his works, then this is the strongest handhold that will never break. And whoever says [words of faith] but does not know [faith] in his heart nor confirms it with his works, it will never be accepted of him and he will be in the hereafter from those who suffer in loss.

Ibn Ba tt ah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā article 1097.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

The House in which the Quran is Recited

It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

The house in which the Qur’ān is not recited is like a derelict house that has no one to maintain it.

It is also reported that he said:

Verily the emptiest of houses are those that are empty of the Book of Allāh.

It is reported that Abū Hurayrah – Allāh be pleased with him – used to say about the house in which the Qur’ān is recited:

It becomes spacious for its inhabitants, the good of it becomes plentiful, the angels come to it and the devils leave it. And the house in which the Qur’ān is not recited becomes cramped for its inhabitants, has little good in it, and the devils come to it.

Ibn Abī Shaybah, Al-Muṣannaf articles 30645, 30647 and 30650.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that Abū Hurayrah – Allāh be pleased with him – used to say:

Whoever does not think that his speech is part of his deeds and that his character is part of his religion will be destroyed without even realizing.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā Dham Al-Kadhib wa Ahlī article 94.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


Imām Al-Awzā’ī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Faith (īmān) is not sound except with [correct] words. Faith and words are not sound except with [good] works. And faith, words and deeds are not sound except with [the correct] intentions in conformance to the Sunnah. Those who went before us of our Salaf did not separate faith from deeds: deeds are a part of faith, and faith is from [ones deeds]. īmān is a word that brings together these aspects of the religions [of Allāh] and is confirmed through [a person’s] works.

So whoever believes in word, knows in his heart and confirms [his belief] through his works, then this is the strongest handhold that will never break. And whoever says [words of faith] but does not know [faith] in his heart nor confirms it with his works, it will never be accepted of him and he will be in the hereafter from those who suffer in loss.

Ibn Ba tt ah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā article 1097.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

The house in which the Qur’ān is not recited is like a derelict house that has no one to maintain it.

It is also reported that he said:

Verily the emptiest of houses are those that are empty of the Book of Allāh.

It is reported that Abū Hurayrah – Allāh be pleased with him – used to say about the house in which the Qur’ān is recited:

It becomes spacious for its inhabitants, the good of it becomes plentiful, the angels come to it and the devils leave it. And the house in which the Qur’ān is not recited becomes cramped for its inhabitants, has little good in it, and the devils come to it.

Ibn Abī Shaybah, Al-Muṣannaf articles 30645, 30647 and 30650.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu

It is reported that Mujāhid – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Those who strive and exert themselves (al-mujtahid) amongst you today are like those who used to play around amongst those before you.

Wakī’ b. Al-Jarrāh, Al-Zuhd article 221.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


It is reported that ‘Alī b. Abī Tālib wrote to Salmām Al-Farsī – Allāh be pleased with them both – saying:

The likeness of this worldly life (dunyā) is that of a snake: soft to the touch, it will kill you with its poison. So turn away from what impresses you of it, since what stays with you is so little. And do not be concerned about it, since you are certain about its parting. And be most happy in it when you are most heedful of it; for every time its companion takes solace in one of its delights, it gives way to one of its woes.
Was-Salām.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Kitāb Al-Zuhd article 164.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatulah wa barakatu


This life in brief

It is reported that some people asked ‘Alī b. Abī Ṭālib – Allāh be pleased with him – to describe this worldly life (the dunyā). He said:

Do you want a long description or a brief one? They replied, “a brief one.” He said, “Its permissible things (ḥalāl) [lead to] accounts being taken from you, and its forbidden things (ḥarām) [lead to the] Fire.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dham Al-Dunyā article 17.

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Abdullāh b. ‘Abbās – Allāh be pleased with them – said:

O Muslims, how can you ask the People of the Book [about their scripture] when the Book of Allāh that was revealed to your Prophet – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – is the most recent news of Allāh; you recite it complete and unaltered? Allāh has informed you that they replaced what Allāh wrote and changed the Book with their hands and said ‘This is from Allāh,’ to purchase with it a measly price (Quran 2:79). Does not the knowledge that has come to you forbid you from asking them? By Allāh, we have not seen a single man among them asking you about what was revealed to you.

Al-Bukhārī, Al-Ṣaḥīḥ hadith 2685, Chapter on not asking the Polytheists for testimonies or anything else. He also records it in other chapters.

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It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Al-Mubārak – Allāh 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-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā`17:251.

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Anas reports that when Salmān [Al-Fārsī] – Allāh be pleased with him – was ill, Sa’d visited him and found him crying, so he asked him:

O my brother, what makes you cry? Did you not accompany the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ ? Did you not do such-and-such [good deeds]? He replied, “I am not crying over any one of two things: I am not crying out of love and yearning for this world nor out of dislike for the hereafter, but I am crying because Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ took a covenant from me about something I think I have only transgressed. He made me promise that it is enough for anyone only to have enough [of this world] as would suffice as the provisions of a traveler, but I think I have only gone too far. As for you o Sa’d, fear Allāh when you judge, and when you distribute anything and when you think about doing anything.”

Thābit (one of the reporters) said, “And it reached me that [when he died] he left only about twenty dirham of spending he had.”

Ibn Mājah, Al-Sunan. Shaykh Al-Albānī graded this narration ṣaḥīḥ. See ṣaḥīḥ wa Ḍaʿīf Sunan Ibn Mājah no. 4104.

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Abd Al-Raḥmān b. Mahdī reports:

I entered upon Mālik b. Anas when a man was asking him about the Qur`ān. [Imām Mālik] said, “Perhaps you are a companion of Amr b. ‘Ubayd. May Allāh curse ‘Amr, for he was the one who innovated this bid’ah of Kalām . If Kalām was knowledge, the Companions and their Followers would have spoken it, like they spoke about the regulations and laws [of Islam]. But [Kalām] is falsehood that leads to falsehood.”

Abul-Faḍl Al-Muqri`Al-Rāzī, Aḥādīth fī Dham Al-Kalām wa Ahlihī p96.
Al-Harawī, Dham Al-Kalām wa Ahlihī no.874.

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It is reported that Abū Al-Dardā – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
You will never be pious (a person of taqwā) until you become knowledgeable, and you will never be beautiful with your knowledge until you act [by it].

Ibn Ábd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm wa Faḍlihī article 1239.

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It is reported that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattāb – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

We were once in a time when we did not think anyone learned the Quran seeking anything but Allāh the Exalted, but now I fear there are men who learn it and intend the people and what they can get from them. So seek Allāh with your recitation and deeds. For verily, we used to know you when Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – was amongst us, when revelation would descend and Allāh would tell us about you. As for today, Allāh’s Messenger – peace and blessings be upon him – has passed on, and the revelation has stopped; and I only know you as I say: whoever shows what is good, we love him for it and think good of him, and whoever shows what is evil, we hate him for it and suspect him. Your secret and private matters are between you and your Lord the Mighty and Majestic.

Al-Ājurrī, Akhlāq Ḥamalat Al-Qur`ān article 26.

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It is reported that Al-Fuḍayl b. ‘Ayyād – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
How will you be if you reach a time when you will see people who do not distinguish truth from falsehood, believer from unbeliever, trustworthy from treacherous, nor ignorant from knowledgeable, and neither recognize what is right nor censure what is wrong?

Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā 1:188.

After reporting this narration, Imām Ibn Battah (d. 387H) said:

To Allāh we belong and to Him we will return! We have reached that time, we have heard this and have come to know most of it and witnessed it. If a man to whom Allāh has bestowed sound reasoning looks and thinks carefully and ponders the matter of Islām and its people and treads the rightly guided path as regards to them, it will become clear to him that most people have turned back on their heals, deviated from the correct path, and turned away from correct proof. Many people have started to like what they used to hate, allow what they used to forbid and recognize what they used to reject. And for sure – Allāh have mercy on you – this is not the [right] character of the Muslims, nor the behaviour of those who have insight into this religion, and neither of those who believe in it and are certain about it.

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Yaḥyā b. Yaḥyā Al-NaysābūrĪ reports:

I was once with Sufyān b. ‘Uyainah – Allah have mercy on him, when a man came to him and said, “O Abū Muḥammad, I complain to you of so-and-so”, meaning his wife, “I am the lowest and most despicable thing to her.” [Sufyān] lowered his head for a few moments, then said, “Perhaps you wanted her in order to better your status.” The man said, “Indeed, o Abū Muḥammad.” Sufyān said, “Whoever goes for glory will be tried with ignominy, whoever goes for wealth will be tried with poverty, but whoever goes for religiousness, Allah will bring together for him glory and wealth with the religion.” He then started to narrate to him:

We were four brothers: Muḥammad, ‘Umrān, IbrāhĪm and I. Muḥammad was the eldest, ‘Umrān was the youngest, and I was in the middle. When Muḥammad wanted to marry, he desired status and married a woman of higher standing, so Allah tried him with ignominy. ‘Umrān desired wealth, so he married a richer woman and Allah tried him with poverty: [her family] took everything from him and gave him nothing.

I pondered their situation. Mu’ammar b. Rāshid once came to us so I consulted him on the situation and told him the story of my brothers. He reminded me of the ḥadĪth of Yaḥyā b. Ja’dah and the ḥadĪth of ‘Ā`ishah. The ḥadĪth of Yaḥyā b. Ja’dah states that the Prophet – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – said, “A woman is married for four things: her religion, her status (lineage), her wealth or her beauty; so take the religious one and be successful.” The ḥadĪth of ‘Ā`ishah states that the Prophet – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – said, “The most blessed woman is she who is easiest to maintain.”

Thus, I chose [to marry a woman of] religion and modest dowry, in accordance with the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, and Allah gave me status and wealth along with the religion.

Abū Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyā` 7:289, 290.

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Khālid b. ‘Umayr Al-‘Adawī reports, ‘Utbah b. Ghazwān – Allāh be pleased with him – once gave us a sermon. He praised Allāh, then said:

The life of this world has announced its departure and is quickly turning away, and nothing remains of it save the likes of the last drop of water in a vessel as its possessor tries to catch it. You are moving on to an abode that has no end, so move on with the best [deeds] that you have. For it has been said to us that a rock can be dropped from the edge of Hell and fall for seventy years without reaching the bottom. Yet, by Allāh, it will be filled. Do you not then wonder? And it has been said to us that a single entrance to Paradise is as wide as a journey of forty years, yet there will come a day when it will be crowded.

I have seen myself as the seventh of seven [followers of] Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him; we had no food save the leaves of trees which put sores round our mouths. I once got a cloak which I tore in half to share with Sa’d b. Mālik: I used half as my waist-wrap and he used the other. And yet today, there is not one of us except he has become a governor over some city – and I seek refuge with Allāh that I consider myself great and important when I am small in front of Allāh. Verily there was never prophet-hood except that it gradually changed until it ended up being a kingship, and verily you will see what the governors after us are like.

Sahīh Muslim no. 7624

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It is reported that ‘Alī b. Abī Ṭālib – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Goodness is not in your wealth and offspring being plentiful; true goodness is when your [good] deeds are plenty and you have great understanding and forbearance, and when you compete to worship your Lord. If you do good you praise Allāh and thank Him, and if you sin you beg Allāh’s forgiveness. There is no good in this life except with two types of men: A man who sins but then corrects himself through repentance, and a man who strives and hastens to get [the good] of the hereafter.

Ibn ‘Asākir, Al-Tawbah article 13.

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The Sunnah vs. What People Do

It is reported that:

ʿAbdullāh b. Al-Ḥasan used to often sit with Rabīʿah. One day they were revising and studying various practices from the Sunnah when a man in the gathering said, “[But] this is not what is practiced [by the people].” ʿAbdullah said, “So if the ignorant become so numerous that they become the rulers and judges, will they then be a proof over the Sunnah?” Rabīʿah said, “I bear witness that these are the words of the sons of the Prophets.”

Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baghdādī, Al-Faqīh wa Al-Mutafaqqiharticle 384.

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Ibn Shihāb reports:

‘Umar b. ‘Abd Al-‘Azīz – Allah have mercy on him, said, “The Messenger of Allāh – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – and the authorities (leaders of the Muslims, the Caliphs ) after him set certain ways and practices. To follow those ways is to believe in Allāh’s Book and to complete [ones] obedience of Him, and to be strong upon the religion of Allāh. It is not for anyone to alter those ways or change them for something else, and it is not for anyone to consider the views and opinions of those who contradict them. Whoever follows what [the Prophet and his Caliphs] laid down will be guided, whoever seeks enlightenment through it will be enlightened. But whoever contradicts those ways and follows a way other than the way of the Believers, Allāh the Mighty and Majestic will leave him in the path he has chosen and land him in Jahannam (Hell); and what an evil destination that is.'”

Al-Lālakā`ī, Sharḥ Uṣūl I’tiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah 1:94.

Notes

In this statement, Caliph ‘Umar b. ‘Abd Al-Azīz affirms a number of important points related to the creed and methodology of Ahl Al-Sunnah wa Al-Jamā’ah – orthodox Islam:

The path of guidance, the Sunnah, is what was laid down by the Prophet, as understood and implemented by the Rightly Guided Caliphs and Companions.
For a person to truly believe in the Quran, and to be guided, he must adhere to this Sunnah and to it alone.
A Muslim is not allowed to innovate in the religion or exchange any part of it for foreign beliefs and ideologies.
True enlightenment and insight lies in adhering to this way.
A Muslim is not supposed to be interested in and expose himself to the views and opinions of people who go against the Sunnah and way of the Salaf.
Going against this way is to follow ‘a way other than the way of the Believers’ and take a path to Hell; a reference to Al-Quran 4:115 where this principle is evidenced.
This narration is recorded with variant wordings in numerous other sources. In a version recorded on the authority of Muttarrif b. ‘Abdillāh by Al-Qāḍī Abū Ya’lā (d458H) in Ibṭāl Al-Ta’wīl 1:52, it is stated that when those who ‘deflected the narrations speaking of the Ṣifāt’ (divine attributes of Allāh) were mentioned in the presence of Imām Mālik, he would quote this saying of Caliph ‘Umar b. ‘Abd Al-‘Azīz. In yet another report of this statement, the heretics being referred to are described as ‘the deviants in the religion.’

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Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications

It is reported that Ibrāhīm b. Adham (d162H) – Allāh have mercy on him – once passed through the market of Baṣrah. People gathered around him and asked:

O Abū Isḥāq, Allāh the Exalted says in his Book. ‘Call on me, I will answer your prayers’, but we have been calling on Him for a long time and He does not answer our prayers. [Ibrāhīm] replied, “O people of Baṣrah, your hearts have died in respect to ten things: First, you know Allāh but you do not give Him His rights; second, you have read Allāh’s Book but you do not act by it; third, you claim to love Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – yet you abandon his Sunnah; fourth, you claim to be enemies to Shayṭān but you conform to [his ways]; fifth, you say you love Paradise yet you do not work for it; sixth, you say you fear The Fire yet you put yourselves closer to it [by sinning]; seventh, you say death is true but you do not prepare for it; eighth, you busy yourselves with the faults of others and disregard your own; ninth, you consume the favors of your Lord but are not grateful for them; and tenth, you bury your dead but take no lesson from them.”

Abū Nu’aym, Ḥilyah Al-Awliyā’ 8: 15, 16.

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It is narrated that ‘Uthmān b. ʿAffān – Allāh be pleased with him – said in a sermon:

Son of Adam! Know that the angel of death who has been assigned to you has not ceased to pass you and move on to others, ever since you have been in this world. But it is as if he is about to pass someone else and move on to target you, so be careful and prepare for him (by correcting your deeds). And do not forget him, for he does not forget you. And know o son of Adam, if you are heedless about yourself and do not prepare, no one else will prepare for you. You must meet Allah the Mighty and Majestic, so take for yourself and do not leave it to someone else. Peace be on you.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm 2: 73, 74.

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It is reported that Bishr b. Al-Ḥārith said:

I heard Al-Fuḍayl b. ʿAyyāḍ say, “It has reached me that Allāh has barred repentance from every adherent of bid’ah (religious innovation), and the worst of the people of bid’ah are those who hate the Companions of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him.” He then turned to me and said, “Make the firmest of your deeds with Allāh your love for the Companions of His Prophet, for [then], were you to come to the standing of judgment (on the Day of Resurrection) with the likes of the Earth in sins, Allāh would forgive you; but if you come [on that Day] with even the smallest amount of hatred for them, no [good] deed will benefit you.”

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm 5: 412.

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The Integrity of a Man and his Prayer

It is reported that Abū Al-‘Āliyah – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

I would travel for days to a man to hear [knowledge/ḥadīth ] from him, and the first thing I would check about him is his prayer: if he performed it properly I would stay and hear [knowledge] from him, but if he neglected it, I would return without hearing from him, and I would say, ‘He will be even more neglectful of other matters.’

Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baghdādī, Al-Riḥlah fī Ṭalab Al-Ḥadīth article 22; Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:209.

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Abū Isḥāq [Al-Fazārī] states:

The enemy was never able to stand up to the Companions of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him, so when the news of the defeat of the Romans came to Heraclius at Antioch he asked [his people], “Woe to you, tell me about these people who fight you, are they not humans like you?” They replied, “Indeed, they are.” He asked, “So are you more in number or them?” They replied, “We outnumber them greatly in all places.” He said, “So how is it that you are defeated whenever you meet them [in battle].” A senior and esteemed elder amongst them replied, “Because they stand in prayer at night, fast during the day, fulfill their agreements and promises, enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil, they are fair and just amongst themselves; and because we drink wine, fornicate, commit sin, break our agreements, steal, oppress and do injustice, enjoin the committing of what angers Allāh and forbid what pleases Allāh the Mighty and Majestic, and we cause evil and corruption in the land.” Heraclius said, “You are the one who has told me the truth.”

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm 4:91.

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The Age of Knowledge

It is reported that Ayyūb Al-Sakhtiyānī was asked:

Is knowledge today greater or lesser [in amount]? He replied, “There is more speech today, but there was more knowledge in the past.”

Al-Fasawī, Al-Ma’rifah wa Al-Tārīkh 2:136.

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It is reported that when Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī was on his deathbed, some of his companions came to him and said:

O Abū Sa’īd, offer us some words you can benefit us with. He replied, “I will equip you with three words, then you must leave me to face what I am facing. Be the farthest of people from those things you have been forbidden, and be the most involved of people in the good you have been commanded to do; and know that the steps you take are two steps: a step in your favor and a step against you, so be careful where you come and where you go.”

Abū Nu’yam, Ḥilyah Al-Awliyā` 2:154

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Abdullāh b. ʿAwn – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

There are three things that I like for myself and for my brothers:

That the Muslim man looks to the Qurān; he learns it, recites it, ponders it and refers to it. Second, that he looks to the narrations and the Sunnah; he asks about it and follows it with all his efforts. Third, that he leaves alone all these people except when doing good.

Al-Bukhāri, Al-Ṣaḥīḥ, no. 97 (in annotative, discontiguous form). The chain of transmission is connected in Al-Marwazī, Al-Sunnah, no. 108.

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:assalam:

It is reported that Bilāl b. Saʿd – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

A brother who, whenever you meet him, points out to you one of your faults (for you to correct yourself) is better for you than a brother who, whenever you meet him, puts a dīnār (money) in your hand.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm no. 1428.

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It is reported that Abū Bakr Al-Ṣiddīq – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Beware of lying, for lying is far removed from īmān.

Abū Bakr Al-Ḵallāl, Al-Sunnah no. 1467, 1470; Al-Bayhaqī, Shuʿab Al-Īmān no. 4463.

Ibn Al-Qayyim said in Al-Fawāʾid, …Thus, every good action – both outer and inner – comes from truthfulness, and every evil corrupt action – both outer and inner – comes from falsehood and lying

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It is reported that ʿAlī b. ʾAbī Ṭālib – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Do not be with the sinner (fājir), for he will beautify to you the things he does, and he will want you to be like him; and he will beautify to you the worst of his practices; and his entrance upon you and leaving from your company will cause ignominy and discredit [of you].

And do not accompany the fool (aḥmaq), for he will exhaust himself [to help you] but will not benefit you, and he may want to benefit you but end up harming you; his silence is better than his speaking, his distance is better than his closeness, and him dying is better than him living.

And do not accompany the liar, for life will not benefit you with him, he will tell others what you say, and tell you what others say; and if you speak the truth, it will not be believed.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir AlʿIlm no. 1379.

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It is reported that Yaḥyā b. Abī Kathīr – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

It used to be said, “People have never honoured themselves with anything [better] than the obedience of Allāh, and they have never dishonoured themselves with anything [worse] than disobedience to Allāh.”

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Muḥāsabatu Al-Nafs article 98.

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It is reported that Abu Al-ʿĀlyah – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

There are two blessings I have been blessed with, I know not which of them is greatest: that Allāh guided me to Islām, and that he did not make me a Ḥarūrī (from the Khawārij extremists).

ʿAbd Al-Razzāq Al-Ṣanʿānī, Al-Muṣannaf ḥadīth 18667.

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It is reported that Saʿīd b. Jubayr – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Verily, fear (al-khashyah) is that you fear Allāh such that your fear comes between you and your disobedience (of Allāh). That is khashyah. And dhikr (remembrance) is obedience to Allāh: whoever obeys Allāh has remembered Him; and whoever does not obey Him is not a rememberer of Him, even if he says a lot of tasbīḥ and recites a lot of Qurān.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar ʾAʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 4:326.

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It is reported from Ḥabīb Al-Jallāb that he asked ʿAbdullāh b. Al-Mubārak – Allāh have mercy on him:

“What is the best thing a person is ever given?” He replied, “Innate intelligence.” He then asked, “And if not that?” He replied, “Good conduct.” He then asked, “And if not that?” He replied, “A compassionate brother to consult.” He then asked, “And if not that?” He replied, “Long silence.” He asked, “And if not that?” Ibn Al-Mubārak replied, “Then an early death.”

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar ʾAʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 8:397.

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It is reported that the inscription on the ring of Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī – Allāh be pleased with them – read:

You know, so now act (علِمت فاعمل).

Op. cit. article 1280.

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Ayyūb Al-Sakhtiyānī reports that Abū Qilābah – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

O Ayyūb, when Allāh brings about knowledge for you, bring about worship of him, and do not let your [sole] concern be to narrate it.

Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Jāmiʿ Bayān Al-ʿIlm, article 1279.

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It is reported that Al-Zuhrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said to Yūnus b. Yazīd:

O Yūnus! Do not try to overcome knowledge, for verily knowledge is [like vast] valleys: whichever of them you take will stop you before you traverse it. Instead, take it over the days and nights. And do not take knowledge all at once, for whoever tries to take it all at once will lose it all at once. Rather take it bit by bit over the days and nights.

Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Jāmiʿ Bayān Al-ʿIlm article 652.

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It is reported that Yaḥyā b. Abī Kathīr – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

It used to be said, “People have never honoured themselves with anything [better] than the obedience of Allāh, and they have never dishonoured themselves with anything [worse] than disobedience to Allāh.”

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Muḥāsabatu Al-Nafs article 98.

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It is reported that Abū Ḥāzim Salamah b. Dīnār – Allāh have mercy on him – was once asked:

“O Abū Ḥāzim, do you not see how prices have risen?” He replied, “And what is the worry? Verily, he (Allāh) who provides for us during deflation is the one who will provide for us during inflation.”

Abū Nuʿaym, Ḥilyatu Al-ʾAwliyāʾ 3:239.

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It is reported that Bakr b. ʿAbdillāh Al-Muzanī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

When you see someone older than you, say: he has preceded me in īmān and righteous actions so he is better than me; and when you see someone younger than you, say: I have preceded him in sinning and disobedience so he is better than me. And when you see your brothers honouring and revering you, say: this is a virtue they have attained; and when you see them falling short (in their treatment of you) say: this is [because of] a sin I committed.

Ibn Al-Jawzī, Ṣifatu Al-Ṣafwah, article 505: Bakr b. ʿAbdillāh Al-Muzanī.

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The Strangeness of Iman
It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. Al-ʿAmr b. Al-ʿĀṣ – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Nifāq (hypocrisy) used to be something unusual amongst all the Īmān. Soon, Īmān will be something strange amongst all the nifāq.

Ibn Baṭṭah, Al-Ibānah 1:173 article 6

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

ʿAbbād b. Al-ʿAwwām narrates:

Sharīk b. ʿAbdillāh came to us around fifty years ago, and we said to him, “O Abū ʿAbdillāh, here amongst us there are people from the Muʿtazilah who reject these āḥādīth [like]: ‘Allāh descends to the lowest heaven’, and ‘the people of Jannah will see their Lord’. So Sharīk narrated to me around ten such narrations, then said: ‘As for us, we have taken our religion from the sons of the Tābiʿīn, from the Ṣaḥābah. Who have they taken from?’”

Al-Ḏahabī, Al-ʿUluw. Graded ṣaḥīḥ by Al-Albānī in Mukhtaṣar Al-ʿUluw article 146.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu


It is reported that Ḥudhayfah – Allāh be pleased with him – was asked:

“What is the worst fitnah?” He replied, “That good and evil is presented to you and you do not know which of them to follow.”

Ibn Abī Shaybah, Al-Muṣannaf, Kitāb Al-Fitan, article 38565.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported from ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar:

When ʿUmar b. Al-Khaṭṭāb arrived in Al-Shām, he said to Abū ʿUbaydah – Allāh be pleased with them: “Take us to your home.” Abū ʿUbaydah said, “And what will you do with my home?” ʿUmar replied, “Just take us there.” Abū ʿUbaydah said, “You only want to cry your eyes out over me.” So he entered his house and saw nothing [by way of furnishings] in it. ʿUmar asked, “Where are your things? I see nothing but rags, a water-skin and a dish (tray), and you are a governor! Do you have food?” So Abū ʿUbaydah went over to an old pail (bucket) and took out some scraps, and ʿUmar began to weep. Abu ʿUbaydah said to him, “I told you you would cry your eyes out over me. O Commander of the Believers, sufficient for you from the dunyā is what delivers you to your place of rest.” ʿUmar said, “The dunyā changed us all except you Abū ʿUbaydah.”

Abū Dāwūd, Kitāb Al-Zuhd article 123, and others.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Whenever ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās – Allāh be pleased with them – saw a muṣḥaf (copy of the Qurān) decorated with silver or gold he would say:

Do you tempt the thief, when its beauty is in its inside?

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that ʿAbd Al-ʿAzīz b. Abī Rawwād – Allāh have mercy on him – said to a man:

Whoever does not take exhortation [and is not effected] by three things, will not be exhorted by anything: Islām, the Qurān and old age (graying).

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Al-ʿUmr Wa Al-Shayb #40

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Imām Mālik said:

The Salaf used to teach their children to love Abū Bakr and ʿUmar like they used to teach them a sūrah of the Qurān.

Al-Lālakāʾī, Sharḥ ʾUsūl ʾIʿtiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah #2325.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

'If you desire Allah to be persistent in granting you the thing you love, be persistent in doing the things He loves.'

~Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal rahimahullaah

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Three Things that Must be Given to the Righteous and the Sinful
It is reported that Maymūn b. Mihrān – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

There are three things that must be given to both the righteous and the sinful: the ties of the womb (relatives) must be kept connected, whether they are righteous or sinful; trust must be fulfilled, for the righteous and the sinful; and promises must be kept, to the righteous as well as the sinful.

Ibn Abī Shaybah, Al-Muṣannaf 12:298.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

A man once asked ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. Al-ʿĀṣ – Allāh be pleased with them:

“Are we not from the poor of the Muhājirīn?” He replied, “Do you have a wife to go back to?” The man replied, “Yes.” ʿAbdullāh asked, “Do you have a home to live in?” The man said, “Yes.” ʿAbdullāh said, “Then you are one of the rich.” The man said, “And I have a servant.” ʿAbdullāh said, “In that case, you are a king!”

Muslim, Al-Ṣaḥīḥ #5290

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

If the people were gathered on one plain, all of them believers, except for two unbelievers amongst them, they would join each other. And if the people were gathered on one plain, all of them unbelievers, except for two believers amongst them, they would join each other.

Ibn Baṭṭah, Al-ʾIbānah Al-Kubrā 1:455

It is also reported that he said:

The souls of people are allied together (like for like), they meet and detect one another like horses do; those that recognise each other come together, and those that disapprove each other, separate. If a believer entered a mosque in which there were a hundred people, amongst them only one other believer, he would end up sitting with him. And if a munāfiq entered a mosque in which there were a hundred people, amongst them only one other munāfiq, he would end up sitting with him.

ibid.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

“I never saw a better admonisher than the grave, or anything more satisfying than a book, or anything safer than lack of socialization.” - ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abd al-’Aziz bin ‘Umar bin ‘Abd al-’Aziz

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that ʿAlī – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

When you learn knowledge, preserve it, and do not mix it with laughter and falsehood, such that the hearts refuse (dislike) it.

Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baghdādī, Al-Jāmiʿ li-Akhlāq Al-Rāwī wa Ādāb Al-Sāmiʿ 1:232

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. Al-ʿĀs – Allāh be pleased with them – said:

Leave alone what you have nothing to do with, and do not speak about what does not concern you, and secure your tongue like you secure your money.

Ibn Ḥibbān Al-Bustī, Rawḍatu Al-ʿUqalāʾ 1:55.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Abūl-ʿĀliyah said:

There will come upon the people a time when their hearts will be derelict of the Qurān; they will find neither sweetness nor pleasure by it. If they fall short of doing what they have been commanded to do, they will say: Allāh is most forgiving, merciful (He will forgive us), and if they do what they have been forbidden from doing, they will say: we will be forgiven, we haven’t committed any shirk with Allāh. Their affairs will all be based on [false] hope, having no truth and sincerity with it. They will wear the skins of lambs over hearts of wolves. The best of them in his religion will be someone who compromises

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Jubayr b. Nufayr said:

I entered upon Abū Al-Dardāʾ – Allāh be pleased with him – at his home in Ḥims and found him standing in prayer at his place of prayer. When he sat for tashahhud he started to seek protection with Allāh from al-nifāq (hypocrisy). So when he had finished praying, I said “May Allāh forgive you o Abū Al-Dardāʾ, what have you got to do with nifāq?” He said, “O Allāh forgive!”, three times, and replied, “Who can feel secure from trial, who can feel secure from trial? By Allāh, a man can be tested with fitnah in a single hour and turn away from his religion.”

Al-Bayhaqī, Shuʿab Al-Īmān 1:857.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Sermon of Uthman on Guidance before Death
It is reported that ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān – Allāh be pleased with him – once addressed the people in a sermon. He praised Allāh, then said:

O people! Fear Allāh and obey Him, for piety is a valuable prize. Verily the most intelligent person is he who takes account of himself and works for what comes after death, and acquires through the light (guidance) of Allāh a light for the darkness of the grave.

The servant of Allāh should fear lest Allāh the Mighty and Sublime resurrects him blind though he used to see. A few comprehensive words can be enough for a wise man, whereas the deaf (who does not listen to guidance) is being called from afar.

And know that whoever Allāh the Mighty and Sublime is with has nothing to fear; but whoever Allāh the Mighty and Sublime is against, then in whom can he hope after Allāh?!

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm 4:116,117.

[eesa the kiwi]

:assalam:

It is reported that Masrūq – Allāh have mercy him – said: There is no house better for the believer than the niche of his grave, for then he will rest from the worries of this world, and be secured from the punishment of Allāh.

[eesa the kiwi]

:assalam:

It is reported that a man saw Ibn ʿAbbās – Allāh be pleased with them – holding the tip of his tongue saying:

Woe to you, say what is good and you will reap gain, and be silent from speaking evil and you will be safe.

The man asked him:

O Ibn ʿAbbās, what is the matter that I see you holding the tip of your tongue saying such-and-such?

He replied:

It has reached me that the servant of Allāh will not be as angry at anything on the Day of Resurrection as he will be at his tongue.

Imām Aḥmad, Al-Zuhd p236

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Saʿīd b. Jubayr – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Tawakkul (reliance and trust in Allah) comprehends all of Īmān.

Hunād b. Al-Sarī, Al-Zuhd #534.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Imām Al-Zuhrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

We used to sometimes come to a scholar and what we learned of his manners was more beloved to us than the knowledge we took from him.

Abū Nuʿaym, Ḥilyatu Al-ʾAwliyāʾ #4575

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Abū Muslim Al-Khawlānī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

The example of the scholars on earth is that of the stars in the sky: when they appear, the people are guided (they navigate using the stars), but when they disappear, the people get confused and lost.

Al-Bayhaqī, Al-Madkhal ilā Al-Sunan Al-Kubrā #287

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that a man came to ʿAlī – Allāh be pleased with him – and asked, What do you think about a man who committed a sin? He replied, He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him. [The man] said, He did that, but then sinned again? [ʿAlī] said, He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him. The man again said, He did that, but returned to sin. [ʿAlī] said, He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him. The man said for the fourth time, He did, but then sinned again. ʿAlī then said, Until when? Then he said, He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him; and not give up until it is Shayṭān who is defeated [overcome].

Hunād b. Al-Sarī, Kitāb Al-Zuhd article 910

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Jābir b. ‘Abdillāh reports that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattāb – Allāh be pleased with them – used to say:

Abū Bakr is our sayyid (master/leader), and he freed our sayyid – meaning Bilāl.

Al-Bukhārī, Al-Sahīh, hadith 3754.

[eesa the kiwi]

:assalam:

It is reported that Imām Al-Zuhrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Those of our scholars who went before us used to say,”Adherence to the Sunnah is salvation, but knowledge is taken away quickly, so the revival of knowledge means the stability of religion and worldly affairs, and the loss of knowledge means the loss of all that.”

Al-Lālakā`ī, Sharh Usūl I’tiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah article 136

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Umar b. Al-Khattāb once entered upon Abū Bakr – Allāh be pleased with them both – and found him pulling at his tongue. He said, “Oh, what are you doing?” Abū Bakr replied, “It is this (i.e my speech) that has brought me so much trouble.”

Mālik, Al-Muatta 2:988

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Sufyān b. ‘Uyainah – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Verily, the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ is the highest standard; things are measured by him: his character, lifestyle and behavior. Whatever agrees with [these] is true and correct, and whatever contradicts [them] is wrong.

Al-Khatīb Al-Baghdādī, Akhlāq Al-Rāwī wa Ādāb Al-Sāmi’ article 8.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Abû Al-Dardâ’ – Allah be pleased with him – said:

It is from a person’s knowledge and understanding that he sees to his needs first in order to turn to his prayer with a heart free of distractions.

Ibn Al-Mubârak in Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqâ’iq Vol.2 p726

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Muhammad b. Sīrīn – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

If the Dajjāl appears, I believe the heretics (People of Desires, Bid’ah) will follow him.
Al-Lālakā`ī, Sharh Usūl I’tiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah 1:131

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Mālik b. Mighwal said:

Al-Sha’bī once said to me, “When these [people] report to you from Allāh’s Messenger – praise and peace of Allāh be upon him, adhere to it; but when they merely opine, throw it in the trash.”

Al-Dārimī, Al-Sunan 1:78.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Al-Ahnaf b. Qays – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

I find it amazing how anyone who passed through the urinary tract twice could ever be arrogant and haughty!

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:92.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that ‘Alī b. Abī Tālib – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Mention what you will of the greatness of Allāh, but Allāh is greater than anything you say. And mention what you will of the Fire, but it is more severe than anything you say. And mention what you will of Paradise, but it is better than anything you say.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 853.

[Abz2000]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that ‘Alī b. Abī Tālib – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Mention what you will of the greatness of Allāh, but Allāh is greater than anything you say. And mention what you will of the Fire, but it is more severe than anything you say. And mention what you will of Paradise, but it is better than anything you say.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 853.

:jz:
i think that one's worth mentioning - will try to expound it well inshaAllah - though it's difficult to make sense of de ja vu - before you can say "hows your father's mother in law". :)

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
How strange it is that a people whose departure (from this world to the next) has been announced, and whose predecessors have already departed, still play around!

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 843.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allāh have mercy on him – once said during the funeral of a man:

May Allāh have mercy on the man who works for the likes of this day; for today you are able to do what these brothers of yours, the residents of these graves, cannot do. So make full use of your health and free time before the day of distress and accounts comes upon you.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dhamm Al-Dunyā article 53.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Abū Ja’far reports:

Whenever Ibn ‘Umar – Allāh be pleased with him – heard a ḥadīth from Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him – he never went beyond it, and he never fell short of it.

Ibn Mājah, Al-Sunan, ḥadīth #4. Shaykh Al-Albānī graded this narration ṣaḥīḥ in his edition of the Sunan.

Shaykh Al-Albānī explained that ‘he never went beyond it’ means: he never added anything to what was in the ḥadīth or overstepped the bounds of the ḥadīth; and ‘he never fell short of it’ means: he never neglected what was in the ḥadīth

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported on the authority of Al-Walīd b. Mazyad that he said:

I heard Al-Awzāʿī say, when I asked him, “Who is a fool?” He replied, “One who is blind to what is wrong (evil), [though] he has insight into what is good.”

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 7:116.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Yūnus b. ‘Ubayd (d. 139H) – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

I only liken the worldly life (dunyā) to a man who, whilst sleeping, sees in his dream things he likes and things he does not like. Then he wakes up (the world ends and the next life starts).

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dham Al-Dunyā article 21.

It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

The dunyā, from its beginning to its end, is only like a man who takes a nap, sees in his dream what pleases him, and then wakes up.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm article 2056.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Muhammad Ibn Al-Hanafīyah – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

He is not wise who does not live in a good way with the person he has no choice but to live with, until Allāh gives him relief from that [situation].

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:117 et al. Shaykh Al-Albānī graded it Sahīh in Silsilatu Al-Da’īfah 6:172, after explaining that it is not authentic as a hadīth from the Prophet – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Imām Al-Zuhrī said:

Verily, knowledge has calamities [that afflict it]. One of its calamities is when the scholar is left, until he goes away with his knowledge. Another calamity is forgetting [knowledge]. Yet another calamity is lying about [knowledge], and this is the worst type.

Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm article 684.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Ibrāhīm Al-Taymī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

What a great difference there is between you and those people [of the past, the Salaf]! Worldly wealth came to them but they fled from it, whereas the world turns its back on you and you go after it.
Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq article 538.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

By Allāh, never was a person given an abundance of worldy wealth and then not feared this might be a plot against him [for his wrongdoing] except a person lacking intelligence and sound opinion. And never has Allāh held back worldy wealth from a person and that person has not thought that a good choice has been made for him except a person who [also] lacks intelligence and sound opinion.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dham Al-Dunyā article 42.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu


It is reported that ‘Imrān b. Husayn – Allāh be pleased with him – was once relating hadīth amongst a group of people, when a man said:

Leave this and give us something from the Book of Allāh. ‘Imrān said, “You are a dunce (stupid). Do you find in the Book of Allāh details of prayer. Do you find in the Book of Allāh details of fasting!? This Qur`ān prescribes those matters, and the Sunnah explains them.”

Al-Harawī, Dham Al-Kalām article 244, et al with various wordings.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
I asked my father, “Who are the [real] people?” He replied, “The [real] people are none but those who say ḥaddathanā and akhbaranā (those who report ḥadīth).”

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 3438.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Abū ‘Ubaydah b. Al-Jarrāḥ – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
O people! Yes, I am a man from Quraysh, but there is not a white man (literally: red), nor a black man amongst you who exceeds me in righteousness (taqwā) except that I wish I was in his skin.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 1:18.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Mufaddal b. Muhalhal – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
If the heretic started mentioning his bid’ah right at the beginning of the sitting, you would be on your guard and flee from him, but what he does is begin by mentioning ḥadīth from the Sunnah. Then, he slips his bid’ah in on you. It might then stick to your heart; but when will it leave your heart?

Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā, 2:444.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

Imām Sa’īd b. Al-Musayyib – Allāh have mercy on him – once saw a man praying more than two rak’ah after sunrise the beginning of Fajr, making many bows and prostrations, and so he forbade him. The man said, “O Abu Muḥammad, is Allāh going to punish me for praying?” Sa’īd said, “No, but He will punish you for contradicting the Sunnah.”

Al-Bayhaqī, As-Sunan Al-Kubraa 2:466. graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh Al-Albānī. See Irwā Al-Ghalīl 2:236.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

This world (the dunyā) is [only taken as] a home by those who will have no real home [in Jannah], and it is the wealth of those who will have no real wealth, and it is gathered and collected for by those who have no real intelligence.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dhamm Al-Dunyā article 16.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

‘Abdullāh b, ‘Abbās reports that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattāb – Allāh be pleased with them – said:

I used to have a neighbor from the Anṣār who lived in the area of Banī Umayyah b. Zayd, which is in the ‘Awālī of Medinah, and we used to take turns attending [the gatherings] of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him. My neighbor would attend one day and I the other; so when I attended I would convey to him the reports about the revelation that had come, and other such news, and when he attended he would do the same.

My Anṣārī companion went on one of his days, and [upon returning] came to my door and knocked hard saying, ‘Is he there?’ I was alarmed and came out to him, and he said, ‘Something serious has happened (some people thought the Prophet had divorced his wives).’ I entered upon Ḥafṣah and found her weeping. I said, ‘Has Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him – divorced you [all]?’ She replied, ‘I don’t know.’ Then, I came to the Prophet – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him – and asked him, still standing, ‘Have you divorced your women?’ He said, ‘No’, so I said, ‘ Allāhu Akbar (Allāh is Greatest).’

Al-Bukhārī, Al-Ṣaḥīḥ, Chapter on Taking Turns in Seeking Knowledge.

Notes

The narration translated above is a shorter report of the full incident, recorded elsewhere in Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī.

In his commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī, Ibn Ḥajr lists some of the lessons and points that can be taken from this narration, including the following:

1. This hadith shows us that the khabar (news, report) of a single (reliable) person is dependable.

2. The student of knowledge should not neglect taking care of his living needs, in order to help him continue seeking knowledge and other pursuits (at that time, ‘Umar was involved in trade, as is mentioned in other reports).

3. At the same time, the student of knowledge should be diligent and resolute in asking about the knowledge he has missed in his absence.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

It has reached me that when Allāh the Mighty and Majestic blesses a people and gives them some good he asks them to be grateful. If they are grateful, He is all-able to give them more. But if they are ungrateful, He is all-able to turn His blessings into a punishment.

Al-Bayhaqī, Shu’ab Al-Imān article 4536.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

One who acts without knowledge is like one who travels off the path; and the one who acts without knowledge corrupts more than he rectifies. So seek knowledge in a way that does not harm your worship, and seek to worship [Allāh] in a way that does not harm [your seeking of] knowledge. For verily, there were people (the Khawārij extremists) who sought to worship [Allāh] but abandoned knowledge until they attacked the Ummah of Muḥammad – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him – with their swords. But if they had sought knowledge, it would not have directed them to do what they did.

Quoted by Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm wa Faḍlihi article 905.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that the son of Al-Fuḍayl b. ‘Ayyāḍ – Allāh have mercy on him – said to his father:

Father! How sweet (beautiful) the speech of the Companions is! [Al-Fuḍayl] said, “Son, do you know why it was so sweet?” He replied, “No father, I do not.” He said, “Because they sought Allāh the Exalted when they spoke.”

Al-Bayhaqī, Shu’ab Al-īmān

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Imām Muḥammad b. Sīrīn – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

There were people who abandoned knowledge and sitting with the scholars, and [instead] took to their chambers and prayed until their skin dried [from exertion in worship]. Thereafter they began to contradict the Sunnah and thus were destroyed. By Allāh, never does a person act without knowledge, except that he spoils and corrupts more than he fixes and rectifies.

Al-Aṣbahānī, Al-Targhīb wa Al-Tarhīb 3:98

[jameelash]

Correct but even elders i have comeacross learn quran eagerly some wat manage to
By heart suras nd use it in the prayer. One of my relative at 67 joined quran class along with d.inlaws.she was so dedicated in studying she was able pickup watever being taught
Nd she was awarded by the teacher
My dotr her dil was too a bright girl but couldnt surpass her mil

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Imām Abū Dāwūd Al-Sijistānī – Allah have mercy on him – said:

Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal never used to involve himself in the things of this world that people involved themselves in; but when knowledge was mentioned, he would speak.

Ibn Al-Jawzī Ṣifatu Al-Ṣafwah 2:519.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Al-Fuḍayl b. ‘Ayyāḍ – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

The believer speaks little and does alot, whereas the hypocrite (munāfiq) speaks a lot and does little. When the believer speaks, it is with wisdom, when he is silent, it is in deep thought, when he sees, he takes lessons, and when he acts, it is a cure. If this is the way you are, then you are in the constant worship [of your Lord.]

Abū Nu’aym, Ḥilyatu Al-Awliyā` 8:98.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

The believer does the best deeds yet is most fearful [that his deeds will not be accepted]. If he were to spend a mountain of wealth [in charity], he would not feel sure [of the reward] until he sees it. The more righteous and pious he becomes, the more he fears. But the hypocrite (munāfiq) says, ‘There are so many people, I will be forgiven, no problem.’ So he does wrong and evil deeds, yet holds foolish wishes about Allāh.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:586.

[eesa the kiwi]

Asalamu alaikum rahmatullah wa barakatu

It is reported that Mālik b. Dīnār – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

It is unfitting for a believer that his belly becomes his greatest concern, or that his desires dominate him.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Al-Jū’ (The Book of Hunger) article 105.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Imām Al-Shāfi’ī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

If you fear becoming deluded and impressed by your deeds then remember whose pleasure you are seeking, and the joy (Paradise) in which you want to be, and what punishment you fear. Whoever thinks about these things will diminish his deeds.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 10:42.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

The intelligent person’s tongue is behind his heart: when he wants to speak, he first thinks. If [his words] will be in his favor, he says them, and if they will be against him, he does not speak. And the ignorant person’s heart is behind his tongue: when he merely thinks of saying something, he says it, whether it is for or against him.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 2049.

[eesa the kiwi]

Salmān Al-Fārsī – Allāh be pleased with him – once visited a sick friend. When he entered upon him he said:

Have glad tidings, for verily Allāh makes the illness of a believer an expiation [for his sins] and a cause of being pleased, whereas the illness of a sinner is like a camel that has been tied by its owners, then released by them: it knows not why it was tied up nor why it was released.

Al-Bukhārī, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad in the Chapter on the Expiation [of sins through] illness. Graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Adab Al-Mufrad.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

The example of the believer, the unbeliever and the hypocrite is that of three people who arrived at a valley. One of them descended and passed through to the other side. One of them descended until he reached half way, when the third man on the edge of the valley called to him, “Woe to you, where are you going? You will die. Come back.” The man who made it to the other side called to him, “Come and be saved.” So [the man in the middle of the valley] kept looking back and forth at the two [on each side of the valley], when a flood came into the valley and drowned him. The man who passed through to the other side is the believer; the one who drowned is the munāfiq (hypocrite) –

مُّذَبْذَبِينَ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ لَآ إِلَىٰ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَلَآ إِلَىٰ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ۚ

[The Hypocrites] sway between this and that, neither [fully] with the believers nor with the unbelievers.

Quran 4:143

And the one who remained at the edge of the valley [not able to escape the flood and pass] is the kāfir (unbeliever).

Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Al-Tafsīr article 6144.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ‘Awn b. ‘Abdillāh – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Those before you used to give to their worldly affairs what was left over from their pursuit of the hereafter. But today, you give to the matters of the hereafter the left-overs from your pursuit of worldly affairs.

Abū Nu’aym, Ḥilyat Al-Awliyā` 10:242.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Imām Al-Awzā’ī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

At the time of Fajr, or a while before it, the Salaf would be as if birds were sitting on their heads: (still ) concentrating on themselves [and their worship], so much so that even if one of their closest friends came to them after having been parted from them, they would not notice him. They would remain in this state until just before sunrise. Then, they would meet each other and sit in the circles. The first thing they would discuss is the matter of their afterlife and what would become of them in the hereafter. Then they would begin the circles of Quran and Fiqh study.

Ibn ‘Asākir, Tārīkh Dimishq 35:184, 185.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Anas b. Mālik – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

There are two days and two nights the likes of which no one has ever heard of before: the Day on which you will receive the news about Allāh the Exalted: whether you will receive His punishment or His mercy, the Day you will be given your book (of deeds): either in your right hand or your left, that [first] night you will spend alone in your grave, a night like no other you have spent, and that night on the morning of which will be the Day of Resurrection, after which there will be no more night.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 19.

[eesa the kiwi]

Mālik b. Dīnār – Allāh have mercy on him – once said:

Verily you are in greatly troubled times. Only one with true insight knows the times you live in. Verily you are in a time of [people] boasting and being proud. [1] Their tongues are swollen in their mouths, and they seek worldly gain through the deeds of the hereafter. So be warned against them for yourselves, lest they catch you in their nets. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you devour [wealth] with your knowledge. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you boast with your knowledge. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you seek to amass [wealth] with your knowledge. O scholar, you are a scholar yet you transgress [against others] with your knowledge. If you had truly sought this knowledge for Allāh, it would have been seen on you and in your deeds.

[1] The word in some reports is tafākhur (boasting and being proud) but in some other versions, other somewhat ambiguous words are found in its place.

Abū Bakr Al-Ājurrī, Kitāb Al-‘Ālim Al-Jāhil article 73 et al.

[eesa the kiwi]

Abd Al-Raḥmān b. ‘Awf – Allāh be pleased with him – was once brought some food, and he had been fasting. He said:

Muṣ’ab b. ‘Umayr was killed, and he was better than me and he was buried with a cloak as a shroud: if his head was covered with it his legs would be uncovered and if his legs were covered with it his head would be uncovered. And Ḥamzah was killed and he was better than me. Then, after that time, we were given what we were given of worldly wealth, and we fear that [the reward of] our good deeds has been quickened for us [in this life].

He then began to cry so much that he left his food.

Al-Bukhārī, Al-Ṣaḥīḥ hadith 1275 and other places.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Ḥafṣah – Allāh be pleased with her – once said to her father (‘Umar, during his Caliphate):

Allāh has increased the provisions; if only you would eat better food than the food you eat now and wear softer clothes then those you wear now?! He said, “I will argue [against] you with your own self: Was not the condition of Allāh’s Messenger – praise and peace be upon him – such-and-such [when you were his wife]!?” He kept reminding her until she cried. He continued, “I have told you, by Allāh, I will share in their hard living (in this world, referring to The Prophet and Abū Bakr) so that I may partake in their good life (in Paradise).”

Hunād b. Al-Sarī, Al-Zuhd article 687; Imām Aḥmad, Al-Zuhd article 201, et al. (1)

[eesa the kiwi]

‘Abdullāh b. Shaqīq Al-‘Uqaylī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

The Companions of Allāh’s Messenger – Allah’s praise and peace be upon him – did not consider the leaving of any action to be kufr (unbelief), except the prayer (ṣalāh).

Al-Tirmidhī, Al-Sunan ḥadīth 2622. Graded ṣaḥīḥ by Al-Albānī in his edition of Sunan Al-Tirmidhī.

[eesa the kiwi]

Imām Al-Awzā’ī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Faith (īmān) is not sound except with [correct] words. Faith and words are not sound except with [good] works. And faith, words and deeds are not sound except with [the correct] intentions in conformance to the Sunnah. Those who went before us of our Salaf did not separate faith from deeds: deeds are a part of faith, and faith is from [ones deeds]. īmān is a word that brings together these aspects of the religions [of Allāh] and is confirmed through [a person’s] works.

So whoever believes in word, knows in his heart and confirms [his belief] through his works, then this is the strongest handhold that will never break. And whoever says [words of faith] but does not know [faith] in his heart nor confirms it with his works, it will never be accepted of him and he will be in the hereafter from those who suffer in loss.

Ibn Ba tt ah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā article 1097.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:The house in which the Qur’ān is not recited is like a derelict house that has no one to maintain it.It is also reported that he said:Verily the emptiest of houses are those that are empty of the Book of Allāh.It is reported that Abū Hurayrah – Allāh be pleased with him – used to say about the house in which the Qur’ān is recited:It becomes spacious for its inhabitants, the good of it becomes plentiful, the angels come to it and the devils leave it. And the house in which the Qur’ān is not recited becomes cramped for its inhabitants, has little good in it, and the devils come to it.Ibn Abī Shaybah, Al-Muṣannaf articles 30645, 30647 and 30650.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Abū Hurayrah – Allāh be pleased with him – used to say:

Whoever does not think that his speech is part of his deeds and that his character is part of his religion will be destroyed without even realizing.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā Dham Al-Kadhib wa Ahlī article 94.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattāb – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Whoever exposes himself to suspicion, let him blame only himself for whoever suspects him.
He who covers his secret is in a position to choose [to correct himself].
Assume the best about your brother until what comes to you from him overcomes you [and you have to change your opinion].
You can never pay back someone who disobeys Allāh in his dealings with you with anything better than obeying Allāh in your dealings with him.
Take righteous brothers [as friends]; acquire them in plenty, for they are a beautification in prosperity and an aid during calamity.
Do not ask about what has not yet happened until it actually happens, for what has happened is enough of an occupation to worry about what has not happened.
Let not your speech be given freely except to those who want to hear it and will value it.
Do not seek help in fulfilling a need you have except from someone who wants success for you in that endeavor.
Do not consult except people who fear Allāh, and do not accompany the sinner, [lest] you learn his sinfulness.
And be humble at the graves.

Abū Dāwūd, Kitāb Al-Zuhd article 89.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Mujāhid – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Those who strive and exert themselves (al-mujtahid) amongst you today are like those who used to play around amongst those before you.

Wakī’ b. Al-Jarrāh, Al-Zuhd article 221.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Whoever is happy (satisfied) with what Allāh has apportioned for him, it will suffice him and Allāh will bless it for him, but whoever is not satisfied, then [what is apportioned for him] will not suffice him and it will not be blessed.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Kitāb Al-Riḍā ʿan Allāh bi Qaḍāʾihi article 95.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. Al-Mubārak – Allāh have mercy on him – said:The insightful and wise do not trust that they are safe from four things: a past sin about which it is not known what the Lord Almighty will do, the remaining lifespan wherein it is not known what destruction lies, some (apparent) advantage a person is given but which could be a lure (from Allāh) in recompense for his wrongdoing, a misguidance that has been beautified – so that he thinks it is guidance – and a momentary deviation of the heart, for a person can be stripped of his religion without realizing it.Al-Dhahabī, Siyar Aʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 8:406

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ʿUmar b. Al-Khaṭṭāb – Allāh be pleased with him – said:Do not expose yourself to what does not concern you, stay away from your enemy, beware of [taking as] your friend anyone except the trustworthy amongst people – and there is no one who is trustworthy except one who fears Allāh; and do not accompany the sinner in case you learn his sinfulness, and do not let him know your secrets, and consult those who fear Allāh for your affairs.Ibn Abī Shaybah, Al-Muṣannaf 34476.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Yaḥyā b. Abī Kathīr – Allāh have mercy on him – said:It used to be said, “People have never honoured themselves with anything [better] than the obedience of Allāh, and they have never dishonoured themselves with anything [worse] than disobedience to Allāh.”Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Muḥāsabatu Al-Nafs article 98.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Saʿīd b. Jubayr – Allāh have mercy on him – said:Verily, fear (al-khashyah) is that you fear Allāh such that your fear comes between you and your disobedience (of Allāh). That is khashyah. And dhikr (remembrance) is obedience to Allāh: whoever obeys Allāh has remembered Him; and whoever does not obey Him is not a rememberer of Him, even if he says a lot of tasbīḥ and recites a lot of Qurān.Al-Dhahabī, Siyar ʾAʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 4:326.

[eesa the kiwi]

The Correct Place of Opinion

Al-Awzāʿī reports that Caliph ʿUmar b. ʿAbd Al-ʿAzīz – Allāh have mercy on him – wrote (in his orders):

There is no place for anyone’s opinion [when it comes to] what is in the Book (revelation). The opinion of the imāms (great scholars) is only regarding what the Book did not come down with, and regarding which no Sunnah has passed from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. And the opinion of no one is counted in the face of a Sunnah from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.

Al-Ājurrī, Al-Sharīʿah #113 et al.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported from Ḥabīb Al-Jallāb that he asked ʿAbdullāh b. Al-Mubārak – Allāh have mercy on him:

“What is the best thing a person is ever given?” He replied, “Innate intelligence.” He then asked, “And if not that?” He replied, “Good conduct.” He then asked, “And if not that?” He replied, “A compassionate brother to consult.” He then asked, “And if not that?” He replied, “Long silence.” He asked, “And if not that?” Ibn Al-Mubārak replied, “Then an early death.”

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar ʾAʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 8:397

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Ibrāhīm b. Adham – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Whoever seeks knowledge sincerely, for the servants of Allāh to benefit by and to benefit himself, then being hidden (from fame) is more beloved to him than seeking loftiness. He is the one who becomes more lowly to himself, strives more in worship, fears Allāh more, yearns for Allāh more, and becomes more humble amongst people. He cares not what he has of this dunyā night or day.

Al-Bayhaqī, Shuʿab Al-Īmān article 1653.

[eesa the kiwi]

Taking Knowledge in Stages

It is reported that Al-Zuhrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said to Yūnus b. Yazīd:

O Yūnus! Do not try to overcome knowledge, for verily knowledge is [like vast] valleys: whichever of them you take will stop you before you traverse it. Instead, take it over the days and nights. And do not take knowledge all at once, for whoever tries to take it all at once will lose it all at once. Rather take it bit by bit over the days and nights.

Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Jāmiʿ Bayān Al-ʿIlm article 652.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. Al-ʿAmr b. Al-ʿĀṣ – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Nifāq (hypocrisy) used to be something unusual amongst all the Īmān. Soon, Īmān will be something strange amongst all the nifāq.

Ibn Baṭṭah, Al-Ibānah 1:173 article 6.

[eesa the kiwi]

We Take Our Religion from the Companions

ʿAbbād b. Al-ʿAwwām narrates:

Sharīk b. ʿAbdillāh came to us around fifty years ago, and we said to him, “O Abū ʿAbdillāh, here amongst us there are people from the Muʿtazilah who reject these āḥādīth [like]: ‘Allāh descends to the lowest heaven’, and ‘the people of Jannah will see their Lord’. So Sharīk narrated to me around ten such narrations, then said: ‘As for us, we have taken our religion from the sons of the Tābiʿīn, from the Ṣaḥābah. Who have they taken from?’”

Al-Ḏahabī, Al-ʿUluw. Graded ṣaḥīḥ by Al-Albānī in Mukhtaṣar Al-ʿUluw article 146.

[eesa the kiwi]

Why is Knowledge Learned?

It is reported that Sufyān Al-Thawrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Knowledge is only learned to [apply it and] put into practice the Taqwā of Allāh the mighty and sublime.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm article 943.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Ḥudhayfah – Allāh be pleased with him – was asked:

“What is the worst fitnah?” He replied, “That good and evil is presented to you and you do not know which of them to follow.”

Ibn Abī Shaybah, Al-Muṣannaf, Kitāb Al-Fitan, article 38565.

[BeTheChange]

May Allah swt help us to help ourselves and protect us from fitna Ameen.

[eesa the kiwi]

Whenever ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās – Allāh be pleased with them – saw a muṣḥaf (copy of the Qurān) decorated with silver or gold he would say:

Do you tempt the thief, when its beauty is in its inside?

Abū ʿUbayd Al-Qāsim b. Sallām, Faḍāʾil Al-Qurān article 907.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Blessings arrive with gratitude [to Allāh], and gratitude is connected with more [blessings], and the two are tied together: more blessings from Allāh will never stop unless gratitude from the servant stops.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Al-Shukr article 18.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ʿAbd Al-ʿAzīz b. Abī Rawwād – Allāh have mercy on him – said to a man:

Whoever does not take exhortation [and is not effected] by three things, will not be exhorted by anything: Islām, the Qurān and old age (graying).

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Al-ʿUmr

[eesa the kiwi]

A man once asked ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. Al-ʿĀṣ – Allāh be pleased with them:

“Are we not from the poor of the Muhājirīn?” He replied, “Do you have a wife to go back to?” The man replied, “Yes.” ʿAbdullāh asked, “Do you have a home to live in?” The man said, “Yes.” ʿAbdullāh said, “Then you are one of the rich.” The man said, “And I have a servant.” ʿAbdullāh said, “In that case, you are a king!”

Muslim, Al-Ṣaḥīḥ #5290

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

If the people were gathered on one plain, all of them believers, except for two unbelievers amongst them, they would join each other. And if the people were gathered on one plain, all of them unbelievers, except for two believers amongst them, they would join each other.

Ibn Baṭṭah, Al-ʾIbānah Al-Kubrā 1:455

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Abūl-ʿĀliyah said:

There will come upon the people a time when their hearts will be derelict of the Qurān; they will find neither sweetness nor pleasure by it. If they fall short of doing what they have been commanded to do, they will say: Allāh is most forgiving, merciful (He will forgive us), and if they do what they have been forbidden from doing, they will say: we will be forgiven, we haven’t committed any shirk with Allāh. Their affairs will all be based on [false] hope, having no truth and sincerity with it. They will wear the skins of lambs over hearts of wolves. The best of them in his religion will be someone who compromises.

Imām Aḥmad, Al-Zuhd article 1741.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Masrūq – Allāh have mercy him – said:-There is no house better for the believer than the niche of his grave, for then he will rest from the worries of this world, and be secured from the punishment of Allāh.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that a man saw Ibn ʿAbbās – Allāh be pleased with them – holding the tip of his tongue saying:

Woe to you, say what is good and you will reap gain, and be silent from speaking evil and you will be safe.

The man asked him:

O Ibn ʿAbbās, what is the matter that I see you holding the tip of your tongue saying such-and-such?

He replied:

It has reached me that the servant of Allāh will not be as angry at anything on the Day of Resurrection as he will be at his tongue.

Imām Aḥmad, Al-Zuhd p236

[eesa the kiwi]

Aḥmad b. Yūnus reports:

I saw Zuhayr b. Muʿāwiyah come to Zāʾidah b. Qudāmah (d.160H) and speak to him to get him to narrate ḥadīth to a man, so Zāʾidah asked,-Is he from Ahl Al-Sunnah?-Zuhayr replied,-I do not know that he has any bidʿah.-Zāʾidah said,-No, that is another matter!-Is he from Ahl Al-Sunnah?-Zuhayr said,-Since when have people become like this?-Zāʾidah replied,-Since when did people curse Abū Bakr and ʿUmar?!

Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baghdādī, Al-Jāmiʿ li Akhlāq Al-Rāwī #754.

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Verily, you will find the believer (muʾmin) consistent time after time, upon one way, showing the same face; [whereas] you will find the hypocrite (munāfiq) changing colors, trying to be like everyone around him, running with every wind.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm #1936

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that Imām Al-Zuhrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

We used to sometimes come to a scholar and what we learned of his manners was more beloved to us than the knowledge we took from him.

Abū Nuʿaym, Ḥilyatu Al-ʾAwliyāʾ #4575

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that a man once wrote to Ibn ʿUmar – Allāh be pleased with them:

Please write down all knowledge for me.-Ibn ʿUmar replied:-Knowledge is vast, but if you can meet Allāh having kept your back light of the burden of people’s blood, your stomach void of people’s wealth and having kept your tongue from [disparaging] their honour, then do so.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar ʾAʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 3:222

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported from Sufyān b. ʿUyainah – Allāh have mercy on him – that a man once asked ʿAlī b. Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī b. ʾAbī Ṭālib – Allāh have mercy on him,-What was the status of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar with Rasūlullāh – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him?-He replied,-Their place with him is like their place with him today (i.e. where they are in their graves).

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm 4:254

[eesa the kiwi]

It is reported that a man came to ʿAlī – Allāh be pleased with him – and asked,-What do you think about a man who committed a sin?-He replied,-He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him.-[The man] said,-He did that, but then sinned again?-[ʿAlī] said,-He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him.-The man again said,-He did that, but returned to sin. [ʿAlī] said,-He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him.-The man said for the fourth time,-He did, but then sinned again.-ʿAlī then said,-Until when?Then he said,-He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him; and not give up until it is Shayṭān who is defeated [overcome].

Hunād b. Al-Sarī, Kitāb Al-Zuhd article 910