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“Whoever would like to know what his relationship with Allah is, let him look at what people promise him, and what Allah promises him, and see which of the two his heart is more assured of.”
Shaqeeq al Balkhee in Hilyat al Awliyaah by al Asbahaanee: 3/375.
It is reported that ‘Abdullâh b. Mas’ûd RA 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.
Ibn Abî Shaybah, Al-Musannaf #30650, 30645, 30647
“Whoever gives up striving completely, his religious motives will become weak and his motive to follow his desires will become strong, but when he trains himself to go against his desires, he can defeat them whenever he wants.” (‘Uddat al-Saabireen, 1/46)
“It was said: Love is sincerity in striving to obey the commands of Allaah and pure sincerity in following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).” (Tareeq al-Hijratayn, 1/460)
“Go out to the field of struggle and strive to sow seeds. Irrigate the tree of regret with the water of tears…” (Badaa’i’ al-Fawaa’id, 3/742)
Ibn Hazm rh said:
“Whoever is tested with self-admiration, let him think of his faults; if he admires his virtues, let him think of his bad manners and attitude. If he cannot find any, to the point that he thinks that he has no faults, then he should realise that his problem is chronic and that he is the most imperfect of men, and he has the most faults and least discernment. That is because he is feeble-minded and ignorant, and there is no fault worse than these two, because the wise man is the one who can see faults in himself and tries to overcome them, whereas the foolish man is the one who is ignorant of his own faults.
If you admire your opinions, then think of the number of times you got it wrong; remember them and do not forget them. Think of every time you expressed your opinions and it turned out to be wrong, and someone else got it right and you were mistaken.
If you admire your knowledge, then remember that it is not from yourself; rather it is a pure gift from Allaah (swt) that was given to you by your Lord, so do not respond to it in a way that angers Him, for He may cause you to forget it by means of a problem with which He may test you, which my result in you forgetting what you have learned and memorised.
If you are impressed by your brothers’ praise for you, the think of the criticism of your enemies; then your self-admiration will disperse. If you have no enemies, there is nothing good in you; there is no one whose status is lower than the one who has no enemy. It is no more than the status of the one who has no blessing from Allaah (swt) for which he is to be envied, may Allaah keep us safe and sound. If you think little of your faults, then think of them if people found out about them. Imagine people finding out about them, then you will be embarrassed and will recognise your shortcomings.”
[Al-Akhlaaq Was-Siyar, p. 71]
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, Shuab Al-Īmān article 1653
Ibn al-Qayyim rh said:
Gratitude may be in the heart, in submission and humility; on the tongue, in praise and acknowledgement; and in the physical faculties, by means of obedience and submission.
Madaarij al-Saalikeen (2/246)
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Ibn al-Qayyim rh said:
Gratitude may be in the heart, in submission and humility; on the tongue, in praise and acknowledgement; and in the physical faculties, by means of obedience and submission.
Madaarij al-Saalikeen (2/246)
Ibn Abee Haatim (Rahimahullah) said:
I entered Damascus and came upon the students of hadeeth, and I passed by the circle of Qaasim al-Joo’ee . I found a group sitting around him and he was speaking. Their appearance amazed me; and I heard him saying:
“Seize the benefit of five things from the people of your time: (1) when you are present, you are not known; (2) when you are absent, you are not missed; (3) when you are seen, your advice is not sought; (4) when you say something, your saying is not accepted; (5) and when you have some knowledge, you are not given anything for it.
I advise you with five matters: (1) when you are treated unjustly, do not behave unjustly; (2) when you are praised do not become happy; (3) when you are criticised, do not become upset; (4) when you are not believed, do not become angry; (5) and if the people act deceitfully towards you, do not act deceitfully towards them.”
Ibn Abee Haatim further remarked:
So I took this as my benefit from Damascus.
Related by Ibn al-Jawzee (RH) in Sifatus-Safwaa (2/200)
Hasan Basrî – Allâh have mercy on him said:
The life of this world is made up of three days: yesterday has gone with all that was done; tomorrow, you may never reach; but today is for you so do what you should do today.
[Al-Bayhaqî, Al-Zuhd Al-Kabeer, p.197]
Sufyaan Thawree – Allaah have mercy on him said:
A person who sits with a heretic will not escape one of three things:
(a) either he will become a trial (fitnah) for others,
(b) or some deviation will occur in his heart and he will slip and be cast into the Fire by Allah,
(c) or he will say to himself, ‘By Allah, I don’t care what they say, I am confident about myself,’ but whoever feels secure from Allah about his religion even for the blinking of an eye, Allah will take his religion away from him.
[Ibn Waddâh, Al-Bida’ p125]
‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdul-’Azeez rh said:
“There is no excuse for anyone, after the Sunnah, to be misguided upon error which he thought was guidance.”
[as-Sunnah (no.95) of al-Marwazee rh]
Imâm ashShâfi’î (d.204H) – rahimahullâh – said:
“Whosoever loves that Allâah should open-up his heart for him and grant light to him, then let him abandon speech about that which does not concern him, and abandon sins and turn away from acts of disobedience. Then there will be between him and Allâah a hidden treasure of good actions. So if this is done, then Allâah will open up such knowledge for him that will preoccupy him. And indeed in death is the greatest pre-occupation.”
(Related by al-Bayhaqî in Manâqiush-Shâfi’î (2/171)
Sufyaan Thawri rh said:
Safety is that you dont desire to be known.
(As-Siyar: 7/257)
Ibn Qayyim rh said:
“Man consists of the mind of an angel, the lust of an animal, and the fancy of Satan. One of them will prevail. If you could overcome your fancy and lust, you will be in a rank that is higher than an angel. And if your fancy and lust beat you, you will be in a rank that is less than a dog.”
(al-Fawaa’id, p.121)
كل أخ وجليس وصاحب لا تستفيد منه خيرا في أمر دينك ففر منه
Imam Abu Bakr ibn Abid Dunya (rahimahullah) has recorded this narration as the statement of the famous Saint, Malik ibn Dinar (rahimahullah).
(Kitabul ‘Uzlah Wal Infirad, Hadith: 150)
Flee from any friend or companion who does not offer any value or good with regard to your religious matters.
Yazid bin Abdullah was asked,
“Should we make a roof for our mosque?” He said, “Purify your hearts and your mosque will be sufficient for you.”
[Hilyat al Awliya 2/312]
Imaam al-Awzaa”ee rh said,
“Patiently restrict yourselves to the sunnah, stop where the people stopped, say what they said, avoid what they avoided. Take to the path of the salaf, for indeed what was sufficient for them was sufficient for you.”
[Al-Hujjah of Ismail Abu Fadhl (6/A-B)]
Al Fudail Ibn ‘Iyaad rh said;
Do not feel lonely on the paths of guidance just because few people travel them, and do not be deceived by the abundance of destroyed travelers [on the paths of misguidance].
(The Book of Manners by Fu’ad Ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Ash-Shulhoob, Page 31)
Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy upon him) was once asked if knowledge could be acquired from one who did not sit in the company of the‘ulamaand instead he sufficed with, and depended only on, books. He replied in the negative and said: “Knowledge should not be acquired except from one who has memorized, accompanied the scholars, practiced upon his knowledge and possesses piety.”
(Adab al-Ikhtilaf, p.145)