Pearls of wisdom

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Silence is the best reply to a fool

Humility is the outcome of knowledge.

Forgivness is the crown to greatness.

To assist the wrong is to oppress the right.

Friendship is impossible with a liar.

Enmity is the occupation of fools.

Pride blocks progress and damages greatness.

Boasting issues from small minds.

None is more respected than a pious man.

Your tongue speaks out what it is accustomed to.

One’s behaviour is the index to one’s mind.

-Ali (RA)

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It is reported that Abu Hazim Al-Ashja’i (d. 100H; companion of Abu Hurairah) 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.”

 – Abu Bakr Al-Daynuri, Al-Mujalasah wa Jawahir Al-Ilm, 4:338.

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Abdullah Bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported said: “When a man amongst us learned 10 verses (of the Qur’an), he would not move on (to the next verses) until he had understood their meanings and how to act by them.”

– Al-Tafsir Al-Tabari, 1:80

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It is reported that Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “A person might do a single good deed, rely on it and forget sins that he regards insignificant, but then meets Allah (on the Day of Judgment) with those sins surrounding him. And a man might commit a sin, but never stops fearing its consequences, until he meets Allah safe and sound.”

– Ibn Hajr, Fath Al-Bari, references this narration to Asad Bin Musa’s Al-Zuhd.

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Khalid Bin ‘Umayr Al-’Adawi reports, ‘Utbah Bin Ghazwan (may Allah be pleased with him) once gave us a sermon. He praised Allah and 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 70 years without reaching the bottom. Yet, by Allah, 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 40 years, yet there will come a day when it will be crowded.

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

– Sahih Muslim, no. 7624

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It is reported that Al-Fudayl Bin Ayyad said, “When backbiting appears, brotherhood for Allah will disappear; and at that time you will be like things plated with gold and silver: wooden in the inside, (merely) looking good on the outside.”

 

–        Abu Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliya’, vol. 3, p. 395.

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It is reported that Ali Bin Abu Talib (may Allah 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 Allah and thank Him, and if you sin you beg Allah’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 Asakir, Al-Tawbah, article 13

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Abdullah Bin Mubarak said: “I asked Sufyan Al-Thawri, ‘When a man stands to pray, what should he intend by his recitation and prayer?’ He replied, ‘He should intend that he is personally entreating his Lord.’ ”

 

– Muhammad Bin Nasr Al-Marwazi, Ta’dhim Qadr Al-Salah, vol. 1, pg. 199.

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Imam Al-Awza’i is reported to have said: “Whoever remembers death often will find a small amount (of worldly things) sufficient for him; and whoever includes his speech in his deeds will speak little.”

 

–        Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A’lam Al-Nubala’

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Khawat Bin Jubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said: “Sleeping in the first part of the day is ignorance, and in the middle of the day (good) character, and in the last part of the day stupidity.”

–        Al-Adab Al-Mufrad of Imam Bukhari

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It is reported that Ali Bin Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said,

“The servant (of Allah) 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 – ‘Allah knows best.’

Patience (Al-Sabr) to faith (Al-Iman) 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-Imân, Vol.12 p195.

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It is reported from Maymun Bin Mahran that he said: “A person cannot be pious until he takes account of himself like he would with his business partner; and until he knows where he gets his clothing and food and drink.”

– Bin Al-Jarrah, Al-Zuhd, vol. 1, pg. 270

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Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said: “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.”

– Abu Bakr Al-Daynuri, Al-Mujalasah wa Jawahir Al-Ilm, 2:73, 74.

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It is reported that Abu Al-Aliyah said:

“I would travel for days to a man to hear (knowledge/Hadith) 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-Khatib Al-Baghdadi, Al-Rihlah fi Talab Al-Hadith, article 22

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Umar Bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said: “If one of you is blessed with affection from his brother, he should hold on to that as tightly as possible, as it is quite rare for one to be blessed with this.”

– Ihya Ulum Ad-Din (2/195)

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It was said to Al-Hasan Al-Basri, “People say that the one who has been on Haj is the one who is forgiven.” He said, “And the sign of this is that he leaves the evils he used to do.”

–        Ibn Abi Al-Dunya, Al-Tawbah, article 70.

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Al-Harith Bin Qays (Allah have mercy on him) said: “When intending to do something good, do not delay it until tomorrow. When involved in something to do with the hereafter, keep yourself involved as long as you can. When involved in some worldly matter, put your mind to it (so as to get it done). And if you are praying and Shaytan whispers, ‘You are showing off,’ then make your prayer even longer.”

–        Ibn Al-Mubarak in Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqa’iq, vol. 1, p. 126

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Abdullah Bin Al-Mubarak (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It is right that an intelligent person does not undervalue three (types of people):

The scholars: Whoever undervalues the scholars will lose his afterlife

The rulers: whoever undervalues the rulers will lose his worldly life

(his Muslim) brothers: Whoever undervalues his brothers loses his good character and conduct.”

– Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A’lam Al-Nubala’, 17:251

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It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Four signs of wretchedness are:

1.      A hard heart,

2.      dry eyes (that never cry),

3.      extended hopes (about this life), and

4.      greed and keenness to amass worldly things.”

– Ibn Abi Al-Dunya, Kitan Al-Zuhd, article 36.

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Sheikh Abdul Malik Ar-Ramadani mentions some narrations on this subject from the righteous people of the past in his book Sittu Durar:

Ikhlas is “when the servant’s internal and external actions are the same. And Riya is when the external actions are better than the internal actions (of the heart). Truthfulness in one’s sincerity is when the internal is better (developed) than the external.” (Madarij-us- Salikeen, 2/91)

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It is reported that Umar Bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) once addressed the people and said: “No man can have anything better after faith (Iman) 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-Hafidh Abul-Qasim Al-Asbahani, Al-Targhib wa Al-Tarhib, article 1528.

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It is reported that some people asked Ali Bin Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) to describe this worldly life. He said: “Do you want a long description or a brief one?” They replied, “A brief one.” He said, “Its Halaal things (lead to) accounts being taken from you, and its Haraam things (lead to the) Fire.”

-Ibn Abi Al-Dunya, Dham Al-Dunya, article 17

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SHAQIQ Al-Balakhi was once asked, “What is the mark of (true) repentance?” He replied, “Continued crying over past sins, deep fear of falling into them again, staying away from bad company, and keeping the company of good people.”

– Abu Bakr Al-Daynuri, Al-Mujalasah wa Jawahir Al-Ilm

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IT is reported that Ali Bin Abu Talib (Allah be pleased with him) said, “Patience (Al-Sabr) to faith (Al-Iman) 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-Baihaqi, Shu’aib Al-Imam, vol.12, pg.195

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Ikrimah, Sumay’ and Kurayb report that Abdullah Bin Abbas said to them:

“Marry, because if the servant of Allah commits fornication Allah snatches the light of Iman (faith) from him, and may or may not return it to him.”

-Ibn Sa’d ibn Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, vol.5, pg.287

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Sufyan Bin Uyainah said: “The first step in knowledge is to listen, then to be quiet and attentive, then to preserve it, then to put it into practice and then to spread it.”

-Abu Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliya, vol.3, pg.283

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It is reported that Al-Fudayl Bin Ayyad (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “Whoever helps an adherent of bid’ah (heretic) has helped in the destruction of Islam.”

-Abu Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliya, vol.1, pg.398.

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It is reported that Talq Bin Habib (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “The right of Allah is too great and heavy for the creation to fulfill; the blessings of Allah are too many to enumerate; but you should remain repentant, morning and evening.”

-Ibn Abi Al-Dunya, Al-Tawbah, article 62.

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Al-Ahnaf Bin Qays reports that Umar Bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Nothing is permitted for Umar from the wealth of Allah except two garments: one for winter and one for summer (heat), and what I need to carry me to Haj and Umrah. And the provisions for my family are that of an (average) man of the Quraish: neither the richest nor the poorest amongst them. After that, I am just a man from among the Muslims.”

-Abu Bakr Al-daynuri, Al-Mujalasah wa jawahir Al-Ilm, 6:78

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