Khalid ibn al Wald (Radi Allahu Ta’ala anhu) narrated the
following hadith:
A Bedouin came one day to the Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alahi wa
sallam) and said to him, ‘O, Messenger of Allah! I’ve come to ask you a few
questions about the affairs of this Life and the Hereafter.’ ’Ask what you
wish’ said Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alahi wa sallam).
Q: I’d like to be the most learned of men.
A: Fear Allah, and you will be the most learned of men.
Q: I wish to be the richest man in the world.
A: Be contented, and you will be the richest man in the world.
Q: I’d like to be the most just man.
A: Desire for others what you desire for yourself, and you will be
the most just of men.
Q: I want to be the best of men.
A: Do good to others and you will be the best of men.
Q: I wish to be the most favored by Allah.
A: Engage much in Allah’s praise, and you will be most favored by
Him.
Q: I’d like to complete my faith.
A: If you have good manners you will complete your faith
Q: I wish to be among those who do good.
A: Adore Allah as if you see Him. If you don ‘t see Him, He seeth
you. In this way you will be among those who do good.
Q: I wish to be obedient to Allah.
A: If you observe Allah’s commands you will be obedient.
Q: I’d like to be free from all sins.
A: Bathe yourself from impurities and you will be free from all
sins.
Q: I’d like to be raised on the Day of Judgement in the light.
A: Don’t wrong yourself or any other creature, and you will be
raised on the Day of Judgement in the light.
Q: I’d like Allah to bestow His mercy on me.
A: If you have mercy on yourself and others, Allah will grant you
mercy on the Day of Judgement.
Q: I’d like my sins to be very few.
A: If you seek the forgiveness Allah as much as you can, your sins
will be very few.
Q: I’d like to be the most honorable man.
A: If you do not complain to any fellow creature, you will be the
most honorable of men.
Q: I’d like to be the strongest of men.
A: If you put your trust in Allah, you will be the strongest of
men.
Q: I’d like to enlarge my provision.
A: If you keep yourself pure, Allah will enlarge your provision.
Q: I’d like to be loved by Allah and His messenger.
A: If you love what Allah and His messenger love, you will be
among their beloved ones.
Q: I wish to be safe from Allah’s wrath on the Day of Judgement.
A: If you do not loose your temper with any of your fellow
creatures, you will be safe from the wrath of Allah on the Day of Judgement.
Q: I’d like my prayers to be responded.
A: If you avoid forbidden actions, your prayers will he responded.
Q: I’d like Allah not to disgrace me on the Day of Judgement.
A: If you guard your chastity, Allah will not disgrace you on the
Day of Judgement.
Q: I’d like Allah to provide me with a protective covering on the
Day of Judgement.
A: Do not uncover your fellow creatures faults, and Allah will
provide you with a covering protection on the Day of Judgement.
Q: What will save me from sins?
A: Tears, humility and illness.
Q: What are the best deeds in the eyes of Allah?
A: Gentle manners, modesty and patience.
Q: What are the worst evils in the eyes of Allah?
A: Hot temper and miserliness.
Q: What assuages the wrath of Allah in this life and in the
Hereafter?
A: Concealed charity and kindness to relatives.
Q: What extinguishes hell’s fires on the Day of Judgement?
A: Patience in adversity and misfortunes.
- Related by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Rahmatullah Ta’ala ‘alaih) -
According to Malik Bin Anas, Hazrat ‘Isa (‘alayhi sallam) said, “Do not speak
much without remembering Allah ta’ala, for by doing so, you harden your hearts.
Surely a hard heart is distant from Allah ta’ala though you are unaware. Do
not, like lords, look at the faults of others. Rather, like the servants, look
at your own faults. In truth, humanity is comprised of only two types, the
afflicted and the sound. So show mercy to the afflicted, and praise Allah
ta’ala for well-being.
- Muwatta af Imam Malik -
How many an obscure person is
insulted by his vain passions
When his veil is removed and he is
exposed
The person of vain passions is a
slave but
When he gains control over his
passions he becomes a king
- Imam al-Hasan al-Basri
(rahimullah) -
I have accompanied
people (Sahaba) who feared the rejection of their righteous deeds more than you
fear the consequences of your sins.
- Hadhrat Hasan al-Basri
rahimahu Llah -
O my soul, Pass quickly on through
this world; and leave it, for indeed life lies ahead of it.
- Imam Shafi’i (rahimullah)
“Hikmah is knowledge that
leads to the recognition of Allah through implementation of insight, refinement
of the self, and affirmation of the truth by means of action and abstinence
from that which is contrary to it. The hakim is the
person who possesses the aforementioned.”
- Imam Nawawi (rahimullah) -
Opinions
To the one we give our opinions
And do not give your opinion to one who does not want it
For you are not praiseworthy and the opinion will not benefit him
- Imam Shafi’i (rahimullah) –
Be both a jurisprudent and a sûfî – never just one of the two.
Truly, by the Divine Right, I am advising you sincerely!
For the former is hardened, his heart tastes no Godwariness,
While the latter is ignorant – of what use is the ignorance.
- Imam Shafi’i (rahimullah) -
I seek Your forgiveness for every
sin by which I deserved rejection of my prayers,
and refusal of their acceptance,
and failure in my hopes being
fulfilled,
and severance of hope in Your
mercy.
~Imam Hasan al-Basri (may Allah
have mercy on his soul) -
Knowledge exists potentially in
the human soul like the seed in the soil;
by learning the potential becomes
actual.
- Hadhrat Imam Al-Ghazali rahimahu
Llah -
“I have no power save to knock at
Thy door,
and if I be turned away, at what
door shall I knock?
In full abandon I put my trust in
Thee,
stretching out my hands to Thee, a
pleading beggar.”
— Imām Shāfi‘ī [رحمه الله] -
We find fault with the world,
while the faults lie in our own selves.
The world is not at fault; except
that we are full of flaws.
We make fun of the world for no
reason,
But if others spoke about us, we
were no better than be mocked at.
A wolf does not eat the flesh of
another of its kind,
But we eat the flesh of each other
knowingly
We have worn the sheep’s clothing
to deceive the people;
But woe unto the wild animal if it
strays by us!
We have reduced religion to mere
show and formalities.
And thus, we deceive those who
look at us.
— Imam Shaf’i (may Allah have
mercy on him), Diwan ash-Shafiýi p.376
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal was
once travelling during his old age and stopped by a town. After salah in the
masjid, he wanted to stay for the night in the masjid yard as he didn’t know
anyone in the town. However, due to his humility, he hadn’t introduced himself
to anyone fearing that he would be welcomed by many people if they knew who he
was.
So, failing to recognize Imam
Ahmad, the caretaker of the masjid refused to let him stay in the masjid yard.
Imam Ahmad requested him numerous times, but the guard did not accept yet the
Imam insisted. Eventually, the guard became furious and as Imam Ahmad was quite
old, the caretaker had to drag him out of the masjid. On seeing this, a baker
from a nearby place felt pity for him and offered to host him for the night.
During his stay with the
baker, Imam Ahmad observed that the baker would constantly recite Istighfaar
(i.e. to seek forgiveness from Allah), so he asked him if the constant practice
of Istighfaar had any effect on him.
“By Allah! No duaa
(supplication) have I made except that it was answered, except one.”
“And what is that?”,asked
Imam Ahmad.
“To be able to see the
famed Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal!”, replied the baker.
At this, Imam Ahmad ibn
Hanbal replied that Allah had not only listened to the baker’s duaa, but had
also dragged him (Imam ibn Hanbal) onto his doorsteps.
O my soul, it is only a few days,
bear them patiently.
A lifetime seems but a flitting
reverie.
O my soul, through this world pass
swiftly
And leave it for true life ahead
does lie!
- Imam Shafi’i rahimahu Llah -
Let the days pass as they will
Be content with Allah’s will.
Do not regret what this day’s cast,
For this world’s pains for sure won’t last.
Be a man against fears strong,
Be kind and loyal, all life long.
If in folk’s eyes your faults abound,
And you wish that they be gowned:
Then shelter seek beneath kind acts,
For kindness well all blame retracts.
From enemies hide your weakness
For gloating foes do bring distress.
From misers never seek favor:
In fire there is no water.
Patience won’t reduce income,
Nor fretfulness increase the sum.
Neither pain nor joy shall last,
Nor poverty, nor riches vast.
But if your heart is satisfied
Then you do own the whole world wide.
A man on whom his fate alights
No depths shall save, nor any heights.
Allah’s earth is wide, but know,
That destiny makes it narrow.
Face each day on even keel.
There’s
no balm from death can heal.
We are strangers in this
world…
A bliever is a stanger in this
world, he is never afraid of its humiliation, and he never competes for its
glory. The people are in one situation and he is in a different situation. The
people are content with him, yet he is in turmoil with himself.
Intention is the measure for rendring actions true, so that,
where intention is sound, action is sound and where it is corrupt, the action
is corrupt.
“O my eye! All men have eyes”
Let not your tongue mention the shame of another
For you yourself are covered in shame and all men have tongues.
If your eye falls upon the sins of your brother
Shield them and say: “O my eye! All men have eyes”
- Imam Shafi’i (rahimullah) -
Misery and love
“And from misery is that you love, and (the one) who you love,
loves other than you,
or that you want good for a person, and he wants to hurt you”.
- Imam Shafi’i (rahimullah) -
Do you
want enlightment?
I complained to Waki about the weakness of my memory
So he ordered me to abandon disobedience
And informed me that the knowledge is light
And that the light of Allah is not given to the disobedient
- Imam Shafi’i (rahimullah) -
Restrain your soul when
the decree of Allah is ordained
Part from the days where you used to do as you wish
And restrain your soul when the decree of Allah is ordained
And don’t despair over the events of the past
For none of the events of the dunya were ever meant to remain
And be a man who is firm upon his affairs
And whose character is that of pardoning and nobility
And there is no sadness or happiness that is continuous
Just as there is there is no comfort or pain
If you are a person who is satisfied with what he has
Then you and the owner of all possessions are equal
And upon he who’s open valley death descends upon
Then there is no earth or sky to protect you from it
And the earth of Allah is vast but
When the ordainment of Allah descends even the open valley
congests.
- Imam Shafi’i (rahimullah) -
Keep your secrets to yourselves!
If a man spreads his secret with his own tongue
and blames another… then he is a fool.
If his own breast is too narrow to conceal his own secret,
Then the breast of the one in whom he places it is even narrower.
- Imam Shafi’i (rahimullah) -
The search for a friend,
which cannot be find!
A friend who does not benefit at the time of hardships,
Is close to an enemy on the scales,
The friend does not remain, during all times,
Nor does the brother, except for consolation.
I searched the days, with all my strengths
for a brother to trust, but my search was fruitless,
The lands and those who live them were barren,
As though its people were not people [I wanted them to be.
- Imam Shafi’i (rahimullah) -
