Sayings of Hasan Al Basree

Hasan al-Basree

"I have known people and kept company with groups who neither rejoiced when the things of this world came to them, nor grieved when they lost anything in this world. The life of this world was more insignificant to them than dust. One of them might live for a year or for sixty years without ever having a garment that would entirely cover him, and without ever having anything that would come between him and the ground, and without ever having any food that he could ask to be prepared for him in his own home. When night came, they would be on their feet, with their foreheads flat against the earth, tears rolling down their cheeks, secretly calling on Allah to save them on the Day of Judgement. If they did something good, they never stopped being grateful for it, and they were always asking Allah to forgive them for it. By Allah, they were not safe from wrong actions, and were saved only by their constant turning in repentance. May Allah be pleased with them and grant them His mercy..."
"Do not sit idle, for indeed Death is seeking you!"
When al-Hasan finished his hadith, he would say, "O Allah, you see our hearts full of idolatry, pride, hypocrisy, showing-off, reputation, doubt and uncertainty in your deen. O Turner of hearts, make our hearts firm in Your deen and make our deen Straight Islam!"
'Umara ibn Mihran said that al-Hasan was asked, "Why do you not visit the rulers and command them to the correct and forbid them the incorrect?" He replied, "'The believer should not waste himself. Their swords precede our tongues when we speak. They speak thus with their swords." And he made a striking gesture with his hand.
"When a young man is devout, we do not recognize him by his speech. We recognize him by his actions. That is beneficial knowledge."
It is related that when al-Hasan saw a funeral, he would say, "Praise belongs to Allah who has not made me part of that which is snatched away." He would not relate anything that day.
"Do not let the temporary and little charms of this world distract you and entice you and do not say tomorrow and tomorrow,
for indeed you do not know when you will be heading to Allah.”