tongue is not sincere the heart cannot be sincere

“As long as the heart is not honest, the faith of a servant cannot be sincere. As long as the tongue is not sincere the heart cannot be sincere.” 

[Ahmed b. Hanbal, Musnad, III/198]

“How are you today?”

Al-Murrudi’ reported that he asked Imam Ahmed: “How are you today?”

Imam Ahmed replied:

‘How can I be while I am required by my Lord to perform obligatory acts of worship,
by my Prophet (‘alayhi salaat wa salaam) to practice his Sunnah,
by the two angels to improve my deeds,
and my soul urges me to follow it,
Shaytaan pushes me to commit evil deeds,
the Angel of death is waiting to take my life,
and my children are asking me to provide for them?’ ”

[Siyaar a'laam an Nubalaa 11/227]

Nobility of the heart

'Everything has a nobility in it, and the nobility of the heart is to be pleased with Allah' 
- Imam Ahmad rahimahullah

Occupy yourself with every good deed

“Occupy yourself with every good deed and hasten to do it before something prevents you from doing so.”

— Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal

Goodness lies in the person

: الخير فيمن لا يرى لنفسه خيراً


‘Goodness lies in the person who doesn’t see goodness within himself.’

- Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal

if you spend a day in solitude

Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) used to say:

إذا مَا خَلَوتَ الدَّهْرَ يومًا فلا تَقُلْ *** خَلوتُ ولكن قُلْ عليَّ رَقِيبُ
ولا تحْسَـبنَّ اللـهَ يَغْفِـل ساعَـةً *** ولا أنّ مَا تخفَي عَليه يَغِيبُ
ألم تر أنّ اليومَ أسْرعُ ذاهِبٍ *** و أنّ غداً للناظِرين قَريبُ

“If you spend a day in solitude, do not say
I spent it in solitude, but say over me is a Watcher

And do not think that Allaah is oblivious for even an hour
or that what you try to hide from Him is unseen

Do you not see that today is leaving fast
And that tomorrow for the onlooker is indeed near?

Imam Ahmad and the baker

Imam Ahmed, may God be pleased with him, once was traveling and needed to stay somewhere overnight. When he went to the masjid, the guard (not recognizing Imam Ahmed) denied him entrance. Imam Ahmed tried numerous times, but the guard did not accept his requests. Frustrated, Imam Ahmed resolved to spend the night in the masjid yard. The guard became furious and dragged him away, despite the old age and frailty of Imam Ahmed.

A baker, whose shop was nearby, watched this scene and took pity on Imam Ahmed. He invited the Imam to stay with him for the night. While there, Imam Ahmed noticed that the baker continually made istighfaar (asking for Allah’s forgiveness) while working, and in the morning, the Imam eagerly asked his host about the latter’s continual seeking of forgiveness. The baker said it had become like second nature, and Imam Ahmed then asked whether the man had experienced any reward from this practice.
The baker answered,

“By Allah! No duaa (supplication to God) I made except that it was answered but one.”

“And what is that duaa?” asked Imam Ahmed.

“To be able to see the famed Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal!”

Imam Ahmed interjected, “I am Ahmed ibn Hanbal!”
He then went on to add:

“By Allah! I was dragged to your place so that you can have your duaa/wish come true.”

'If all of the people are pleased with you but Allah is not, what have you gained?

'If all of the people are pleased with you but Allah is not, what have you gained?
If Allah is pleased with you but no one else is, what have you lost?'
- Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal rahimahullah

And if they don’t accept it from you, then be silent.’

A man once asked Imam Ahmad, ‘I sometimes find myself in a gathering where the Sunnah is mentioned, but no-one apart from me has more knowledge of it. Shall I speak up and say something?’

Imam Ahmad then said, ‘State what the Sunnah is, but do not argue over it.’

The man then repeated his statement and so Imam Ahmad said, ‘I only see you to be an argumentative man!’

And this is what Malik (rahimahullah) meant in his saying (after informing people of the Sunnah), ‘And if they don’t accept it from you, then be silent.’

The thief who advised Imam Ahmad

The thief who advised Imam Ahmad

The son of Imam Ahmad said:

'I used to hear my father frequently say, 'May Allah have mercy on Abu Haytham. May Allah forgive Abu Haytham. May Allah pardon Abu Haytham.'

So I said, 'O father, who is Abu Haytham?'

He said, 'When I was taken out to be whipped and my hands had extended forth to the punishers, a young man began tugging on my garment behind me.

He said, 'Do you know me?'

I said, 'No.'

He said, 'I am Abu Haytham the scoundrel, the thief and rascal. It is written in the records of the Amir al-Mu'minin that I was whipped 18,000 times in set-portions, and I was patient over that in obedience to the Shaytan and for the sake of the Dunya. So you must be patient over this in obedience to al-Rahman and for the sake of this Deen.'

Sifat al-Safwah, by Ibn al-Jawzi

It was said knowledge is three spans

Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd wrote:

فقد قيل: العلم ثلاثة أشبار، من دخل في الشبر الأول، تكبر ومن دخل في الشبر الثانى، تواضع ومن دخل في الشبر الثالث، علم أنه ما يعلم
“It was said knowledge is three spans: Whosoever enters the first span will become arrogant, and whosoever enters the second span will become humble, and whosoever enters the third span will know that he knows nothing”.

["Hilyat Talib-ul-Ilm", 41


the one who shows off has 3 characteristics :
he is lazy when by himself, he is lively and energetic when with others, and he increases in his actions when he is praised and decrease in them when he is criticised"[az-Zuhd of A. Ibn al-Mubaarak by Ali(ra)].

"Knowledge (Ilm) is a comforting friend in times of loneliness, it is the best companion during travels, & it is the inner friend who speaks to you in your privacy" Mua’dh ibn Jabal (RA)

Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) said:"knowledge is more important than food without food the worst that will happen is death,but without knowledge the worst thing that will happen is eternity in the Hellfire."

Imam Ahmad's saying:

الناس أحوج إلى العلم منهم إلى الطعام و الشراب ، لأن الطعام والشراب يحتاج إليه في اليوم مرة أو مرتين ، والعلم يحتاج إليه في كل وقت
“People need knowledge more than they need food and drink, because they need food and drink two or three times a day, but they need knowledge all the time.”

["Majmu' Al-Zawaid", 1/201].

So they were a people, when they changed the state of their hearts

Imaam ash-Shaafi`ee once said:
I complained to Wakee` about my poor memory.So he advised me to abandon disobedience.and he said, ‘know that knowledge is light.And the light of Allaah is not bestowed upon a disobedient.


Ali Ibn Abi Talib said:
قال علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه: ليس الزهد ألا تملك شيئًا، ولكن الزهد ألا يملكك شيء

“Asceticism [zuhd] is not that you should own nothing, but that nothing should own you”.["Hadhihi Hiya Zawjati", ].


Imam Al-Safarini writes:

وفي فروع الإمام ابن مفلح : حدث رجل للإمام أحمد ما قيل : العافية عشرة أجزاء تسعة منها في التغافل ، فقال الإمام أحمد رضي الله عنه : العافية عشرة أجزاء كلها في التغافل

“A man said to Imam Ahmad: “A state of well-being is achieved through ten, and nine of them are overlooking people’s faults”. Imam Ahmad then said: “Rather, a state of well-being is achieved through ten, and ten of them are overlooking people’s faults”.
["Ghidha Al-Albab", ].

Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali writes:

عقب ابن رجب رحمه الله : فهؤلاء القوم لما صلحت قلوبهم ، فلم يبق فيها إرادة لغير الله عز وجل ، صلحت جوارحهم ، فلم تتحرك إلا لله عز وجل ، وبما فيه رضاه

“So they were a people, when they changed the state of their hearts, they did not do anything except for the sake of Allaah. The actions of their limbs also changed for the better, for they did not move, except for the sake of Allaah and except for the pleasure of Allaah”.
["Jami Uloom Wal Hikam", 86].

Poetry Exchange: Imam ash-Shafei'ee & Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal

قال الامام الشافعى رحمه الله

احب الصالحين ولست منهم *** لعلي أن انال بهم شفاعة
واكره من تجارته المعاصي *** وإن كنا سواء في البضاعة

Imam Shafi'ee (May Allah have mercy on him) said:

I love the righteous, although I'm not of them
Perhaps i shall receive intercession through them
And I hate he who deals/trades in sins
although we are equal in our trade/product

فرد عليه الامام احمد رحمه الله

تحب الصالحين وانت منهم *** ومنكم سوف يلقون الشفاعة
وتكره من تجارته المعاصي *** وقانا الله من شر البضاعة

So Imam Ahmad (May Allah have mercy on him) responded:

You love the righteous and you are of them
And from you shall they receive intercession
And you hate he who trades in sin
May Allah protect us from the evil of such product

Isn’t Ahmad ibn Hanbal ashamed of what he is doing?

Isn’t Ahmad ibn Hanbal ashamed of what he is doing?

Salih, the son of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, was met by Yahya ibn Mu’in who asked him:

“Isn’t your father ashamed of what he is doing?”

“What is he doing?” asked Salih.

“I saw him with al Shafi’i,” said Yahya. “Al Shaf’i was riding and he was on foot holding the rein of al Shafi’i's mount.”

Salih later related this to his father who said:

“If you see him again, tell him that I say that if he wishes to gain true knowledge and understanding, let him come and take hold of the other side of the reins of al Shafi’i's mount.”

[The Ethics of Disagreement by Taha Jabir al Alwani]

When my Lord asks me: Are you not ashamed to disobey Me?

When my Lord asks me: Are you not ashamed to disobey Me?

Abu Hāmid al-Khulqāni, one of the students of Imām Ahmed (rahimahullāh), asked him “O Abu Abdullāh, what is your view about these odes which mention Paradise and Hell?” He asked, “Like what for example?”
The student said, “they say:



إذا مـا قـال لـي ربــــــي ** أمـا استحييت تعصـيني ؟
وتخفي الذنب من خلقي ** وبالعـصيــان تـــأتـيــنــــي؟

When my Lord asks me:
Are you not ashamed to disobey Me?
You hide your sins from My creation,
Yet with sins come you to Me!”

Imām Ahmed said, “Read it to me again,” so he did. Then Ahmed stood up and went into his house and closed the door behind him. The student said, “I could hear him from inside the house weeping, as he recited:

When my Lord asks me:
Are you not ashamed to disobey Me?
You hide your sins from My creation,
Yet with sins come you to Me.”

(Dhayl Tabaqāt’l-Hanābilah, 1/53)

The Scriptures of Ibraaheem were sent down on the first of the month of Ramadaan.

It was narrated by Ahmad and by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer that Waathilah ibn al-Asqa’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“The Scriptures of Ibraaheem were sent down on the first of the month of Ramadaan.

The Tawraat was sent down on the sixth of Ramadaan.

The Injeel was sent down on the thirteenth of Ramadaan.

The Zaboor was sent down on the eighteenth of Ramadaan, and the

Qur’aan was sent down on the twenty-fourth of Ramadaan.

Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1575.

Hasan Al Basree on Zuhd

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said,

"Az-Zuhd in this Dunya is not achieved by prohibiting the Halal, nor by wasting money. Rather, it entails your being more certain in what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has in His Hands, than your are about what you have in your hand."
Az-Zuhd resides in the heart, and it can be achieved by ridding the heart of the slave from the love and the eagerness for this life. This way, the Dunya will be in one's hand, not in his heart, where the love for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and the Hereafter will and should reside.

Imaam Ahmad divided Az-Zuhd into three parts:

1. Avoiding the prohibitions, and this is the Zuhd of the commoners. Ibn Al-Qayyim stated that this type is an obligation.
2. Abandoning what is not a necessity among the Halal matters. This type is the Zuhd of the distinguished people.
3. Abandoning what will busy one from the remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. This is the Zuhd of those who have knowledge in the religion.

—

"O Ahmad, say in my ear: "The Qur’an is created!"

Imam Ahmad was being punished, and its narrated:

تقدم إليه ابن أبي دؤاد، وقال له: يا أحمد قل في أذني القرآن مخلوق حتى أخلصك من يد الخليفة؛ فقال له الإمام أحمد: يا بن أبي دؤاد قل في أذني القرآن كلام الله وليس بمخلوق حتى أخلصك من عذاب الله عز وجل

Ibn Abi Du'ad came to him and said, ‘O Ahmad, say in my ear: ‘The Qur’an is created,’ so that I may save you from the hand of the Caliph.’ So Imam Ahmad said to him, “O Ibn Abi Du'ad, say in my ear: ‘The Qur’an is the Speech of Allaah, it is not created,’ so that I save you from the punishment of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic!!”

["Al-Manhaj Al-Ahmad", 1/35].

So you must be patient over this in obedience to al-Rahman and for the sake of this Deen.'

Glimpses from the Great Trial (Mihna)

The son of Imam Ahmad said:

'I used to hear my father frequently say, 'May Allah have mercy on Abu Haytham. May Allah forgive Abu Haytham. May Allah pardon Abu Haytham.'

So I said, 'O father, who is Abu Haytham?'

He said, 'When I was taken out to be whipped and my hands had extended forth to the punishers, a young man began tugging on my garment behind me.

He said, 'Do you know me?'

I said, 'No.'

He said, 'I am Abu Haytham the scoundrel, the thief and rascal. It is written in the records of the Amir al-Mu'minin that I was whipped 18,000 times in set-portions, and I was patient over that in obedience to the Shaytan and for the sake of the Dunya. So you must be patient over this in obedience to al-Rahman and for the sake of this Deen.' 

Sifat al-Safwah, by Ibn al-Jawzi