O you who evaluate the matters, do you know the value of yourself?

Yahya ibn Muadh said:

"The life of this world is the wine of Shaytan, and whoever is intoxicated by it only wakes up once he is amongst the hordes of the dead, lamenting among the losers."

Source: The Purification of the Soul, Page 142

"The wind doesn't blow to make trees dance but to test their roots" -Ali ibn Abi Talib radiallahu anhu

“The servant is never in need of any other thing as much as he is need of guidance to the straight path.”

[Imam Ibn al Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah RahimahuAllah]

"Stay away from mentioning women and food in our gatherings, for I hate a man to constantly describe his private parts and his stomach. It is an aspect of higher conduct and religiousness that a man [sometimes] leaves eating food while he desires it."

Al-Ahnaf b. Qays (Allâh have mercy on him)
Abû Bakr Al-Daynûrî, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawâhir Al-‘Ilm 3:44, 45.

”…the satisfaction of people is a goal that cannot be attained, so abide strictly by that which rectifies you, for indeed there is no way to [gain] their satisfaction; and know that the one who learns the Qur’an becomes great in the sight of the people; and the one who learns Hadith, his argument is strengthened; and the one who learns Nahw (Arabic grammar) is revered; and the one who learns Arabic, his nature softens; and the one who learns Hisaab (arithmetic), his opinion becomes exalted/great; and the one who learns Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), his standing is elevated; and the foundation of all of that is Taqwa (fearing Allah and being conscious of Him).”

قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ: [...] رِضَى النَّاسِ غَايَةٌ لا تُدْرَكُ ، فَعَلَيْكَ بِمَا يُصْلِحُكَ فَالْزَمْهُ ، فَإِنَّهُ لا سَبِيلَ إِلَى رِضَاهُمْ ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ جَلَّ فِي عُيونِ النَّاسِ ، وَمَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْحَدِيثَ قَوِيَتْ حُجَّتُهُ ، وَمَنْ تَعَلَّمَ النَّحْوَ هِيبَ ، وَمَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ رَقَّ طَبْعُهُ ، وَمَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْحِسَابَ جَلَّ رَأْيُهُ ، وَمَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْفِقْهَ نَبُلَ قَدْرُهُ ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يُضِرْ نَفْسَهُ لَمْ يَنْفَعْهُ عِلْمُهُ ، وَمِلاكُ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ التَّقْوَى.

– al-Imam ash-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy upon him
(Hilyat al-Awliyaa’

"Keep yourself busy in remembering your faults so that you have no time to remember the faults of others"
- Imam Sufyan at Thawri rahimahullah

"We have found that the best life is that is accompanied by Patience."- Umar (r.a)

Fudayl ibn Iyad said: "Doing an action for the sake of people is shirk and leaving an action for the sake of people is riya."

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah:

"O you who evaluate the matters, do you know the value of yourself? The universe was created for your sake."

(al-Fawaa'id, p. 117)

My Lord tests me occasionally, but favors me daily.

- (Urwah ibn Zubair R.A)

Once a pious man was asked, "Teach me how to love Allah," to which he said, "Loving Allah is not brought about by teaching."
- Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah

Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah said :
" Whoever becomes accustomed to tasbiḥ before sleeping, will be given energy and strength in performing his worldly and religious duties."

Source: فرائد الفوائد من مجالس العلم

"A staunch friend and true medicine are hard to find, waste not your time."
- Imâm al-Shâfi’î rahimahullah

'Desires make slaves out of kings and patience makes kings out of slaves.'
- Imam Ghazali

"Do not allow your heart to take pleasure with the praises of people, nor be saddened by their condemnation." - Al Ghazali

The greatest of deeds are three

Aa’isha (radiyAllaahu anha) said:

"The first calamity to befall this Ummah after the demise of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is overeating,because when a nation fills their bellies too much,their bodies become obese,their hearts become weak and their carnal passions get out of control."

[Targheeb wat Tarheeb]

"The battlefield is the heart of man" - Ibn Qayyim Al- Jawziyyah
Uddat as-Sabireen wa Dhakirat ash-Shakireen

"Blessed is he whose own faults keep him from seeing the faults of others."
Ali Ibn abi Talib (r.a)

Dunnun Al Misri said: " The ailment of the body is in sickness and that of the heart is in sins. A delicious meal can not benefit the body when the person is sick and likewise, the heart can not taste the sweetness of worship if it is full of sins."

Hatim Bin Al-A’sim said:

“If a respectable good man sits with you, you would be watching every word you utter so that you do not say something wrong. Yet, you know that your words are watched by Allah but you still do not watch the words you utter!” 
[Al'Daa Wa Al Dawaa, by Ibn Al-Qayyim]

Al- Shafie rahimahullah said:
'The greatest of deeds are three:"To give generously out of the few what you have , to be devoted to Allah in loneliness and to say the truth in the face of someone who is hoped and feared"'

Taken from " Don't be sad" by Aidh Al Qarni

I swear by Allaah (jalla wa a'la), and His Name I swear and I swear, that if even if your eyes were to melt down from crying in fear of Him and in yearning for Him, and even if you were to live in this world as long as it will last, making constant offering combined with every type of worship in thankfulness towards His Magnificent and countless blessing upon you, it would not be sufficient as a demonstration of gratitude for His guiding you to Islaam!'

– Ali ibn Abi Talib (radiAllaahu anhu)

Maymoon bin Mihran:

"Remembering Allah by your tongue is good, but the best remembrance of Allah is when one remembers Allah when he is doing a sin so he leaves it."

(Jaami' All-'Uloom Wa Al-Hikam 1/252-254)

Ibn Hibban: 

"Where kindness does not benefit, neither does violence."

(ar-Rawdhah, p. 216)

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya: 

"There is no doubt that enabling women to mix with men is the basis of all calamities and evils, and it is one of the greatest causes of calamity that affects everybody, as well as being one of the causes of corruption in public and private affairs. Mixing of men with women is the cause of a great deal of immoral actions and zina, and it is one of the causes of widespread death and ongoing plagues."

(Al-Turuq al-Hukmiyyah p. 407)

Khalid ibn Ma’dan:

"Whoever seeks praise by going against the truth, Allah will throw it back upon him as blame, and whoever faces blame in order to conform to the truth, Allah will return it as praise for him."

(Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A’lam Al-Nubala' 4/540)

Ibn Taymiyyah (ra) said:" Believer doesn't seek quarrel or revenge, nor does he find blame or fault in others."

Isa Ibn Maryam passed by gathering of Jews who spoke evil words to him to which he responded with kindness. It was said to him, "Why do you reply to their evil with good?" And he answered, "Each person spends from that which he has."


Ibraaheem at Tamimi said: "When a man wrongs me, I pay him back with an act of mercy."


“When people help one another in sin and transgression, they finish by hating each other.”
-Ibn Taymiyyah


A man said to Hasan Al Basri : "Does Ibless sleep?" He said: "If he slept we would have a break !"

Source: Ibn Al Jawzi 'Talbisu Iblees' page 52


'Oh writer! An Angel watches over all you write. Make your writing meaningful for it will eventually return to you and you will be questioned about what you wrote.'
- Ali ibn Abu Talib (radiAllahu anhu)


Imam al-Shafi':

"Seek the response to your du'as when the armies meet, and the prayer is called, and when rain falls"

(al-Umm, al-Sahihah #1469)


'One, who adopts patience, will never be deprived of success though it may take a long time to reach him.'
-Ali ibn Abi Talib


Eesa Ibn Maryam:
"Piety is in three: in speech, in in sight, and in silence. Whoever's speech is not in the remembrance (of Allah) has spoken nonsense. Whoever looks without trying to learn a lesson has forgotten (his true purpose). And whoever's silence is not accompanied with reflection has been heedless" .


Abu Darda (ra) said:
" To reproach your brother for something is better than to lose him altogether"


Umar Ibn al-Khattaab:

"Whoever tries to claim something that is not theirs in order to impress others, Allah will disgrace them"

('Ilaam v2 p 432)


Imam ash-Shaafi'ee (rahimahullah) said:
" Increase in worship before your responsibilities increase. Then you won't have time to worship as much. " [Siyar v. 10 p. 49]



"There is no laughter except that it is eventually followed up with weeping." - Ibn Sirin (ra)


Imaam Ash-Shafi’ee said to Yoonus bin Abdil-A‘laa:

“O Aboo Moosa, know that pleasing all people is an unattainable goal and there is no way to be completely safe from them. Therefore, see where your righteous benefit lies, and adhere by it; and leave people and all they indulge in.”

[Al-‘Uzlah, Page 79]

know that pleasing all people is an unattainable goal

Imaam Ash-Shafi’ee said to Yoonus bin Abdil-A‘laa:

“O Aboo Moosa, know that pleasing all people is an unattainable goal and there is no way to be completely safe from them. Therefore, see where your righteous benefit lies, and adhere by it; and leave people and all they indulge in.”

[Al-‘Uzlah, Page 79]

ncrease in worship before your responsibilities increase.

ash-Shaafi'ee (rahimahullaah): 

Increase in worship before your responsibilities increase. Then you won't have time to worship as much. 

[Siyar v. 10 p. 49]

From the pain of all others by his own pain"

"A person, if he is wise and pious
Is busied from others faults by his own blame 
Just as the sick person is distracted 
From the pain of all others by his own pain"

الاشتغال بع ىًب اليفس ع ع ىًب الآخسيً
أشغمو عن عيوب غيره ورعو
المرء إن كان عاقلا ورعا
عن وجع الناس كميم وجعو
كما العميل السقيم أشغمو

-Imam ash Shafie (ra)

“Will you not answer, may Allaah have mercy on you!

Ash-Shaafi’ee (rahimahullaah) was asked regarding an issue (mas’alah).

It was said to him: “Will you not answer, may Allaah have mercy on you!

He said: “(No), Until I know the benefit and virtue in either my silence or in my answer.”

Business with faults

الاشتغال بع ىًب اليفس ع ع ىًب الآخسيً
أشغمو عن عيوب غيره ورعو
المرء إن كان عاقلا ورعا
عن وجع الناس كميم وجعو
كما العميل السقيم أشغمو

Business with faults

A person, if he is wise and pious
Is busied from others faults by his own blame
Just as the sickly person is distracted
From the pain of all others by his own pain

-Imam ash Shafie (ra) translated by Ammar

If a man spreads his secret with his own tongue

"If a man spreads his secret with his own tongue, then he is a fool, if blame to others he attests; If his own breast is too narrow to conceal his own secret, the breast of another is even more compressed." -Imam ash-Shafi'ee

Allah has created you free

إن الله تعالى خلقك حرّاً فكن حرّاً كما خلقك، اعمل لله ودع الناس عنك.

Allah has created you free, therefore be free the way He has created you, work solely for Allah and stop trying to please people.”

- Imam Al Shafie

whenever He is thanked for one of His blessings

Imam al-Shafi`(rahimahullah) : "Praised be Allah, Who, whenever He is thanked for one of His blessings, provides another blessing which in turn obliges one to thank Him again!"

“The intelligent and refined find no rest in dwelling in one place,

“The intelligent and refined find no rest in dwelling in one place,

So leave your homeland and travel far away!
Travel and you will meet new people replacing those left behind,
And tire yourself out, because it makes life worth living!
I have seen that water stagnates when it stands still,

Yet when it runs it is sweet and pure.
And if the lion left not its land,
it would not catch its prey
And if the arrow left not the bow,
it would not hit its aim
And if the sun moved not across the horizon,
People the world over would have tired of the sky.”

- Imam Shafi

No servant of Allah mends what is between him and Allah,

Abu Hazim Salamah bin Dinar:

"No servant of Allah mends what is between him and Allah, except that Allah mends what is between him and other servants. And he does not spoil what is between him and Allah, except that Allah spoils what is between him and the servants of Allah. Working for the sake of ones face is easier than working for the sake of all faces. For if you work for the sake of that Face [the Face of Allah], all faces will turn to you. But if you spoil it, all faces will the detest you."

(Abu Nu'aym, al-Hilya 3/239)Once a pious man was asked, "Teach me how to love Allah," to which he said, "Loving Allah is not brought about by teaching."
[Ibn Qayyim said In Al Fawa'id]"One of the consequences of sinning is that they take away the shyness which is the life of the heart and the source to all good.'
- Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah'A learned man who doesn’t restrain his passions is like a blind man holding a torch, he guides others but not himself.'
-Shaykh Sa’diSufyân ath-Thawrî (rahimahullâh) used to be overjoyed if he saw a beggar at his door saying, “Welcome to the one who has come to wash my sins.”“If a sin is committed in private, it only harms the one who does it, but if it is committed in public and no one objects and changes it, it will harm everyone!” 

— Umar ibn Al-Khattaab RadiAllahu Anhu'The real journey is when the world’s dimension is rolled away from you so that you see the Hereafter closer to you than yourself.'
-Ibn Ata’Allah“My Lord, how gentle You are with me in spite of my great ignorance, and how merciful You are with me in spite of my ugly deeds”

-Ibn Ata’Allah“One who loves for people to speak good of him, [while unconcerned about how he stands with God], has attained neither true God Consciousness nor sincerity in religion”
- Ibrahim bin Adham“Whosoever loves that Allâh 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 Allâh a hidden treasure of good actions. So if this is done, then Allâh will open up such knowledge for him that will pre¬occupy him. And indeed in death is the greatest pre-occupation.”

-Imaam Shaafi Rahimahullah [Related by al-Bayhaqî in Manâqiush-Shâfi’î (2/171)]

If you fear becoming deluded and impressed by your deeds

“If you fear becoming deluded and impressed by your deeds then remember whose pleasure you are seeking, and the joy (paradise) in which you want to be, and what punishment you fear. Whoever thinks about these things will diminish his deeds.” – Imam Shafi’i

If you're embarrassed at your shortcomings

If you're embarrassed at your shortcomings, cover them with your generosity, for generosity covers all faults." 
~Imam al-Shafi`i (ra)

“Whoever spread gossip for you spreads gossip against you

Ash-Shâfi‘î (rahimahullâh) said,

“Whoever spread gossip for you spreads gossip against you. Whoever relates tales to you will tell tales about you. Whoever when you please him says about you what is not in you, when you anger him will say about you what is not in you.”

Time is a sword, if you don’t tear it apart, it will tear you.’

Time is a sword, if you don’t tear it apart, it will tear you.’ And, ‘If you don’t preoccupy your soul with the truth then it will preoccupy you in falsehood.’” - Imam Shafi rahimulah

If you are on the way towards Allah

"If you are on the way towards Allah, then run. If it was hard for you, then jog. If you got tired, then walk. And if you can't, then crawl, and never stop or go back." -

Imam Ash-Shafi'ee rahimahullah

They abandoned the dunya

'Verily, Allah has intelligent slaves 

They abandoned the dunya, and were cautious of its tribulations; 

They looked to it, and when they realized

That it is not an abode for those who are truly alive;

They made it a transitory station, and took

Righteous actions as a vehicle' 

-Imam Al-Shafie rahimahullah

The most beneficial of lasting provisions

'The most beneficial of lasting provisions is the fear of Allah, and the most harmful provisions is the aggression' - Imam al Shafie rahimahullah

O my soul! It is not, except a few days of patience

Ibn Rajab – rahimahullaah – said: (1)


ولا بد للمؤمن من صبر قليل حتى يصل به إلى راحة طويلة…



…and it’s incumbent upon the believer to have a little patience in order to reach by way of it to a lengthy rest.



فإن جزع ولم يصبر فهو كما قال ابن المبارك

من صبر فما أقل ما يصبر ومن جزع فما أقل ما يتمتع



If he gets impatient then he is,
as has been said by Ibn al-Mubaarak:


Whoever exercises patience,
then how little is the patience he will have to exercise.
And whoever is impatient,
then how little is the enjoyment he will have.



:وكان الإمام الشافعي رحمه اللَه ينشد



يا نَـفـسُ مــا هِـــيَ إلاّ صَـــبـــرُ أَيّامِ

كَــأَنَّ مُـدَّتَــهـــا أَضــغــاثُ أَحــلامِ

يا نَـفْـسُ جـــوزي عَـنِ الـدُنــيا مُـبـادِرَةً

وَخَــلِّ عَـنـهـا فَـإِنَّ الـعَـيشَ قُــدامـــي


al-Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee – rahimahullaah -used to recite (the following verses of poetry):



“O my soul! It is not, except a few days of patience;
As if the extent were but a few dreams.
O my soul! Pass quickly on through this world;
And leave it, for indeed life lies ahead of it.” (2)

______________________

(1) From Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee’s book “Fadl ‘ilm as-Salaf” - The Excellence of the Salaf’s Knowledge.

(2) Translation of ash-Shaafi’ee’s – rahimahullaah – poem is taken from an article titled “The Yearning of the Pious for Paradise” –
al-Istiqaamah Magazine, Issue #2, Safar 1417 A.H.