1. The servant of God is like the lover whose thought does not leave his beloved for any reason. If he does so, his love is deficient; for, love is total and there is no room left for anything else. So, his thought is about the beauty of the beloved and her beautiful form, and about her deeds and character. If he thinks about himself, either he does so to make himself more acceptable to his beloved and to seek (the means for) that, or he thinks about that in himself which displeases his beloved and how to avoid that. The thought of love and friendship with God Most Hight is the same.
(Imam al-Ghazali)
2. Conversation between heart and intellect
One day Intellect said to the heart
A guide to the misguided ones I am
Being on the earth I reach up to the sky
Look, how deep in comprehension I am
Guidance on earth is my sole occupation
Like the auspicious Khidr 1 in character I am
Interpreter of the book of life I am
The Manifestation of God’s Glory I am
You are only a drop of blood, but
The invaluable ruby’s envy I am
Hearing this the heart said,
“All this is true
But look at me as well, what I am
You understand the secrets of life
But seeing them with my own eyes I am
Concerned with the manifest order you are
And acquainted with the inward I am
Learning is from you, but Divine Knowledge is from me
You only seek Divinity, but showing Divinity I am
Restlessness is the end of Knowledge too
But the remedy for that malady I am
You are the candle of the assembly of Truth
The lamp of the Divine Beauty’s assemblage I am
You are related to time and space
The bird recognizing the Sidrah 3 I am
Look at the grandeur of my station
The throne of the God of Majesty I am.
3. Imam al-Hassan al-Basri said:
We laugh and yet – who knows? – perhaps Allah has looked at some of our works and said: “I will not accept anything from you.” Woe to you, son of Adam! Can you fight Allah? Whoever disobeys Allah is fighting Him. By Allah! I have met seventy veterans of Badr. Most of their garments were wool. Had you seen them you would have said they are crazy, and had they seen the best among you they would have said: “Those people will have no part in the Hereafter.” Had they seen the worst among you they would have said: “Those people do not believe in the Day of Reckoning.” I have seen people for whom this world was cheaper than the dust under their feet. I have seen people the like of whom would come home at night, not finding more than his own portion of food, and yet say: “I shall not put all of this into my belly. I shall certainly give some away for Allah’s sake.” Then he would give away some of his food in charity, even if he were more in need of it than its recipient.
- Narrated from `Alqama ibn Marthad by Abu Nu`aym in Hilya al-Awliya’
4. The righteous salaf were as fearful of their good deeds being squandered, or not being accepted, as the present generation is certain that their neglect will be forgiven.
- Imam Hasan al-Basri
5. If you find it complicated to answer someone’s question, do not answer it, for his container is already full and does not have room for the answer.
~ Ibn al-Arabi
6. If people would only ponder about Surah al-Asar it would have been enough for them and repeated the same in all.
- Imam Shafi’i
7. No one is sincere in his claim to love God
unless he is content with the blows of his Lord.
— Hasan al-Basri to Rabia al-Adawiya
8. I love you because of your religion.
If you let go of your religion,
then I have to let go of my love for you.
- Imam An-Nawawi
9. Knowledge is the tree, and working is its fruit; and though you studied a hundred years and assembled a thousand books, you would not be prepared for the mercy of Allah the Exalted except by working.
— Imam al-Ghazali
10. If the shaytaan looks at you and sees that you are consistent in an act of obedience to Allaah, he will try to come to you again and again. If he sees that you are persistent in your actions (despite his efforts) he will tire of you and leave you. But if he sees that you are one day like this and one day like that, he will have high hopes in you.
— Imam al-Hasan al-Basri
11. People’s hearts are like wild animals.
They attach themselves to those that love and train them.
— Sayyidinā ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib
