حياة السلف بين القول والعمل

Condemnation of desires and praise for those who oppose them: Abu Sulayman al-Darani, may God have mercy on him, used to say: The best of deeds is opposing the desires of the soul. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/865].

Condemning desires and praising those who oppose them: Malik ibn Dinar, may God have mercy on him, said: Strive against your desires as you strive against your enemies. [Al-Kamil fi al-Lughah wa al-Adab /187].

Al-Ghazali said: (If you are a scholar, the manners of the scholar are endurance, maintaining forbearance, sitting with dignity in a composed manner with the head lowered, and abandoning arrogance toward all servants except oppressors, to deter them from oppression; preferring humility in gatherings and assemblies; leaving jesting and joking; being gentle with the learner; being patient with the overbearing; correcting the slow learner through good guidance; not being too proud to say ‘I do not know’; directing attention toward the questioner and understanding his question; accepting evidence; submitting to the truth; restraining the learner from seeking through beneficial knowledge anything other than the countenance of Allah Most High; and preventing him from occupying himself with a collective obligation before completing his individual obligation. His individual obligation is to reform his outward and inward self through God-consciousness.)

Condemnation of desire and praise for those who oppose it: On the authority of Wahb ibn Munabbih, may God have mercy on him, he said: Whoever places his desire under his feet, Satan will be terrified of his shadow, and whoever overcomes his desire with his forbearance, that is the victorious scholar. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/49].

Condemning desires and praising those who oppose them: Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: A servant will not act until he prioritizes his religion over his desires, and he will not perish until he prioritizes his desires over his religion. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/27].

Condemning desires and praising those who oppose them: It was said to Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may God have mercy on him: Which jihad is best? He said: Your jihad against your desires. [Al-Kamil fi al-Lughah wa al-Adab / 149].

Condemnation of those who are driven by desires and lusts: On the authority of Ibrahim bin Dawood Al-Qassar, may God have mercy on him, he said: The weakest of creation is he who is too weak to resist his lust, and the strongest of creation is he who is strong enough to resist it. [Al-Muntazam 13/374].

Condemnation of desires and praise for those who oppose them: Ibrahim bin Adham, may God have mercy on him, said: The most difficult struggle is the struggle against desires. Whoever restrains himself from his desires has found rest from the world and its afflictions, and he will be protected and safe from its harm. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/484].

Condemning desire and praising those who oppose it: Ibrahim bin Adham, may God have mercy on him, said: Desire is a partner of blindness. [Uyun al-Akhbar 1/78].

Condemning desires and praising those who oppose them: Malik bin Dinar, may God have mercy on him, said: How difficult it is to wean an adult. [Al-Kamil fi al-Lughah wa al-Adab /187].

Condemnation of desire and praise for those who oppose it: On the authority of Yazid bin Maysarah, may God have mercy on him, he said: God Almighty says: O young man who abandons his desire for My sake, who sacrifices his youth for My sake, you are to Me like some of My angels. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/194].

Condemnation of desires and praise for those who oppose them: Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may God have mercy on him, used to say: The worst disease that has afflicted the heart - meaning desires. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad /451].

Condemnation of desire and the virtue of opposing it: Shaykh Abdullah al-Armani, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Once during my travels I passed a monk in a hermitage. He said: Muslim, what is the nearest path to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, according to you? I replied: Opposing the self. He drew his head back into his hermitage. When I was in Mecca during the Hajj season, a man greeted me at the Kaaba. I asked: Who are you? He replied: I am the monk. I asked: How did you reach here? He replied: Through what you said. In another narration: I presented Islam to my soul, but it refused. I knew then that it was the truth, so I embraced Islam and opposed it. Thus he prospered and succeeded. [al-Bidayah wa-al-Nihayah 13/222].

Condemning desires and praising those who oppose them: Abu Hazim, may God have mercy on him, said: Fight your desires more than you fight your enemy. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/519].

Condemning desires and praising those who oppose them: Abu Hazim, may God have mercy on him, said: There are two things that, if you act upon them, you will attain the best of this world and the hereafter, and I will not elaborate further. It was said: What are they? He said: Endure what you dislike if God loves it, and dislike what you love if God - the Exalted and Glorified - dislikes it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/527].

Condemning desires and praising those who oppose them: It was said to Ja`far al-Murta`ish, may God have mercy on him: So-and-so walks on water. He said: Whoever God enables to oppose his desires is greater than walking on water. [Al-Muntazam 13/384].

Condemning desires and praising those who oppose them: Abu Bakr Ibn al-Darir al-Zahid, may God have mercy on him, said: I resisted desires until my only desire became resistance. [Al-Muntazam 14/149].

Condemnation of desire and the virtue of opposing it: The wise, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘The eye of desire is one-eyed.’ [Dhamm al-Hawa /426].

Condemnation of desire and praise for those who oppose it: Some wise men used to say: “Suppose the wrongdoer is forgiven, has he not missed the reward of the righteous?” [Condemnation of desire /149].

Condemning desire and praising those who oppose it: Ata’ al-Sulaimi, may God have mercy on him, said: We have been informed that lust and desire overcome knowledge, reason, and eloquence. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/323].

Condemnation of desire and the virtue of opposing it: Al-Fayd ibn Ishaq said: I heard al-Fudayl ibn Iyad say: Nothing on earth is harder than abandoning a desire. Then he narrated to us from Husayn, from Bakr ibn Abdullah, may Allah have mercy on him, who said: A man is a slave to his stomach, a slave to his desire, and a slave to his wife. He is not content with little and is not satisfied by much. He gathers for one who does not praise him and goes before One who does not esteem him. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3/17].

Condemning desire and praising those who oppose it: Abu Yazid al-Bistami, may God have mercy on him, said: He who is accompanied by his desire does not know himself. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/247].

Condemnation of those who follow desire and lusts: Bishr ibn al-Harith said: I asked al-Mu'afa, may Allah have mercy on him, about a man passing people playing chess: Do you think he should greet them? He said: No. Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, says: Let him greet them and enjoin what is right. Al-Mu'afa said: If he does not enjoin what is right, then no. [al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad /467].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in general: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The wisdom of disputation cannot be grasped, and one cannot be safe from its trial. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 7/94].

Condemnation of argument and disputation in general: Abu al-Darda’ (may God be pleased with him) said: It is enough of a sin for you to be constantly arguing. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 7/95].

Condemnation of argument and disputation in general: On the authority of Yahya bin Abi Kathir, may God have mercy on him, he said: Solomon, peace be upon him, said: O my son, beware of argument, for there is no benefit in it, and it breeds enmity between brothers. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/627].

Condemnation of argument and disputation in general: Al-Awza’i, may God have mercy on him, said: If God intends evil for a people, He opens up argument for them and prevents them from doing good deeds. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/683].

Condemnation of argument and disputation in general: On the authority of Ma’ruf al-Karkhi, may God have mercy on him, he said: If God intends evil for a servant, He closes the door of action for him and opens the door of disputation for him. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/826].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in general: How noble is the saying of Abu Yusuf the judge, may Allah have mercy on him: Knowledge of disputation and speculative theology is ignorance, and ignorance of disputation and speculative theology is knowledge. [Siyar (abridged edition) 2/789].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in general: Wahb ibn Munabbih, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Leave disputation and argument, for no one will lack one of two men: a man who knows more than you—how can you oppose and argue with someone who knows more than you?—and a man whom you know more than—how can you oppose and argue with someone whom you know more than and who does not obey you? [Siyar (abridged edition) 2/554].

Condemnation of argument and disputation in general: On the authority of Muslim bin Yasar, may God have mercy on him, who used to say: Beware of argument, for it is a moment of ignorance for the scholar, and through it Satan seeks to cause him to slip up. [Al-Shari’ah / 65, Encyclopedia of Ibn Abi Al-Dunya 7 / 93].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in general: Bilal ibn Sa'd, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When you see a man stubbornly contentious, disputatious, and admiring his own opinion, his loss is complete. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/191].

Condemnation of argument and disputation in general: Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may God have mercy on him, said: If you hear argument, then stop. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 7/95].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in general: Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever makes his religion a target for disputes changes positions frequently. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 7/115].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in general: Salm ibn Qutaybah said: Bashir ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Bakrah, may Allah have mercy on him, passed me and asked: What keeps you sitting here? I replied: A dispute between me and a cousin of mine who claimed something in my house. He said: Your father did me a kindness, and I want to repay you for it. By Allah, I have seen nothing more destructive of religion, more diminishing of honorable conduct, more wasteful of pleasure, or more preoccupying to the heart than a dispute. I got up to leave. My opponent asked: What is the matter? I replied: I will not dispute with you. He said: You have recognized that it is my right. I replied: No, but I honor myself above this, and I will leave you with what you want. He said: Then I ask nothing of you; it is yours. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/325].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in religion: On the authority of Sulayman ibn Yasar, he said: A man from Banu Tamim named Subaygh ibn 'Isl came to Medina. He had books with him, and he began asking about the ambiguous verses of the Qur'an. This reached Umar, may God be pleased with him, so he sent for him, having prepared palm branches for him. When he entered upon him, he sat down, and Umar, may God be pleased with him, said to him: Who are you? He said: I am Abdullah Subaygh. Umar, may God be pleased with him, said: And I am Abdullah Umar. Then he lunged at him and began to strike him with those palm branches. He kept striking him until he wounded him, and blood began to flow down his face. He said: Enough, O Commander of the Faithful, for by God, what I felt in my head has gone away. [Al-Shari'ah / 81].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in religion: Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The believer does not flatter or dispute. He spreads the wisdom of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. If it is accepted, he praises Allah, Mighty and Majestic; if it is rejected, he praises Allah, Mighty, Majestic, and Exalted. [al-Shari'ah /79]. Al-Barbahari, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Know—may Allah have mercy on you—that there has never been heresy, unbelief, polytheism, innovation, misguidance, or confusion in religion except through speculative theology, its proponents, argument, disputation, and contention. Sharh al-Sunnah /86. Al-Awza'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said: They are difficult questions. Isa ibn Yunus said: They are unnecessary questions of ‘how’ and ‘how.’ Jami al-Ulum wa-al-Hikam /123.

Condemnation of disputation and argument in religion: On the authority of Abu Ja`far, may God have mercy on him, he said: Beware of disputes, for they destroy religion. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/323].

Condemnation of disputation and argumentation in religion: On the authority of Abd al-Karim ibn Abi Umayya, may God have mercy on him, he said: No pious person ever argued - meaning - in religion. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/323].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in religion: On the authority of Abdul Karim bin Abi Umayya, may God have mercy on him, he said: The worst of God’s servants are those who follow the worst of issues and mislead God’s servants with them. [Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam / 123].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in religion: Al-Awza'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When Allah wishes to deprive His servant of the blessing of knowledge, He places trick questions on his tongue. I have indeed seen them to be the least knowledgeable of people. [Jami al-Ulum wa-al-Hikam /123]. Al-Awza'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said: They are difficult questions. Isa ibn Yunus said: They are unnecessary questions of ‘how’ and ‘how.’ Jami al-Ulum wa-al-Hikam /123.

Condemnation of Arguing and Disputing in Religion: On the authority of Ma’n ibn Isa, he said: Malik ibn Anas, may God have mercy on him, was leaving the mosque one day, leaning on my hand, when a man called Abu al-Hawriyyah, who was accused of Murji’ism, caught up with him and said: O servant of God, listen to something I will say to you, argue with you, and tell you my opinion. He said: What if you defeat me? He said: If I defeat you, follow me. He said: What if another man comes and speaks to us and defeats us? He said: We will follow him. Malik, may God have mercy on him, said: O servant of God, God Almighty sent Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, with one religion, and I see you moving from one religion to another. Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever makes his religion a target for disputes will frequently change his beliefs. [Al-Shari’ah / 66].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in religion: Malik, may God have mercy on him, said: Arguing in religion creates disputation, removes the light of knowledge from the heart, hardens it, and breeds resentment. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/735].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in religion: Al-Shafi’i, may God have mercy on him, said: Disputation in religion hardens the heart and breeds resentment. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/846].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in religion: On the authority of Muawiyah bin Qurrah, may God have mercy on him, he said: Disputes in religion nullify good deeds. [Al-Shari’ah / 66].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in religion: Imran al-Qasir, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Beware of contention and disputes, and beware of those who say: ‘What if? What if?’ [al-Shari'ah /66].

Condemnation of disputation and argument in religion: Sufyan ibn Amr ibn Qays said: I asked al-Hakam, may Allah have mercy on him: What drove people into deviant inclinations? He replied: Disputes. [al-Shari'ah /66].

Condemnation of argumentation and disputation in religion: Abu Qulaba, may God have mercy on him, said: Do not sit with the people of desires, nor argue with them, for I do not feel safe from them leading you astray, or confusing you in religion with some of what they were confused with. [Al-Shari’ah / 65 - 65].

Warning against arguing with people of innovation and deviant inclinations: Hisham ibn Hassan said: A man came to al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, and said: Abu Sa'id, come so that I may dispute with you about religion. Al-Hasan replied: As for me, I have seen my religion clearly. If you have lost your religion, then seek it. [al-Shari'ah /66].

Warning against arguing with people of innovation and whims: On the authority of Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, may God have mercy on him, he said: There is no stronger response to them than silence. [Al-Shari’ah / 69, 70].

Warning against arguing with people of innovation and whims: On the authority of Salam bin Abi Muti’, he said: A man from among the people of whims said to Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, may God have mercy on him: O Abu Bakr: I ask you about a word, so Ayyub turned away, and he kept pointing with his finger: Not even half a word. [Al-Shari’ah / 66].

Warning against arguing with people of innovation and deviant inclinations: Ma'mar said: Tawus, may Allah have mercy on him, was sitting with his son when a man from the Mu'tazilah came and spoke about something. Tawus put his two fingers in his ears and said: My son, put your finger in your ears so that you hear nothing of what he says, for this heart is weak. Then he said: My son, block them. He kept saying ‘Block them’ until the other man got up. [Talbis Iblis: 26].

Warning against arguing with people of innovation and deviant inclinations: Isma'il ibn Kharijah said: Two men from the people of deviant inclinations entered upon Muhammad ibn Sirin, may Allah have mercy on him, and said: Abu Bakr, shall we narrate a hadith to you? He replied: No. They said: Then shall we recite to you a verse from the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic? He replied: No. You must leave me, or I will get up. [al-Shari'ah /66, 67].

Warning against arguing with people of innovation and deviant inclinations: Mahdi ibn Maymun al-Azdi said: I heard Muhammad ibn Sirin, may Allah have mercy on him, when a man disputed with him about something. Muhammad said: I know what you want, and I know disputation better than you, but I will not dispute with you. [al-Shari'ah /70].

Respect for knowledge and its people: On the authority of Abu Wael, Ibn Masoud, may God be pleased with him, saw a man who had let his garment hang low, so he said: “Raise your garment.” The man said: “And you, Ibn Masoud, raise your garment.” He said: “My legs are thin, and I lead the people in prayer.” This reached Umar, may God be pleased with him, so he began to strike the man, saying: “Do you contradict Ibn Masoud?” [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/196].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Abu al-Darda’, may God be pleased with him, said: Seek knowledge, and if you are unable to do so, then love its people, and if you do not love them, then do not hate them. [Sifat al-Safwa 1/298].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, held the stirrup for Zayd ibn Thabit, who said: Move aside, cousin of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Ibn Abbas replied: This is how we treat our scholars and elders. [Sifat al-Safwah 1/343].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Al-Zuhri said: Abu Salama, may God have mercy on him, often disagreed with Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with them both, and as a result he was deprived of much knowledge from him. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/499].

Respect for knowledge and its people: On the authority of Isa bin Yunus. He said: I heard Al-A’mash, may God have mercy on him, say: Anas bin Malik, may God be pleased with him, used to pass by me at the beginning and end of the day, and I would say: I will not listen to any hadith from you. You served the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, then you came to Al-Hajjaj until he appointed you. He said: Then I regretted it, so I started narrating from a man on his authority. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/140].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Jamilah, Anas's freedwoman, said: Whenever Thabit, may Allah have mercy on him, came, Anas said: Jamilah, give me perfume with which to touch my hand, for the son of Umm Thabit is not content until he kisses my hand and says: It touched the hand of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1/406].

Respect for knowledge and its people: On the authority of Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib ibn Azdak, he said: I heard Nafi’ ibn Jubayr say to Ali ibn al-Husayn, may God have mercy on him: May God forgive you! You are the master of the people and the best of them, you go to this slave and sit with him - meaning Zayd ibn Aslam - so he said: It is appropriate for knowledge to be followed wherever it is. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/486].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Ibn al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him, was asked about a matter in the presence of Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, and he said: We were forbidden to speak in the presence of our elders. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/772].

Respect for knowledge and its people: On the authority of Bishr bin Al-Harith, he said: A man asked Ibn Al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him, about a hadith while he was walking. He said: This is not from the respect for knowledge. Bishr said: I greatly admired it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/38]

Respect for knowledge and its people: Ibrahim bin Ishaq Al-Harbi said: Ata bin Abi Rabah, may God have mercy on him, was a black slave of a woman from Mecca, and his nose was like a broad bean. He said: Sulayman bin Abdul-Malik, the Commander of the Faithful, came to Ata with his two sons, and they sat with him while he was praying. When he finished praying, he turned to them, and they kept asking him about the rituals of Hajj, and he had turned his back to them. Then Sulayman said to his two sons: Stand up, so they stood up. He said: O my sons, do not be lazy in seeking knowledge, for I will not forget our humiliation before this black slave. [Sifat Al-Safwa 2/525].

Respect for knowledge and its people: A man mentioned something about a scholar in the presence of al-Hasan ibn Dhakwan, may Allah have mercy on him. He said: Stop! Do not speak against scholars, lest Allah cause your heart to die. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/225].

Respect for knowledge and its people: On the authority of Qatadah, may God have mercy on him, he said: It is recommended not to read the hadiths of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, except in a state of purity. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/408].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Mahdi ibn Maymun said: Muhammad ibn Sirin, may Allah have mercy on him, used to quote poetry, mention something, and laugh. But when a hadith from the Sunnah arose, he became serious and drew himself together. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1/390].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Al-Zuhri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I would come to Urwah's door, sit down, then leave without entering. Had I wanted to enter, I could have entered; I refrained out of reverence for him. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/23].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Al-Zuhri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I served Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utbah until his servant would come out and ask: Who is at the door? The maid would say: Your bleary-eyed servant—thinking that I was his servant. I used to serve him even to the point of drawing water for his ablution. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/23].

Respect for knowledge and its people: On the authority of Malik: A man came to Saeed bin Al-Musayyab, may God have mercy on him, while he was sick, and asked him about a hadith, while he was lying down. So he sat up and told him, and that man said to him: I wish you had not troubled yourself. He said: I disliked telling you about the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, while I was lying down. [Sifat Al-Safwa 2/437].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Imam Malik, may God have mercy on him, said: We used to visit Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, may God have mercy on him, and when we mentioned to him a hadith of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, he would cry until we felt sorry for him. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/626].

Respect for knowledge and its people: On the authority of Ibn Abi Uways, he said: When Malik ibn Anas, may God have mercy on him, wanted to narrate a hadith, he would perform ablution, sit on the head of his bed, comb his beard, and sit with dignity and reverence, then he would narrate. When he was asked about this, he said: I like to honor the hadith of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and I do not narrate it except in a state of purity and in a state of readiness. He disliked narrating while standing or in a hurry on the road. He said: I like what I narrate from the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, to be understood. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/504].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Ma’n ibn Isa said: When Malik ibn Anas, may God have mercy on him, wanted to narrate a hadith of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, he would bathe, use incense, and apply perfume. If someone raised their voice in his presence, he would say: Lower your voice, for God, the Exalted and Majestic, says: “O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet” [Al-Hujurat: 2]. So whoever raises their voice when narrating a hadith of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, it is as if they have raised their voice above the voice of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/504].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Abu Mu'awiyah said: One day I ate with al-Rashid, may Allah have mercy on him, and a man whom I did not recognize poured water over my hands. Harun asked: Abu Mu'awiyah, do you know who is pouring water for you? I replied: No. He said: I am. I asked: You, Commander of the Faithful? He replied: Yes, out of reverence for knowledge. [al-Muntazam 8/322, 323].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Professor Ibn al-Amid, may God have mercy on him, said: I never thought there was anything sweeter in the world than the leadership and ministry I held, until I witnessed the discussion between Abu al-Qasim al-Tabarani and Abu Bakr al-Ji’abi, may God have mercy on them both, in my presence. Al-Tabarani was surpassing Abu Bakr with his vast memory, and Abu Bakr was surpassing him with his intelligence and wit, until their voices rose, and neither could overcome the other. Al-Ji’abi said: I have a hadith that no one else in the world has. He said: Bring it forth. So he said: Abu Khalifah al-Jumahi narrated to us, Sulayman ibn Ayyub narrated to us, and he narrated a hadith. Al-Tabarani said: I am Sulayman ibn Ayyub, and Abu Khalifah heard it from me, so listen to me so that your chain of transmission may be elevated. Al-Ji’abi was ashamed, and I wished that I had not been a minister and that I had been al-Tabarani, and could have rejoiced as he rejoiced, or something to that effect. [Siyar (its abridgment) 3/1273].

Respect for knowledge and its people: Abu Ishaq al-Harbi said: Hushaym ibn Bashir was a man whose father dealt in sahnah (a condiment made from small fish) and kawamikh (a kind of condiment). His son Hushaym pursued hadith and desired it, but his father prevented him. He wrote down hadith until he came to sit with Abu Shaybah the judge, may Allah have mercy on him, and debated jurisprudence with him. Hushaym fell ill, and Abu Shaybah asked: What has happened to that young man who used to come to us? They replied: He is ill. He said: Let us get up and visit him. Everyone in the gathering got up to visit him, until they reached Bashir's house and entered upon Hushaym. A man came to Bashir while Bashir's hand was in the sahnah and said: Go to your son; the judge has come to visit him. Bashir came while the judge was in his house. When the judge left, he said to his son: My son, I used to prevent you from seeking hadith, but from today I will not. The judge now comes to my door! When could I ever have hoped for this? [al-Muntazam 9/89, 90].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: On the authority of Kumayl ibn Ziyad, who said: Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, took my hand and led me to the area of the cemetery. When we reached an open space, he sat down, sighed, and said: “O Kumayl ibn Ziyad, hearts are vessels, and the best of them are the most capacious. Remember what I tell you: People are of three kinds: a learned scholar devoted to God; a student on the path to salvation; and the ignorant masses who follow every loud voice, swayed by every wind, who have not been enlightened by the light of knowledge, nor have they sought refuge in a firm foundation. Knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge protects you, while you protect wealth. Knowledge increases with practice, while wealth decreases with spending. Love for the scholar is a religious duty. Knowledge earns the scholar obedience in his life and a good reputation after his death, while the fruits of wealth vanish with its loss. The hoarders of wealth die while still alive, while scholars remain as long as time endures. Their physical forms are gone, but their examples remain in the hearts of people.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/86]

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, said: Knowledge is not about narrating many hadiths, but rather knowledge is about fearing God. (Narrated by Al-Tabarani). [Sifat Al-Safwa 1/190].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Abu al-Bakhtari said: A man from Banu Abs accompanied Salman al-Farisi, may Allah be pleased with him. He drank from the Tigris, and Salman told him: Go back and drink. He replied: My thirst is quenched. Salman asked: Do you think this drink of yours diminished it? He replied: What could a drink I took diminish of it? Salman said: Likewise, knowledge does not diminish, so take from knowledge what benefits you. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1/156].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Mu'adh ibn Jabal, may Allah Most High be pleased with him, said: Learn knowledge, for learning it for Allah Most High is reverence, seeking it is worship, discussing it is glorification, researching it is striving in jihad, teaching it to one who does not know is charity, and offering it to those worthy of it is a means of drawing near. It is the landmarks of the lawful and unlawful, the beacon of the people of Paradise, solace in loneliness, a companion in estrangement, a conversation partner in solitude, a guide in ease and adversity, a weapon against enemies, and religion among the eminent. Through it Allah Most High raises peoples and makes them leaders and imams in goodness, whose traces are followed, whose deeds are emulated, and whose judgments are deferred to. The angels desire their friendship and brush them with their wings. Every moist and dry thing seeks forgiveness for them, even the fish and creatures of the sea, and the predatory and domestic birds. Knowledge brings hearts to life out of ignorance and illuminates sight out of darkness. Through knowledge one reaches the stations of the virtuous and the highest rank in this world and the Hereafter. Reflecting upon it equals fasting, and studying it equals standing in prayer. Through it ties of kinship are maintained and the lawful is known from the unlawful. It is the leader of those who act, and action follows it. The fortunate are inspired with it, and the unfortunate are deprived of it. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1/188].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: On the authority of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may God have mercy on him, he said: Whoever acts without knowledge, what he corrupts will be more than what he rectifies. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 506].

Defining knowledge and how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may God have mercy on him, said: We sought this matter and examined it, and we did not find anyone who did an action without knowledge except that what he corrupted was more than what he rectified. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 486].

Defining knowledge and how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: On the authority of Imran Al-Qasir, he said: I asked Al-Hasan Al-Basri about something, and I said: The jurists say such and such. He said: Have you seen a jurist with your own eyes? Rather, the jurist is the one who is detached from the world, who is insightful about his religion, and who is constant in worshipping his Lord - the Almighty and Majestic. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/333].

Defining knowledge and how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: On the authority of Malik bin Maghul: On the authority of Al-Sha’bi, may God have mercy on him, and a man said to him: O scholar, so he said: The scholar is the one who fears God! [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/111].

Defining knowledge and how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: On the authority of Yahya bin Abi Kathir, may God have mercy on him, he said: The scholar is the one who fears God - the Almighty and Majestic. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/454].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Al-A'mash, may God have mercy on him, said: If I see an old man who does not seek knowledge of jurisprudence, I would like to slap him. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/536]

Defining knowledge and how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Al-A’mash, may God have mercy on him, said: Were it not for learning these hadiths, I would have been like some of the grocers of Kufa. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/536].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Sulayman al-Taymi said: A man said to Abu Mijlaz, may Allah have mercy on him, while they were discussing jurisprudence and the Sunnah: Why not recite a surah—or why do you not recite a surah? He replied: I do not consider reciting a surah better than what we are engaged in. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1/471].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Qatadah, may God have mercy on him, said: A chapter of knowledge that a man memorizes, seeking thereby the betterment of himself and the betterment of people, is better than worship for a whole year. [Al-Muntazam 7/184].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: On the authority of Masruq, may God have mercy on him, he said: It is enough for a person to have knowledge if he fears God Almighty, and it is enough for a person to be ignorant if he is impressed by his knowledge. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/446].

Defining knowledge and how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Mujahid, may God have mercy on him, said: The jurist is the one who fears God, the Almighty and Majestic. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/10].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: On the authority of Al-Zuhri, may God have mercy on him, he said: God has not been worshipped with anything better than knowledge. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/25]

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: On the authority of Makhul, may God have mercy on him, he said: Whoever goes to acquire knowledge, he is on the path to Paradise until he returns. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/181].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Seeking knowledge is not ‘so-and-so from so-and-so’; seeking knowledge is only reverence for Allah, Mighty and Majestic. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/365].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: A man is more in need of knowledge than he is of bread and meat. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/404].

Defining knowledge and how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: On the authority of Muhammad bin Yusuf Al-Firyabi, Al-Thawri said: There is no deed better than seeking hadith, if the intention in it is correct. Ahmad said: I said to Al-Firyabi, may God have mercy on him: And what is the intention? He said: You intend by it the face of God and the Hereafter. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/364].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: On the authority of Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, he said: The scholar is not the one who knows good from evil, but rather the scholar is the one who knows good and follows it and knows evil and avoids it. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 308].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Shaqiq al-Balkhi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Entering into action is through knowledge, remaining steadfast in it is through patience, and surrendering to it is through sincerity. Whoever does not enter it with knowledge is ignorant. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/502].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Malik bin Anas, may God have mercy on him, said: Knowledge is not about the abundance of narrations, but rather it is a light that God places in the heart. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/504].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its merit: Al-Shafi’i, may God have mercy on him, said: Knowledge is what is beneficial, not what is memorized. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/853].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It suffices as a virtue of knowledge that one who does not possess it claims it and rejoices when it is attributed to him. It suffices concerning ignorance that one who has it disavows it and grows angry when it is attributed to him. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3/133].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said: No one who sought knowledge through excessive probing and self-importance succeeded. Rather, whoever sought it with limited means, humility of self, and service to the scholar succeeded. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3/126].

Defining knowledge, how to acquire it, and explaining its virtue: On the authority of Al-Rabi’, he said: I heard Al-Shafi’i, may God have mercy on him, say, mentioning those who carry knowledge haphazardly, he said: This is like a woodcutter who comes to cut a bundle of firewood and carries it, and perhaps there is a snake in it that will bite him without him knowing. Al-Rabi’ said: He means those who do not ask about the source of the evidence. He writes down knowledge without understanding, so he writes from the liar and the truthful, and from the innovator and others, and he carries falsehoods from the liar and the innovator, and that becomes a deficiency in his faith without him knowing. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/129].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, may God have mercy on him, said: The jurist enters between God and His servants, so let him consider how he enters? [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/496].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Abu Ja`far Muhammad bin Ali, may God have mercy on him, said: By God, the death of a scholar is more beloved to Satan than the death of seventy worshippers. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/458].

What has been said about knowledge and scholars: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A scholar whose knowledge benefits others is better than a thousand worshippers. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1/507].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Hilal bin Khabbab said: I said to Saeed bin Jubayr, may God have mercy on him: What is the sign of the destruction of people? He said: When their scholars are gone. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/506].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Ibn Muhayriz, may God have mercy on him, said: We used to think that action was better than knowledge, but today we are more in need of knowledge than action. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/169].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Muhammad Ibn Sirin, may God have mercy on him, said: This knowledge is religion, so look at whom you take your religion from. [Narrated by Muslim in his introduction].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Makhul, may God have mercy on him, he said: He whose knowledge does not benefit him will be harmed by his ignorance. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/180].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, he said: Knowledge, if it does not benefit you, will harm you. [Sifat al-Safwah 2/541].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, he said: The scholar is not the one who knows good and evil, but rather the scholar is the one who knows good and follows it, and knows evil and avoids it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/427].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, he said: Some of the jurists said: It used to be said: There are three types of scholars: one who knows God, one who knows God’s commands, and one who knows both God and God’s commands. As for the one who knows God’s commands, he is the one who knows the Sunnah but does not fear God. As for the one who knows God, he is the one who fears God but does not know the Sunnah. As for the one who knows both God and God’s commands, he is the one who knows the Sunnah and fears God. Such a person is called great in the kingdom of heaven. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/430].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Mis’ar, he said: ‘Abd al-A’la al-Taymi, may God have mercy on him, said to me: “He who is given knowledge that does not make him weep is likely not to have been given knowledge that will benefit him.” [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 307].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: Bad deeds are a disease, and scholars are a cure. If the scholars become corrupt, who will cure the disease?! [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/362].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: The scholar is the physician of religion, and the dirham is the disease of religion. If the physician draws the disease to himself, when will he be able to treat others? [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/362].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: Knowledge is only sought so that God may be feared through it, and that is why it is superior. Were it not for that, it would be like all other things. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/362].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: It is only about seeking it, then memorizing it, then acting upon it, then spreading it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/362].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: The first step in knowledge is silence, the second is listening to it and memorizing it, the third is acting upon it, and the fourth is spreading it and teaching it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/363].

What has been said about knowledge and scholars: Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Hadith is more abundant than gold and silver and cannot be encompassed. The trial of hadith is more severe than the trial of gold and silver. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/363].

What has been said about knowledge and scholars: Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This hadith is honor. Whoever seeks this world through it, then this world; whoever seeks the Hereafter through it, then the Hereafter. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/363].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: It is authentically reported from Rabi’ah, may God have mercy on him, that he said: Knowledge is a means to every virtue. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/635].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Abu Hazim, may God have mercy on him, he said: You will not be a scholar until you have three qualities: Do not transgress against those above you, do not look down on those below you, and do not take worldly gain for your knowledge. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/636].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Abu Hazim, may God have mercy on him, he said: In the past, if a scholar met someone who was above him in knowledge, it was a day of gain. If he met someone who was his equal, he would discuss it with him. If he met someone who was below him, he would not boast over him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/527].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Maymun ibn Mihran, may God have mercy on him, said: Scholars are what I seek in every town and they are my goal, and I found the well-being of my heart in sitting with scholars. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/54].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Mis’ar, may God have mercy on him, he said: Whoever seeks knowledge for himself has sufficed himself, and if you seek it for people, then you are preoccupied. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/422].

What has been said about knowledge and scholars: Ibn al-Sammak said: Mis'ar, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever seeks hadith for people should strive hard, for the trial they present is severe. Whoever seeks it for himself has enough. He said: Shu'bah said: If this were a hadith, it ought to be written down. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/422].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Rusta al-Taliqani, he said: A man stood up to Ibn al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him, and said: O Abu Abd al-Rahman, in what should I spend the remaining time in my day, in learning the Qur’an or in seeking knowledge? He said: Do you read from the Qur’an enough to perform your prayer? He said: Yes! He said: Then spend it in seeking knowledge by which the Qur’an is known. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/37].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may God have mercy on him, said: A man used to seek knowledge, and it would not be long before you would see that in his humility, his conduct, his tongue, his sight, and his hand. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 445].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Wahb ibn Munabbih, may God have mercy on him, he said: Knowledge has an arrogance like the arrogance of wealth. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/49].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Ibrahim bin Adham, may God have mercy on him, he said: It used to be said: There is nothing more difficult for Satan than a forbearing scholar. If he speaks, he speaks with knowledge, and if he is silent, he is silent with forbearance. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/488].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, may God have mercy on him, said: The temptation of hadith is more severe than the temptation of wealth, and the temptation of a child is similar to its temptation. How many a man is thought to be good, yet the temptation of hadith has led him to lie. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/113].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Al-Shafi’i, may God have mercy on him, said: Seeking knowledge is better than performing voluntary prayers. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/553].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Al-Rabi’ said: Al-Shafi’i, may God have mercy on him, said to me: If the practicing jurists are not the friends of God, then God has no friend. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/850].

What has been said about knowledge and scholars: Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked: Whom should we ask after you? He replied: Abd al-Wahhab al-Warraq, may Allah have mercy on him. He was told: His knowledge is not extensive. He replied: He is a righteous man; someone like him is granted success in reaching the truth. He, may Allah have mercy on him, was also asked about Ma'ruf al-Karkhi and replied: He possessed the foundation of knowledge: fear of Allah. [Jami al-Ulum wa-al-Hikam /125].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: On the authority of Ishaq bin Muhammad bin Abdullah, he said: Abu Bakr bin Tahir, may God have mercy on him, was asked: Why does a person tolerate from his teacher what he does not tolerate from his parents? He said: Because his parents are the cause of his mortal life, and his teacher is the cause of his eternal life. [Al-Muntazam 14/16, 17].

What has been said about knowledge and scholars: It is said: The innate faculty of reason is female, and what is acquired of knowledge is male; they will be sound only together. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/526].

What was said about knowledge and scholars: Ibn al-Jawzi, may God have mercy on him, said: The council of al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn al-Abbas, nicknamed Nizam al-Mulk, was filled with jurists, imams of the Muslims, and people of piety, to the point that they distracted him from the affairs of the state. One of his scribes said to him: This group of scholars has been given so much space in your council that they have distracted you from the interests of the people day and night. If you were to decree that none of them should enter except with permission, and if they do enter, they should sit in a way that does not crowd your council. He said: This group are the pillars of Islam, and they are the beauty of this world and the hereafter. Even if I were to seat each of them on my head, I would consider it insufficient for them. [Al-Muntazam 16/303].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and the student of knowledge: On the authority of Ibn Umar, may God be pleased with them both, he said: A man does not attain a position of knowledge until he does not envy those above him, nor look down upon those below him, nor seek a price for knowledge. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/218].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and student of knowledge: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Whenever you tell a people something beyond the reach of their understanding, it becomes a trial for some of them. Reported by Muslim in his introduction. Al-Zuhri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If you try to take this knowledge in great quantities at once, it overwhelms you and you gain nothing of it. Rather, take it gently over days and nights, and you will attain it. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/24].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and student of knowledge: On the authority of Waki’, may God have mercy on him, he said: A man does not become complete until he writes down knowledge from those who are above him, those who are like him, and those who are below him. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/812].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and the student of knowledge: Ibn Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, said: It is recommended for the scholar, when teaching, not to be harsh, and when being taught, not to be disdainful. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/520].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and the student of knowledge: In the wisdom of Luqman - peace be upon him -: The wise scholar invites people to his knowledge with silence and dignity, while the foolish scholar drives people away from his knowledge with chatter and excess. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/520].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and student of knowledge: On the authority of Rabi’ah, he said: Ibn Khaldah al-Zarqi, may God have mercy on him, said to me: I see that people have entrusted their affairs to you, so if you are asked about a matter, seek a way out of it for yourself, and then for the one who asked you. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/534].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and student of knowledge: Abu Asim, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever seeks Hadith has sought the highest of matters, so he must be among the best of people. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/850].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and student of knowledge: On the authority of Habib bin Abi Thabit, may God have mercy on him, he said: It is from the Sunnah that when a man speaks to a group of people, he should address them all, and not single out one person over another. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/142].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and student of knowledge: Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Learn knowledge, and when you teach it, maintain restraint over it. Do not mix it with laughter or play, lest hearts reject it. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/364].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and student of knowledge: Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It used to be said: When a man meets someone above him in knowledge, it is a day of gain. When he meets someone like himself, he studies with him and learns from him. When he meets someone below him, he is humble toward him and teaches him. One who narrates everything he hears cannot be a leader in knowledge; one who narrates from everyone cannot be a leader in knowledge; and one who narrates anomalous knowledge cannot be a leader in knowledge. Retention means mastery. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3/111].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and the student of knowledge: On the authority of Imam Malik, may God have mercy on him, he said: It is incumbent upon the seeker of knowledge to have dignity, tranquility, and reverence. Knowledge is good for whoever is granted its benefit, and it is a portion from God Almighty. So do not allow people to control you, for it is among the happiness of a person to be guided to good, and it is among the misfortunes of a person to keep making mistakes. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/735].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and student of knowledge: Yahya bin Muadh, may God have mercy on him, said: Do not seek knowledge for show, nor abandon it out of shyness. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/259].

Advice and guidance for the scholar and the student of knowledge: Al-Junayd ibn Muhammad, may God have mercy on him, said: Whenever you want to be honored by knowledge, and be associated with it, and be among its people, before you give knowledge what you owe it, its light will be veiled from you, and only its mark and appearance will remain upon you. That knowledge is against you, not for you, because knowledge points to its application, and if knowledge is not applied in its proper stages, its blessings will depart. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/381].

Condemnation of haste in assuming leadership in gatherings and teaching: Ibrahim bin Adham, may God have mercy on him, said: When we saw a young man speaking in a gathering, we despaired of any good from him. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/223, Al-Bidaya wa Al-Nihaya 10/208].

Condemnation of haste in assuming leadership in councils and education: Al-Sa`luki, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever assumes leadership before his time, has exposed himself to humiliation. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 3/1337].

Condemnation of haste in assuming leadership in gatherings and teaching: Al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever speaks before he is needed will be humiliated. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/363].

Condemnation of haste in assuming leadership in councils and teaching: Sahnun, may God have mercy on him, said: I have not found anyone who sold his hereafter for the worldly life of another except the mufti. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 3/983].

Condemnation of haste in assuming leadership in councils and teaching: Malik bin Anas, may God have mercy on him, said: I did not issue a fatwa until seventy people testified that I was worthy of it. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/503].

Condemnation of haste in assuming leadership in gatherings and teaching: Malik ibn Anas, may God have mercy on him, said: I did not give a fatwa until I asked someone who was more knowledgeable than me if he considered me qualified for it. I asked Rabi’ah and I asked Yahya ibn Sa’id, and they both instructed me to do so. I said: O Abu Abdullah, what if they had forbidden you? He said: I would have stopped. A man should not consider himself qualified for anything until he asks someone who is more knowledgeable than him. [Sifat al-Safwah 2/503].

Condemnation of haste in assuming leadership in gatherings and teaching: Al-Shafi’i, may God have mercy on him, said: If a young person assumes leadership, he will miss out on a lot of knowledge. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/553].

Stories and incidents of some scholars: Muhammad bin Ubaid said: A noble man with a long beard came to Al-A’mash, may God have mercy on him, and asked him about a simple matter in prayer. Al-A’mash turned to us and said: Look at him! His beard could bear the memory of four thousand hadiths, and his question is the question of schoolboys. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/646].

Stories and events concerning some scholars: Wahb ibn Munabbih, may Allah have mercy on him, said: There was a tyrant among the Children of Israel who killed people over eating pork. The matter continued... until it reached one of their worshippers. This distressed the people. The chief of police told him: I will slaughter a young goat for you. When the tyrant summons you to eat, eat. When he summoned him to eat, he refused. He said: Take him out and strike off his head. The chief of police asked him: What prevented you from eating, when I told you it was a young goat? He replied: I am a man whom people look to, and I disliked that I should be followed in acts of disobedience to Allah. He said: So he killed him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/230].

Stories and events concerning some scholars: Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, may Allah have mercy on him, passed a young man speaking to a woman on the road and said: Young man, this is not the recompense for Allah's blessing upon you. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/206].

Stories and incidents of some scholars: Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, may God have mercy on him, saw a man with a woman in a ruin, and he was talking to her. He said: God sees you both. May Allah conceal our faults and yours. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/206].

Stories and events concerning some scholars: Thabit reported that Silah ibn Ashyam, may Allah have mercy on him, and his companions saw a man who had let his lower garment hang low. His companions wanted to rebuke him with their tongues. Silah said: Leave me to deal with him for you. He said: My nephew, I have a request of you. The man asked: What is it, uncle? He said: Raise your lower garment. He replied: Yes, gladly. Silah said to his companions: This was the kind of man who, had you approached him harshly, would have said: I will not do it. Yet he did it. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/206, 207].

Stories and incidents of some scholars: Al-Umari Al-Abd, may God have mercy on him, saw a man from the family of Ali walking with a swagger, so he rushed to him and took his hand and said: O you! The one whom God has honored you with did not walk like this. He said: So the man abandoned that manner of walking afterward. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/208].

Stories and events concerning some scholars: Hisham said: Malik ibn al-Mundhir, who was in charge of Basrah's police, summoned Muhammad ibn Wasi', may Allah have mercy on him, and said: Take the seat of judgeship. Muhammad refused. He asked him again, and he refused. He said: You will take it, or I will flog you three hundred times. Muhammad replied: If you do, you have the power. One humiliated in this world is better than one humiliated in the Hereafter. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1/414].

Stories and accounts of some scholars: On the authority of Al-Husayn ibn Ziyad, he said: I heard Munay’ say: A merchant passed by some tax collectors who seized his ship. He went to Malik ibn Dinar, may God have mercy on him, and told him about it. Malik got up and walked with him to the tax collectors. When they saw him, they said: O Abu Yahya, why didn’t you send for us? What do you need? He said: My need is that you release this man’s ship. They said: We have done so. He said: They had a jug in which they put the dirhams they took from people, so they said: Pray to God for us, O Abu Yahya. He said: Tell the jug to pray for you! I pray for you and a thousand pray against you. Do you think one prayer will be answered and a thousand will not? [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/426].

Stories and incidents of some scholars: On the authority of Shu’ayb ibn Harb, he said: A woman came to Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, and said: My son has neglected me and abandoned his work. He said: What did your son take up? She said: Hadith. He said: Seek Allah’s reward for enduring this concerning him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/399].

Stories and accounts of some scholars: On the authority of Abu Mushir. He said: Al-Ma’mun asked Malik ibn Anas, may God have mercy on him: Do you own a house? He said: No. So he gave him three thousand dinars and said: Buy yourself a house with it. He said: Then Al-Ma’mun wanted to leave and said to Malik: Come with us, for I have resolved to make the people follow the Muwatta’ as Uthman made the people follow the Qur’an. He said to him: You have no way to do that, because the Companions of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, dispersed after him to the cities, and they narrated hadiths, so every city has knowledge, and there is no way for me to go with you, because the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “And Medina is better for them if they only knew,” and he said: “Medina expels its impurities as the furnace expels the impurities of iron.” Here are your dinars, so if you wish, take them, and if you wish, leave them. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/359].

Stories and accounts of some scholars: On the authority of Abdullah ibn Abdul-Hakim, who said: I heard Malik ibn Anas say: Harun al-Rashid consulted me on three matters: whether to hang the Muwatta in the Kaaba and compel people to follow its teachings, whether to demolish the Prophet's pulpit (peace and blessings be upon him) and replace it with one of jewels, gold, and silver, and whether to appoint Nafi' ibn Abi Nu'aym as imam to lead prayers in the Prophet's Mosque (peace and blessings be upon him). I said: O Commander of the Faithful, as for hanging the Muwatta in the Kaaba, the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) differed on matters of jurisprudence and dispersed throughout the lands, each believing himself to be correct. As for demolishing the Prophet's pulpit (peace and blessings be upon him) and replacing it with one of jewels, gold, and silver, I do not think you should deprive people of the Prophet's legacy (peace and blessings be upon him). As for appointing Nafi' as imam to lead the people in prayer in the Prophet's Mosque (peace and blessings be upon him), Nafi' is an expert in recitation, and it is not inconceivable that he might make a mistake in the prayer niche that would be recorded against him. He said: May God grant you success, O Abu Abdullah. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/360]

Stories and events concerning some scholars: Al-Rabi' said: Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, was with Malik, with Sufyan ibn Uyaynah and al-Zanji also present, when two men approached. One said: I am al-Rabi' al-Qumari. I sold this man a turtledove and swore to him by divorce that it never stops calling. An hour later he came to me and said: It has fallen silent, so return my dirhams. I have broken my oath. Malik said: Your wife has become separated from you. Al-Shafi'i passed by and asked the seller: Did you mean that it never stops, or that its calling exceeds its silence? He replied: I knew that it sleeps, eats, and drinks. I only meant that its calling exceeds its silence. He said: Your wife is restored to you. Malik was informed and asked al-Shafi'i: On what basis did you say that? He replied: The hadith of Fatimah bint Qays, who told the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: Mu'awiyah and Abu Jahm have proposed to me. He said: Mu'awiyah is a pauper, and Abu Jahm does not put his staff down from his shoulder. Yet he used to sleep and rest; the words referred to what he did most often. Malik was amazed, and al-Zanji said: Give legal opinions, for the time has come for you to do so. He was fifteen years old. [al-Muntazam 10/136].

Stories and incidents of some scholars: On the authority of Khalaf bin Salim, he said: We were in the assembly of Yazid bin Harun, and Yazid joked with the person repeating his dictation to the gathering, so Ahmad bin Hanbal, may God have mercy on him, cleared his throat - and he was in the assembly - so Yazid said: Who cleared his throat? It was said to him: Ahmad bin Hanbal, so he struck his forehead with his hand and said: Why didn’t you tell me that Ahmad was here so that I would not joke? [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/139].

Stories and accounts of some scholars: Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Asad said, “I heard Hamza al-Kinani, may God have mercy on him, say: ‘I extracted a single hadith from the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, from about two hundred chains of transmission. I was filled with considerable joy and admiring of myself for it. Then I saw Yahya bin Ma’in, may God have mercy on him, in a dream, and I said: “O Abu Zakariya, I extracted a hadith from two hundred chains of transmission.” He remained silent for a while, then said: “I fear that this falls under the category of ‘Rivalry in accumulating more has distracted you’ [At-Takathur: 1].”’” [Siyar (its abridgment) 3/1280].

Stories and events concerning some scholars: Ja'far ibn Yahya ibn Khalid said: We have seen no one like Isa ibn Yunus, may Allah have mercy on him. We sent for him and he came to us in al-Raqqah, but fell ill before returning. We said: Abu Umar, ten thousand has been ordered for you. He said: Go on. I said: It is fifty thousand. He replied: I have no need of it. I asked: Why? By Allah, I have not yet made it pleasant enough for you. It is, by Allah, a hundred thousand. He said: No, by Allah. The people of knowledge shall not say that I took payment for the Sunnah. Why was this not before you sent for me? As payment for hadith, by Allah, not a drink of water or a myrobalan fruit! [al-Muntazam 9/196].

Stories and accounts of some scholars: On the authority of Muhammad ibn Sahl, who said: I was in al-Masisa, and al-Ma’mun, the Commander of the Faithful, was there. One day he gave permission for people to enter, and a young man stood up to him with an inkwell in his hand and said: O Commander of the Faithful, I am a student of hadith who is stranded. Al-Ma’mun said to him: What do you know of such-and-such chapter? The young man did not mention anything. Al-Ma’mun kept saying: Hushaym narrated to us, and Abu al-Ahwas narrated to us, and Waki’ narrated to us, until he mentioned the chapter. Then he said: And what do you know of such-and-such chapter? The young man did not mention anything. Al-Ma’mun kept saying: Hajjaj ibn Muhammad narrated to us, and so-and-so narrated to us, until he mentioned the chapter. Then he turned to al-Fadl and said: One of them seeks hadith for three days and then says: I am one of the scholars of hadith. Give him three thousand dirhams. [Al-Muntazam 10/53, 54].

What was said about concealing some knowledge for the sake of the greater good, and not spreading it to everyone: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, said: It is enough of a lie for a person to narrate everything he hears. [Narrated by Muslim in his introduction].

What was said about concealing some knowledge for the sake of the greater good, and not spreading it to everyone: On the authority of Abu Hurairah, may God be pleased with him, he said: I memorized two containers of knowledge from the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace: As for one of them, I spread it among the people, but as for the other, if I were to spread it, this throat would be cut. [Narrated by Al-Bukhari: 117].

What has been said about withholding some knowledge for a benefit and not spreading it to everyone: Makhul said: Abu Hurayrah used to say: Many a bag Abu Hurayrah has not opened—meaning a bag of knowledge. Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This indicates that some hadiths may be withheld if they stir up turmoil concerning foundations, subsidiary matters, or praise and blame. But a hadith concerning what is lawful or forbidden may not be withheld in any way, for it is part of the clear proofs and guidance. In Sahih al-Bukhari is the saying of Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him: Tell people what they understand and leave what they reject. Do you want Allah and His Messenger to be disbelieved? Likewise, had Abu Hurayrah spread that vessel of knowledge, he would have been harmed, indeed killed. Yet a scholar's independent judgment may lead him to publish a particular hadith to revive the Sunnah. He has what he intended and receives a reward for his judgment, even if mistaken. [Siyar (abridged edition) 1/309].

What was said about concealing some knowledge for the sake of the greater good, and not spreading it to everyone: Al-Sha’bi, may God have mercy on him, said: Do not withhold knowledge from its people, lest you sin, and do not speak of it to those who are not its people, lest you sin. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/116].

What was said about concealing some knowledge for the sake of the greater good, and not spreading it to everyone: On the authority of Yazid bin Maysarah, may God have mercy on him, he said: Do not give away your knowledge to someone who does not ask for it, do not scatter pearls before someone who will not pick them up, and do not display your merchandise before someone who will reject it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/193].

What was said about concealing some knowledge for the sake of the greater good, and not spreading it to everyone: Malik bin Dinar, may God have mercy on him, said: O people, if gold and silver are thrown to a dog, it does not recognize them, but if a bone is thrown to it, it will pounce on it. Likewise, your fools do not recognize the truth. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/419].

What was said about concealing some knowledge for the sake of the greater good, and not spreading it to everyone: On the authority of Imam Malik, may God have mercy on him, he said: It is a humiliation and an insult to knowledge for a man to speak of knowledge in front of someone who does not obey him. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/735].

What was said about concealing some knowledge for the sake of the greater good, and not spreading it to everyone: On the authority of Ishaq, he said: I heard Malik bin Anas, may God have mercy on him, say: I heard hadiths from Ibn Shihab that I have not narrated to this day. I said: Why, Abu Abdullah? He said: They were not acted upon, so I left them. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/356].

What was said about concealing some knowledge for the sake of the greater good, and not spreading it to everyone: On the authority of Ibn Wahb, he said: Malik bin Anas, may God have mercy on him, said to me: Know that no man is safe if he narrates everything he hears. And he will never be an imam if he narrates everything he hears [Narrated by Muslim in his introduction].

What was said about concealing some knowledge for the sake of the greater good, and not spreading it to everyone: Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, may God have mercy on him, said: A man cannot be an imam to be followed until he refrains from some of what he has heard. [Narrated by Muslim in his introduction].

What was said about concealing some knowledge for the sake of the greater good, and not spreading it to everyone: Sheikh Alam Al-Din said: On Thursday, the middle of Rabi’ Al-Awwal, the Chief Justice Shams Al-Din Ibn Muslim met with the Sheikh, the Imam, the scholar Taqi Al-Din Ibn Taymiyyah, may God have mercy on him, and advised him to refrain from issuing fatwas on the issue of swearing by divorce. The Sheikh accepted his advice and responded to what he advised. Out of consideration for his feelings and the feelings of the group of muftis, then the mail arrived at the beginning of Jumada al-Ula with a letter from the Sultan prohibiting Sheikh Taqi al-Din from issuing fatwas on the issue of swearing by divorce. A council was convened on this matter, and the situation was resolved according to what the Sultan had decreed, and it was announced in the city. Before the arrival of the decree, a group of senior muftis had met with Judge Ibn Muslim al-Hanbali and told him to advise the Sheikh to refrain from issuing fatwas on the issue of divorce. The Sheikh understood his advice, and that he only intended by that to avoid an outbreak of turmoil and evil. [Al-Bidaya wa'l-Nihaya 14/163].

On the authority of Abu al-Darda’, may God be pleased with him, who said: People are of three kinds: a scholar, a student, and the third is a rabble in whom there is no good. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/169].

Ka’b al-Ahbar, may God have mercy on him, said: You will soon see ignorant people boasting about knowledge and being jealous of it, just as women are jealous of men. That is their share of knowledge. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/250].

Al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever seeks leadership through knowledge quickly will miss out on a great deal of knowledge. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/523].

On the authority of Mujahid, may God have mercy on him, he said: This knowledge is not learned by the shy or the arrogant. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/12].

Abu al-`Aliyah, may God have mercy on him, said: “Neither a shy person nor an arrogant person learns.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/369].

Wuhayb ibn al-Ward, may God have mercy on him, said: An example was given for evil scholars, and it was said: The example of an evil scholar is like a stone in a stream, so he neither drinks the water nor leaves the water for the trees to live by. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/533].

What was reported about the scholars regarding the breadth and speed of their memorization: On the authority of Muhammad bin Yazid bin Khunais, he said: Wuhayb ibn al-Ward, may God have mercy on him, said: How strange it is for a scholar to have his heart’s inclinations respond to the comfort of laughter, when he knows that he will have terrors, stations of standing, and frights on the Day of Resurrection. He said: Then he fainted. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/30].

Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, said: The status of one who seeks knowledge to benefit from it is like that of a servant who seeks everything that pleases his master, seeking to endear himself to him, to draw near to him, and to have a high standing with him so that he does not find anything with him that he dislikes. [Sifat al-Safwah 2/541].

Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, said: Jesus, peace be upon him, said: Wisdom has its people. If you place it with those who are not its people, it will be wasted. If you withhold it from its people, it will be wasted. Be like the doctor who places the medicine where it should be. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/427].

Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, said: Jesus and John, peace be upon them, used to come to the village. Jesus would ask about the worst of its people, and John would ask about the best of its people. John said to him: Why do you stay with the worst of people? He said: I am only a physician who treats the sick. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/427].

Bilal ibn Abi Burda, may God have mercy on him, said: “Do not let the bad things you know about us prevent you from accepting the best things you hear.” [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/523].

Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad, may God have mercy on him, said: A man does not know the mistake of his teacher until he sits with someone else. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/713].

Ayyub, may God have mercy on him, said: A man does not recognize the error of his teacher until he recognizes the difference of opinion. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/526]

Hammad ibn Zayd said: A man used to keep close company with Ayyub, may Allah have mercy on him, and hear from him. Ayyub then missed him. They said: Abu Bakr, he has taken to keeping company with Amr ibn Ubayd. Hammad said: One day I was with Ayyub, and we had gone early to the market. The man met him. Ayyub greeted him and asked after him, then said: I have heard that you have taken to keeping company with that man. Hammad said: He named him, meaning Amr. The man replied: Yes, Abu Bakr; he brings us unusual things. Ayyub said to him: It is precisely those unusual things that we flee from—or fear. [Reported by Muslim in his introduction].

On the authority of Al-Zuhri, may God have mercy on him, he said: Knowledge is lost only through forgetfulness and neglecting to review it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/24].

It was reported on the authority of Shurayh, may God have mercy on him, that he was asked: How did you acquire this knowledge? He said: By engaging with scholars, taking from them and giving to them. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/68].

Ja`far ibn Muhammad, may God have mercy on him, said: “The jurists are the trustees of the messengers, so if you see the jurists riding to the sultans, then be suspicious of them.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/512].

Abdullah bin Dhurays said: Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him, was asked: O Abu Abd Al-Rahman, until when will you write this hadith? He said: Perhaps the word that I will benefit from is what I have not yet written. [Sifat Al-Safwa 4/375].

Al-Awza’i, may God have mercy on him, said: We used to laugh and joke, but when we became role models, I feared that we would not be allowed to smile. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/685].

Al-A'mash said: Isma'il ibn Raja, may Allah have mercy on him, used to gather the boys of the elementary school and narrate hadith to them so that he would not forget his hadith. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/533].

On the authority of Makhoul, may God have mercy on him, he said: Knowledge should only be taken from someone who has been known to seek knowledge. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/181].

Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Entering into knowledge is easy, but coming out of it toward Allah is difficult. [Siyar (abridged edition) 2/787].

Ubayd ibn Umayr, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Allah detests the reciter when he is constantly dressing up, riding about, entering, and going out. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/9].

Musa al-Juhani said: Whenever disagreement was mentioned in the presence of Talhah ibn Musarrif, may Allah have mercy on him, he said: Do not say ‘disagreement’; rather, say ‘latitude.’ [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/132].

Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: If the people of Hadith did not come to me, I would go to them in their homes. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/363].

On the authority of Yusuf ibn Asbat, he said: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, was asked about a matter while he was buying something, and he said: Leave me alone, for my heart is with my dirham. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/399].

Abu Yazid al-Bistami, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I have found nothing harder upon me than knowledge and following it. Were it not for the scholars' disagreements, I would have become weary. The scholars' disagreements are a mercy, except concerning making monotheism pure (). [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3/247].

Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The first benefit of hadith is that its people benefit one another. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3/38].

Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: If our scholars had patience, they would not have gone to the doors of these people, meaning the kings. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/12].

Muhammad ibn al-Tufayl said: Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may Allah have mercy on him, saw a group of hadith students joking and laughing. He called out to them: Gently, heirs of the prophets! Gently! He said it three times. You are leaders whom people follow. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3/17].

Salm ibn Junadah said: I sat with Waki' ibn al-Jarrah, may Allah have mercy on him, for seven years. I never saw him spit; by Allah, I never saw him touch a pebble with his hand; I never saw him sit in his gathering and then fidget; I never saw him except facing the direction of prayer; and I never saw him swear by Allah. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3/106].

On the authority of Al-Husayn ibn Abi Zayd, he said: I accompanied Waki’ ibn Al-Jarrah, may God have mercy on him, to Mecca, and I never saw him reclining, nor did I see him sleeping in his litter. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/106].

Ibn al-Mubarak said: I have seen no one rise in standing like Malik ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy on him. He does not have much prayer or fasting, unless he has a hidden inward quality. Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: His knowledge and spreading it are better than voluntary fasting and prayer for one who seeks Allah through it. [Siyar (abridged edition) 2/733].

On the authority of Yunus ibn Abd al-A’la, he said: Al-Shafi’i, may God have mercy on him, used to speak to us according to what we could understand from him, and if he had spoken to us according to his understanding, we would not have comprehended him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/132].

On the authority of Al-Fudayl ibn Ziyad, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may God have mercy on him, he said: All or most of what you see is from Al-Shafi’i, and I have not gone to sleep for thirty years without praying for Al-Shafi’i. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/121].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Salman al-Farisi, may God be pleased with him, said: Knowledge that is not spoken of is like a treasure that is not spent. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/525].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, he said: “People have spoken well, so whoever’s actions match his words, that is the one who has attained his share, and whoever’s actions do not match his words, that is the one who reproaches himself.” [Sifat al-Safwa 1/189].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, he said: Learn knowledge, and when you have learned it, act upon it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/119].

Acting upon and conveying knowledge: On the authority of Abdullah bin Ukaym, he said: I heard Ibn Masoud, may God be pleased with him, in this mosque, begin with an oath before speaking. He said: There is no one among you but that his Lord, the Most High, will be alone with him, just as one of you is alone with the moon on the night of the full moon, and He will say: O son of Adam, what deceived you concerning Me? O son of Adam, what did you answer the Messengers? O son of Adam, what did you do with what you knew? [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/120].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Abu al-Darda’, may God be pleased with him, said: “Among the worst people in the sight of God on the Day of Resurrection is a scholar who does not benefit from his knowledge.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/178].

Acting upon and conveying knowledge: Abu al-Darda’ (may God be pleased with him) said: “The thing I fear most is that I will be asked on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Did you know or were you ignorant?’ If I say, ‘I knew,’ then every verse, whether commanding or forbidding, will be held against me, and I will be held accountable for its obligation. I will be asked whether I obeyed the commanding verses and refrained from the forbidding verses. So I seek refuge in God from knowledge that does not benefit, a soul that is never satisfied, and a supplication that is not heard.” (Narrated by Imam Ahmad). [Sifat al-Safwa 1/300]

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Abu al-Darda’, may God be pleased with him, said: I only fear for myself that I will be told in front of all people: O ‘Uwaymir, did you know? And I will say: Yes. Then it will be said: What did you do with what you knew? [Sifat al-Safwa 1/300].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Jundub al-Bajali, may God be pleased with him, said: The example of one who preaches to people and forgets himself is like a lamp that illuminates others and burns itself. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 330].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Mu’adh ibn Jabal, may God be pleased with him, said: “Learn whatever you wish to learn, for God will not reward you for knowledge until you act upon it.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/185].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Maymun ibn Mihran said: Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, spoke one day in the presence of a group of his brothers. His speech and admonition came out well. He looked at a man among his companions who was wiping away a tear, and stopped his tear. I said to him: Commander of the Faithful, continue speaking, for I hope Allah will bestow favor upon whoever hears it or to whom it reaches. He replied: Leave me alone. There is a trial in speech, and action is more fitting for the believer than speech. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/181].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: It was narrated on the authority of Habib bin Abi Thabit that he said: Saeed bin Jubayr, may God have mercy on him, said to me: To spread my knowledge is more beloved to me than to take it to my grave. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/506].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Al-Zuhri, may God have mercy on him, he said: Knowledge is taken away quickly, so spreading knowledge is the stability of religion and the world, and in the disappearance of knowledge is the disappearance of all of that. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/26].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Al-Zuhri, may God have mercy on him, he said: Beware of misappropriating books. I said: What is misappropriating them? He said: Withholding them from their owners. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/25].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Mansur, may God have mercy on him, he said: I was informed that some of those who are thrown into the Fire, the people of the Fire are harmed by their smell. So it is said to him: Woe to you, what did you do? Is what we are in of stench not enough for us, that we have to be afflicted with you and the stench of your smell? So he says: I was a scholar, but I did not benefit from my knowledge. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/450].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: “I never heard a hadith from the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, except that I acted upon it at least once.” [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/696].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: Knowledge calls for action; if it is answered, it remains, otherwise it departs. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/523].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: If a man wanted to write down hadith, he would first cultivate good manners and worship for twenty years before that. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/362].

Acting upon and conveying knowledge: On the authority of Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak. He said: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, was asked: Is seeking knowledge more beloved to you, Abu Abdullah, or acting upon it? He said: Knowledge is only sought for the sake of acting upon it. Do not abandon seeking knowledge for the sake of acting upon it, and do not abandon acting upon it for the sake of seeking knowledge. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/378].

Acting upon and conveying knowledge: On the authority of Al-Awza’i, he said: Ata’ Al-Khorasani came to Hisham and stayed with Makhul. He said to Makhul: Is there anyone here who can motivate us? He said: Yes! Yazid ibn Maysarah, may God have mercy on him. So they went to him and Ata’ said: Motivate us, may God have mercy on you. He said: Yes! When scholars acquired knowledge, they acted upon it. When they acted upon it, they became preoccupied. When they became preoccupied, they were missed. When they were missed, they were sought. When they were sought, they fled. He said: Repeat it to me. So he repeated it to him, and Ata’ returned and did not meet Hisham!! [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/193].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Abu Wa'il reported that Alqamah, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked: Will you not preach to us? He replied: I dislike commanding you to do what I do not do. [al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad /372].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Al-Sha’bi, may God have mercy on him, he said: The people of Paradise will look down upon some people in Hell and say: Why are you in Hell? We only acted upon what you taught us. They will say: We taught you but we did not act upon it. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 612].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Al-Sha’bi, may God have mercy on him, he said: There is no preacher who gives a sermon except that his sermon will be presented to him on the Day of Resurrection. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 7/79].

Acting upon and conveying knowledge: Al-Sha'bi, may God have mercy on him, said: I wish I had not learned anything of this knowledge. Al-Dhahabi said: Because it is a proof against the scholar, so he should act upon it and warn the ignorant, commanding and forbidding them. And because it is likely that he will not be sincere in it, and that he will boast about it and argue with it, in order to gain leadership and a fleeting world. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/502].

Acting upon and conveying knowledge: On the authority of Hisham al-Dastawa’i, may God have mercy on him, he said: Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, used to say: O assembly of scholars, your example is like that of the oleander (a bitter, green, beautiful tree that grows in valleys). Its flowers please the beholder, but its taste kills the one who eats it. Your words are medicine, but they do not cure the disease, and your actions are a disease that does not accept medicine. Wisdom comes out of your mouths, and there are only four fingers between it and your ears, yet your hearts do not comprehend it! O assembly of scholars, God only spreads the world for you so that you may act, and He did not spread it for you so that you may transgress! O assembly of scholars, how can someone be among the people of knowledge if he seeks to speak of it and does not seek to act upon it? Knowledge is above your heads, and action is beneath your feet, so there are neither free and honorable people, nor pious slaves! [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/340].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Shu’bah, he said: I do not tell you that anyone sought hadith seeking the face of God Almighty except Hisham al-Dastawa’i, even though he used to say: I wish we could escape from this hadith with just enough, neither for us nor against us. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/340].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i, may God have mercy on him, he said: When they came to a man to learn from him, they looked at his prayer, his conduct, and his demeanor. [Sifat Al-Safwa 2/553].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Abu Qilabah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When Allah, Mighty and Majestic, grants you new knowledge, undertake new worship for Him. [Sifat al-Safwah 3/186].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Malik bin Dinar, may God have mercy on him, he said: If a scholar does not act upon his knowledge, his admonition will slip from the hearts as rain slips from a smooth rock. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 539].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Malik bin Dinar, may God have mercy on him, he said: I was fond of books and would look at them. I entered one of the monasteries in the days of al-Hajjaj, and they brought out one of their books, so I looked at it, and it said: O son of Adam, why do you seek knowledge of what you do not know, and you do not act upon what you know? [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/427].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Malik bin Dinar, may God have mercy on him, he said: Whoever seeks knowledge to act upon it, God will grant him success, and whoever seeks knowledge for other than to act upon it, his pride in knowledge increases. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/427].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Malik bin Dinar, may God have mercy on him, he said: If you seek knowledge to act upon it, knowledge will humble you, and if you seek it for other than to act upon it, it will only increase your pride. [Sifat al-Safwa 3/202].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Malik ibn Dinar, may Allah have mercy on him, said: You meet a man who makes no error in a single letter, while his actions are all error. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1/429].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Abu Al-Aliyah, may God have mercy on him, he said: I used to travel to a man for days to hear from him, and I would check on his prayer. If I found him performing it well, I would stay with him, and if I found him neglecting it, I would leave and not hear from him, and I would say: He is more neglectful of other things. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/479].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Amr ibn Qays, may God have mercy on him, said: If you hear of something good, then act upon it even if only once. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/155].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Ibn al-Sammak, may God have mercy on him, said: How many things, if they do not benefit, do not harm, but knowledge, if it does not benefit, harms. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/761].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Ibrahim al-Taymi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whenever I compared my deeds with my words, I feared that I was contradicting them. [Sifat al-Safwah 2/580].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Ata’ al-Khorasani, may God have mercy on him, he said: The most reliable of my deeds in my own mind is spreading knowledge. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/186].

Acting upon and disseminating knowledge: Abu Uthman al-Hiri, may God have mercy on him, said: “The decline of Islam stems from four things: they do not act upon what they know, they act upon what they do not know, they do not learn what they do not know, and they prevent people from acquiring knowledge.” Al-Dhahabi, may God have mercy on him, said: “These are the characteristics of the leaders of the Arabs and Turks, and of many ignorant common people. If they acted upon even a little of what they knew, they would prosper. If they refrained from practicing innovations, they would be guided. If they investigated their religion and asked those who possess knowledge—not those who practice trickery and deceit—they would be happy. Rather, they turn away from learning out of arrogance and laziness. Any one of these traits is destructive, so what about when they are combined?! What do you think will happen if they are compounded by pride, immorality, criminality, and defiance of God? We ask God for well-being.” [Siyar (its abridgment) 2/723]

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The true masters of knowledge, those worthy of it, are only those who act upon it. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/426].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Sufyan bin Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, he said: There was a man who was a scholar and another who was a worshipper. The scholar said to the worshipper: Why don’t you come to me when people come to me and need my knowledge? He said: I know a little and I act upon it, and when I have finished it I will come to you. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/434].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If you command what is right, be among those who adhere to it most, or you will perish. If you forbid what is wrong, be among those who reject it most, or you will perish. [al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad /444].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Hafs bin Hamid, he said: I asked Dawud al-Ta’i, may God have mercy on him, about a matter, and Dawud said: If a warrior wants to engage in war, does he not gather his equipment? If he spends his life gathering equipment, when will he fight? Knowledge is the tool for action, so if he spends his life in it, when will he act?! [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/458].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: On the authority of Isa bin Hazim, he said: I said to Ibrahim bin Adham, may God have mercy on him: Why do you not seek Hadith? He said: I do not abandon it out of aversion to it, nor out of disdain for it, but I heard something from it and I want to act upon it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/490].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: What greater regret can there be for a person than that God Almighty grants him knowledge and he does not act upon it, then someone else hears it from him and acts upon it, so he sees its benefit on the Day of Resurrection for others. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/27].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Bishr bin Al-Harith, may God have mercy on him, said: Do not ask about matters by which you will learn people’s faults, so that you do not become the subject of people’s gossip. If you ask about a matter, then act upon it, and if you are not able, then seek help from God. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/99].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Wuhayb ibn al-Ward, may God have mercy on him, said: Let not your concern be the quantity of work, but let your concern be its perfection and improvement, for a servant may pray while disobeying God in his prayer, and he may fast while disobeying God in his fast. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/535].

Acting upon knowledge and conveying it: Al-Marwazi said: Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may God have mercy on him, said to me: I did not write down a hadith except that I acted upon it until it came to me that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, had cupping done and gave Abu Tayyiba a dinar, so I gave the cupper a dinar when I had cupping done. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/929].

Acting upon and conveying knowledge: Al-Dhahabi, may God have mercy on him, said: “Whoever seeks knowledge to act upon it, knowledge will humble him, and he will weep for himself. But whoever seeks knowledge for the sake of schools, issuing fatwas, boasting, and showing off, will become foolish, arrogant, and will look down upon people. Conceit will destroy him, and people will despise him. ‘He has certainly succeeded who purifies it, and he has certainly failed who corrupts it’ [Ash-Shams: 9-10]; that is, he corrupts it with immorality and disobedience. The letter ‘seen’ in it has been changed to ‘alif’.” [Siyar (its abridgment) 3/1401].

On the authority of Abdullah bin Salam, he said to those who were present when Uthman, may God be pleased with him, was writhing in agony when Abu Ruman al-Adha struck him: What did Uthman say as he was writhing? They said: We heard him say: O God, unite the nation of Muhammad, O God, unite the nation of Muhammad, O God, unite the nation of Muhammad, three times. He said: By Him in whose hand is my soul, if he had prayed to God in that state that they would never unite, they would not have united until the Day of Resurrection. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/314].

On the authority of Isa bin Yunus, he said: We have not seen in our time anyone like Al-A’mash, may God have mercy on him, nor the class that came before us. We have never seen the rich and the sultans in a gathering more humiliated than they were in the gathering of Al-A’mash, when he was in need of a dirham!! [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/138].

A man wrote to Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both: Write to me with all knowledge. He replied: Knowledge is abundant, but if you can meet Allah with your back free of the burden of people's blood, your stomach empty of their wealth, your tongue restrained from their honor, and holding to the affairs of their community, then do so. [Siyar (abridged edition) 1/370].

Al-Hasan ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Four matters of Islam belong to the ruler: judgment, fay revenues, Friday prayer, and jihad. [Uyun al-Akhbar 1/47, 48].

Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: If I had a supplication that would be answered, I would only use it for a ruler, for the righteousness of the ruler is the righteousness of the country and the people. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/777].

On the authority of Abdul Hamid bin Abdullah bin Muslim, that the jailer said to Ibn Sirin, may God have mercy on him: When night comes, go to your family, and when morning comes, come back. He said: No, by God, I will not be an aid to you in betraying the Sultan. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/569].

Zayd ibn Aslam said: I was with Abu Hazim, may Allah have mercy on him, on the summer campaign. Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalid sent word to him: Come to us so that we may question you and you may narrate to us. Abu Hazim replied: Allah forbid! I knew people of knowledge who did not carry religion to the people of worldly life, and I will not be the first to do so. If you have a need, come to us. Abd al-Rahman went to him and questioned him, saying: Through this you have gained further honor in our eyes. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1/525].

A fly landed on al-Mansur, so he swatted it away. It returned, and he swatted it away until he was annoyed. Then Ja`far ibn Muhammad, may God have mercy on him, entered, and al-Mansur said to him: “O Abu `Abd Allah, why did God, the Exalted and Glorified, create flies?” He said: “To humble the tyrants with them.” [Sifat al-Safwa 2/498]

On the authority of Sufyan, he said: A son of Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik came and sat next to Tawus, but he did not turn to him. So it was said to him: The son of the Commander of the Faithful sat next to you, and you did not turn to him. He said: I wanted him to know that God has servants who are indifferent to what is in his hands. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/33].

On the authority of Isa ibn Yunus, he said: Isa ibn Musa sent a thousand dirhams to al-A'mash, may God have mercy on him, and a sheet of paper so that he might write a hadith for him on it. Al-A'mash took the thousand dirhams and wrote on the sheet, “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Say, He is God, the One,” until he finished it. He folded the sheet and sent it to him. When he looked at it, he sent back to him, “O son of that vile woman, did you think that I do not know the Book of God?” Al-A'mash wrote back to him, “Did you think that I would sell hadith?” He did not write for him and kept the money for himself. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/138].

It was said to Imam Malik, may God have mercy on him: You enter upon the Sultan, and they are unjust and oppressive. He said: May God have mercy on you, so where is the one who speaks the truth? [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/736].

Abu Uthman al-Razi said: A man from al-Mu'tadid's attendants came to Ibrahim al-Harbi, may Allah have mercy on him, with ten thousand dirhams from al-Mu'tadid, asking him on the Commander of the Faithful's orders to distribute them. He returned them, and the messenger left. Then he returned and said: The Commander of the Faithful asks you to distribute them among your neighbors. He replied: May Allah grant you well-being. This is money we did not occupy ourselves with gathering, so we will not occupy ourselves with distributing it. Tell the Commander of the Faithful: Leave us alone, or we will move away from your neighborhood. [al-Muntazam 12/383].

Muhammad ibn Khallad said: When al-Mahdi performed Hajj, he entered the mosque of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Everyone stood up except Ibn Abi Dhi'b, may Allah have mercy on him. Al-Musayyab ibn Zuhayr said to him: Who is this? The Commander of the Faithful! Ibn Abi Dhi'b replied: People stand only for the Lord of the worlds. Al-Mahdi said: Every hair on my head stood up. [al-Muntazam 8/234].

On the authority of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, may God be pleased with him, he said: Beware of the places of temptation. It was said: What are the places of temptation, O Abu Abdullah? He said: The doors of the rulers. One of you enters upon the ruler, and affirms his lies and attributes to him qualities he does not possess. [Sifat al-Safwah 1/292].

Muslim ibn Amr, may God have mercy on him, said: Those who serve the Sultan should not be deceived by them if they are pleased with him, nor should they change towards them if they are angry with him, nor should they find what they have burdened with too much, nor should they be persistent in asking them. [Uyun al-Akhbar 1/62].

On the authority of Saeed bin Al-Musayyib, may God have mercy on him, he said: Do not fill your eyes with the helpers of the oppressors except with disapproval from your hearts, so that your deeds are not rendered worthless. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/485].

On the authority of Ibn al-Qasim, may God have mercy on him, he said: There is no good in being close to rulers or in getting close to them. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment)].

On the authority of Muhammad ibn Wasi’, may God have mercy on him, he said: “To chew reeds and eat dust is better than to be close to the Sultan.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/414].

On the authority of Musa bin Ismail, he said: I heard Hammad bin Salamah, may God have mercy on him, say to a man: If the ruler calls you to recite to him, “Say, He is God, the One,” then do not go to him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/336].

Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: If God has no need of a servant, He throws him to them – meaning the ruler. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/371].

Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: If I were given the choice between losing my sight and filling my eyes with them, I would choose losing my sight!! [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/371].

Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: Looking at the face of the oppressor is a sin, and do not look at the leaders who lead others astray except with disapproval from your hearts towards them, lest your deeds be rendered worthless. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/388].

Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: Do not look at their houses or at them when they pass by on vehicles. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/387].

Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: “By God, what prevents me from going to them is not that I do not see obedience to them, but I am a man who loves good food and I am afraid that they will corrupt me.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/393].

Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever prays that an oppressor remain alive has loved that Allah be disobeyed. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/393].

Dawud reported from his father, who said: I was with Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him. We passed a sleeping policeman when the time for prayer had arrived. I went to stir him, and Sufyan shouted: Stop! I said: Abu Abdullah, so that he may pray. He replied: Leave him; may Allah not bless him. People had no rest until this man slept. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/389].

On the authority of Ibrahim, he said: I heard Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, say: For a man to approach a putrid carcass is better for him than to approach these people – meaning the ruler – and I heard him say: A man who does not mix with these people, and does not add to what is obligatory, is better in our view than a man who prays at night, fasts during the day, performs Hajj and Umrah, strives in the way of God, and mixes with them. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/17].

Tawus, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The Kharijites and what happens to them when they recite the Qur'an were mentioned to Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both. He, may Allah be pleased with him, said: They believe in its clear verses and go astray at its ambiguous ones. ‘None knows its interpretation except Allah. Those firmly grounded in knowledge say: We believe in it.’ [Al Imran: 7]. [al-Shari'ah /35].

On the authority of Thabit bin Qutbah, he said: Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, said in his sermon: O people, adhere to obedience and unity, for it is the rope of God - the Almighty - which He has commanded. And what you dislike in unity is better than what you like in division. [Al-Shari’ah / 19].

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said when the pledge of allegiance to Yazid was presented to him: “If it is good, we are content; if it is a trial, we will be patient.” [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/60]. And al-Sha’bi (may God have mercy on him) said: It used to be said: “Whoever desires the spacious heart of Paradise should adhere to the community of Muslims.” [al-Shari’ah / 19].

Al-Sha'bi, may God have mercy on him, said: No nation has ever disagreed after its prophet except that the people of falsehood prevailed over the people of truth. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/112]

Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, said: This matter is only suitable for someone who is gentle without being weak and strong without being violent. [Uyun al-Akhbar 1/53].

Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, said: “Three things are calamities: a permanent neighbor who, if he sees something good, conceals it, and if he sees something bad, spreads it; a woman who, if you enter upon her, lashes you with her tongue, and if you are absent from her, you cannot trust her; and a ruler who, if you do good, will not praise you, and if you do evil, will kill you.” [Uyun al-Akhbar 1/49]

A man spoke harshly to Muawiyah, may God be pleased with him, but he was patient with him. He was asked: Are you patient with this man? He replied: I do not interfere between people and their tongues as long as they do not interfere between us and our authority. [Uyun al-Akhbar 1/54].

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: If the ruler is just, the reward is his and gratitude is your duty. If he is unjust, the burden of sin is his and patience is your duty. [Uyun al-Akhbar 1/49].

Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, may God be pleased with him, said: “No people ever went to God’s ruler on earth to humiliate him except that God humiliated them before they died.” [Uyun al-Akhbar 1/66].

On the authority of Usama, that Al-A’mash, may God have mercy on him, was reproached for visiting the brother of Yaqtin the leader. He said: I placed him in the position of a latrine that was needed and was visited. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/139].

Abdul Malik bin Marwan, may God have mercy on him, said: Be fair to us, O subjects. You want us to follow the example of Abu Bakr and Umar, may God be pleased with them both! But you do not follow the example of the people of Abu Bakr and Umar in your dealings with us or with yourselves! We ask God to help everyone with everyone else. [Uyun al-Akhbar 1/53].

Ka’b, may God have mercy on him, said: The example of Islam, the Sultan, and the people is like the example of the tent, the pole, the ropes, and the pegs. The tent is Islam; the pole is the Sultan, and the ropes and pegs are the people. None of them can be fixed except with the other. [Uyun al-Akhbar 1/48].

On the authority of Amr ibn Sharhabil, may God have mercy on him: He said: People will remain in a good state as long as they do not have rulers who do not see any right for them except what they want. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 7/416].

Ibn Hisham said: Al-Ma'mun, may Allah have mercy on him, said to me: Ali, kings tolerate everything from their companions except three qualities. I asked: What are they, Commander of the Faithful? He replied: Attacking the kingship, disclosing secrets, and encroaching upon the protected household. [al-Muntazam 10/59].

High Ambition: On the authority of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, he said: When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, passed away, I said to a man from the Ansar: Come, let us ask the Companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, for they are many today. He said: How strange you are, Ibn Abbas! Do you think people need you when there are so many Companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, among them? He said: So I left that and began to ask the Companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, about hadith. If a hadith reached me from a man, I would go to his door while he was taking his midday rest, and I would use the earth as my pillow. He would come out and see me and say: O cousin of the Messenger of God, what brings you here? Why didn't you send for me so I could come to you? I would say: No, I am more deserving to come to you and ask you about hadith. That young Ansari man lived until he saw me, with people gathered around me asking me, and he would say: This young man was more intelligent than I am. (Narrated by al-Tabarani). [Sifat al-Safwa 1/369].

High ambition: Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with him, said: I humbled myself as a seeker, and I became honored as a sought-after person. He used to say: I found most of the knowledge of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, with this group of Ansar. I used to rest at the door of one of them, and if I wished, he would permit me, but I sought thereby to please him. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/519, 520].

High ambition: A man looked at Muawiyah, may God be pleased with him, when he was a young boy and said: I think this boy will become the leader of his people. Hind, may God be pleased with her, said: May I be bereaved of him if he will only become the leader of his people. [Uyun al-Akhbar 1/256].

High ambition: On the authority of Saeed bin Jubeir, may God have mercy on him, he said: Sometimes I would come to Ibn Abbas, and I would write on my scroll until I filled it, and I would write on my sandal until I filled it, and I would write on my palm. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/507].

High ambition: Saeed bin Al-Musayyab, may God have mercy on him, said: I used to travel for days and nights in search of a single hadith. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/482].

High ambition: Ma’n ibn Abd al-Rahman said: I never saw Mis’ar, may God have mercy on him, on any day without saying: He is better than he was before. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/420].

High aspirations: Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may God have mercy on him, said: I had an ambitious soul, and whenever I attained something, it would yearn for something greater. When my soul reached its goal, it yearned for the Hereafter. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/237].

High ambition: On the authority of Farqad, the imam of the mosque of Basra, he said: They entered upon Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, during the illness from which he died. A man told him a hadith which pleased him, and he reached under his bed and took out some tablets and wrote that hadith. They said to him: In this condition of yours? He said: It is good. If I live, I have heard something good, and if I die, I have written something good. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/404].

High aspirations: Malik bin Dinar, may God have mercy on him, said: Jesus, peace be upon him, said: I truly say to you that eating barley and sleeping on dung heaps with dogs is little in the pursuit of al-Firdaws. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/424].

High aspiration: Al-Sari al-Saqati, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever knows what he seeks finds what he gives easy to bear. [Sifat al-Safwah 2/630].

High aspiration: Abu Muhammad, al-Shafi'i's sister's son, said: My mother said: Sometimes in a single night we brought the lamp before al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, thirty times, or fewer or more. He would recline and reflect, then call: Girl, bring the lamp. She would bring it forward, and he would write what he wrote, then say: Take it away. I asked Abu Muhammad: What did he intend by having the lamp removed? He replied: Darkness brings greater clarity to the heart. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3/124].

High ambition: Malik bin Anas, may God have mercy on him, said: A man would go to another man for thirty years to learn from him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/354].

High ambition: On the authority of Muhammad bin Yusuf, he said: I was with Muhammad bin Ismail al-Bukhari, may God have mercy on him, in his house one night, and I counted that he got up and lit a lamp to recall things that he would write down eighteen times in one night. [Al-Muntazam 12/115, 116].

High ambition: It was said to Al-Attabi, may God have mercy on him: So-and-so has high ambitions. He said: Then he will have no goal less than Paradise. [Uyun Al-Akhbar 1/267].

High ambition: On the authority of Ja`far, he said: We entered upon Abu al-Tayyah, may God have mercy on him, to visit him. He said: By God, it is fitting for a Muslim man that what he sees of people’s negligence of God’s commands should increase his seriousness and diligence. Then he wept. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/459].

High ambition: Abu Ja`far al-Tabari, may God have mercy on him, said to his companions: “Are you eager to write a history of the world from Adam to our time?” They said: “How long would it be?” He mentioned about thirty thousand pages, and they said: “Life would pass before we could finish it!” He said: “To God we belong! Ambitions have died.” So he summarized it to about three thousand pages, and when he wanted to dictate the commentary, he said something similar to that to them, then he dictated it in a manner similar to the length of the history. [Siyar (its abridgment) 3/1151].

High ambition: Abu Hatim al-Razi, may God have mercy on him, said to his son Abd al-Rahman: My son, I walked on foot in pursuit of Hadith for more than a thousand farsakhs. [Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya].

High ambition: Ibn Kathir, may God have mercy on him, said: Ibn Khallikan mentioned in “Al-Wafayat” that the reason for Al-Tahawi, may God have mercy on him, moving to the school of Abu Hanifa and turning away from the school of his uncle Al-Muzani, was that his uncle said to him one day: By God, nothing will come from you. So he became angry and studied with Abu Ja`far Ibn Abi Imran Al-Hanafi, until he excelled and surpassed the people of his time, and he authored many books, including “Ahkam Al-Qur`an”, “Ikhtilaf Al-`Ulama`”, “Ma`ani Al-Athar”, and “Al-Tarikh Al-Kabir”. [Al-Bidayah wa Al-Nihayah 11/248].

High ambition: Thaalab said: I did not miss Ibrahim Al-Harbi, may God have mercy on him, from a grammar or language session for fifty years. [Al-Muntazam 12/381].

High ambition: On the authority of Isa Al-Mutawakkil, may God have mercy on him, he said: I spent thirty years longing to share with the common people in eating the market’s harissa, but I could not do that, because of my early mornings to listen to the hadith. [Al-Muntazam 14/233].

Sincerity with God: On the authority of Ma’ruf al-Karkhi, may God have mercy on him, he said: How many are the righteous, and how few are the truthful. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment)].

Sincerity with God: Waki’ ibn al-Jarrah, may God have mercy on him, said: This is a commodity in which only the truthful can rise. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/107].

Truthfulness with God: Abu Yaqub, may God have mercy on him, said: Truthfulness is conforming to the truth in secret and in public, and the essence of truthfulness is speaking the truth in situations of mortal danger. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment)].

Condemnation of laziness: Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, said: “I hate seeing a man idle, not engaged in any worldly work, nor in any work for the Hereafter.” [(Narrated by Imam Ahmad), Sifat al-Safwa 1/201].

Condemnation of laziness: Muhammad bin Ali, may God have mercy on him, said to his son: O my son, beware of laziness and boredom, for they are the key to all evil. If you are lazy, you will not fulfill your duty, and if you are bored, you will not be patient with what is right. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/507].

Condemnation of laziness: Al-A'mash said: Shurayh, may Allah have mercy on him, passed some people playing and asked: What is the matter with you? They replied: We have free time, Abu Umamah. He said: This is not what a person with free time was commanded to do (). [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2/68].

Condemnation of laziness: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever loves women's thighs will not succeed. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/627].

Condemnation of laziness: Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, may God have mercy on him, said: Knowledge cannot be attained with bodily comfort. () [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/627].

Women of the early Muslims: Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said: A son of Abu Talhah by Umm Sulaym, may Allah be pleased with her, fell ill. The boy died in the inner room, and she covered him. Then she prepared Abu Talhah's meal for breaking his fast, as she did each night. Abu Talhah entered and asked her: How is the boy? She replied: In the best condition. He praised Allah. She served him his meal, then attended to what women attend to, and Abu Talhah had relations with his wife. At the time before dawn she said: Abu Talhah, have you not seen how the family of so-and-so borrowed something and enjoyed it, but found it difficult when it was requested back? He replied: They were not fair. She said: Your son was a loan from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and Allah Most High has taken him back. He praised Allah and said: We belong to Allah and to Him we return. Then in the morning he went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: Abu Talhah, may Allah bless you both in your night. She conceived Abdullah ibn Abi Talhah. [Musnad of Imam Ahmad: 12028].

Women of the Salaf: On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: On the day of Uhud, the people of Medina were in a state of panic and said: Muhammad has been killed. So much so that the cries of anguish grew louder in the outskirts of the city. Then a woman from the Ansar (may Allah be pleased with her) went out and was met with the bodies of her brother, father, husband, and son. I do not know which of them she met first. When she passed by the last of them, she said: Who is this? They said: Your brother, your father, your husband, and your son. She said: What happened to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? They said: He is ahead of you. So she went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and she took hold of the edge of his garment, and then she began to say: May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! I care not, so long as you are safe from harm. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/433]

Women of the Salaf: On the authority of Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah, he said: Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with them both, said to me: Shall I not show you a woman from among the people of Paradise? I said: Yes! He said: This black woman came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: I suffer from seizures and I become uncovered, so pray to God for me. He said: (If you wish, you can be patient and Paradise will be yours, and if you wish, I will pray that He heals you). She said: I will be patient, but pray to God that I do not become uncovered. So he prayed for her. [Narrated by Al-Bukhari: 5328].

Women of the Early Muslims: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “On the day of Uhud, I did not turn right or left without seeing her—meaning Umm Ammarah—fighting to protect me.” Al-Waqidi, may God have mercy on him, said: “Umm Ammarah fought on the day of Uhud and sustained twelve wounds. She spent a year tending to a wound on her neck. Then the caller of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, called people to Hamra al-Asad, so she tightened her clothes around her, but she was unable to go because of the blood loss.” Muhammad ibn Ishaq, may God have mercy on him, said: “Two women were present at the Pledge of Aqaba and had pledged allegiance: one of them was Nusaybah bint Ka’b (Umm Ammarah). She used to participate in battles with the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. She fought with him at Uhud and went out with the Muslims after the death of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, during the caliphate of Abu Bakr in the Ridda Wars. She personally participated in the fighting until God killed Musaylimah. She returned with ten wounds from stabs and blows.” [Sifat al-Safwah 2/426].

Women of the Salaf: On the authority of Sufyan bin Abd al-Rahman al-Jumahi, on the authority of his mother, she said: Abdullah bin Umar, may God be pleased with him, entered the mosque and Ibn al-Zubayr, may God be pleased with him, had been killed and crucified. It was said to him: This is Asma bint Abi Bakr, may God be pleased with her, in the mosque. So he turned to her and said: Be patient, for these bodies are nothing, but the souls are with God. She said: What prevents me from being patient when the head of Yahya bin Zakariya was presented to a prostitute from among the prostitutes of the Children of Israel? [Al-Muntazam 6/141].

Women of the Salaf: On the authority of Thabit al-Banani: Silah ibn Ashim was on a military expedition, and with him was his son. He said: “O my son, go forward and fight so that I may seek Allah’s reward for losing you.” So he charged and fought until he was killed, may God have mercy on him. Then he went forward and was killed. So the women gathered at the house of his wife, Mu’adhah al-Adawiyyah, may God have mercy on her. She said: “Welcome. If you have come to congratulate me, then welcome to you. But if you have come for something else, then go back.” [Sifat al-Safwah 2/153].

Women of the Salaf: On the authority of Juwayriyah bint Asma’, may God have mercy on her, she said: Three brothers from the Banu Qati’ah were present on the day of Tustar, and they were martyred. One day their mother went out to the market for some business, and a man who had been present at the Tustar incident met her, and she recognized him and asked him about her sons, and he said: They were martyred. She said: Were they facing forward or turning back? He said: Facing forward, so she said: Praise be to God, they attained victory and protected the honor, may my soul and my father and mother be sacrificed for them. [Sifat al-Safwah 4/589].

Women of the Salaf: On the authority of Abda bint Abi Shawal, she said: Rabi’a, may God have mercy on her, used to pray all night, and when dawn broke she would take a short nap in her prayer place until the dawn became bright. She said: I used to hear her say when she jumped up from her sleep: Woe to you, O soul, how long will you sleep? And until when will you not rise? Soon you will sleep a sleep from which you will not rise except with a cry on the Day of Resurrection. She said: This was her habit throughout her life until she died. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/268].

Women of the Salaf: On the authority of Abu Salamah, may God have mercy on him, he said: We had an old woman, may God have mercy on her, in the neighborhood whom we did not know, but our elders knew her. She was called Munira. When night came, she would say: The terror has come, the darkness has come, the fear has come, and how similar this is to the Day of Resurrection? He said: Then she would get up and continue to pray until morning. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/269].

Women of the Salaf: Ibn Abi al-Dunya, may God have mercy on him, said: Abu al-Walid, may God have mercy on him, told me: I sometimes saw Fatima bint Bazi’, may God have mercy on her, praying from the beginning of the night until its end. Abu al-Walid also told me: I sometimes saw Ghudna and ‘Aliya, may God have mercy on them both, one of them standing in the night and reciting Surah al-Baqarah, Al ‘Imran, An-Nisa’, Al-Ma’idah, Al-An’am, and Al-A’raf in one rak’ah. Muhammad ibn al-Husayn had narrated these hadiths to me on the authority of Abu al-Walid, so I met Abu al-Walid and he told me about them. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya’s Encyclopedia 1/270]

Women of the Salaf: Umm Talq, may God have mercy on her, used to pray four hundred rak'ahs every day and night, and recite from the Qur'an as much as God willed. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/276].

Women of the Salaf: On the authority of Al-Haytham bin Jammar, he said: I had a wife who did not sleep at night, and I could not bear to stay up with her. So when I became drowsy, she would sprinkle water on me when I was in the deepest sleep, and wake me up with her foot and say, “Aren’t you ashamed before God! Why are you snoring?” By God, I was ashamed of what she did. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/282].

Women of the early Muslims: Riyah al-Qaysi married a woman and consummated the marriage. In the morning she attended to her dough. He said: You could find a woman to spare you this work. She replied: I married Riyah al-Qaysi; I did not think I had married a stubborn tyrant. At night he slept to test her. She stood in prayer for a quarter of the night, then called him: Get up, Riyah. The night has passed, and the doers of good have mustered while you sleep. If only I knew who deceived me about you, Riyah. He said: She stood in prayer for the remaining quarter. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/282].

Women of the Salaf: On the authority of Ibrahim bin Uqba, he said: I heard Umm Khalid bint Khalid bin Saeed bin Al-Aas, may God have mercy on her, say to her women at night: Untie the knots of Satan, this is not a time for sleep. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/310].

Women of the Salaf: On the authority of Muhammad ibn Hanif, he said: The spinning of his sister - that is, the sister of Bishr ibn al-Harith, may God have mercy on her - as it was mentioned that she went to Ahmad ibn Hanbal and said: We are a people who spin at night and our livelihood is from it, and sometimes the torches of the Banu Tahir, the governors of Baghdad, pass by us while we are on the roof, so we spin by their light one or two strands. Do you permit it for us or do you forbid it? He said to her: Who are you? She said: Bishr’s sister. He said: Ah, O family of Bishr, may you never be lost, I will always hear pure piety from you. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/99].

The Children of the Early Muslims: On the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), he said: Umar (may God be pleased with him) used to include me with the elders of Badr. Some of them said: Why do you include this young man with us when we have sons his age? He replied: He is one of those you know. He said: One day he called them, and he called me with them, and I only saw that he called me that day to show them what I was capable of. He said: What do you say about “When the victory of God has come and the conquest” [An-Nasr: 1] until he finished the chapter? Some of them said: We are commanded to praise God Almighty and seek His forgiveness when the victory of God comes and He grants us victory. Some of them said: We do not know. And some of them said nothing. He said to me: O Ibn Abbas, is that what you say? I said: No. He said: Then what do you say? I said: It is the appointed time of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), which God informed him of, “When the victory of God has come and the conquest”—the conquest of Mecca—so that is a sign of your appointed time. “So glorify the praises of your Lord.” And ask forgiveness of Him, for He is ever Accepting of repentance. [An-Nasr: 3] Umar said: I know nothing of it except what you know. [Narrated by Al-Bukhari, No. 4043].

Children of the Salaf: Aslam said: While I was with Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, patrolling Medina, he grew tired and leaned against a wall in the middle of the night. A woman said to her daughter: “My daughter, go to that milk and dilute it with water.” The daughter replied: “Mother, do you not know what the Commander of the Faithful decreed today?” The mother asked: “What was his decree, my daughter?” The daughter replied: “He ordered his herald to announce that milk should not be mixed with water.” The mother said to her: “My daughter, go to that milk and dilute it with water, for you are in a place where neither Umar nor his herald can see you.” The girl said to her mother: “Mother, by God, I would not obey him in public and disobey him in private.” [Sifat al-Safwa 4/593]

Children of the Salaf: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, passed by some boys, among them Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, may God be pleased with him. They ran away, but he stopped. Umar said to him: Why didn't you run away with your companions? He said: O Commander of the Faithful, I have not committed a crime for which I should fear you, and the road was not narrow so that I would widen it for you. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/595].

Children of the Salaf: On the authority of Muslim bin Khalid, he said to Al-Shafi’i, may God have mercy on him: Give a fatwa, O Abu Abdullah, for by God, it is time for you to give a fatwa. He was fifteen years old. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/120].

Children of the early Muslims: Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It reached us that Umm Ja'far reproached al-Rashid for bringing al-Ma'mun close rather than her son Muhammad. He called a servant in her presence and said: Send two discerning servants to Abdullah and Muhammad, each to ask one of them privately what he would do for him if the caliphate came to him. Muhammad told the servant who went to him: I will grant you land, appoint you to office, and raise you in standing. Al-Ma'mun threw the inkwell at the servant and said: Son of a foul woman, you ask me what I would do for you upon the death of the Commander of the Faithful? Rather, we would all be his ransom. Each returned with the report. He said to Umm Ja'far: What do you think? I give your son precedence only to follow your wishes and avoid distress. Al-Ma'mun paid much attention to knowledge before taking office, even establishing a gathering for inquiry for himself. [al-Muntazam 10/50, 51].

Jihad and sacrifice in the cause of God: When the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, went out to Badr, he consulted the people. Al-Miqdad ibn Amr, may God be pleased with him, stood up and said: “O Messenger of God, proceed with what God has commanded you to do, for we are with you. By God, we will not say to you as the Children of Israel said to Moses, peace be upon him: ‘Go, you and your Lord, and fight, while we sit right here’ [Al-Ma’idah: 24]. Rather, go, you and your Lord, and fight, for we will fight alongside you. By God, who sent you with the truth as a prophet, if you were to lead us to Bark al-Ghimad, we would fight with you against those before it until you reached it.” The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, spoke well of him and prayed for him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/148]

Jihad and sacrifice in Allah's cause: Khalid ibn al-Walid, may Allah be pleased with him, said: No night on which a bride whom I love is brought to me is dearer to me than a bitterly cold night with much ice, in a military detachment in which I attack the enemy in the morning. [Siyar (abridged edition) 1/179].

Jihad and sacrifice in the cause of God: On the authority of Ishaq bin Saad bin Abi Waqqas: My father told me that Abdullah bin Jahsh, may God be pleased with him, said to him on the day of Uhud: Will you not supplicate to God? So they went aside and Abdullah bin Jahsh supplicated and said: O Lord, if I meet the enemy tomorrow, make me meet a man who is fierce in his strength and fierce in his anger, so that I fight him for Your sake and he fights me, then he seizes me and cuts off my nose and ears, so that if I meet You tomorrow You will say: O Abdullah, who cut off your nose and ears? And I will say: For Your sake and for the sake of Your Messenger, and You will say: You have spoken the truth. Saad said: I saw him at the end of the day and his nose and ears were hanging by a thread. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/104].

Jihad and sacrifice in the cause of God: On the authority of Anas, that Abu Talha al-Ansari, may God be pleased with him, recited Surah At-Tawbah, and when he came to this verse: “Go forth, whether light or heavy” [At-Tawbah: 41], he said: I see our Lord, the Exalted and Glorified, calling us, young and old, to arms. Prepare me, my sons. His sons said: May God have mercy on you, you fought with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, until he died, and with Abu Bakr until he died, and with Umar, may God be pleased with them both, so we will fight in your place. But he refused, so they prepared him, and he embarked on the sea and died. They could not find an island to bury him on until after seven days, and he had not changed, so they buried him there. [Az-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 429-430].

Jihad and sacrifice in Allah's cause: Mis'ar said: On the day of al-Yamamah, people passed a man whose guts—meaning his intestines—were scattered on the ground. He said to some who passed him: Gather some of them back to me, so that perhaps I may advance a spear's length or two in Allah's cause!! [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/41].

Jihad and sacrifice in the cause of God: Yunus bin Ubaid, may God have mercy on him, looked at his feet at the time of his death, and he wept. He was asked: What makes you weep, Abu Abdullah? He said: My feet have not been covered in dust in the cause of God, the Almighty and Majestic. [Sifat al-Safwa 3/217].

The importance and virtue of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the consequences for those who neglect it: Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him, recited this verse: “O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided” [Al-Ma'idah: 105]. Then he said: “People misinterpret this verse. I heard the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, say: ‘If a people see an oppressor and do not restrain him, or witness evil and do not change it, God will afflict them all with His punishment.’” [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/193].

The importance and virtue of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the consequences of neglecting it: On the authority of Abu al-Ruqad, he said: I went out with my master and we came to Hudhayfah, may God be pleased with him, and he was saying: “A man would utter a word in the time of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and by it he would become a hypocrite. And today I hear it from one of you in one sitting four times. You must enjoin good and forbid evil and urge one another to do good, or God will afflict you all with a punishment, or He will place the worst of you in authority over you, then the best of you will supplicate and their supplication will not be answered.” [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/197].

The importance and virtue of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the consequences of abandoning it: Abu al-Darda’, may God be pleased with him, said: “No believer gives charity more beloved to God Almighty than a sermon he gives to his people, so they part ways having benefited from it, by which God Almighty has benefited them.” [Sifat al-Safwa 1/301].

The importance and virtue of commanding right and forbidding wrong, and the outcome of abandoning it: Abu Bakrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: By Allah, no departing soul is dearer to me than this soul of mine, not even the soul of this flying fly. The people were alarmed and asked: Why? He replied: I fear reaching a time when I cannot command what is right or forbid what is wrong. What good would there be then? [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/406].

The importance and virtue of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the consequences of neglecting it: Ali ibn al-Husayn (may God have mercy on him) said: “The one who neglects enjoining good and forbidding evil is like one who casts the Book of God behind his back, unless he is acting out of fear.” It was asked: “What is his fear?” He replied: “He fears a tyrannical and obstinate ruler who might transgress against him or oppress him.” Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Umari, the ascetic (may God have mercy on him), said: “Part of your heedlessness of yourself is your turning away from God, by seeing what displeases Him and ignoring it, neither enjoining good nor forbidding evil out of fear of created beings. Whoever neglects enjoining good out of fear of created beings loses his dignity, so that if he were to command his own child, the child would treat him with contempt.” [Siyar (its abridgment) 2/765]

The importance and virtue of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the consequences of neglecting it: Al-Fudayl, may God have mercy on him, said: “Among us, no one attained high status through excessive fasting or prayer, but rather through generosity of spirit, purity of heart, and sincere advice to the community.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/20]

The importance and virtue of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the consequences of abandoning it: Ibn 'Ulayyah, may God have mercy on him, said regarding the statement of Abu Bakr al-Muzani: Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him, did not surpass the companions of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, in fasting or prayer, but rather in something that was in his heart. He said: What was in his heart was love for God, the Almighty and Majestic, and sincere advice to His creation. [Jami' al-'Ulum wa al-Hikam / 107].

The importance and virtue of commanding right and forbidding wrong, and the outcome of abandoning it: Wuhayb ibn al-Ward, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A scholar met another scholar who surpassed him in knowledge and asked: May Allah have mercy on you, what of my deeds should I conceal? He replied: Enough that it is thought you have never done a good deed except fulfilling obligations. He asked: May Allah have mercy on you, what of my deeds should I make public? He replied: Commanding right and forbidding wrong, for this is Allah's religion with which He sent His prophets to His servants. The scholars have agreed concerning the words of Allah's prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ‘And He has made me blessed wherever I am’: What was that blessing? He said: Commanding right and forbidding wrong wherever he was. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/197].

The importance and virtue of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the consequences of neglecting it: On the authority of Al-Dahhak, may God have mercy on him, he said: Enjoining good and forbidding evil is one of the obligations of God, Blessed and Exalted is He. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/21].

The importance and virtue of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the consequences of abandoning it: On the authority of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may God have mercy on him, he said: It used to be said: God does not punish the general public for the sins of particular individuals, but if evil is committed openly, they all deserve punishment. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/312].

The importance and virtue of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the consequences of abandoning it: On the authority of Ibrahim bin Amr Al-San’ani, may God have mercy on him, he said: God, the Almighty and Majestic, revealed to Joshua bin Nun: I will destroy forty thousand of your people from among the best of them, and sixty thousand of their worst. He said: O Lord, these are the wicked, what about the good? He said: They did not become angry for My anger, and they used to eat and drink with them. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/312].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: On the authority of Abu Qulaba, that Abu Darda’ (may God be pleased with him) passed by a man who had committed a sin, and people were cursing him. He said: “If you found him in a well, wouldn’t you pull him out?” They said: “Yes.” He said: “Then do not curse your brother, and praise God, the Exalted and Majestic, who has spared you.” They said: “Shouldn’t you hate him?” He said: “I only hate his action, but if he abandons it, then he is my brother.” [Narrated by Al-Tabarani. Sifat Al-Safwa 1/304].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: Ibn Abbas - may God be pleased with them both - was asked about commanding the ruler to do good and forbidding him from evil, and he said: If you must do it, then do it between you and him. [Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam / 107, 108].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: Abdul Aziz bin Abi Rawad, may God have mercy on him, said: Those who came before you, if a man saw something from his brother, would advise him gently, and he would be rewarded for his advice and his prohibition. But one of these people is harsh with his companion, so he angers his brother and tears away the covering over his faults. [Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam / 107, 108].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: On the authority of Mughirah, he said: There was a man who was in a good state, then he introduced a wrong—or committed a sin, so his companions rejected him and shunned him. When this reached Ibrahim al-Nakha’i, may God have mercy on him, he said: “Come to his aid and admonish him, and do not leave him.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/94].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: The believer conceals, admonishes, and advises, while the wicked exposes, shames, and divulges. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/14].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: Ibn Rajab, may God have mercy on him, said: When the early Muslims wanted to advise someone, they would admonish him privately, to the point that some of them said: Whoever admonishes his brother in private, that is true advice, but whoever admonishes him publicly is merely rebuking him. Jami' al-'Ulum wa al-Hikam / 107, 108.

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: On the authority of Muhammad bin Abi Uthman, he said: Al-Fudayl, may God have mercy on him, saw a man cracking his fingers during his prayer, so he rebuked and admonished him. The man said to him: O you! It is appropriate for one who undertakes a matter for God, the Almighty and Majestic, to be humble. Al-Fudayl wept and said to him: You have spoken the truth. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/210].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: Bishr bin Al-Harith, may God have mercy on him, said: No one should enjoin good and forbid evil except one who is patient with harm. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/90].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: Imam Ahmad, may God have mercy on him, said: People need gentleness and kindness in enjoining good, without harshness, except for a man who openly commits immorality, for he has no sanctity. [Al-Jami’ Al-Muntakhab / 68].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: Ibn Shubrumah, may God have mercy on him, said: Enjoining good and forbidding evil is like jihad. One person must stand firm against two, and it is forbidden for him to flee from the two; he is not obliged to stand firm against more than that. [Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam / 427].

Etiquette and duties of one who enjoins good and forbids evil: On the authority of Sallam bin Miskin, he said: I asked Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, I said: O Abu Saeed, a man enjoins good upon his parents and forbids them from evil? He said: He enjoins them if they accept, and if they dislike it, he remains silent about them. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/205].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: You only enjoin good upon those who will accept it from you. If you met a ruler, would you say to him: Fear God? If you said this, you would destroy your family, yourself, and your neighbors. Rather, protect yourself and conceal your whereabouts. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/208].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: Talha bin Musarrif, may God have mercy on him, passed by Hujr bin Wael, who was sitting at the door of his house, so he leaned close to him, then he went on his way. Hujr said: May God reward you well and prayed for him, then he said: Do you know what he said? He said: I saw you on Friday looking around, do not do that. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/210].

Etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: Wuhayb, may God have mercy on him, said: If our scholars, may God forgive us and them, had been sincere to God in dealing with His servants, and said: O servants of God, listen to what we tell you about your Prophet and the righteous predecessors regarding their asceticism in this world, and learn from it, and do not look at these corrupt deeds of ours: they would have been sincere to God in dealing with His servants, but they refuse except to drag God’s servants into their trials and what they are in. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/142].

The etiquette and duties of those who enjoin good and forbid evil: Al-Dhahabi, may God have mercy on him, said: Speaking the truth is a great matter, requiring strength and sincerity. A sincere person without strength is incapable of fulfilling it, and a strong person without sincerity will be let down. Whoever fulfills both completely is a steadfastly truthful person. And whoever is weak, then at the very least, he should feel pain and disapprove in his heart. Beyond that, there is no faith, and there is no power except with God. [Siyar (its abridgment) 2/931]

The obligation to enjoin good and forbid evil, even if one is deficient: Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may God have mercy on him, said: If a person does not advise his brother until he has settled his own affairs and completed what he was created for in terms of worshipping his Lord, then people would leave doing good to one another, and the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil will cease, and preachers and those striving for God - the Almighty and Majestic - with sincere advice will be few on earth. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/222].

The obligation to enjoin good even if one does not do everything one says: On the authority of Abu al-Darda’, may God be pleased with him, he said: I enjoin you to do something that I do not do myself, but perhaps God will reward me for it. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/271].

The obligation to enjoin good even if one does not act upon everything one says: Malik bin Dinar, may God have mercy on him, said: I command you to do things that my actions do not reach, but if I forbid you from something and then do it myself, then I am a liar on that day. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) / 428].

On the authority of Amr ibn Muhajir, he said: Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may God have mercy on him, said to me: If you see me deviating from the truth, put your hand on my collar, then shake me, then say: O Umar, what are you doing? [Sifat al-Safwa 2/467].

Malik ibn Dinar, may God have mercy on him, said: There was a scholar among the scholars of the Children of Israel. He said: One day he saw one of his sons winking at women, so he said: “Hold on, my son.” He said: So he fell from his bed, and his spinal cord was severed, and his wife miscarried, and his sons were killed in the army, and God Almighty revealed to their prophet to tell so-and-so the scholar that I will never bring forth from your loins a steadfastly truthful person. Your anger for My sake amounted only to your saying: “Hold on, my son, hold on.” [Sifat al-Safwa 3/195].

On the authority of Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, he said: “I see something that I should speak about, but I do not, and I urinate blood.” [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/696]

Shuja’ ibn al-Walid said: I used to perform Hajj with Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, and his tongue would hardly tire of enjoining good and forbidding evil, going and returning. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/696].

On the authority of Musa bin Ibrahim, he said: I was present with Ma’ruf al-Karkhi, may God have mercy on him, and there was a man with him who was mentioning a man and he was backbiting about him, and Ma’ruf kept saying to him: Remember the cotton when they put it on your eyes. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/103].

On the authority of Tariq bin Shihab, he said: Atrees bin Arqoub Al-Shaibani came to Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, and said: He who does not enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong is doomed. He said: Rather, he who does not know what is right in his heart, and does not reject what is wrong in his heart, is doomed. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/122].

On the authority of Qatadah, may God have mercy on him, he said: “In Paradise there are windows to Hell, and the people of Paradise look out of those windows at Hell and say: What is the matter with the wretched ones? We only entered Paradise because of your discipline!” They said: “We used to command you but not obey, and we used to forbid you but not abstain.” [Sifat al-Safwah 3/185].

Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: If all of a man’s neighbors praise him, then he is a bad man, because he may see them disobeying, and he does not condemn it, and he meets them with cheerfulness. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/700].

Muammar, may God have mercy on him, said: It used to be said: The most sincere person towards you is the one who fears God in his dealings with you. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/210].

On the authority of Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Balawi, he said: Nasr ibn Ziyad al-Qadi, may God have mercy on him, used to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and he would say: Were it not for this, I would not have taken on any work for them, but if I were not appointed to the judiciary, I would not be able to do it. He used to spend the nights in prayer, and he would fast on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and he would not be satisfied with the officials until they fulfilled the rights of the people to them. One day, Ahmad ibn Harb entered upon him and admonished him, and in his admonition, he suggested that he should resign from his position. He said: O Abu Abdullah, what compels me to do what I am doing is nothing but the support of the distressed and the ability to vindicate the oppressed against the oppressors, and perhaps God - the Exalted and Glorified - has recognized this for me. [Al-Muntazam 11/246, 247].

The worship of the predecessors: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, said: Winter is the bounty of the worshippers. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 71/1].

The worship of the Salaf: Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, said: Whoever is not commanded by prayer to do good and forbidden from doing evil, will only increase in distance from God through it. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 294].

The worship of the Salaf: Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, said: “As long as you are in prayer, you are knocking on the door of the King, and whoever knocks on the door of the King, it will be opened for him.” [Sifat al-Safwa 1/190].

The worship of the predecessors: On the authority of Abdullah bin Omar, may God be pleased with him, that when winter came he would say: O people of the Qur’an, the night is long for your prayers, and the day is short for your fasting, so take advantage of it. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/323].

The worship of the predecessors: On the authority of Al-Hasan, he said: Amir bin Abd Qais, may God have mercy on him, heard them and what they were mentioning about the matter of the farm during prayer. He said: Do you find it? They said: Yes! He said: By God, for spears to pierce my insides is more beloved to me than for this to be from me during my prayer. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/303].

The Worship of the Salaf: Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may God have mercy on him) said: Sins only occur when the soul does not obey what it has been commanded to do. When one obeys what is commanded, one does not commit what is forbidden, for they are opposites. God Almighty said: “Thus it was, that We might avert evil from him” [Yusuf: 24]. And He said: “Indeed, My servants - you have no authority over them” [Al-Hijr: 42]. The sincere servants of God are not led astray by Satan. Misguidance is the opposite of guidance; it is following one's desires. So, whoever's soul inclines towards something forbidden should worship God as He has commanded, sincerely devoting his religion to Him, for that will avert evil and immorality from him. (Majmu' al-Fatawa 10/314)

The worship of the Salaf: On the authority of Ata’ al-Khorasani, may God have mercy on him, he said: There is no servant who prostrates to God in any place on earth, except that it will bear witness for him on the Day of Resurrection, and weep for him on the day he dies. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/185].

The worship of the early Muslims: Burd, the freed slave of Ibn al-Musayyab, said to Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, may God have mercy on him: I have not seen anything better than what these people do. Sa'id said: What do they do? He said: One of them prays the noon prayer, then he remains standing with his legs together until he prays the afternoon prayer. He said: Woe to you, Burd! By God, this is not worship. Rather, worship is reflecting on the commands of God and refraining from what God has forbidden. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/488].

The worship of the Salaf: On the authority of Abu Ismah ibn Isam Al-Bayhaqi, he said: I spent a night at the house of Ahmad bin Hanbal, may God have mercy on him, and he brought water and placed it down. When morning came, he looked at the water, and it was as it had been, so he said: Glory be to God, a man who seeks knowledge does not have a portion of the night for worship? [Sifat Al-Safwa 2/605].

The worship of the Salaf: On the authority of Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i, may God have mercy on him, he said: If you see a man being careless with the first Takbir, then wash your hands of him. [Sifat Al-Safwa 3/60].

The worship of the early Muslims: It was narrated on the authority of Mutarrif ibn Abdullah, may God have mercy on him, that he used to say: “O my brothers, strive in good deeds, for if the matter is as we hope for from God’s mercy and forgiveness, we will have ranks in Paradise. But if the matter is as severe as we fear and dread, we will not say: ‘Our Lord, bring us out so that we may do righteousness other than what we used to do’ [Fatir: 37]. We will say: We did do good deeds, but they did not benefit us.” [Sifat al-Safwa 3/158]

The worship of the predecessors: It was said to Abu Muslim al-Khawlani, may God have mercy on him, when he grew old and frail: If only you would refrain from some of what you do. He said: If you sent horses into the racecourse, wouldn't you tell their rider: Leave them and be gentle with them until you see the finish line, then you would spare none of their effort? They said: Yes. He said: I have seen the finish line, and every hour has a finish line, and the finish line of every hour is death, so there is one who goes ahead and one who is overtaken. [Sifat al-Safwa 4/427].

The worship of the Salaf: Abu Sulayman al-Darani, may God have mercy on him, said: The people of obedience find more pleasure in their night than the people of amusement find in their amusement, and were it not for the night, I would not have loved to remain in this world. [Sifat al-Safwa 4/445].

The worship of the predecessors: Ahmad ibn Harb, may God have mercy on him, said: I worshipped God for fifty years, and I did not find the sweetness of worship until I gave up three things: I gave up seeking the approval of people until I was able to speak the truth, I gave up the company of the wicked until I found the company of the righteous, and I gave up the sweetness of this world until I found the sweetness of the Hereafter. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/906].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Sulayman ibn Yasar, that al-Miswar ibn Makhrama told him about the stabbing of Umar, may God be pleased with him: that he and Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with them both, entered upon him, and when morning came they alarmed him, saying: Prayer, prayer. He said: Yes, and there is no share in Islam for one who abandons prayer. Then he went out while the wound was gushing blood. [al-Shari’a / 141]

Prayer and its importance: Umar (may God be pleased with him) said: If you see a man neglecting prayer, then by God, he will be even more neglectful of other rights of God. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/340]

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Abu Bahriyyah, he said: I entered the mosque of Homs and heard Mu’adh ibn Jabal, may God be pleased with him, say: Whoever wishes to come to God, the Exalted and Glorified, in safety, let him come to these five prayers where they are called, for they are among the Sunnahs of guidance, and among what your Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, has prescribed for you. And let him not say, “I have a prayer place in my house, so I will pray in it,” for if you do that, you will have abandoned the Sunnah of your Prophet, and if you abandon the Sunnah of your Prophet, may God be pleased with him, you will go astray. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/184].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Amr bin Dinar, he said: Ibn al-Zubayr, may God be pleased with him, used to pray in the Hijr while the catapult was pouring its stone (the stone of the catapult), and he did not turn around, meaning: when they besieged him. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/395].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Yahya bin Wathab: Ibn Al-Zubayr, may God be pleased with him, used to prostrate until birds would land on his back, thinking he was nothing but a stump of a wall. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 358].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Abu al-Husayn al-Majashi’i, who said to ‘Amir ibn ‘Abd Qays, may God have mercy on him: Do you talk to yourself during prayer? He said: I talk to myself about standing before God, and my departure. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/433].

Prayer and its importance: Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, said: O son of Adam, what is precious to you in your religion if your prayer is insignificant to you? [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/341].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Adi bin Thabit, may God have mercy on him, he said: It used to be said: “The offering of the pious is prayer.” [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/345].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Hisham bin Urwah, that his father Urwah, may God have mercy on him, when he entered upon someone of the people of this world and saw what he saw of their worldly life, he would return to his home and recite: “And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [certain] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring. And enjoin prayer upon your family and be steadfast therein.” [Ta-Ha: 131, 132] And he would say: Prayer, prayer. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/345].

Prayer and its importance: Saeed bin Abdul Aziz, may God have mercy on him, would weep if he missed the congregational prayer. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/723]

Prayer and its importance: Bakr bin Abdullah Al-Muzani, may God have mercy on him, said: Who is like you, O son of Adam? Nothing bars you from the prayer niche and the water. Whenever you wish, you can enter upon God - the Almighty and Majestic - with no interpreter between you and Him. [Sifat Al-Safwa 3/176].

Prayer and its importance: Ghassan said: The nephew of Bishr ibn Mansur, may God have mercy on him, told me: I never saw my uncle miss the first takbir. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/764].

Prayer and its importance: Waki’ said: Al-A’mash, may God have mercy on him, went nearly seventy years without missing the first takbir. I frequented him for nearly two years and I never saw him make up a rak’ah. [Al-Muntazam 8/113].

Prayer and its importance: Waki’ ibn al-Jarrah, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever is negligent in the first takbir, then wash your hands of him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/107].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Muhammad bin Sama’ah al-Qadi, may God have mercy on him, he said: I stayed for forty years and I did not miss the first takbir except for one day on which my mother died, and I missed one prayer in congregation on that day. So I got up and prayed twenty-five prayers, seeking the multiplied reward thereby, but sleep overcame me. Then someone came to me and said: O Muhammad, you have prayed twenty-five prayers, but how will you get the angels to say “Amen”? [Al-Muntazam 11/197].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Saeed bin Al-Musayyib, may God have mercy on him, he said: I have not missed a prayer in congregation for forty years. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/482].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Saeed bin Al-Musayyib, may God have mercy on him, he said: “For thirty years, the muezzin has not called the adhan except that I was already in the mosque.” [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/482].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Saeed bin Al-Musayyib, may God have mercy on him, he said: Whoever maintains the five daily prayers in congregation has filled the land and sea with worship. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/343].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Ibn Harmalah, on the authority of Saeed bin Al-Musayyib, may God have mercy on him, that he complained of his eye, and they said: If you went out to Al-Aqiq and looked at the greenery, you would find relief from it. He said: So how can I attend the Isha and Fajr prayers? [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/488].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Amr bin Dinar, may God have mercy on him, he said: It used to be said: Prayer is the head of worship. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/249].

Prayer and its importance: On the authority of Thabit al-Banani, may God have mercy on him, he said: Prayer is the service of God on earth. If God knew of anything better than prayer, He would not have said: “Then the angels called to him while he was standing in prayer in the sanctuary” [Al Imran: 39]. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/329].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Aslam, that Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, used to pray at night as much as God willed, until when it was the end of the night he would wake his family and say: Prayer, prayer, and he would recite this verse: “And enjoin prayer upon your family” [Ta-Ha: 132]. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/344].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Al-Harith bin Mu’awiyah, that he asked Umar bin Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, about the Witr prayer at the beginning, middle, or end of the night, and he said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, did all of that. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/320].

Night prayer: Umar, may God be pleased with him, said: Winter is a bounty for the worshippers. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/332].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Ibn Umar, may God be pleased with them both, he said: During the lifetime of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, if a man had a dream, he would relate it to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. He said: I was a young, unmarried man, and I used to sleep in the mosque during the time of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. I saw in a dream as if two angels took me and led me to Hell. It was folded up like a well and had two horns. I saw people in it whom I recognized, and I kept saying: I seek refuge in God from Hell, I seek refuge in God from Hell. Then another angel met them and said to me: Do not be afraid. I related it to Hafsa, and Hafsa related it to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he said: “What an excellent man Abdullah is, if only he prayed at night.” Salim said: After that, Abdullah would only sleep a little at night. [Narrated by Al-Bukhari, No. 1105]

Night prayer: On the authority of Nafi’, that Ibn Umar, may God be pleased with them both, if he missed the Isha prayer in congregation, would spend the rest of his night in prayer. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/217].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Nafi’, on the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar (may God be pleased with them both), that he used to spend the night in prayer, then he would say: “O Nafi’, have we reached the time before dawn?” I would say: “No.” So he would resume praying, then he would say: “O Nafi’, have we reached the time before dawn?” I would say: “Yes.” So he would sit, seek forgiveness, and supplicate until morning. And on his authority, on the authority of Ibn Umar, that he used to spend the time between noon and afternoon in prayer. [Sifat al-Safwa 1/273]

Night prayer: On the authority of Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, he said: The virtue of night prayer over day prayer is like the virtue of secret charity over public charity. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/247].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, he said: God marvels at two deeds performed by His servants: A man who gets up at night, performs ablution and does it well, then stands to pray. God says: Look at this servant of Mine, he got up from among the people of his house out of desire for what is with Me and fear of what is with Me. And a man who met the enemy in battle, and his companions fled, but he stayed. God says: Look at this servant of Mine, his companions fled, but he stayed out of desire for what is with Me and fear of what is with Me. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/295].

Night prayer: On the authority of Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, he said: It is enough of a man’s misfortune, or he said: It is enough of an evil for him to spend his night without remembering God until morning, and then he wakes up with Satan having urinated in his ear. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/328].

Night prayer: Amr ibn al-Aas, may God be pleased with him, said: One rak’ah at night is better than twenty during the day. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/247].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Abu Uthman al-Nahdi, he said: I stayed with Abu Hurayrah, may God be pleased with him, for seven nights. He, his wife, and his servant would divide the night into thirds, one praying, then waking the other, then praying, then waking the other. [Sifat al-Safwa 1/335].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, that Tamim al-Dari, may God be pleased with him, slept one night without performing the night prayer until morning, so he prayed for a year without sleeping as punishment for what he had done. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/273].

Night prayer: Mujahid said: When Ibn al-Zubayr, may God be pleased with him, stood up for prayer, he was like a wooden stick. He also related that Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him, was like that. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/395].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Asbagh bin Zaid, he said: Uways al-Qarni, may God have mercy on him, used to say when evening came: This is the night of bowing, so he would bow until morning. And when evening came he would say: This is the night of prostration, so he would prostrate until morning. And when evening came he would give in charity whatever surplus food and clothing was in his house, then he would say: O God, do not hold me accountable for whoever dies of hunger, and do not hold me accountable for whoever dies naked. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/300].

Night Prayer: Hassan bin Abi Sinan, may God have mercy on him, was asked during his illness: How are you feeling? He said: I am well if I am saved from Hellfire. He was asked: What do you desire? He said: A long night, between the two ends, in which I will spend the time between its two ends in worship. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/347].

Night prayer: Masruq, may God have mercy on him, said: There is nothing in this world that I grieve to leave behind except prostrating to God, the Almighty and Majestic. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 579].

Night prayer: The wife of Masruq, may God have mercy on him, said: Masruq used to pray until his feet became swollen, and I would sometimes sit behind him crying because of what I saw him doing to himself. [Sifat al-Safwa 3/17].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Abu Ishaq, he said: Masruq, may God have mercy on him, performed Hajj and did not sleep except while prostrating on his face until he returned. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/445].

Night prayer: Abu Muslim al-Khawlani, may God have mercy on him, said: If I were told that Hell was being set ablaze, I would not be able to increase my deeds. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/315].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Malik bin Maghul, he said: Murrah al-Hamdani, may God have mercy on him, was asked: What remains of your prayer - and he had grown old - he said: Half of it; two hundred and fifty rak’ahs. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 578].

Night prayer: On the authority of Al-Haytham, he said: Murrah Ibn Al-Hamdani, may God have mercy on him, used to pray two hundred rak'ahs every day. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/75].

Night Prayer: It was narrated by Ata’ or others that Murrah used to pray six hundred rak‘ahs in a day and night. Al-Dhahabi, may God have mercy on him, said: This saint could hardly devote himself to spreading knowledge, and for this reason his narrations were not numerous. And what is the purpose of knowledge except its fruit? [Siyar (its abridgment) 1/447].

Night prayer: On the authority of Abu Bakr bin Ayyash, he said: I saw Habib bin Abi Thabit, may God have mercy on him, prostrating, and if you had seen him, you would have said: He is dead, meaning from the length of the prostration. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/142].

Night prayer: Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, said: Night prayer is the honor of the believers, and their glory is their independence from what is in the hands of people. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/248].

Night Prayer: A man said to Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him: O Abu Saeed, what is the best deed by which a servant can draw closer to God Almighty? He said: I do not know of anything by which those who draw closer to God can draw closer than a servant standing in prayer in the middle of the night. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/248].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Ata’ al-Khorasani, may God have mercy on him, he said: It used to be said: Night prayer is a life for the body, a light in the heart, a radiance in the eyes, and a strength in the limbs. If a man gets up at night to pray, he wakes up happy and finds joy in his heart because of it. But if his eyes overcome him and he sleeps through his portion of the night, he wakes up sad and broken-hearted as if he has lost something, and he has lost the greatest thing that is beneficial to him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/249].

Night prayer: Wahb ibn Munabbih, may God have mercy on him, said: Night prayer elevates the lowly and honors the humiliated, and fasting during the day cuts off one's desires, and the believer has no rest except entering Paradise. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/250].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Yazid al-Raqashi, may God have mercy on him, he said: “The eyes of the worshippers are comforted by the length of their night prayers, and their hearts rejoice when they meet God by their prolonged thirst.” [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/250].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Ad-Dahhak, may God have mercy on him, he said: I knew people who were ashamed before God in the darkness of this night to sleep because of the length of their lying down. [Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/259].

Night Prayer: Al-Hasan ibn Salih, may God have mercy on him, said: I am ashamed before God to deliberately seek sleep; instead, I wait until sleep itself overcomes me. He was called: The Snake of the Valley. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/260].

Night prayer: Uthman ibn Waki‘, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A man came to Jerusalem and hung his cloak in a corner of the mosque. He stayed there night and day, with a little food behind the cloak he had hung. He spent the whole night praying. When dawn broke, he raised his voice: ‘At morning, people appreciate having traveled by night.’ He said: People would ask him: Will you not be gentle with yourself? He replied: It is only my soul; I am hastening to act before it departs. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/260].

Night prayer: Abdullah bin Hanzalah, may God have mercy on him, did not have a bed to sleep on. Rather, he would throw himself down like this and like that. When he became tired from praying, he would use his cloak and his arm as a pillow and then sleep for a while. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/262].

Night prayer: Tawus, may God have mercy on him, would spread out his bed, then lie down and toss and turn like a grain on a griddle, then he would jump up, perform ablution, and face the Qibla until morning, saying: The remembrance of Hell has banished sleep from the worshippers. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/265].

Night prayer: On the authority of Abu Ishaq Al-Subai’i, may God have mercy on him, he said: My health has gone away, I have become weak and my bones have become brittle, and today when I stand for prayer, I only recite Al-Baqarah and Al Imran. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/266].

Night prayer: Sufyan ibn Uyaynah said: Abu Ishaq, may God have mercy on him, used to pray all summer nights, but in winter he would pray at the beginning and end of the night, with a nap in between. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/266].

Night prayer: Muslim ibn Yasar, may God have mercy on him, said: If I sleep, then wake up, then go back to sleep, may God not let my eyes sleep. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/267].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Muhammad ibn Ishaq, he said: Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Aswad, may God have mercy on him, came to us on pilgrimage, and one of his feet became injured, so he stood praying until morning, standing on one foot. He said: So he prayed Fajr with the ablution he had performed for Isha. He said: And Layth ibn Abi Sulaym, may God have mercy on him, came to us and did the same. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/267].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Sufyan, he said: Qays ibn Muslim visited Muhammad ibn Juhadah, may God have mercy on him, one night. He said: He came to him while he was in the mosque after the Isha prayer. He said: Muhammad was standing praying. He said: So Qays ibn Muslim stood in the other corner to pray, and they continued like that until dawn. He said: Qays ibn Muslim was the imam of his mosque. He said: So he returned to the neighborhood and led them in prayer, and they did not meet, and Muhammad did not know he was there. He said: So the people of the mosque said to him: Your brother Qays ibn Muslim visited you last night, and you did not turn to him. He said: I did not know he was there. He said: So he went to him the next morning, and when Qays ibn Muslim saw him coming, he stood up to him and embraced him, and then they both sat down and began to weep. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/268].

Night Prayer: When night came, Mansur ibn al-Mu’tamir, may God have mercy on him, would wrap himself in a loincloth if it was summer, and if it was winter he would wrap himself in a blanket over his clothes, then he would stand in his prayer niche as if he were a wooden post erected until morning. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/271].

Night prayer: Thabit al-Banani, may God have mercy on him, used to pray three hundred rak’ahs every night. When morning came, his feet would swell, so he would take them in his hand and squeeze them, then he would say: The worshippers have passed on and I have been left behind, and woe is me. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/276].

Night prayer: Thabit al-Banani, may God have mercy on him, used to pray at night and fast during the day. He used to say: There is nothing I find in my heart more pleasurable than praying at night. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/277].

Night prayer: Talq bin Habib, may God have mercy on him, used to say: I love to stand in prayer for God until my back hurts, so he would stand and begin reciting the Qur’an until he reached Surah al-Hijr, then he would bow. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/279].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Muhammad bin Mus’ar, may God have mercy on him, he said: My father would not sleep until he had recited half of the Qur’an. When he finished his portion, he would roll up his cloak, then sleep on it briefly, then he would jump up like a man who had lost something and was looking for it. He would only use the tooth-stick and perform purification. Then he would face the mihrab, and he would do the same until dawn. He would make a great effort to conceal this very carefully. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/280].

Night prayer: Umm Sa‘id ibn Alqamah al-Nakha‘i said: A low wall stood between us and Dawud al-Ta‘i, may Allah have mercy on him. I would hear his movement for most of the night, without his settling down. She said: Sometimes I heard him say: ‘Concern for You has displaced my other concerns and separated me from sleeplessness. My longing to look upon You has destroyed my desires and come between me and pleasures. In Your prison, O Generous One, I am sought.’ She said: Sometimes he recited a verse melodiously, and I felt that all the delights of this world had gathered in his melodious recitation. He was alone in the house and did not light it—that is, he did not light a lamp. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/280].

Night prayer: Bilal al-Ansi, may God have mercy on him, used to stand in prayer during the month of Ramadan and recite a quarter of the Qur’an to them, then he would leave, and they would say: You have made it easy for us tonight. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/283].

Night prayer: On the authority of Abdul Aziz bin Abi Rawad, may God have mercy on him, he said: Two noble qualities are among the best qualities of a Muslim: night prayer and consistent use of the miswak. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/285].

Night Prayer: A young girl, the daughter of a neighbor of Mansur, may God have mercy on him, said: O my father, where is the wooden beam that was on the roof of Mansur? He said: O my daughter, that was Mansur, he used to pray at night. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/272].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Talq bin Muawiyah, he said: A man from among us named Hind bin Awf, may God have mercy on him, came to us, and his wife prepared a bed for him, and he slept on it. He had an hour of the night that he used to pray, but he slept through it, so he swore that he would never sleep on a bed again. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/273].

Night prayer: On the authority of Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, he said: Pray at night, even if it is only for the duration of milking a sheep. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/328].

Night prayer: Mansur ibn Zadhan, may God have mercy on him, spent twenty years before he died praying Fajr with the ablution of Isha. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/334, 335].

Night Prayer: Ayyub, may God have mercy on him, would rise at night in secret, and then, just before dawn, he would raise his voice. Bakr ibn Ayyub was asked: “O Abu Yahya, did Ayyub, may God have mercy on him, recite aloud at night?” He replied: “Yes, very loudly, and he would rise in the early part of the time before dawn.” [Ibn Abi al-Dunya’s Encyclopedia 1/338]

Night prayer: On the authority of Qatadah, may God have mercy on him, he said: It used to be said: “A hypocrite is rarely one who stays up at night.” [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/341, 342].

Night Prayer: There was a man in Basra called Shaddad who contracted leprosy and became dismembered. His visitors, companions of al-Hasan, came to him and asked, "How are you feeling?" He replied, "I am well." He said, "I have not missed my portion of the night prayer since I fell ill, and my only problem is that I am unable to attend the congregational prayer." [Ibn Abi al-Dunya's Encyclopedia 1/420]

Night Prayer: Mu'adha al-'Adawiyya said: Silah ibn Ashim, may God have mercy on him, would stand in prayer at night until he was exhausted, and he would only go to his bed crawling. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya's Encyclopedia 1/289]. Sufyan, may God have mercy on him, said: They would stand in prayer at the beginning of the night and sleep at the end of it. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya's Encyclopedia 1/295].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Azhar bin Mughith bin Thabit Al-Tha’labi, may God have mercy on him, my father told us, and he was one of those who stood in prayer for God in the darkness of this night, he said: I saw in my dream a woman who did not resemble the women of this world, so I said: Who are you? She said: A houri, the servant of God. He said: I said: Marry me. She said: Ask my master for my hand and give me my dowry. He said: I said: What is your dowry? She said: Prolonged night prayer. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/296].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Haram ibn Hayyan, may God have mercy on him, he said: I got up at night and recited three of the Ha-Mim chapters, then I was overcome and fell asleep. Then in my dream, I saw four beautiful maidens standing before me, and they said: O Haram ibn Hayyan, you should not have separated us from our sisters. I said: And who are you? They said: We are the four remaining ones of the Ha-Mim chapters that you did not recite. He said: Then I woke up startled. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/298].

Night prayer: Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said: By Allah, a bridegroom alone with his bride, at his most contented and comfortable, is not happier than they are in intimate supplication to Him when they are alone with Him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/303].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Wahb ibn Munabbih, may God have mercy on him, he said: Those who pray at night will not leave the gathering place of the Day of Resurrection until they are brought mounts of pearl into which the spirit has been breathed. It will be said to them: Go to your homes in Paradise as riders. He said: So they will ride them and they will fly with them high above, and the people will look at them, and some will say to others: Who are these whom God has favored from among us? He said: So they will continue like that until they reach their homes and courtyards in Paradise. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/305].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Sufyan, he said: Muhammad ibn Juhadah, may God have mercy on him, was one of the worshippers, and it was said that he would only sleep a little of the night. He said: A woman from his neighbors saw in a dream that robes were being distributed to the people of their mosque. When the one distributing them reached Muhammad ibn Juhadah, he called for a sealed box and took out a green robe from it. She said: My eyes could not bear its sight, so he gave it to him and said: This is for you because of your long vigil. That woman said: By God, I used to see him after that and imagine it on him, meaning the robe. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/306].

Night prayer: On the authority of Sufyan, may God have mercy on him, he said: I knew the harsh people and they would pray at night. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/319].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Amr ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhayriz, he said: My grandmother told me: My grandfather Ibn Muhayriz, may God have mercy on him, used to complete the recitation of the Quran every seven days, and his bed would be prepared for him, and it would be found unchanged when morning came. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/322].

Night Prayer: Abu Muslim al-Khawlani, may God have mercy on him, used to hang a whip in his mosque to frighten himself with it. If he felt weak, he would take it and hit his legs with it, then he would say: You are more deserving of being hit than my animal. If sleep overcame him, he would say: It is from you, not from me. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/322].

Night prayer: Some of them said: The length of the night prayer is the dowry of the houris in Paradise. [Al-Jami’ Al-Muntakhab / 69].

Night prayer: One of the early Muslims used to spend the night in prayer, then slackened in this. Someone came to him in a dream and said: You used to persevere in seeking a bride, so-and-so. What has kept you from it? He asked: What do you mean? He replied: You used to stand in prayer at night. Do you not know that when a devoted worshipper rises for his night prayer, the angels say: The suitor has risen to seek his bride. [al-Jami‘ al-Muntakhab / 69].

Night Prayer: Abu Ubaid, may God have mercy on him, used to divide the night into thirds, praying for one third, sleeping for one third, and writing books for one third. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/887].

Night Prayer: Ahmad ibn Harb, may God have mercy on him, passed by some boys playing, and one of them said: Stop, for this is Ahmad ibn Harb who does not sleep at night. So he grabbed his beard and said: The boys are afraid of you and you sleep? So he spent the night in prayer after that until he died. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/906].

Night Prayer: On the authority of Ibn Sama’ah, he said: The daily practice of Judge Abu Yusuf, may God have mercy on him, was two hundred rak’ahs. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/788].

Hajj and Umrah: On the authority of Ammar bin Amr Al-Bajali, he said: We went out with Muhammad bin Al-Nadr Al-Harithi, may God have mercy on him, to Mecca. We would not wake up at any hour of the night except that he was sitting on his camel reciting. He said: We thought that he did not sleep until he entered Mecca. He said: And when he dismounted, he was only in the service of his companions. So it was said to him: O Abu Abd Al-Rahman, we will take care of this for you. But he would refuse them and say: Are you depriving me of the reward?! [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/274].

Hajj and Umrah: On the authority of Hisham, he said: I have never seen anyone more patient in standing and staying up late than Thabit al-Banani, may God have mercy on him. We accompanied him once to Mecca, and if we stopped at night, he would be standing in prayer until morning. Otherwise, whenever you wanted, you could see him or sense him awake while we were walking, either weeping or reciting. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/277]

Hajj and Umrah: On the authority of Wasil bin Salim, he said: I accompanied Ata bin Al-Sa’ib, may God have mercy on him, to Mecca, and he would complete the recitation of the Quran every two nights. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/322].

The month of Ramadan and fasting: On the authority of Abu Ishaq al-Hamdani, he said: Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, went out on the first night of the month of Ramadan, and the lamps were shining, and the Book of God was being recited in the mosques, and he said: May God illuminate your grave, O Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, just as you illuminated the mosques of God with the Qur’an. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/369].

The month of Ramadan and fasting: Al-Ahnaf bin Qais, may God have mercy on him, wanted to fast, and when he was asked about it, he said: I am preparing it for a day whose evil is prolonged, then he recited: (So God protected them from the evil of that day). [Al-Insan: 11]. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 6/136].

The month of Ramadan and fasting: On the authority of Al-Zuhri, may God have mercy on him, he said: One glorification in Ramadan is better than a thousand glorifications at other times. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/368].

The month of Ramadan and fasting: On the authority of Abu Bakr bin Abi Maryam, may God have mercy on him, he said: I heard our elders say when the month of Ramadan arrives: A purifier has arrived, and they say: Be generous in spending during it, for it is multiplied like spending in the way of God - the Almighty and Majestic - and they say: A single glorification of God during it is better than a thousand glorifications at other times. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/368].

The month of Ramadan and fasting: Ibn al-Hanafiyyah, may God have mercy on him, said: Let your hearing, sight, tongue, and body fast. Do not make your day of breaking the fast like your day of fasting, and beware of harming the servant. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/371].

The month of Ramadan and fasting: Wuhayb, may God have mercy on him, saw some people laughing on the day of Eid al-Fitr, and he said: If their fasting was accepted, then this is not the behavior of the grateful; and if their fasting was not accepted, then this is not the behavior of the fearful. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/473].

Preparing for worship and getting ready for it: On the authority of Anas: Tamim al-Dari, may God be pleased with him, bought a cloak for a thousand dirhams, which he would wear to go out to prayer. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/287, Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/289].

Preparing for worship and getting ready for it: Tamim al-Dari, may God be pleased with him, when he got up at night, would ask for his tooth-stick, then he would ask for his finest clothes, which he would only wear when he got up at night to pray. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/311].

Preparing for worship and getting ready for it: Waki’ ibn al-Jarrah, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever does not prepare for prayer before its time, has not honored it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/107].

Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, said: Be more concerned with the acceptance of your deeds than with the deeds themselves. Have you not heard God say: “God only accepts from the righteous” [Al-Ma’idah: 27]? [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/175].

On the authority of Hammad ibn Salamah, he said: We never came to Sulayman al-Taymi, may God have mercy on him, at a time when God, the Almighty and Majestic, is obeyed, except that we found him obedient. If it was the time of prayer, we found him praying, and if it was not the time of prayer, we found him either performing ablution, or visiting the sick, or accompanying a funeral procession, or sitting in the mosque. He said: So we thought that he did not know how to disobey God, the Almighty and Majestic,. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/440].

On the authority of Abu Awana, he said: If it had been said to Mansur bin Zadhan, may God have mercy on him, that you would die today or tomorrow, he would have had no more to add. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/450].

On the authority of Al-Mu'alla ibn Ziyad Al-Qurdusi, who said: I said to Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may God have mercy on him: Two men, one who devotes himself to worship and the other who strives to provide for his family, which of them is better? He said: The one who devotes himself to worship is better. [Az-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 461]. This applies if the striving is for the surplus of life and what is beyond one's needs. However, if it is for obtaining sustenance, satisfying hunger, and sustaining life, then the scholars of the righteous predecessors and those who came after them have unanimously agreed on the obligation of striving to earn a living.

On the authority of Ubaid bin Umair, may God have mercy on him, he said: The one who strives now is like the one who played in the past [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 628].

Abdullah bin Dawood, may God have mercy on him, said: When one of them reached forty years of age, he would fold his bed. Some of them would stay up all night, and when they looked at the dawn, they would say: At dawn, the people praise the night journey. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/677].

On the authority of Mujahid, may God have mercy on him, he said: “Three types of people will be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection: the rich, the sick, and the slave.” On the authority of Abu al-Ahwas, he said: Abu Ishaq, may God have mercy on him, told us: “I have grown old and weak, and I only fast three days a month, Mondays and Thursdays, and the sacred months.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/119]

On the authority of Musa bin Ismail, he said: If I told you that I never saw Hammad bin Salamah, may God have mercy on him, laughing, I would be telling you the truth. He was always preoccupied with himself, either narrating hadith, or reciting, or glorifying God, or praying. He had divided the day among these activities. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/335].

On the authority of Ibn al-Mubarak, he said: I asked Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, about a man who prays, what should he intend by his prayer? He said: He should intend to converse with his Lord. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/402].

Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: The words of the believer are wisdom, his silence is contemplation, his gaze is a lesson, and his actions are righteousness. If you are like this, you will always be in worship. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/16].

Abu Sulayman al-Darani, may God have mercy on him, said: “Worship, in our view, is not about standing in prayer while someone else crumbles bread for you. Rather, begin by securing your two loaves, then worship.” He also said, may God have mercy on him: “If you find pleasure in reading, then do not bow or prostrate. And if you find pleasure in prostrating, then do not bow or read. Whatever an opening is granted to you in, then adhere to it.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/189]

Moderation in worship and condemnation of extremism and fanaticism: Ibn al-Qayyim, may God have mercy on him, said: The early Muslims frequently mentioned these two principles—moderation in deeds and adherence to the Sunnah—for Satan smells the heart of the servant and tests him. If he sees in him an inclination towards innovation and a turning away from complete submission to the Sunnah, he leads him astray from adhering to it. But if he sees in him a keenness for the Sunnah and a strong desire for it, he commands him to strive and be harsh on himself, exceeding the bounds of moderation in it, saying to him: This is good and obedience, so do not be lax with those who are lax, nor sleep with those who sleep. End quote, with slight modification. Madarij al-Salikin 2/342

Moderation in worship, and condemnation of extremism and fanaticism: Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, said: Moderation in following the Sunnah is better than striving in innovation. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 293].

Moderation in worship, and condemnation of extremism and fanaticism: A man came to Abu Umamah, may God be pleased with him, and said: Someone came to me and said: Do as Abu Umamah does. Abu Umamah said: What can Abu Umamah do? I pray the five daily prayers, fast Ramadan, and three days of every month, and when the birds chirp, I raise my voice with them, meaning in the time before dawn. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/308].

Moderation in worship, and condemnation of extremism and fanaticism: On the authority of Abu Idris al-Khawlani, may God have mercy on him, he said: No man has ever worn a necklace better than tranquility, and God has never increased a servant’s understanding of religion except that God has increased his moderation. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/163].

Moderation in worship, and condemnation of extremism and fanaticism: On the authority of Makhlad bin Al-Hussein, may God have mercy on him, he said: God does not call the servants to anything except that Satan interferes with it in two ways: he does not care which one he succeeds in: either extremism in it, or negligence in it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/63].

Moderation in worship, and condemnation of extremism and fanaticism: It was narrated from Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may God have mercy on him, that he said: God’s religion is placed below excess and above negligence. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 477].

The way of the Salaf with the Qur’an: On the authority of Abu Salama, he said: When Abu Musa sat with Umar, may God be pleased with him, he would sometimes say to him, “Remind us, O Abu Musa,” and he would recite. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/280].

The way of the early Muslims with the Quran: On the authority of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may God be pleased with him), he said: "The one who carries the Quran should be known by his night when people are sleeping, by his day when people are eating, by his sadness when people are rejoicing, by his weeping when people are laughing, by his silence when people are chattering, and by his humility when people are being arrogant. The one who carries the Quran should be weeping, sorrowful, forbearing, wise, and quiet. The one who carries the Quran should not be harsh, heedless, loud, boisterous, or severe." (Narrated by Imam Ahmad). [Sifat al-Safwa 1/188]

The state of the Salaf with regard to the Qur’an: On the authority of Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, he said: This Qur’an is the banquet of God, so whoever is able to learn something from it, let him do so. For the houses emptiest of good is the one in which there is nothing of the Book of God, and the house in which there is nothing of the Book of God is like a ruined house that has no inhabitant, and Satan leaves the house in which Surah Al-Baqarah is heard. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/119].

The state of the Salaf with regard to the Qur’an: On the authority of Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him, he said: These hearts are vessels, so fill them with the Qur’an and do not fill them with anything else. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 298].

The way of the Salaf with the Qur’an: On the authority of Abu al-Bakhtari, he said: Ali bin Abi Talib was asked about Ibn Masoud, may God be pleased with him, and he said: He read the Qur’an and then stopped at it, and that is enough for him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/118].

The state of the Salaf with the Qur’an: On the authority of Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with him, he said: “To read Surah Al-Baqarah in one night and reflect upon it is more beloved to me than to read the Qur’an in a hurried torrent (a profusion of words).” [Sifat As-Safwa 1/372].

The way of the early Muslims with the Qur’an: On the authority of Ubayd ibn Abi al-Ja’d, on the authority of a man from Ashja’. He said: The people of Mada’in heard that Salman al-Farisi, may God be pleased with him, was in the mosque, so they came to him and began to flock to him, until about a thousand had gathered around him. He said: So he stood up and began to say: Sit down, sit down. When they sat down, he began to recite Surah Yusuf, and they began to disperse and leave until only about a hundred remained. So he became angry and said: Did you want to hear embellished speech? Then I recited the Book of God to you and you left! [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/163].

The state of the early Muslims with the Qur’an: On the authority of Masruq, he said: A man from the people of Mecca said to me: This is the station of your brother Tamim al-Dari, may God be pleased with him. I saw him one night until morning or almost morning, reciting a verse, bowing and prostrating and weeping: “Or do those who do evil deeds think that they can outrun Us? How evil is their judgment!” [Al-Ankabut: 4]. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/256, 257].

The way of the early Muslims with the Qur’an: Tamim al-Dari, may God be pleased with him, recited this verse in the mosque after praying Isha: “And they will be therein grim-faced” [Al-Mu’minun: 104]. He would not move on from it until he heard the call to Fajr prayer. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/257].

The way of the early Muslims with the Qur’an: On the authority of Sa’id al-Qurashi, Ibn al-Zubayr, may God be pleased with him, used to recite the Qur’an in one night. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/323].

The state of the Salaf with regard to the Qur’an: Umar ibn Dharr, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever wishes to see the Day of Resurrection in this world, let him read: “When the sun is folded up” [At-Takwir: 1]. [Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya Encyclopedia 6/137].

The state of the early Muslims with the Qur’an: Harun ibn Ri’ab al-Asadi, may God have mercy on him, used to get up at night to perform the Tahajjud prayer, and he would sometimes repeat this verse: “They will say, ‘Oh, would that we could be sent back and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers’” [Al-An’am: 27], and he would weep. He would do this until a long night had passed. When he got up to perform the Tahajjud prayer, he would get up joyfully. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/257].

The state of the early Muslims with regard to the Quran: Fadl al-Raqashi, may God have mercy on him, said: “Nothing brings more pleasure to the worshippers, nor does anything stir their hearts more, than a beautiful voice reciting the Quran. Any heart that does not respond to a beautiful voice reciting the Quran is a dead heart.” Al-Fadl also said: “What eye fails to shed tears at a beautiful voice except the eye of a heedless or distracted person?” [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/185]

The way of the Salaf with the Qur’an: On the authority of Abu Ma’shar, he said: When Muhammad bin Qais, may God have mercy on him, wanted to make his companions cry, he would recite verses before speaking. He had one of the most beautiful voices of people. When he recited, he would cry and make others cry. He said: Then he would speak after that. He said: Muhammad bin Ka’b would speak with his tears flowing. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/185].

The way of the Salaf with the Qur’an: On the authority of Muqatil bin Hayyan, he said: I prayed behind Umar bin Abdul Aziz, may God have mercy on him, and he recited: “And stop them, for they are to be questioned” [As-Saffat: 24], and he kept repeating it, unable to go beyond it. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/255].

The state of the Salaf with the Qur’an: On the authority of Maimun bin Mihran, he said: Umar bin Abdul Aziz, may God have mercy on him, recited “The mutual rivalry for worldly gain has distracted you” [At-Takathur: 1], then he wept and said: “Until you visit the graves” [At-Takathur: 2]. I see the graves as nothing but a visit, and whoever visits them must return to Paradise or to Hell. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/255].

The way of the early Muslims with the Quran: Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, said: There are three types of Quran reciters: One who treats it as merchandise, transporting it from one place to another, seeking favors from people. Another who recites the Quran, memorizes its letters, but neglects its limits, using it to gain favor with rulers and to lord it over the people of their lands. You will find most of this type among those who carry the Quran, may God not increase their number. And a third who recites the Quran and weeps because of what he knows of its healing power, applying it to the ailments of his heart. He stays awake for God, his eyes overflowing with tears. They are clothed in sorrow, adorned with humility, and toil in their prayer niches. Through them, God sends down rain, grants victory, and lifts affliction. By God, this type among those who carry the Quran is rarer than red sulfur. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya's Encyclopedia 3/290]

The state of the early Muslims with regard to the Qur’an: It was said to Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him: There are people here who, when they listen to the Qur’an, cry until their voices rise. Al-Hasan said: People have always been like that, crying when remembering God and reciting the Qur’an. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/190].

The state of the Salaf with the Qur’an: On the authority of Yahya bin Abd al-Rahman, he said: I heard Saeed bin Jubayr, may God have mercy on him, repeating this verse until morning: “And be separated this Day, O criminals!” [Ya-Sin: 59]. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/257].

The way of the early Muslims with the Qur’an: On the authority of Abdullah bin Ismail, he said: A man from Qais, known as Abu Abdullah, told me: One night, while I was with Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, he got up in the night to pray, and he kept repeating this verse until the time before dawn: “And if you should count the favors of God, you could not enumerate them” [Ibrahim: 34]. When morning came, we said: O Abu Saeed, you did not go beyond this verse all night. He said: There is a lesson in it. We do not raise our eyes or lower them except that a blessing falls upon us, and what we do not know of God’s blessings is greater. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya’s Encyclopedia 1/257].

The state of the early Muslims with regard to the Quran: On the authority of 'Amir ibn 'Abd Qays, may God have mercy on him, he said: I do not care what I have missed of this world after the verses in the Book of God, His saying: "And there is no creature on earth but that its provision is with God, and He knows its resting place and its repository. All is in a clear record." [Hud: 6]. And His saying: "Whatever mercy God opens for people, none can withhold it; and whatever He withholds, none can release it after Him." [Fatir: 2]. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/279].

The way of the early Muslims with the Qur’an: On the authority of Sa’id ibn Jubayr, may God have mercy on him, he said: No two nights passed without me completing the recitation of the Qur’an. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/279].

The way of the early Muslims with the Quran: On the authority of Ibn Abi al-Zinad, may God have mercy on him, on the authority of his father, who said: I used to go out in the time before dawn to the Prophet’s Mosque, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, and I would not pass by a house except that there was someone reciting the Quran in it. He also said, may God have mercy on him: When we were young men, if we wanted to go out for some need, we would say: Your appointment is when the reciters are praying. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/310]

The state of the Salaf with regard to the Qur’an: On the authority of Ubayd ibn Umayr, may God have mercy on him, he said: God hates the reciter if he is constantly dressing up, riding, going out, and going in. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 7/492].

The way of the Salaf with the Qur’an: A man in Tarsus was asked: Is there no one here you can befriend? He said: Yes. He was asked: Who is it? He reached for the Qur’an and put it in his lap, and said: This one. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya’s Encyclopedia 6/509].

The state of the early Muslims with regard to the Qur’an: Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever does not find solace in the Qur’an, may God not grant him solace in his loneliness. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 6/510].

The way of the early Muslims with the Qur’an: On the authority of Al-Dimashqi, may God have mercy on him, he said: Sometimes it was raining and the reciters of the Qur’an were reciting at night, and they did not know which of the two sounds was louder: the rain or the recitation of the Qur’an. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/310].

The state of the Salaf with regard to the Qur’an: On the authority of Al-Sha’bi, may God have mercy on him, he said: Whoever reads the Qur’an will not become senile. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 7/571].

The care of the righteous predecessors for the heart: Sahl bin Abdullah, may God have mercy on him, said: There is no hour except that God - the Almighty and Majestic - is aware of the hearts of the servants, so any heart in which He sees other than Himself, He gives Satan power over it. [Condemnation of Desire / 77].

The care of the early Muslims for the heart: Sahl ibn Abdullah, may God have mercy on him, said: It is forbidden for a heart to smell the scent of certainty while it has any inclination towards other than God. And it is forbidden for light to enter a heart while it has anything that God, the Almighty and Majestic, dislikes. [Condemnation of Desire / 77].

The care of the Salaf for the heart: Salm al-Khawwas, may God have mercy on him, said: You have abandoned Him, and some of you have turned to each other! If you had turned to Him, you would have seen wonders! [Condemnation of desire / 77].

The Predecessors' Concern for the Heart: Ibn Jahdham said: I heard Ibn Sam'un, may God have mercy on him, say in his gathering: "Have you not heard the saying of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him: 'Angels do not enter a house in which there is an image or statue'? If an angel does not enter a house in which there is an image or statue, how can the signs of truth enter a heart containing qualities of human beings other than Him?!" Ibn al-Qayyim, may God have mercy on him, said: I heard Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may God have mercy on him, say regarding the Prophet's saying, peace and blessings be upon him, "Angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image": If the angels, who are created beings, are prevented from entering a house by a dog and an image, how can the knowledge of God, the Almighty and Majestic,, His love, the sweetness of His remembrance, and the joy of His nearness enter a heart filled with the dogs of desires and their images? From this also comes the fact that the purity of one's clothes and body is a condition for the validity and acceptance of prayer, and if this is lacking, the prayer is invalid. So how can the heart be impure and not purified by its owner? So how can his prayer be considered valid, even if it absolves him of the obligation to make up the missed prayer? Is not outward purity a complement to inward purity? Furthermore, facing the qibla in prayer is a condition for its validity, and the qibla is the House of the Lord. Therefore, the worshipper's turning towards it with his body and physical form is a condition. How can the prayer of one who does not turn his heart towards the Lord of the qibla and his body be valid? Rather, he turns his body towards the House, but his heart is turned towards something other than the Lord of the House. [End quote, slightly paraphrased. Madarij as-Salikin 3/250-251 [Dhamm al-Hawa / 78]]

Narrated by Amir al-Sha'bi: Umar, may God be pleased with him, said: By God, my heart has become so soft for the sake of God that it is softer than butter, and my heart has become so hard for the sake of God that it is harder than stone. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 71/1]

On the authority of Abu al-Bakhtari, on the authority of Salman, may God be pleased with him, who said: The heart and the body are like a blind man and a cripple. The cripple said: I see a fruit but I cannot get up to it, so carry me. So he carried him, and he ate and fed him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/164].

On the authority of Ibn Sirin, may God have mercy on him, he said: If God, the Almighty and Majestic, wants good for His servant, He places a preacher in his heart who commands him and forbids him. [Sifat al-Safwa 3/172].

On the authority of Abu Qilabah, may God have mercy on him, he said: There is no one who desires good or evil except that he finds in his heart a commander and a deterrent, a commander who commands good and a deterrent who forbids evil. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/391].

On the authority of Ubaydullah ibn Shumayt, may God have mercy on him, he said: I heard my father say: God, the Almighty and Majestic, has placed the strength of the believer in his heart, and not in his limbs. Do you not see that the old man may be weak, yet he fasts during the hottest days and prays at night, while the young man is incapable of doing so? [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/480].

Hatim al-Asamm, may God have mercy on him, said: Hearts are wanderers, so they either wander around the Throne, or they wander around the latrine. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/962].

On the authority of Thabit al-Banani, may God have mercy on him, he said: The intention of the believer is reaches further than his action. The believer intends to pray at night, fast during the day, and give from his wealth, but his soul does not follow him in doing that. So his intention is reaches further than his action. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/406].

On the authority of Abu Imran al-Jawni, may God have mercy on him, he said: Moses, son of Imran, peace be upon him, preached to his people, the Children of Israel, one day, and one of them tore his shirt. So God Almighty revealed to Moses: Tell the owner of the shirt not to tear his shirt, let him open his heart to Me instead. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/403].

On the authority of Shafi’ al-Asbahi, may God have mercy on him, he said: Two men may be praying with their shoulders together, yet the distance between them is like the distance between heaven and earth. And they may be in the same house, fasting the same fast, yet the distance between their fasts is like the distance between heaven and earth. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/178].

Hassan bin Atiyyah, may God have mercy on him, said: “People may be praying together, yet there is a difference between them like the difference between heaven and earth.” The explanation for this is that one man may be focused and attentive in his prayer, while another is distracted and heedless. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/266].

On the authority of Khalid bin Ma’dan, may God have mercy on him, he said: There is no servant who does not have four eyes; two eyes in his face with which he sees the affairs of this world, and two eyes in his heart with which he sees the affairs of the Hereafter. So if God wills good for a servant, He opens the two eyes in his heart, so he sees with them what He has promised of the unseen, and they are unseen, so he believes in the unseen with the unseen. And if He wills otherwise for a servant, He leaves him as he is. Then he recited: “Or are there locks upon their hearts?” [Muhammad: 24]. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/188].

On the authority of Shahr ibn Hawshab, may God have mercy on him, he said: When a man speaks to people, his words have the same effect on their hearts as they have on his own heart. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/263].

On the authority of Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, he said: If certainty were to settle in the heart as it should, it would soar with joy and sorrow, longing for Paradise, or fearing Hell. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/379].

On the authority of Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, he said: The sight of the eyes is from this world, and the sight of the heart is from the Hereafter. A man may see with his eyes but not benefit from his sight, but if he sees with his heart, he will benefit. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/399].

On the authority of Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, he said: It used to be said: A time will come upon people when hearts will die and bodies will live. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/409].

On the authority of Al-Mu’afa bin Imran, he said: A man said to Muhammad bin Al-Nadr, may God have mercy on him: Where should I worship God? He said: Correct your inner self, and worship Him wherever you wish. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/50].

On the authority of Sufyan bin Dinar Al-Tammar, he said: I asked Mahan Al-Hanafi, may God have mercy on him, what were the deeds of the people? He said: Their deeds were few, and their hearts were sound. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/123].

On the authority of Abdur-Rahman ibn Mahdi, he said: My son Ibrahim performed Hajj and met Muhammad ibn Yusuf, may God have mercy on him, in Mecca. He said to him: Convey my greetings to your father and tell him: Be humble. He said: So Ibrahim returned and told me what he had said. He said: For several months I was like a sick man because of what Muhammad had said. I said: A man like him, perhaps something had reached him about me, or he had a dream about me, until he came to us. He said: So he took my hand and started walking until I thought we would not catch the Maghrib prayer. So we sat down and I said to him: O Abu Abdullah, my son Ibrahim told me such and such about you. Muhammad said: I heard that you sat and spoke to people. I said to him: If you wish, I swear that I will never speak a hadith again. He said: Speak to people and teach them, but see how your heart is when people gather around you. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/55].

Ahmad ibn Abi al-Hawari said: I said to Abu Sulayman al-Darani, may God have mercy on him: I envy the Children of Israel. He said: What is it about them, woe to you? I said: For eight hundred years and for four hundred years until they become like worn-out waterskins, and bows, and like strings. He said: I thought you had said something! No, by God, God does not want our skins to dry up on our bones, and He only wants us to have sincere intentions regarding what is with Him. If this one is sincere in ten days, he will attain what that one attained in his lifetime. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/186].

Al-Sari Al-Saqati, may God have mercy on him, said: Purifying the work from defects is more difficult than the work itself. () [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/287].

On the authority of Abu Bakr al-Dinawari al-Tarsusi, he said: Muzaffar al-Qarmisini, may God have mercy on him, was asked: What is the best thing that can be given to a servant? He said: The heart being free from what does not concern it, so that it may be free to what does concern it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/454].

The saints: On the authority of Ibn Masoud, may God be pleased with him, who said: There are people who are keys to the remembrance of God, when they are seen, God is remembered. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/394].

The saints: On the authority of Ibn Abi Awfa, may God be pleased with him, he said: The best of God’s servants are those who love God and who make God beloved to His servants. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/394].

The saints: On the authority of Al-Hasan, who said: A man from among the companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: By Him in whose hand is my soul, if you wish, I swear to you by God that the most beloved of God’s servants are those who make God beloved to His servants and strive on earth with sincere advice. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/396].

The Saints: On the authority of Abu Awana, he said: I saw Muhammad ibn Sirin, may God have mercy on him, passing through the market and the people said “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great). Khalaf said: Muhammad ibn Sirin was given guidance, dignity, and humility, so when they saw him they remembered God. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/395].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: On the authority of Amir al-Sha’bi, he said: Umar wrote to Abu Musa, may God be pleased with them both: Whoever is sincere in his intention, God Almighty will suffice him in what is between him and the people. And whoever adorns himself for the people with something other than what God knows of his heart, God, the Almighty and Majestic, will disgrace him. So what do you think of God’s reward in the immediate provision of His sustenance and the treasures of His mercy? Peace be upon you. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 70/1].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Ibn Muhayriz, that Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, was invited to a feast, and when he ate and left he said: I wish I had not attended this meal. He was asked: Why, O Commander of the Faithful? He said: I think your companion did it only for show. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/182].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, said: Whoever's outward appearance is more virtuous than his inner self, his scale will be light on the Day of Resurrection. And whoever's inner self is more virtuous than his outward appearance, his scale will be heavy on the Day of Resurrection. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/177].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Ata’ ibn al-Sa’ib, he said: It reached me that Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, said: The righteous deed is that for which you do not want anyone to praise you except God. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/174].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Ibn Masoud, may God be pleased with him, said: Whoever shows off in this world, God will expose him on the Day of Resurrection, and whoever seeks a reputation in this world, God will expose him on the Day of Resurrection. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/124].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: Hudhayfah, may God be pleased with him, said: The hypocrites today are worse than they were in the time of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Back then they used to conceal it. Today they reveal it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/207].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: A man said to Hudhayfah, may God be pleased with him: I fear that I am a hypocrite. He said: If you were a hypocrite, you would not fear. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/739].

Sincerity and the Condemnation of Hypocrisy and Showing Off: Al-Walid ibn Muslim, may God have mercy on him, said: I asked Al-Awza'i, Sa'id ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, and Ibn Jurayj, may God have mercy on them: Why did you seek knowledge? They all said: For myself, except for Ibn Jurayj, who said: I sought it for the people. Al-Dhahabi, may God have mercy on him, said: How excellent is truthfulness! Today, you ask a foolish scholar: Why did you seek knowledge? He rushes to say: I sought it for God, but he lies; he only sought it for worldly gain, and how little he truly understands it. [Siyar (its abridgment)]

Sincerity and the Condemnation of Hypocrisy and Showing Off: Mu'ammar, may God have mercy on him, said: "We sought this knowledge without any intention of it, then God granted us the intention afterward." Mu'ammar, may God have mercy on him, also said: "It used to be said that a man seeks knowledge for other than God, but knowledge refuses him until it is for God." Al-Dhahabi, may God have mercy on him, said: "Yes, he seeks it initially, driven by a love of knowledge, a desire to remove ignorance, a love of positions, and the like. He did not know the obligation of sincerity in it, nor the truthfulness of intention. When he learns, he examines himself and fears the consequences of his intention, and then a righteous intention comes to him, either entirely or partially. He may even repent of his corrupt intention and feel remorse. The sign of this is that he reduces his claims, his love of debate, and his intention to boast of his knowledge, and he belittles himself. If he boasts of his knowledge or says, 'I know more than so-and-so,' then woe to him!" [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/672].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Rabi’ ibn Khuthaym, may God have mercy on him, he said: Everything that is not done for the sake of God, the Almighty and Majestic, will perish. [Sifat al-Safwa 3/41].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Abu Al-Aliyah, may God have mercy on him, he said: The companions of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to me: Do not work for other than God, for God - the Almighty and Majestic - will entrust you to the one for whom you worked. [Sifat Al-Safwah 3/148].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: On the authority of Abu al-Jawza’, may God have mercy on him, he said: Carrying stones is easier for the hypocrite than reciting the Qur’an. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/459].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i, may God have mercy on him, he said: Whoever seeks some knowledge seeking thereby the pleasure of God, the Almighty and Majestic, God will give him from it what suffices him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/93].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Abda bin Abi Lubaba, may God have mercy on him, he said: The people closest to showing off are those who feel safest from it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/278].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Mutarrif bin Abdullah, may God have mercy on him, said: The ugliest thing by which one seeks worldly gain is the work of the Hereafter. [Sifat al-Safwa 3/159].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Mutarrif bin Abdullah, may God have mercy on him, said: The heart is sound through righteous deeds, and righteous deeds are sound through sincere intention. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/359].

Sincerity and the condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Abu Imran al-Jawni, may God have mercy on him, said: The angels ascend with the deeds, and the King calls out: Throw that scroll, throw that scroll. He said: So the angels say: Our Lord, they said good things and we recorded them for them. Then the Blessed and Exalted says: He did not intend My pleasure by it. He said: And he calls out to the angel: Write for so-and-so such-and-such twice. So he says: O Lord, he did not do it. Then the Majestic and Exalted says: He intended it, he intended it. [Sifat al-Safwa 3/190].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: Ali bin Salim said: I heard Sahl bin Abdullah, may God have mercy on him, being asked: What is the hardest thing for the soul? He said: Sincerity, because it has a share in it. [Sifat al-Safwa 4/319].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Mujahid, may God have mercy on him, he said: We sought this knowledge without any intention for it, then God granted us the intention afterward. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment)].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Sufyan bin Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever adorns himself for people with something that God knows is other than that, God will disgrace him. [Sifat al-Safwah 2/552].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Sufyan bin Uyaynah, may God have mercy on him, said: A man from among the scholars said: There are two things I have been dealing with for thirty years: abandoning greed in what is between me and people, and sincerity in work for God - the Almighty and Majestic. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/425].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Rabi’ ibn Anas, may God have mercy on him, he said: The sign of religion is sincerity to God, and the sign of knowledge is fear of God. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/174].

Sincerity and the condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Ibrahim al-Nakha’i, may God have mercy on him, he said: A man may perform a good deed in the eyes of people, or a deed not intended for the sake of God, and thus he will incur their hatred and criticism until it becomes a fault. And he may perform a deed or action that people dislike, intending it for the sake of God, and thus he will gain their affection and favor. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/175].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: It was said to Ata’ al-Sulaimi, may God have mercy on him: What is caution? He said: Being wary of actions not being for God. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/177].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: On the authority of Bilal bin Saad, may God have mercy on him, he said: Do not be a friend of God in public and His enemy in secret. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/178].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may God have mercy on him, said: O you who conceal yourselves: Know that with God there is a scandalous questioning; God Almighty said: “So by your Lord, We will surely question them all about what they used to do.” [Al-Hijr: 92, 93]. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/178].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: A young man was reciting to Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, and he liked his voice. He said: O Abu Saeed, I have been blessed with this voice, and I get up at night, and Satan comes and says: You only want to be heard. Al-Hasan said: Your intention when you get up from your bed. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/302].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Abd al-Rahman ibn Shurayh, may God have mercy on him, he said: Whoever does something good intending only to please God, then someone appears before whom he wants to show off that deed, God rewards him for the original intention and disregards the later one. And whoever does something good intending only to show off, then thinks or it occurs to him that he makes the end of it for God: God rewards him for the later intention and disregards the original one. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/302].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: “To seek worldly gain with drums and flutes is more beloved to me than to seek it through worship.” [Sifat al-Safwa 2/546].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: For a man to seek worldly gain in the ugliest way possible is better than for him to seek worldly gain through the best means of seeking the Hereafter. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/17].

Sincerity and the condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: “Abandoning good deeds for the sake of people is showing off, and performing good deeds for the sake of people is associating partners with God. Sincerity is when God protects you from both.” [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/774]

Sincerity and the condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: If you were told: O show-off, you would be angry and it would be difficult for you, and perhaps what was said to you is true. You would adorn yourself for the world and pretend, and shorten your clothes, and improve your appearance, and refrain from harming others until it is said: So-and-so is a worshipper, how good his appearance is, so they would honor you and look at you, and seek you out and give you gifts, like a counterfeit dirham (which is a bad, counterfeit coin that has no good in it) that not everyone recognizes, and when it is peeled, it is peeled off to reveal copper. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/778].

Sincerity and the condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: Beware lest you be showing off without realizing it. You pretend and prepare yourself until people recognize you and say: He is a righteous man, so they honor you, fulfill your needs, and make room for you in the gathering. They only recognize you for God’s sake. If it weren’t for that, you would be insignificant to them, just as the wicked man is insignificant to them, so they do not honor him, do not fulfill his needs, and do not make room for him in the gathering. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/13].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: The believer speaks little and does much, while the hypocrite speaks much and does little. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/16].

Sincerity and the condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Ibrahim bin Al-Ash’ath, he said: I heard Al-Fudayl bin ‘Iyad, may God have mercy on him, say: It used to be said that a servant remains in a good state as long as when he says: he says for God, and when he does something, he does something for God. I heard him say regarding His saying: “That He may test you [as to] which of you is best in deed” [Al-Mulk: 2]: He said: The most sincere and the most correct, for if it is sincere but not correct, it will not be accepted, and if it is correct but not sincere, it will not be accepted until it is sincere. Sincerity is when it is for God, and correctness is when it is in accordance with the Sunnah. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/14].

Sincerity and the Condemnation of Hypocrisy and Showing Off: On the authority of Ahmad ibn Asim, he said: Sufyan al-Thawri and Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on them both, met and conversed, and they wept. Sufyan said: I hope that this gathering of ours will be the most blessed gathering we have ever had. Fudayl said to him: You hope so, but I fear that it will be the most ominous gathering we have ever had. Did you not look at the best of what you have and adorn yourself with it for me, and I adorn myself with it for you? Then Sufyan wept until his sobbing became loud, and then he said: You have given me life, may God give you life. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/404].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Muslim bin Yasar, may God have mercy on him, said: Beware of showing off, for it is a moment of ignorance for the scholar, and through it Satan seeks to cause him to slip up. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/395].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: On the authority of Ja`far, he said: I heard Malik, may God have mercy on him, say: I swear to you, if the hypocrites grew tails, the believers would not find any land to walk on. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/427].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: On the authority of Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, may God have mercy on him, he said: I used to sit on Fridays, and if the people were many, I would be happy, and if they were few, I would be sad. So I asked Bishr ibn Mansur, and he said: This is an evil gathering, so do not return to it, so I did not return to it. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/817].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: Bilal bin Saad, may God have mercy on him, said: Do not be a friend of God Almighty in public and His enemy in secret. [Sifat al-Safwa 4/435].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Badil Al-Uqaili, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever seeks God’s favor through his knowledge, God will turn His face towards him and turn the hearts of the servants towards him. And whoever works for other than God Almighty, God will turn His face away from him and turn the hearts of the servants away from him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/451].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Yahya bin Abi Kathir, may God have mercy on him, said: The angel ascends with the servant’s deed, rejoicing, to God Almighty, and God Almighty says: Put it in Sijjin, for I was not the one sought by this deed. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/455].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Yahya bin Abi Kathir, may God have mercy on him, said: Learn about intention, for it is reaches further than action. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/456].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: The ugliest desire is to seek worldly gain through deeds done for the Hereafter. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/399].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: On the authority of Abbas bin Abdullah, he said: It was said to Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him: Who are the leaders of the people? He said: Sufyan and those like him. It was said to him: Who are the lowest of the people? He said: One who uses his religion to earn his food. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/39].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him, said: If two men were traveling together and one of them wanted to pray two rak’ahs, but he left them for the sake of his companion, that would be showing off. And if he prayed them for the sake of his companion, then it would be associating partners with God. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/40].

Sincerity and condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: Shaqiq al-Balkhi, may God have mercy on him, said: The example of the believer is like a man who plants a palm tree, fearing that it will bear thorns, and the example of the hypocrite is like a man who sows thorns, hoping to harvest dates. Far from it! Far from it! Whoever does good, God will reward him only with good, and the righteous will not be placed in the ranks of the wicked. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/502].

Sincerity and the condemnation of hypocrisy and pretense: Abu Sulayman al-Darani, may God have mercy on him, said: “Those who came to ruin—Iblis, Qarun, and Balaam—did so only because the origin of their intentions was based on deceit, so they returned to the deceit that was in their hearts. And God is too generous to bestow sincerity upon a servant and then take it away from him.” [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/193].

Sincerity and the condemnation of hypocrisy and showing off: On the authority of Ahmad ibn Abi al-Hawari, he said: A man asked Abu Sulayman al-Darani, may God have mercy on him, about the closest way for a servant to draw near to God, the Almighty and Majestic. He wept and said: Someone like you is asking about this? The best way for a servant to draw near to God is for Him to look into your heart, and you do not want anything from this world or the Hereafter other than Him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/182].

Seeking reward: Mu’adh, may God be pleased with him, said: As for me, I sleep and I stand in prayer, and I seek reward for my sleep just as I seek reward for my standing in prayer. [Narrated by Al-Bukhari: 4341].

Seeking reward: On the authority of Tufayl ibn Abi Ka'b, that he used to come to Abdullah ibn Umar, may God be pleased with him, and go with him to the market. He said: When we went to the market, Abdullah ibn Umar would not pass by a peddler, a shopkeeper, a poor person, or anyone else without greeting him. So I said: What are you doing in the market if you don't stop to buy things, don't ask about the goods, don't haggle over prices, and don't sit in gatherings? He said: I say, let's sit here and talk. Abdullah said to me: O Abu Batn (Tufayl had a large belly), we only go out for the sake of greeting, so greet whomever you meet. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/221].

Seeking reward: On the authority of Muhammad bin Rashid, on the authority of Makhul, that he visited Hakim bin Hizam, may God be pleased with him, the son of Hakim, and said: Do you intend to be stationed this year? He said: How can you ask me about this, while I am in this condition? He said: What harm is there in intending that, so if God heals you, you will go on your way, and if death comes between you and it, your intention will be recorded for you. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/181].

Seeking reward: On the authority of Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, he said: It reached me that a man from among the worshippers said: The world is seven thousand years, so I will worship in it so that I may be saved from a day whose length is a thousand years, and perhaps he did not live one day after this statement of his, so God gave him according to his intention. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/122].

Seeking reward: Sufyan bin Zubayd, may God have mercy on him, said: I am pleased to have an intention in everything, even in eating and sleeping. [Sifat al-Safwa]

Seeking reward: On the authority of Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, he said: I did not look with my eyes, nor speak with my tongue, nor strike with my hand, nor stand on my feet, until I considered: whether it was obedience or disobedience. If it was obedience, I proceeded, and if it was disobedience, I held back. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/231].

Seeking reward: On the authority of Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, may God have mercy on him, he said: Were it not that I hate that God be disobeyed, I would wish that no one would remain in the city except that he would backbite me! What is more pleasing than a good deed that a man finds in his record that he did not do?! [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/817].

Seeking reward: It was said to Dawud al-Ta’i, may God have mercy on him: If you moved from the shade to the sun, he said: These are steps, and I do not know how they will be recorded. (Ibn Rajab, may God have mercy on him, said: So these people, when their hearts were reformed, and no desire remained in them for other than God, their limbs were reformed and did not move except for God, the Almighty and Majestic, and for what pleases Him, and God knows best. Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam / 100, 101) [Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam / 100-101].

Seeking reward: Muhammad ibn al-Fadl al-Balkhi, may God have mercy on him, said: “I have not taken a single step for anyone other than God, the Almighty and Majestic, for forty years.” [Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam / 100-101].

Seeking reward: Abu Sulayman al-Darani, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever does any kind of good deed without intention, his first intention is sufficient, when he chose Islam over all religions, because this deed is one of the Sunnahs of Islam, and one of the rituals of Islam. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/193].

God’s elevation of the believers and the righteous: Umar, may God be pleased with him, said: Abu Bakr was our master and he freed Bilal, our master (narrated by Al-Hakim). [Sifat Al-Safwa 1/199].

God's exaltation of the believers and the righteous: Malik ibn Dinar, may God have mercy on him, said: It has reached me that on the Day of Resurrection, the sincere admonisher will be summoned, and a crown of kingship will be placed on his head, then he will be ordered to Paradise. He will say: My God, there are people in the place of the Resurrection who used to help me in the world in what I was doing. He said: So he will do to them as he did to him, then he will set out leading them to Paradise because of his honor with God Almighty. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/428].

God's elevation of the believers and the righteous: Ash'ath ibn Shu'bah said: Harun al-Rashid arrived in Raqqa, and the people swarmed behind Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him, and sandals were torn and dust rose. The mother of the Commander of the Faithful's child looked out from a tower of the wooden palace, and when she saw the people, she said: What is this? They said: A scholar from the people of Khurasan has come to Raqqa, and he is called Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak. She said: This, by God, is kingship, not the kingship of Harun, who does not gather people except with police and assistants. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/766].

God's elevation of the believers and the righteous: On the authority of al-Utbi, on the authority of his father, he said: Salim bin Abdullah, may God have mercy on him, entered upon Sulayman bin Abdul-Malik, and Salim was wearing coarse, worn clothes. Sulayman kept welcoming him and elevating him until he seated him with him on his throne, and Umar bin Abdul-Aziz was in the assembly. A man from the lower ranks of the people said to him: Couldn't your uncle wear finer clothes than these to enter upon the Commander of the Faithful? He said: The speaker was wearing fine, valuable clothes. Umar said to him: I have not seen these clothes that my uncle is wearing put him in your place, nor have I seen these clothes of yours raise you to the place of my uncle. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/532].

God preserves the righteous and mentions some of their miracles: On the authority of Salman al-Farisi, may God be pleased with him, he said: The example of the believer in this world is like that of a sick person with his doctor who knows his ailment and its cure. If he desires something that would harm him, the doctor forbids him and says, “Do not go near it, for if you do, it will destroy you.” He continues to forbid him until he is cured of his pain. Likewise, the believer desires many things that others have been given in abundance in life, but God, the Exalted and Glorified, forbids him from them and restrains him until He takes his soul and admits him to Paradise. [Sifat al-Safwa 1/258].

God preserves the righteous and mentions some of their miracles: On the authority of Safina, may God be pleased with him - Mihran, the freed slave of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace - that he boarded a ship at sea, and it broke with them. He said: So I clung to something of it until I came out to an island, and there was a lion there, so I said: O Abu al-Harith: I am Safina, the freed slave of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. So he lowered his head and began to push me with his sides, showing me the way. When I came out to the way, he growled, so I thought that he was bidding me farewell. [Al-Muntazam 5/141].

God protects the righteous and mentions some of their miracles: Hudhayfah, may God be pleased with him, said: God Almighty protects the believer from the world, just as the family of a sick person protects their sick person from food. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/206].

God’s protection of the righteous and mention of some of their miracles: Ibn Masoud, may God be pleased with him, said: A servant may be intent on a matter of trade or leadership until it is made easy for him, then God looks at him and says to the angels: Turn him away from it, for if I make it easy for him, I will put him in Hell. So God turns him away from it, and he remains superstitious, saying: So-and-so has preceded me, so-and-so has tricked me, but it is nothing but the grace of God, the Almighty and Majestic. [Al-Jami’ al-Muntakhab / 140].

God preserves the righteous and mentions some of their miracles: On the authority of Muhammad bin Ka’b, may God have mercy on him, he said: Whoever reads the Qur’an will enjoy his intellect, even if he reaches two hundred years of age. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/473].

God preserves the righteous and mentions some of their miracles: Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever worships God well in his youth, God will grant him wisdom in his old age, and that is what He said: “And when he reached maturity and attained his full strength, We bestowed upon him wisdom and knowledge. And thus do We reward the doers of good.” [Yusuf: 22]. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/520].

God protects the righteous and mentions some of their miracles: On the authority of Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir, may God have mercy on him, he said: God Almighty protects the believer in his children and his children’s children, and He protects him in his house and in the houses around him, so they remain in protection and well-being as long as he is among them. [Sifat Al-Safwa 3/480].

God preserves the righteous and mentions some of their miracles: On the authority of Khaythama, may God have mercy on him, he said: Blessed is the believer, how he is preserved in his offspring after him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/64].

God preserved the righteous and mentioned some of their miracles: On the authority of Muhammad bin Hamza Al-Murtada, he said: Shaiban the shepherd, may God have mercy on him, when he became ritually impure and had no water, he would call upon his Lord, and a cloud would come and shade him, and he would bathe. He would go to Friday prayer and draw a line around his sheep, and when he came back he would find them in the same state, not having moved. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/83].

God preserved the righteous and mentioned some of their miracles: Ibn Kathir, may God have mercy on him, said: Abu Nasr al-Marwazi was an imam in the field of Quranic readings, and he had books on it. He traveled a lot for that purpose, and it happened that he was shipwrecked at sea during one of his travels. While the waves were lifting him up and putting him down, he saw that the sun had passed its zenith, so he intended to perform ablution. He plunged into the water, then he came out and found a piece of wood, so he climbed onto it and prayed on it, and God granted him safety through the blessing of the prayer, and he lived for a long time after that. [Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah 12/213].

God preserved the righteous and mentioned some of their miracles: Abu al-Tayyib al-Tabari, may God have mercy on him, had exceeded one hundred years of age and was enjoying his mind and strength. One day he jumped from a ship he was in to the land with a great leap, and he was reproached for that, so he said: These are limbs that we preserved from sins in our youth, so God preserved them for us in our old age. [Al-Jami’ al-Muntakhab / 131].

Relief after hardship: On the authority of Sufyan, he said: A man was brought to Ziyad, and he ordered him to be killed. When the man felt death approaching, he said: “Grant me permission to perform ablution and pray two rak’ahs so that I may die in repentance, perhaps I will be saved from God’s punishment.” Ziyad said: “Let him perform ablution and pray as he wishes.” He said: So he performed ablution and prayed as well as he could. When he finished his prayer, he was brought to be killed. Ziyad said to him: “Have you repented?” He said: “Yes, by Him besides Whom there is no god.” So he let him go. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya’s Encyclopedia 5/374].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: * On the authority of Buraydah ibn al-Husayn (may God be pleased with him), he said: “I witnessed the Battle of Khaybar, and I was among those who climbed the breach in the wall. I fought until my position was visible, and I was wearing a red garment. I do not know that I have committed a greater sin in Islam than this—meaning seeking fame.” I said: “Yes, the ignorant people of our time consider such an act to be among the greatest forms of jihad. In any case, deeds are judged by intentions, and perhaps Buraydah (may God be pleased with him), by his self-abasement, will have his deed become an act of obedience and jihad for him! Similarly, with good deeds, a fool might boast about them and publicize them, thus turning them into the register of showing off. God Almighty said: ‘And We will approach what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed.’ [Al-Furqan: 23]” [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/291].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Ibn Muhayriz, he said: I accompanied Fadalah bin Ubayd, may God be pleased with him, the companion of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and I said: Advise me, may God have mercy on you. He said: Remember three things from me, God will benefit you by them: If you can know others without being known yourself, then do so; if you can listen and not speak, then do so; and if you can sit and no one sits with you, then do so. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/168].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Khalid bin Durayk, he said: Ibn Muhayriz had two qualities that I did not find in anyone I met from this nation; he was the furthest of people from remaining silent about the truth, after it became clear to him, until he spoke about it, whether whoever was angry was angry or whoever was pleased was pleased, and he was among the most eager of people to keep the best of himself hidden. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/170].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Sahl bin Mansur, he said: Bishr bin Mansur, may God have mercy on him, was praying one day and he prolonged the prayer and saw a man looking at him, so Bishr noticed him and said to the man: Do not be impressed by what you saw from me, for Iblis has worshipped God with the angels for such and such a time. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/331].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, he said: I said to Bishr ibn Mansur: We sit in a gathering of goodness and blessing. He said: Yes, a good gathering. I said to him: Sometimes no one sits with me, and I feel sad. He said: If you wish for people to sit with you, leave this gathering. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/331].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Ja`far bin Hayyan said: It was mentioned to Muslim bin Yasar, may God have mercy on him, that he rarely looked around during prayer, so he said: How do you know where my heart is? [Sifat al-Safwa 3/169].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i, may God have mercy on him, said: They used to dislike, when they gathered, a man revealing his best hadith or he said: the best that he had. [Sifat Al-Safwa 3/60].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Al-A’mash, he said: Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i, may God have mercy on him, used to avoid fame, so he would not sit by the pillar, and if he was asked about a matter, he would not add anything to the answer to his question. So I would say to him about something he was asked about, “Isn’t it such and such?” And he would say: He did not ask me about this. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/89].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i and Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may God have mercy on them, they said: It is enough evil for a person to be pointed at with fingers in religion or worldly matters, except for those whom God protects! Piety is here, pointing to his chest three times. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/94].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, may God have mercy on him, said: No servant loves God without wanting to go unnoticed. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/725].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, may God have mercy on him, said: “No servant of God has ever been sincere and loved fame.” [Siyar (its abridgment) 2/626]. Ibrahim ibn Adham, may God have mercy on him, said: “No servant of God has ever been sincere and loved fame.” Al-Dhahabi, may God have mercy on him, said: “The sign of a sincere person who may love fame, without realizing it, is that if he is reproached for it, he does not become angry or try to justify himself. Rather, he acknowledges it and says: ‘May God have mercy on the one who pointed out my faults to me.’ He should not be conceited and unaware of his faults, indeed unaware that he is unaware, for this is a chronic disease.” [Siyar (its abridgment) 2/708].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Al-Hasan said: I was with Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him, one day and we came to a water fountain and people were drinking from it. He approached it to drink and the people did not recognize him, so they crowded around him and pushed him. When he came out he said to me: There is no life except like this. Meaning: where we are not recognized and are not respected. [Sifat Al-Safwa 4/372].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: If you can not be known, then do so. It does not matter to you if people do not praise you, and it does not matter to you if you are blamed by people if you are praised by God. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/7].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Al-Hasan ibn Al-Rabi’ said: The Caliph’s letter to Ibn Idris, may God have mercy on him, was read while I was present: From Allah’s servant Harun, Commander of the Faithful, to Abdullah ibn Idris. He said: Ibn Idris gasped and fell after noon. We got up for the afternoon prayer and he was still in that state. He woke up just before sunset, and we poured water on him. Then he said: “To God we belong and to Him we shall return. He has come to know me so well that he writes to me! What sin has brought this upon me?!” [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/796].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Sahnun, may God have mercy on him, he said: Some of those who came before would want to say a word, and if he had said it, many people would have benefited from it, so he would withhold it and not say it for fear of boasting. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 3/983].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Asim Al-Ahwal said: Abu Al-Aliyah, may God have mercy on him, would get up and leave if more than four people sat with him. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/479].

Concealing and hiding good deeds: Bishr bin Al-Harith, may God have mercy on him, said: I do not know of a man who loves to be known except that his religion is lost and he is disgraced. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/94].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Bishr bin Al-Harith, may God have mercy on him, said: A man who loves to be known by people will not find the sweetness of the Hereafter. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/94].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may God have mercy on him, said: A man might be a scholar sitting with people, and some people might think that he cannot express himself, although nothing prevents him from speaking except his dislike of becoming famous. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 446, 447].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Al-Shafi’i, may God have mercy on him, said: I wish that people would learn from me and that nothing of it would be attributed to me. [Sifat al-Safwa 2/553].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Abu Bakr bin Ayyash, may God have mercy on him, he said: The least benefit of silence is safety, and that is enough for well-being. And the least harm of speaking is notoriety, and that is enough for affliction. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/787].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Abu Musa, may God be pleased with him, he said: We went out with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, on a military expedition, and we were six men taking turns. He said: Our feet became sore, and my feet became sore, and my toenails fell off, so we used to wrap our feet with rags. So it was called the Expedition of Dhat al-Riqa‘ because we used to wrap our feet with rags. Abu Burda said: Abu Musa narrated this hadith and then mentioned it and said: Why did I mention this report? - as if he disliked that something of his deeds should be revealed - and he said: God will reward him for it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/200].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Al-A’mash, he said: Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman, may God be pleased with him, cried during his prayer. When he finished, he turned around and saw a man behind him. He said: Do not tell anyone about this. [Al-Muntazam 5/106].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: When Amr ibn Qais, may God have mercy on him, felt tenderness, he would turn his face to the wall and say to his companions: What is this cold? [Sifat al-Safwa 3/87].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Salam bin Abi Muti’ said: Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, may God have mercy on him, used to stand in prayer at night in secret, and when it was just before dawn he would raise his voice, as if he had only stood up at that hour. [Sifat al-Safwa 3/210].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: When Ibn al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him, became emotional and feared that this would become apparent, he would get up and perhaps start talking about another subject. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/201].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Hassan bin Abi Sinan, may God have mercy on him, used to attend the mosque of Malik bin Dinar, may God have mercy on him. When Malik spoke, Hassan would cry until the place in front of him was wet, and no sound could be heard from him. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/202].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Abu Sulayman al-Mukattib said: I accompanied Kurz, may God have mercy on him, to Mecca. Whenever he dismounted, he would take out his clothes and throw them into the saddlebag, then he would go aside to pray. When he heard the bellowing of camels, he would come. One day he did not return at the usual time, so his companions went out to look for him, and I was among those who looked for him. He said: I found him in a hollow praying in the heat of the day, and a cloud was shading him. When he saw me, he came towards me and said: O Abu Sulayman, I have a request of you. I said: What is your request, O Abu Abdullah? He said: I would like you to keep what you saw a secret. I said: You have my promise, O Abu Abdullah. He said: Give me a firm pledge. So I swore not to tell anyone about it until he died. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/147].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Muhammad bin Wasi’, may God have mercy on him, said: I knew men who would have their heads on the same pillow as their wives, and the place beneath their cheeks would be soaked with tears, but their wives would not notice. I knew men who would stand in prayer, and their tears would flow down their cheeks, but the person next to them would not notice. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/412].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of the concubine of al-Rabi‘ ibn Khuthaym, may God have mercy on him, she said: All of Al-Rabi’ bin Khuthaym’s deeds were done in secret. A man would come and he had opened the Qur’an, and he would cover it with his garment. [Al-Muntazam 6/8, 9].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Thabit bin Uqba bin Abdul Ghafir, may God have mercy on him, he said: A supplication in secret is better than seventy in public. And if a servant does a good deed in public and does the same in secret, God says to His angels: This is truly a servant. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/385].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Abu Abdullah, the servant of Abu al-Hasan al-Tusi, said: I heard Abu al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, swear so many times: If I could do voluntary acts of worship where my two angels could not see me, I would do so, but I cannot do that—out of fear of showing off. [Sifat al-Safwa 4/366].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Al-A’mash, he said: Abd Al-Rahman bin Abi Layla, may God have mercy on him, used to pray, and if someone entered, he would sleep on his bed. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/494].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Abu Hazim, may God have mercy on him, he said: Conceal your good deeds, just as you conceal your bad deeds. (Ibn al-Qayyim, may God have mercy on him, said: Revealing one's state to people in the view of the sincere is foolishness and weakness, and it is from the desires of the self and Satan. And the people of truth and determination are more discreet and secretive about their deeds than the owners of treasures of wealth are about their wealth. End quote, with some modification. Madarij al-Salikin 3/290) [Siyar (its abridgment) 2/637].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Hassan bin Abi Sinan, may God have mercy on him, had a screen in his shop. He would take out the accounting basket and display his accounts, and send a boy up to the door, saying: If you see a man approaching who you think wants to see me, then tell me. Then he would get up and pray, and if a man came, the boy would tell him, and he would sit as if he were at the accounting. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/180].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: When Mansur ibn al-Mu’tamir, may God have mercy on him, prayed the morning prayer, he would show his energy to his companions, talking to them and speaking to them at length. Perhaps he spent the night standing on his feet, all to conceal the deed from them. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/272].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Abu al-Tayyah, may God have mercy on him, said: A man would recite for twenty years without his neighbors being aware of it. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/459].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Ibn Abi Adi, he said: Dawud bin Abi Hind, may God have mercy on him, fasted for forty years without his family knowing about it. He was a leatherworker, and he would take his lunch with him from them, give it away in charity on the way, and return in the evening to break his fast with them. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/464].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: Wuhayb ibn al-Ward, may God have mercy on him, said: A learned man met a man who was more learned than him, and he said to him: May God have mercy on you, what should I make public of my work? He said: O servant of God, enjoining good and forbidding evil. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/34].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may God have mercy on him, he said: O son of Adam, you have words and deeds, secrets and public actions, and your deeds are more important to you than your words, and your secret is more important to you than your public actions. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 476].

Concealing and keeping good deeds secret: On the authority of Al-Rabi’ bin Subaih, he said: We were with Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may God have mercy on him, and he gave a sermon, and a man sobbed. Al-Hasan said: By God, God, the Almighty and Majestic, will ask you on the Day of Resurrection: What did you intend by this? [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 459].

Beware of feigning asceticism and obscurity: Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him, said: Be inclined to obscurity out of aversion to fame, and do not show that you love obscurity, lest you elevate yourself. For your claim of asceticism is your departure from asceticism, because you are drawing praise and commendation to yourself. [Sifat al-Safwa]

Beware of feigning asceticism and obscurity: Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, may God have mercy on him, said: Let a man fear God. If he is ascetic, let him not make his asceticism a torment to people, for it is better for a man to hide his asceticism than to make it public. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment)].

Beware of feigning asceticism and obscurity: It was mentioned to Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, that those who wear woolen clothes, and he said: What is wrong with them? May they be bereft - three times - they conceal pride in their hearts and show humility in their clothing, and by God, one of them is more impressed with his clothing than the wearer of a fine cloak is with his fine cloak. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2/738].

The situation of some of the Salaf who considered it permissible to make good deeds visible: Abu Muslim al-Khawlani, may God have mercy on him, said: I did not do any deed that I cared about who saw it, except when a man was alone with his wife or relieved himself. [Sifat al-Safwa 4/428].

The situation of some of the early Muslims who considered it permissible to make good deeds visible: On the authority of Nasr bin Ali, he said: Abdullah bin Ghalib, may God have mercy on him, used to say when he woke up: God has blessed me with good things last night; I recited such and such, I prayed such and such, I remembered such and such, and I did such and such. So it was said to him: O Abu Firas: Someone like you should not say such a thing! So he would say: God Almighty says: “And as for the favor of your Lord, speak of it” [Ad-Duha: 11], and you say: Do not speak of the favor. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/384].

The situation of some of the Salaf who considered it permissible to make good deeds visible: On the authority of Saeed bin Amer, he said: Al-Jariri, may God have mercy on him, came back from a journey, and his brothers came to greet him, so he began to tell them about what God had done for him on his journey, things he liked and things He had averted from him that he disliked, and he spoke about that, and he spoke well and eloquently, and he said: It used to be said: Part of gratitude is enumerating the blessings. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 610].

On the authority of Hassan bin Atiyyah, may God have mercy on him, he said: A man’s prayer at home is a secret act. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/266].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: On the authority of Ibn Sirin, he said: Uthman, may God be pleased with him, said: Umar used to withhold from his relatives seeking the pleasure of God, and I give to my relatives for the sake of God, and no one like Umar will ever be seen. [Uyun al-Akhbar 3/88].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: On the authority of Asbagh bin Zaid, he said: What prevented Uways, may God have mercy on him, from going to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was his kindness to his mother. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/300].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: It was said to Ali bin Al-Hussein, may God have mercy on him: You are one of the most dutiful people, yet we do not see you eating with your mother. He said: I fear that my hand might reach for something that her eye has already seen, and thus I would have disobeyed her. [Uyun Al-Akhbar 3/101].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: It was said to Omar bin Dharr, may God have mercy on him: How kind was your son to you? He said: I never walked during the day except that he walked behind me, nor at night except that he walked in front of me, nor did he climb onto a roof while I was below him. [Uyun al-Akhbar 3/101].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: Al-Ma’mun said: I have not seen anyone more kind to his father than Al-Fadl ibn Yahya, may God have mercy on him. His kindness to him was such that Yahya would not perform ablution except with heated water while they were in prison. The jailer prevented them from bringing in firewood on a cold night, so when Yahya went to his bed, Al-Fadl got up and went to a kettle in which water was heated, filled it, and then brought it close to the lamp’s fire. He remained standing with it in his hand until morning. [Uyun al-Akhbar 3/102].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir, may God have mercy on him, said: Umar, meaning his brother, spent the night praying, and I spent the night massaging my mother’s feet, and I would not wish my night to be in exchange for his night. [Sifat Al-Safwa 2/480].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: On the authority of Hafsa bint Sirin, she said: When Muhammad Sirin, may God have mercy on him, entered upon his mother, he would not speak to her with his whole tongue out of reverence for her. [Sifat al-Safwa 3/173].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: On the authority of Ibn Awn, he said: A man entered upon Muhammad ibn Sirin, may God have mercy on him, while he was with his mother, and said: What is the matter with Muhammad? Is he complaining of something? They said: No, but this is how he is when he is with his mother. [Sifat al-Safwa 3/173].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: On the authority of Muhammad bin Omar bin Harb, some of our companions told us on the authority of Ibn Awn, may God have mercy on him: that his mother called him and he answered her, and his voice rose above hers, so he freed two slaves. [Sifat al-Safwa 3/222].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: On the authority of Urwah bin Al-Zubayr, may God have mercy on him, he said: He who glares at his father has not been dutiful to him. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/528].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: Abu Ishaq al-Fazari said to Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on them both: “O Abu Abd al-Rahman, there was a man among our companions who had gathered more knowledge than you and I have gathered. He was on his deathbed, and I prompted him to say the testimony of faith. I said to him: ‘Say: There is no god but God.’ He said: ‘I cannot say it!’ Yet when addressed about other things, he could speak. He said that twice, and he continued in that manner until he died! He said: So I asked about him, and it was said: He was disobedient to his parents, so I thought that he was deprived of the word of sincerity because of his disobedience to his parents.” [Ibn Abi al-Dunya’s Encyclopedia 5/360].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: On the authority of Al-Ashja’i, he said: Mis‘ar’s mother asked him, may Allah have mercy on him, for water during one of the nights, so he went and brought a water skin, but he found that she had fallen asleep, so he held the drink in his hands until morning. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/423].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: On the authority of Abu Bakr bin Ayyash, he said: Sometimes I was sitting with Mansur bin Mu’tamir, may God have mercy on him, in his house, when his mother, who was harsh and rough, would shout at him, saying: O Mansur, Ibn Hubayra wants you to be a judge, and you refuse him?! And he would have his beard on his chest, not raising his gaze to her. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/136].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: Ibn Muhayriz, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever walks in front of his father has disobeyed him, unless he walks to remove harm from his path. And whoever calls his father by his name or nickname has disobeyed him, unless he says: O my father. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/168].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: On the authority of Ghassan bin Al-Mufaddal, a man from Quraysh told me: Amr bin Ubaid used to come to Kahmas, may God have mercy on him, greet him, and sit with him and his companions. His mother said to him: I see this man and his companions and I dislike them and I do not like them, so do not sit with them. He said: So Amr and his companions came to him and he looked down at them and said: My mother has disliked you and your companions, so do not come to me. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/319].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: Ja`far al-Khuldi said: Al-Abbar, may God have mercy on him, was one of the most ascetic people. He asked his mother for permission to travel to Qutaybah, but she did not give him permission. Then she died, so he went out to Khorasan, then he arrived in Balkh and Qutaybah had died. They were consoling him for this, so he said: This is the fruit of knowledge, I chose to please my mother. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/1101].

Kindness to parents and maintaining kinship ties: On the authority of Bishr bin Al-Harith, he said: A man asked Ibn Al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him, and said: My mother kept saying: Get married until I got married, and now she told me: Divorce her. He said: If you have done all the good deeds and this is all that remains for you, then divorce her. But if you are going to divorce her and go to argue with your mother and harm her, then do not divorce her. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/95].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him, said: God expiates a Muslim’s sins even through a mishap and the breaking of his sandal strap, and through goods that he puts in his shirt sleeve and loses. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/23].

The situation of the predecessors with trials and tribulations: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, said: We found the best of our lives to be patience. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/71].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, said: If a man is negligent in his deeds, he is afflicted with worry so that his sins may be expiated. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/292].

The situation of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, said: “Indeed, patience is to faith as the head is to the body. If the head is cut off, the body perishes.” Then he raised his voice and said: “Indeed, there is no faith for one who has no patience.” [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/23].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas, may God be pleased with him, he said: We were a people who suffered hardship and difficulty in life in Mecca with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. When the affliction befell us, we acknowledged it, endured it, and were patient with it. I remember when I was with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, in Mecca. I went out at night to urinate, and I heard a rattling sound under my urine. It was a piece of camel hide, so I took it, washed it, then burned it, placed it between two stones, and then swallowed it dry. I drank water afterward, and it gave me strength for three days. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/94].

The state of the predecessors with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas, may God be pleased with him, he said: I saw us with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and we had no food except tree leaves, until one of us relieved himself like a sheep. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/92].

The state of the predecessors with trials and tribulations: Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, may God be pleased with him, said: We were tested with adversity and we were patient, and we were tested with prosperity and we were not patient. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/98].

The way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Sa`id bin Wahb, he said: I entered with Salman al-Farisi, may God be pleased with him, to visit a friend of his from Kindah who was ill. Salman said to him: God, the Exalted and Glorified, tests His believing servant with trials, then heals him, and it is an expiation for what has passed, so he seeks to make amends in what remains of his life. And God, the Exalted and Glorified, tests His wicked servant with trials, then heals him, so he is like a camel that its owners tied up, then released it, so it does not know why they tied it up, nor why they released it when they released it. [Sifat al-Safwa 1/260].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Imran bin Husayn, may God be pleased with him, was afflicted in his body, so he said: I see it only as resulting from a sin, and what God forgives is greater, and he recited: “And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.” [Ash-Shura: 30]. [Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/293].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Ibn Masoud, may God be pleased with him, said: “None of you should say: I seek refuge in God from trials, but rather say: I seek refuge in God from the misleading trials.” Then he recited: “Your wealth and your children are but a trial” [At-Taghabun: 15] (Ibn Rajab, may God have mercy on him, said: This indicates that one should not seek refuge from wealth and children, as they are a trial. Al-Jami’ Al-Muntakhab/ 104) [Al-Jami’ Al-Muntakhab/ 104].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Ibn Masoud, may God be pleased with him, said: “Indeed, sickness does not earn reward, but sins are expiated by it.” [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/228].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: A man said to Aisha, may God be pleased with her: I heard that you say: If a Muslim falls ill, his deeds that he used to do from the end of his illness will be recorded for him. She said: I did not say that, I only said: His best deeds through the end of his illness will be recorded for him. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/252].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Abu al-Darda’ (may God be pleased with him) said: A fever for one night is an expiation for a year. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/237].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Abu al-Darda’, may God be pleased with him, said: If the son of Adam were to live a long life in health and safety, he would have a fatal illness. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 7/565].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Abu Hurairah, may God be pleased with him, he said: There is no pain more beloved to me than fever, because it gives every joint its share of pain, and God Almighty gives every joint its share of reward. [Sifat al-Safwa 1/335].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Qais bin Abi Hazim, he said: Khalid bin Al-Walid, may God be pleased with him, divorced his wife, then he praised her highly. So he was asked: O Abu Sulayman, why did you divorce her? He said: I did not divorce her because of anything about her that made me suspicious or displeased me, but rather because no calamity befell her in my presence. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/282].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Ka’b, may God be pleased with him, fell ill, and a group of people from Damascus visited him. They said, “How do you find yourself, Abu Ishaq?” He said, “I am well. My body has been seized for its sin. If my Lord wills, He will punish me, and if He wills, He will have mercy on me, and if He resurrects me, He will resurrect me as a new creation without sin.” [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya’s Encyclopedia 4/237].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, he said: They used to hope that a fever on a night would be an expiation for past sins. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/232].

The way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Thabit, he said: We went with Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, to visit Safwan bin Muhriz, who was ill. His son came out to us and said: He has a stomach ailment, you cannot enter upon him. Al-Hasan said: If some of his flesh and blood were taken today and he were rewarded for it, it is better than him being consumed by the earth. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/238].

The way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: It was narrated on the authority of Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, that he mentioned pain, and he said: By God, these are not the worst days of a Muslim’s life, days in which he remembers what he forgot of his afterlife, and his sins are expiated by it. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/240].

The way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, visited a man who was sick, and said to him: If we are not rewarded except for what we love, then our reward is little, and God is generous, He tests the servant while he is unwilling, and gives him a great reward for it. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/240].

The state of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Thabit, he said: We entered upon Rabi’ah bin Al-Harith, may God have mercy on him, to visit him while he was very ill, and he said: Whoever is in a state like mine, the Hereafter fills his heart, and the world is smaller in his eyes than a fly. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/239].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Al-Dahhak, may God have mercy on him, he said: Were it not for the recitation of the Qur’an, I would have been pleased to be bedridden, because the sick person is relieved of hardship, and the good deeds he used to do when healthy are recorded for him, and his sins are forgiven. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/248].

The way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may God have mercy on him, regarding the words of God Almighty: “Indeed, man is ungrateful to his Lord” [Al-Adiyat: 6], he said: He remembers the calamities and forgets the blessings. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/286].

The way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: Shurayh, may God have mercy on him, said: “When I am afflicted with a calamity, I praise God for it four times: I praise Him that it was not greater than it was, I praise Him that He granted me patience over it, I praise Him that He enabled me to say ‘To God we belong and to Him we shall return’ for the reward I hope for, and I praise Him that He did not make it a calamity in my religion.” [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/457]. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may God have mercy on him) said: “Praising God in times of hardship is necessitated by two considerations: First, the servant’s knowledge that God—exalted is He—is deserving of this and entitled to it by His own right, for He has perfected everything He created and made everything flawless. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, the All-Aware, the Most Merciful. Second, his knowledge that God’s choice for His believing servant is better than his own choice for himself, as narrated by Muslim in his Sahih and others on the authority of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: ‘By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, God does not decree anything for the believer except that it is good for him. This applies to no one except the believer. If good fortune befalls him, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If misfortune befalls him, he is patient, and that is good for him.’” (Majmu’ al-Fatawa 10/29)

The way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Talq bin Habib, may God have mercy on him, he said: It is written in the Gospel: O son of Adam, if you are wronged, be patient, for you have a helper who can help you better than you can help yourself. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/453].

The way of the predecessors with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Yunus bin Yazid, he said: I asked Rabi’ah bin Abi Abd al-Rahman, may God have mercy on him: What is the ultimate level of patience? He said: That the day a calamity befalls him is like the day before it befell him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/534].

The state of the predecessors with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Al-Hasan, he said: Nothing remained of Ayyub, may God have mercy on him, except his eyes, his heart, and his tongue, and the animals would come and go in his body. He said: And he stayed in the garbage dump for seven years. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 112].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Uthman ibn al-Haytham said: There was a man in Basra from the Banu Sa'd tribe, who was a commander in the army of Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad. He fell from the roof and broke both his legs. Abu Qilabah, may God have mercy on him, visited him and said, "I hope there is good in this for you." The man replied, "O Abu Qilabah, what good is there in breaking both my legs?" Abu Qilabah said, "What God has spared you is greater." Three days later, a letter arrived from Ibn Zayd ordering him to go out and fight al-Husayn. The man told the messenger, "What you see has befallen me." Only seven days passed before news arrived of al-Husayn's death. The man said, "May God have mercy on Abu Qilabah; he spoke the truth. It was indeed good for me." [Sifat al-Safwah 3/68]

The state of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: Musa bin Al-Mahdi consoled Sulayman bin Abi Ja`far on the death of his son, saying: “Does it please you when it is a calamity and a trial, and sadden you when it is a prayer and mercy?!” [Uyun Al-Akhbar 3/59].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Rabi’ah al-Jarshi, may God have mercy on him, he said: If patience were a man, he would be noble. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/23].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, said: Patience is a treasure from the treasures of goodness, which God does not give except to a servant who is honored in His sight. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/24].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Ibrahim al-Taymi, may God have mercy on him, he said: There is no servant to whom God has granted patience in the face of harm, patience in the face of affliction, and patience in the face of calamities, except that he has been given the best thing that anyone has been given after faith in God. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/24].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Maimun bin Mihran, may God have mercy on him, he said: Patience is of two kinds: Patience in the face of calamity is good, and better than that is patience in refraining from sins. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/24].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Maimun bin Mihran, may God have mercy on him, he said: No one, prophet or anyone else, attained anything of great good except through patience. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/24].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Sulayman ibn al-Qasim, may God have mercy on him, said: Every deed has a known reward except for patience. God, the Almighty and Majestic, said: “Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without measure.” [Az-Zumar: 10] He said: Like pouring water. [Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/24].

The way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: Abu Imran al-Jawni, may God have mercy on him, said regarding the words of God, the Almighty and Majestic: “Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured” [Ar-Ra’d: 24]: He said: For remaining steadfast in your religion. How excellent is Paradise as the outcome of your life in this world. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/25].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Salih al-Murri, may God have mercy on him, used to supplicate: O God, grant us patience in obeying You, grant us patience in refraining from disobeying You, and grant us patience in matters of resolve. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/25].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: It was said to Al-Batal, may God have mercy on him, “What is courage?” He said, “Patience for an hour.” [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/30].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Al-Husayn ibn Abd al-Rahman, may God have mercy on him, said: If you do not show leniency in matters, they will become complicated for you. So be lenient and dispel hardship with ease. I have not seen anything more effective against affliction than piety, nor have I seen anything more healing for adversity than patience. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/30].

The way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: Ziyad, the freed slave of Ibn Ayyash, may God have mercy on him, said: Patience today in refraining from disobeying God is better than patience in the shackles of Hellfire. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/30].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Sufyan, may God have mercy on him, he said: It used to be said: The believer needs patience as much as he needs food and drink. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/37].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Yazid ibn Tamim, he said: When Ibrahim al-Taymi, may God have mercy on him, was imprisoned by al-Hajjaj, he saw a group of people bound in chains, standing up together and sitting down together. He said: O people of God’s trial in His blessings, and O people of His blessings in His trials, God has seen you as worthy of being tested, so show Him that you are worthy of being patient for His sake. They said: Who are you, may God have mercy on you? He said: One who is waiting for a trial like the one that has befallen you. They said: We do not wish to leave our place. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/37].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Saeed bin Abdul Aziz, may God have mercy on him, he said: If you see a matter that you cannot do otherwise, then be patient and wait for God's relief. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/38].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Salih bin Abdul Karim, may God have mercy on him, said: God made reason the head of the affairs of the servants, knowledge their guide, action their driver, and patience their strength in that. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/38].

The way of the predecessors with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Saeed bin Jubeir, may God have mercy on him, he said: Patience is the servant’s acknowledgment to God of what has befallen him from Him, and his seeking reward from God, hoping for His reward. A man may be distressed while he is stoic and nothing is seen from him but patience.

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Al-Hasan, may God have mercy on him, he said: A man insulted a man from the early generations, so the man stood up, wiping the sweat from his face, and reciting, “And whoever is patient and forgives - indeed, that is of the matters [requiring] determination.” [Ash-Shura: 43] Al-Hasan said: By God, he understood it and comprehended it, while the ignorant ones neglected it! [Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/47].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Malik bin Dinar, may God have mercy on him, would weep and make his companions weep, and he would say during his weeping: Be patient in obeying Him, for it is only a little patience, and a long reward, and the matter is more urgent than that. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/53].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, may God have mercy on him, said: “He who is patient, how little he will be patient, and he who is impatient, how little he will enjoy.” [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/53].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Musma’ ibn ‘Asim, who said: ‘Abd al-Wahid ibn Zayd, may God have mercy on him, said to me: “Whoever intends to be patient in obeying God, God will grant him patience and strength for it. And whoever resolves to be patient in refraining from disobeying God, God will help him in that and protect him from it.” Then he said to me: “Do you think that you will be patient for the sake of His love, abstaining from your desires, and then your patience will be in vain? He who thinks this or anything similar of his Lord has thought ill of his Master.” He said: Then he wept and said: “His blessings come morning and evening for those who disobey Him, so how can those who love Him despair of His mercy?” [Ibn Abi al-Dunya’s Encyclopedia 4/54]

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Qatadah, may God have mercy on him, said: Patience is to faith as the hands are to the body. Whoever is not patient in adversity will not be grateful for blessings. If patience were a man, he would be noble and handsome. [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/59].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Umar ibn Dharr, may God have mercy on him, said to a man who had been harmed by his neighbor: “Be patient, my brother, for by God, I do not think there is anything more valuable than the reward of patience. My brother, be patient, for through patience you will attain the treasure of its people. Know that patience is a gift, and it is only given to those who are honored in their Master’s sight. So seize the opportunity to acquire it as much as you can, for you will find its reward in this life and the next, God willing.” [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/59]

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Wahb ibn Munabbih, may God have mercy on him, passed by a blind, leprous, crippled, naked man with white patches on his skin, who was saying: “Praise be to God for His blessings.” A man who was with Wahb said: “What blessings do you have when you are in this condition?!” The man replied: “Look at the people of the city and see how many of them there are. Should I not praise God for His blessings that there is no one there who knows God except me?” [Ibn Abi al-Dunya’s Encyclopedia 4/60].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Layth, he said: I told Talhah bin Musarrif, may God have mercy on him, on the authority of Tawus that he disliked groaning, so no groaning was heard from him during his illness until he died! [Ibn Abi Al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/63].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Ibn al-Sammak, may God have mercy on him, wrote to al-Rashid, offering his condolences on the death of his son: “To proceed: If you can make your gratitude to God when He took him greater than your gratitude when He gave him, then know that when He took him, He secured His gift for you. Had he survived, you would not have been safe from his trials. Do you see your grief at his passing and your anguish over parting from him? Would you be content with this life for yourself, and would you be content with it for your son? He has escaped the distress, while you remain suspended in danger. Know that the calamity is twofold if you despair, but it is only one if you are patient. Do not compound the two for yourself.” [Uyun al-Akhbar 3/59]

The situation of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: A member of the family of Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn, may God have mercy on him, fell ill and he was distressed over him. Then he was informed of his death and was relieved. So he was asked about that, and he said: We call upon God for what we love, so if what we hate happens, we do not go against God in what He loves. [Uyun Al-Akhbar 3/62].

The attitude of the early Muslims towards trials and tribulations: On the authority of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, may God have mercy on him, he said: I do not like the pangs of death to be easy for me because it is the last thing by which a Muslim’s sins are expiated. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/229].

The situation of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: Saeed bin Jubayr, may God have mercy on him, said: The trials continued to befall my companions until I saw that God had no need of me, until the trials befell me. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/106].

The way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Humaid Al-Araj, he said: A son of Saeed bin Jubeir came to him, and Saeed, may God have mercy on him, said: The best thing for him in my opinion is that he dies, so I may seek Allah’s reward for losing him. [Al-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad / 643].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: Ibn Dharr, may God have mercy on him, said: Whoever is determined to be patient in matters, has attained goodness and sought the strongholds of righteousness and the fullness of rewards. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/156].

The attitude of the early Muslims towards trials and tribulations: Sufyan al-Thawri, may God have mercy on him, said: He is not a scholar who does not consider hardship a blessing and prosperity a calamity. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/499].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Hudhayfah al-Mar'ashi, he said: We entered Mecca with Ibrahim ibn Adham, may God have mercy on him, and Shaqiq al-Balkhi had performed Hajj that year. We met beside the place of circumambulation, and Ibrahim said to Shaqiq: On what did you base your principles? He said: We based our principles on the fact that if we are provided for, we eat, and if we are denied, we are patient. Ibrahim said: That is what the dogs of Balkh do. Shaqiq said to him: And on what did you base your principles? He said: We based our principles on the fact that if we are provided for, we give preference to others, and if we are denied, we are grateful and praise God. Shaqiq stood up and sat before Ibrahim and said: O master, you are our master. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 2/492].

The state of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: Dhu al-Nun, may God have mercy on him, said: Trials are the salt of the believer; if he lacks trials, his condition will be corrupted. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/234].

The way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad, may God have mercy on him, said: If God loves a servant, He increases his sorrow, and if God hates a servant, He expands his worldly life. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/8].

The way of the predecessors with trials and tribulations: Yahya bin Muadh, may God have mercy on him, said: They swam in the seas of calamities until they crossed over to the gifts, then they swam in the seas of gifts until they crossed over to the Lord of creation. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/258].

The way of the predecessors with trials and tribulations: Al-Asma’i said: I witnessed Salih Al-Murri, may God have mercy on him, consoling a man, and he said: If your calamity with your son did not bring you a lesson in yourself, then it is easy compared to your calamity with yourself, so weep for that. [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/725].

The way of the righteous predecessors with trials and tribulations: A man struck one of the righteous and injured his head. He said: I asked God to grant him Paradise. It was said: How can that be when he wronged you? He said: I knew that I would be rewarded for what happened to me from him, so I did not want my share from him to be good and his share from me to be evil. [Ihya Ulum al-Din 1/933].

The way of the early Muslims with trials and tribulations: On the authority of Muhammad ibn Abi al-Qasim, may God have mercy on him, he said: A devout worshipper admonished a tyrant, so he ordered that his hands and feet be cut off, and he was taken to his place of worship. His brothers came to console him, so he said: Do not console me, but congratulate me on what God has brought me. Then he said: My God, I have reached the station of desires, and I see wonders. My God, You show kindness with Your blessings to those who harm You, so how will You show kindness to those who are harmed for Your sake? [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/295].