الحكمة وتزكية النفس

A person's perfection lies in beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds.

In proportion to the firmness of a servant's footing on this path in this abode, his footing will be firm on the Bridge in the Hereafter.

Do not feel lonely because you are alone on the path of truth.

Whoever knows the truth better and follows it more closely is more entitled to the straight path.

The more complete a servant's servitude is, the greater the help he receives from Allah.

Seeking Allah's help brings together two foundations: trust in Allah and reliance upon Him.

A servant cannot truly fulfil 'You alone we worship' except through two foundations: sincerity and following the prophetic way.

Only someone who knows the realities of the divine names and attributes, and knows the meaning of divinity, knows the secret of servitude and its ultimate purpose.

Whoever claims that he reaches a station at which the obligation to worship falls away from him is a heretic who disbelieves in Allah.

The servant travels towards Allah between contemplating His favour and recognising his own shortcomings.

Every breath that is spent on something other than what brings one closer to Allah is a cause of regret for the servant.

Happiness revolves around, and has as its central pivot, belief in the warning of punishment.

When the heart is filled with something, no room remains in it for anything else.

The traveller encounters dangers and perils from which nothing can save him except the insight that comes from knowledge.

Whoever turns away from the truth falls into falsehood.

Only someone who knows his own self thinks poorly of it; whoever thinks well of his own self is among those most ignorant of it.

A servant's satisfaction with his own obedience is evidence that he thinks well of himself and is ignorant of the obligations of servitude.

The completeness of victory over the enemy is proportionate to the completeness of holding fast to Allah.

Recognising the gravity of an offence arises from: 1) reverence for the command; 2) reverence for the One who commands; 3) belief in recompense.

The person of perfection is the one whose mistakes can be counted.

Every ugly word and deed arises from ignorance and injustice.

The self is the source of every evil, and every good within it comes from Allah.

The more earnestly a servant strives to remain upright and call to Allah, the more earnestly the enemy strives to incite foolish people against him.

Considering a sin insignificant is a sin, and considering one's obedience abundant is a sin.

Wasting time extinguishes the light of awareness of Allah's watchfulness.

Everyone who earnestly pursues something must encounter a pause and a loss of vigour.

Delaying repentance is a sin for which repentance is obligatory.

Repentance is opposing the call of the self and responding to the call of truth.

Everyone who disobeys Allah is ignorant; the Companions unanimously agreed on this.

Humility and brokenness are the spirit, the marrow and the very essence of servitude.

When Allah intends good for His servant, He causes him to fall into a sin that breaks his pride.

Further guidance is among the rewards of guidance, and further misguidance is among the punishments of misguidance.

Creation will be asked two questions: 'What did you worship?' and 'How did you respond to the messengers?'

The truth is not defeated by the obstinate denial of those who deviate and confuse matters.

The crop of hypocrisy grows from two irrigation channels: lying and showing off. These flow from two springs: weak insight and weak resolve.

Whoever desires eternal happiness should remain at the threshold of servitude.

For every statement, the speaker's own condition bears witness to its truthfulness or falsehood.

How many ailments, ulterior motives and selfish interests there are in souls that prevent a deed from being sincerely devoted to Allah and from reaching Him!

Giving up reliance on one's deeds comes through: 1) recognising that the One who enables them is Allah, not you; 2) recognising that you will not be saved by them.

Following one's desires prevents one from benefiting from admonition.

Keeping one's worldly hopes short rests on: 1) certainty that this world will pass away; 2) certainty that the Hereafter will endure.

Happiness in this world and the Hereafter revolves around holding fast to Allah and to His rope.

Existence stands only through justice.

A servant's preoccupation with his Lord is proportionate to his closeness to Him.

Thinking well of Allah is accompanied by sincere reliance upon Him.

People of firm resolve are not satisfied with the outward appearances and forms of deeds, but with their realities.

Only someone firmly grounded in knowledge of Allah and His command, and acquainted with the qualities and conditions of the self, can distinguish its selfish interests.

Whoever does not aspire to advance is falling behind without realising it; there is absolutely no standing still.

Being free from error is not a condition of being a close friend of Allah.

What benefits the truthful person most is truly recognising his own poverty and need..

The deeds of a heedless person are usually not accompanied by sincerity.

Aspiration is the name of the first station of those who set out towards Allah.

A sign of humble submission is neither rejoicing at people's praise nor grieving at their criticism.

When Allah intends good for His servant, He places in his heart a witness through which he beholds the reality of this world and the Hereafter.

A servant does not deserve to be called an ascetic until he renounces attachment to wealth, forms, leadership, people, his own self and everything other than Allah.

If you find no pleasure in a deed, question it, for the Lord is Appreciative: He must reward the one who acts with a pleasure that he feels..

Sincerity is not complete without patience.

Whoever gives preference to Allah's pleasure will inevitably be opposed by the world's most contemptible and lowly people.

The purification of souls is a matter referred back to the messengers.

Purifying the soul is harder than treating bodies.

Whoever is too arrogant to submit to the truth, Allah will abase, diminish and humiliate him.

Whoever departs from the evidence strays from the right path.

The nobility of doing good consists in hastening it, making it easy, providing it generously, not taking credit for it while doing it, and forgetting it after doing it.

The reality of good conduct is justice.

They attain certainty in proportion to their closeness to God-consciousness.

Repeated practice produces established abilities.

Awareness of Allah's watchfulness requires reforming oneself and treating His creation gently.

A person's worth lies in his aspiration and what he seeks.

When Allah loves a servant, He brings love for Him into that servant's heart.

The Lord's pleasure lies in hastening to fulfil His commands.

There is unanimous agreement that the self is among the greatest veils.

Aspiration calls for sincerity in seeking and persistence in it.

Deeds are the fruits of knowledge and beliefs.

Love, fear and hope are the foundations of spiritual conduct and the journey towards Allah.

Ignorance is of two kinds: ignorance consisting of a lack of knowledge and understanding, and ignorance consisting of blindness and error.

Bondage to religious obligation necessarily remains with the accountable person for as long as he remains in this world.

A person's lofty aspiration is a sign of his success, and his low aspiration is a sign of his deprivation.

Everyone pursuing any matter must: 1) identify what he seeks; 2) know the path that leads to it; 3) begin travelling that path. If any one of these three is missing, his journey will not be sound.

The self and Satan are the source of every falsehood.

Ignorance is the root of every religious innovation, misguidance and deficiency; knowledge is the foundation of every good, guidance and perfection.

Every claim to knowledge that is not based on evidence is an assertion without evidence.

Allah revealed to Moses: 'Be towards Me as I wish, and I shall be towards you as you wish.'

A servant may perceive the truth without following guidance: 'As for Thamud, We guided them' [Fussilat 41:17].. Yet they preferred misguidance to guidance.

The heart becomes upright through two things: 1) giving love of Allah Most High precedence over every other love; 2) revering His commands and prohibitions, which arises from reverence for the One who commands and prohibits.

We are more in need of a little good conduct than of a great deal of hadith.

If speaking pleases you, remain silent; and if silence pleases you, speak.

Whoever occupies himself with what is unimportant harms what is important.

No one seeks something earnestly and sincerely without attaining it; if he does not attain all of it, he attains some of it.

If you can know without being known, do so..

Haste is foolishness.

Whenever a servant turns his heart towards Allah, Allah turns the hearts of the believers towards him.

It is sufficient knowledge for a person to fear Allah, and sufficient ignorance for a person to admire his own deeds.

Everything that is not intended for Allah's sake fades away.

If the remembrance of death left my heart for an hour, I would fear that my heart would become corrupt.

A man sits only where he benefits.

Only people of merit recognise the merit of people of merit.

The weapon of the ignoble is ugly speech.

The lie of someone known for truthfulness passes as believable, while the truth of someone known for lying does not.

If a door to good is opened for any of you, let him hasten towards it, for he does not know when it will be closed to him.

Someone who speaks and is mindful of Allah is better than someone who remains silent and is mindful of Allah.

A man does not truly advise his brother until he tells him to his face what he dislikes hearing.

Do not look at how small the sin is; rather, look at the One whom you have disobeyed.

I struggled with prayer for twenty years, and found delight in it for twenty years.

When a gathering goes on for a long time, Satan has a share in it.

Whoever loves life is humbled.

A servant has never found anything that helps him in his religion like reverent fear of Allah Most High.

For a man to conceal his asceticism is better than to display it.

No servant is truthful while loving fame.

Knowledge is a means to every virtue.

Considering consequences fertilises the intellect.

I know myself better than those who have dreams.

Weeping has ten parts: one part is for Allah, and nine are for something other than Allah. If the part that is for Allah comes once in a year, that is much.

It is not fitting to recline when the righteous are mentioned.

Act upon a little hadith, and it will make you less eager for a great deal of it.

Knowledge is sufficient as worship.

What we acquired of Malik's good conduct was more than what we learned from him. Ibn Wahb said this.

Many a small deed is made great by its intention, and many a great deed is made small by its intention.

Nothing eradicates desires except a fear that jolts one or a longing that makes one restless.

The greatest calamity is hardness of heart.

Pursuing the excesses of this world is a punishment with which Allah has punished the people of monotheism.

Every departure from moderation is blameworthy.

The best deeds are those that oppose the desires of the self.

Whatever knowledge you miss, do not miss putting it into practice.

It is sufficient fault in a person that what harms him pleases him.

Do not consider the answer slow in coming when you have blocked its path with sins.

If you see someone granted extraordinary gifts, even to the point of flying, do not be deceived by him until you see how he observes commands and prohibitions and preserves the prescribed limits.

The believer speaks little and acts much; the hypocrite speaks much and acts little.

I struggled against my self for forty years until it became upright.

If there is no sorrow in the heart, it falls into ruin.

Whoever draws near to temptation becomes far removed from safety.

Whoever claims to possess patience is left to his own self.

The tree of love needs to be nurtured in good soil.

The greatest evidence of a thing's virtue is to look at its fruit.

Whoever fears punishment abandons what he desires, and whoever seeks nearness practises scrupulousness.

Patience has a sweetness that becomes evident in the outcomes.

Trials reveal the true substance of men; how quickly the pretender is exposed!

If love blinds one to faults, hatred blinds one to virtues.

Patience in hardships produces benefits.

Whoever makes his inner state good, Allah makes his outward state good. Whoever sets right what is between himself and Allah, Allah sets right what is between himself and people. Whoever sets right the affairs of his Hereafter, Allah sets right the affairs of his worldly life.

When a servant exposes himself to temptation, Allah leaves him to his own self.

Reverent fear of Allah prevents following one's desires.

The heart's pleasure and pain are greater than the body's pleasure and pain.

Satan misleads a man in proportion to his lack of knowledge.

Sincerity is attained only after renouncing worldly attachment; that renunciation comes only after God-consciousness; and God-consciousness is following the commands and prohibitions.

The heart finds sufficiency only through worshipping Allah.

Whoever does something often becomes known for it.

There is no good in excessive speech. Whoever speaks much makes many slips.

If you would like Allah to continue giving you what you love, continue doing for Him what He loves.

A person is eager for what he has been denied, and longs for what he has not attained.

Among the whips of discipline, none is better than the whip of resolve.

Satan first makes the permissible attractive, then draws one towards sin. So consider the outcome and understand the situation.

Someone who patches and sews is not like someone whose garment is intact. How many people have slipped and never regained their footing afterwards! Many a fractured bone never heals; and if it heals, it does so with weakness.

Taste the sweetness of refraining from what is forbidden, for it is a tree that bears the fruit of dignity in this world and honour in the Hereafter.

Hastening to obtain pleasure causes virtues to be lost and vices to be acquired. Its cause is failure to consider the consequences. Considering them is the work of reason, while that blameworthy behaviour is the work of desire.

Hasten, hasten to cleanse yourself, so that your arrival will be in a state of purity.

Beware, beware of finding the duration of a trial too long and becoming weary of frequent supplication. You are being tested by the trial, and you worship through patience and supplication. Do not despair of relief from Allah, even if the trial lasts a long time.

Whoever loves something mentions it often.

For someone who has accustomed himself to acting for Allah, nothing is harder than acting for anyone else. For someone who has accustomed himself to acting for his desires and personal interests, nothing is harder than sincerity and acting for Allah.

What matters is not performing an act of obedience; what matters is preserving it from what invalidates it.

Patience and God-consciousness are the remedy for every ailment of religion: 'Indeed, whoever is mindful of Allah and patient, Allah does not let the reward of those who do good go to waste.'

You cannot repay someone who disobeys Allah in his dealings with you with anything like obeying Allah in your dealings with him.

Prominence in this world and happiness in the next can be reached only by crossing a bridge of hardship.

The latter part of this community will be reformed only by what reformed its first part.

Benefit gives rise to love.

Opposing one's desires gives rise to a feeling of burdensomeness.

Justice brings hearts together, and injustice causes division.

Good character brings companionship, and aloofness brings loneliness.

Arrogance brings hatred, and humility brings affection.

Generosity brings praise, and miserliness brings blame.

Every piece of knowledge accompanied by deeds that please Allah Most High is a favour; otherwise, it is evidence against its possessor.

The God-conscious unanimously agree that abandonment means Allah leaving you to your own self and leaving you alone with it, while divine enabling means His not leaving you to your own self.

The smaller your good deeds are in your eyes, the greater they are with Allah. The greater and more important they become in your heart, the fewer and smaller they become with Allah. Your sins are the reverse.

Awareness of Allah's watchfulness gives a light that reveals the realities of knowledge and servitude, while wasting time covers that light.

Every deficiency, affliction and evil in this world and the Hereafter is caused by sins.

When a servant follows his desires, his judgement and perception become corrupt. His self shows him what is good in the form of what is ugly, and what is ugly in the form of what is good, so that truth and falsehood become confused for him.

Nothing is more beneficial to a servant in his worldly life and his return to the Hereafter, or closer to ensuring his salvation, than reflecting upon the Qur'an, contemplating it at length, and concentrating his thoughts on the meanings of its verses.

The wishes of a person of lofty aspiration revolve around knowledge, faith and deeds that bring him closer to Allah and nearer to His presence.

Fear of Allah is a sign of sound faith, and its departure from the heart is a sign that faith is departing from it.

The one who knows Allah sees no right that he holds over anyone, and sees no superiority of his own over another. Therefore, he neither reproaches nor makes demands.

Accounts of scholars and sitting in their company are dearer to me than much jurisprudence, because they convey these people's manners and character.

A thing may be known in order to avoid it, and evil may be known without seeking evil itself.

Solitude is worship.

Self-admiration is the affliction of intellects.

Whoever does not benefit from his little knowledge is harmed by his abundant knowledge.

When Allah grants you new knowledge, undertake new worship for Him, and do not let your concern be merely to speak about it.

We are more in need of being admonished through deeds than of being admonished through words.

Someone too arrogant to submit to the truth is afflicted with submission to falsehood.

A servant's perfection lies in perfecting his two faculties: the faculty of knowledge and the faculty of action, which are faith and righteous deeds. Just as he needs to perfect himself, he needs to perfect others through mutual counsel in truth and mutual counsel in patience. The binding support, foundation and stem on which all of this stands is patience.

The self has two faculties: 1) the faculty of patience, restraint and self-control; 2) the faculty of giving, doing good and taking the initiative to do what brings it to perfection. Its perfection lies in the combination of these two faculties within it.

Worries, distress and sorrows arise from two directions: desire for this world and eagerness for it, and falling short in deeds of righteousness and obedience.

Whoever becomes accustomed to patience is feared by his enemy. Whoever finds patience difficult encourages his enemy to take advantage of him, and the enemy is close to achieving his aim against him.

If your resolve were sincere, the abodes of laziness would cast you into the wilderness of pursuit.

The commodity 'Indeed, I am most forgiving' [Taha 20:82] is offered only for the price 'to whoever repents' [Taha 20:82].

This world and Satan are two enemies outside you, while the self is an enemy within you. Among the principles of jihad is: 'Fight those nearest to you' [Al-Tawbah 9:123].

If you practised restraint for an hour, you would not need a prolonged course of medicinal treatment.

Allah, glorified is He, has never commanded anything without helping one to fulfil it and establishing means that support and assist it. Likewise, He has never decreed an illness without decreeing a remedy for it, and has guaranteed recovery through using it.

Whoever tastes the pleasure of something becomes more determined to obtain it.

Whoever accustoms his self to opposing desire overcomes it whenever he wishes.

I found the improvement of my heart in keeping company with scholars.

Whoever finds pleasure in knowledge and acting upon it rarely desires what people possess.

Many a word is better than giving money.

What leads a man to stop seeking further knowledge is the little benefit he derives from what he already knows.

Holding on to what sustains you in this world is not part of loving this world.

The treasure-houses of aspirations lie beyond the bridges of trials.

Give hearts recreation from time to time.

If you see a man buying what is base with what is precious, and selling what is great for what is trivial, know that he is foolish.

The candle of victory is placed only in the candlestick of brokenness.

The drink of desire is sweet, but it causes choking.

Occupy yourself with Allah during life, and He will suffice you for what comes after death.

Recognise the value of what you have lost, and weep as someone who knows the extent of what has been missed.

If you inhaled the breeze of the hours before dawn, your intoxicated heart would awaken.

Whoever considers the road too long walks weakly.

Staying awake became easy for the guards when they knew that their voices were within the king's hearing.

Every piece of knowledge and every deed that does not strengthen faith is flawed, and every faith that does not prompt action is flawed.

Giving preference to this world over the Hereafter arises either from corruption in faith or from corruption in reason.

The foundation of all the deeds of the heart is truthfulness.

Whoever is given good, Allah has given it to him; and whoever is protected from evil, Allah has protected him.

Many a desire has brought about a long sorrow.

O seekers of knowledge, you have written and studied; yet if knowledge sought you in the house of action, you would be absent, and if it called you to account for sincerity, you would be bankrupt.

The heart is set right by holding the self to account, and is corrupted by neglecting it and giving it free rein.

Despising one's self for Allah's sake is among the qualities of the utterly truthful. Through it, the servant draws closer to Allah, glorified is He, in a single moment by many times what he achieves through deeds.

Allah, glorified is He, has never given a command without Satan having two temptations concerning it: either towards neglect and falling short, or towards exceeding the limit and extremism. He does not care which of the two he achieves.

Deeds differ in excellence before Allah according to the differing levels of faith, sincerity, love and their accompanying qualities within hearts.

No man performs a deed without Allah clothing him in its garment: if it is good, then in good; and if it is evil, then in evil.

Turning towards Allah, returning to Him, being content with Him and with what comes from Him, having the heart filled with love for Him, constantly remembering Him, and rejoicing and taking delight in knowing Him: these are an immediate reward, a paradise and a life to which the life of kings bears absolutely no comparison.

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked what most causes people to enter Paradise. He said: 'God-consciousness and good character.' He was asked what most causes people to enter the Fire. He said: 'The mouth and the private parts.' (Sahih al-Targhib.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'You will not be able to encompass people with your wealth, but a cheerful face and good character from you will encompass them.' (Sahih al-Targhib.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The believers with the most complete faith are those with the best character.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih al-Jami.)

Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Some people are keys to good and locks against evil, and some people are keys to evil and locks against good. Glad tidings to the one through whose hands Allah places the keys to good, and woe to the one through whose hands Allah places the keys to evil.' (A hadith graded hasan through its combined chains and supporting reports. It was recorded by Ibn Majah, Ibn Abi Asim in al-Sunnah, and others, as mentioned in al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood for prayer, he would make this supplication at its opening: 'O Allah, guide me to the best character and the best deeds; none guides to the best of them except You. Protect me from bad character and bad deeds; none protects against the bad of them except You.' (Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud and Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi.)

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, may Allah Most High have mercy on him, said: Character traits have a limit: when you exceed it, they become aggression; when you fall short of it, they become deficiency and abasement. Anger has a limit, namely praiseworthy courage and disdain for vices and shortcomings; this is its perfection. If it exceeds its limit, its possessor transgresses and acts unjustly; if it falls short of it, he becomes cowardly and feels no disdain for vices. (Al-Fawaid.)

The Mother of the Believers Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: Noble qualities of character are ten: truthful speech; true steadfastness in obeying Allah; giving to the person who asks; repaying kindness; maintaining family ties; fulfilling trusts; honouring one's obligation to a neighbour; honouring one's obligation to a companion; hospitality to a guest; and foremost among them, modesty. (Makarim al-Akhlaq by Ibn Abi al-Dunya.)

Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: You never meet a believer without finding him reproaching himself: 'What did I intend by my words? What did I intend by my eating? What did I intend by my drinking?' The ineffectual person goes straight ahead without reproaching himself. (Recorded by Ibn Abi al-Dunya in Muhasabat al-Nafs.)

Mukhallad ibn al-Husayn said to Ibn al-Mubarak: 'We are more in need of much good conduct than of much hadith.' (Tadhkirat al-Sami wa al-Mutakallim by Ibn Jamaah.)

Malik ibn Dinar, may Allah Most High have mercy on him, said: May Allah have mercy on a servant who says to his precious self, 'Are you not the one who did such-and-such?', then reproaches it, puts a bridle on it, and obliges it to follow the Book of Allah, so that the Book becomes its guide. (Recorded by Ibn Abi al-Dunya in Muhasabat al-Nafs; see also Ighathat al-Lahfan.)

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'If your good deed pleases you and your bad deed distresses you, then you are a believer.' (Sahih al-Jami.)

Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'Whoever seeks knowledge and jurisprudence without good conduct has ventured into lying about Allah and His Messenger.' (Siyar Alam al-Nubala.)

It used to be said: There is no noble character trait or beautiful deed that Allah has not connected with religion. (See Makarim al-Akhlaq by Ibn Abi al-Dunya.)

Al-Hasan said: Good character is generosity, giving freely and forbearance. Al-Shabi said: Good character is giving freely, generosity and a cheerful countenance. Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak said: It is a cheerful—or open—face, offering kindness and refraining from harm. (Ibn al-Qayyim's commentary on Sunan Abi Dawud.)

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Good character is not becoming angry and not bearing grudges. It is also reported that he said: Good character is bearing what comes from people.

Some scholars said: Good character is restraining anger for Allah's sake; displaying an open and cheerful face, except towards the religious innovator and the wicked; pardoning those who slip, except when disciplining them or implementing a prescribed punishment; and refraining from harming every Muslim and every person under a covenant. (Jami al-Ulum wa al-Hikam.)

Al-Hasan said: A man would seek knowledge, and before long it could be seen in his humility, conduct, tongue, gaze and hand. (Al-Jami by al-Khatib.)

Allah Most High said: 'Indeed, Allah commands justice, doing good and giving to relatives, and forbids indecency, wrongdoing and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may remember.' (Al-Nahl 16:90.) In explaining His words, 'Indeed, Allah commands justice and doing good', al-Qurtubi mentioned a report from Uthman ibn Mazun, who said: When this verse was revealed, I recited it to Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him. He marvelled and said: 'O family of Talib, follow him and you will succeed! By Allah, Allah sent him to command you to observe noble character.' (Tafsir al-Qurtubi.) Ibn Abd al-Barr said: The scholars have said that the verse most comprehensively encompassing righteousness, virtue and noble character is the statement of Allah, mighty and majestic: 'Indeed, Allah commands justice, doing good and giving to relatives, and forbids indecency, wrongdoing and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may remember.'

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said: No one's proper conduct towards Allah can be sound except through three things: 1) knowing Him through His names and attributes; 2) knowing His religion and law, and what He loves and hates; 3) a soul that is ready, receptive, gentle and prepared to accept the truth in knowledge, action and spiritual state.

Muhammad Abduh said: The building and survival of nations, the flourishing of their civilisation and the endurance of their strength are guaranteed only as long as morals remain within them. When morals fall, the nation falls.

Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Good character stands on four pillars without which it cannot conceivably stand: 1) patience; 2) chastity; 3) courage; 4) justice.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The strong person is not the one who throws others down in wrestling. Rather, the strong person is the one who controls himself when angry.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: In al-Tirmidhi and elsewhere, it is reported from him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: 'Two qualities do not come together in a hypocrite: good outward conduct and understanding of religion.' Thus he made understanding of religion incompatible with hypocrisy. Indeed, the early Muslims used the term 'understanding' only for knowledge accompanied by action. When Sad ibn Ibrahim was asked who had the greatest understanding among the people of Madinah, he said: 'The most Allah-conscious of them.' (Miftah Dar al-Saadah)…

Abu al-Darda, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Nothing is heavier in the scale than good character.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih al-Jami.)

Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: 'Through his good character, the believer attains the rank of one who fasts and stands in prayer.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih al-Targhib.)

Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Adhere to good character and prolonged silence. By the One in whose hand is my soul, created beings have never adorned themselves with anything like these two.' (Sahih al-Jami.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'You will not be able to encompass people with your wealth, but a cheerful face and good character from you will encompass them.' (Al-Albani said: Abu Yala and al-Bazzar narrated it through several chains, one of which is good and hasan; Sahih al-Targhib.)

Sahl ibn Sad reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Allah loves lofty character traits and dislikes their lowly counterparts.' (Sahih al-Jami.)

Abu Dharr and Muadh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with them both, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Be mindful of Allah wherever you are. Follow a bad deed with a good deed, which will erase it. Treat people with good character.' (Al-Tirmidhi said: Hasan sahih.)

Ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The believers best in their Islam are those from whose tongues and hands Muslims are safe. The believers best in faith are those with the best character. The best emigrants are those who abandon what Allah Most High has forbidden. The best jihad is that of someone who strives against his own self for the sake of Allah, mighty and majestic.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih al-Jami and al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

Al-Nawwas ibn Saman, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about righteousness and sin. He said: 'Righteousness is good character, and sin is what troubles your breast and what you dislike people discovering.' (Recorded by Muslim.) Imam al-Nawawi, may Allah Most High have mercy on him, said: His words 'troubles your breast' mean that it stirs and wavers within you, that your breast does not feel at ease with it, and that it gives rise in your heart to doubt and fear that it is a sin. (Sharh Muslim.)

Ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The best person is one with a cleansed heart and a truthful tongue.' He was asked: 'What is the cleansed heart?' He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'It is the God-conscious heart in which there is no sin, oppression or envy.' He was asked: 'Who comes next?' He said: 'The one who detests this world and loves the Hereafter.' He was asked: 'Who comes next?' He said: 'A believer with good character.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih al-Jami.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The best of you in Islam are those with the best character, when they gain understanding.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad; al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih al-Jami.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The believers with the most complete faith are those with the best character, and the best of them are those of you who are best to their wives.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih al-Jami.)

Abu Umamah al-Bahili, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'I guarantee a house on the outskirts of Paradise for whoever gives up disputation even when he is right, a house in the middle of Paradise for whoever gives up lying even when joking, and a house in the highest part of Paradise for whoever has good character.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

Allah Most High said: 'He is the One who sent among the unlettered a messenger from among themselves, reciting His verses to them, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although before that they were in clear error.' (Al-Jumuah 62:2.) Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said: That is, he purifies them of base character traits, the impurities of their souls and the deeds of the age of ignorance. He brings them out of darkness into light, teaches them the Book, which is the Qur'an, and wisdom, which is the Sunnah, and teaches them what they did not know. In the profound ignorance of the pre-Islamic period, they used to squander their fine intellects. Through the blessing of his message and the good fortune of his mission, they moved to the condition of Allah's close friends and the qualities of scholars. They became the people deepest in knowledge, most righteous in heart, least pretentious and most truthful in speech. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir.)

Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, reported from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: 'It is written in the Gospel: neither harsh nor hard-hearted, nor clamorous in the marketplaces; he does not repay an evil deed with its like, but pardons and overlooks.' (Al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'I served the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for ten years. He never said "Uff!" to me, nor said about anything I had done, "Why did you do it?", nor about anything I had not done, "Why did you not do it?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had the best character of all people. I never touched brocade, silk or anything softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I never smelled musk or any perfume more fragrant than the sweat of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-Aswad said: I asked Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to do at home. She said: He used to attend to his family's work—meaning serve his family—and when the time for prayer came, he went out to pray. (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)

Sufyan ibn Uyaynah said: 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the supreme measure. Things are measured against his character, life and guidance: whatever agrees with them is the truth, and whatever opposes them is falsehood.' (Tadhkirat al-Sami wa al-Mutakallim by Ibn Jamaah.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Every religion has a characteristic trait, and the characteristic trait of Islam is modesty.' (Sahih al-Targhib.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The believer is like the bee: it consumes only what is wholesome and deposits only what is wholesome.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.) Al-Munawi said: The resemblance lies in the bee's skill and intelligence, the little harm it causes, its smallness, usefulness, contentment, its work at night, its avoidance of impurities, the wholesomeness of its food, its not eating from another's earnings, and its obedience to its leader. Bees also have afflictions that interrupt their work, including darkness, clouds, wind, smoke, water and fire. Likewise, the believer has afflictions that separate him from his work: the darkness of heedlessness, the cloud of doubt, the wind of temptation, the smoke of the unlawful and the fire of desire. End of quotation. (Fayd al-Qadir.)

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said: Whoever has lofty aspiration and a humble soul possesses every beautiful character trait. Whoever has low aspiration and a rebellious soul possesses every base character trait. (Al-Fawaid.)

Allah Most High said: 'Speak to him gently, so that he may take heed or fear.' (Taha 20:44.) Al-Qurtubi said: All of this encourages noble character. A person's speech to people should therefore be gentle and his face open and cheerful, with the righteous and the wicked, those who follow the Sunnah and religious innovators, without compromising the truth and without saying anything to someone that he thinks would express approval of that person's doctrine. Allah Most High said to Moses and Aaron: 'Speak to him gently.' The speaker is no better than Moses and Aaron, and the wicked person is no worse than Pharaoh, yet Allah Most High commanded them to be gentle with him. Talhah ibn Umar said: I said to Ata: 'You are a man around whom people of differing inclinations gather, while I am quick-tempered, so I say some harsh words to them.' He said: 'Do not do that! Allah Most High says: "Speak kindly to people." Jews and Christians are included in this verse, so what about a follower of the upright faith?' (Tafsir al-Qurtubi.)

Allah Most High said: 'Allah does not forbid you from being kind and just towards those who have not fought you because of religion or driven you out of your homes. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.' (Al-Mumtahanah 60:8.) Shaykh al-Albani, may Allah Most High have mercy on him, commented on the verse: This verse explicitly commands kindness towards non-Muslim fellow citizens who live peacefully with believers and do not harm them, and justice in dealing with them. End of quotation. (Al-Silsilah al-Sahihah, under hadith no. 704.)

Abdullah ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The bearer of the Qur'an should be recognised by his nights when people are sleeping, by his days when people are not fasting, by his sorrow when people are rejoicing, by his weeping when people are laughing, by his silence when people are engaging in idle talk, and by his humility when people are strutting proudly.

Al-Hasan ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: Those before you regarded the Qur'an as messages from their Lord. They would contemplate them at night and attend to them during the day.

Al-Fudayl said: The bearer of the Qur'an carries the banner of Islam. He should not engage in idle talk with those who do so, amuse himself with those who do so, or be heedless with those who are heedless. The bearer of the Qur'an should have no need of created beings, neither caliphs nor those beneath them; rather, the needs of created beings should be directed towards him. (Hilyat al-Awliya.)

Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak used to say: Whoever bears the Qur'an and then inclines his heart towards this world has taken Allah's verses as mockery and play.

Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak used to say: When the bearer of the Qur'an disobeys his Lord, the Qur'an calls to him from within: 'By Allah, it is not for this that I am carried! Where are my admonitions and warnings? Every letter of mine tells you: Do not disobey your Lord.' (Al-Uhud al-Muhammadiyyah.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honour his guest.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten a Muslim.' (Sahih al-Jami.)

The scholar Muhammad Salih ibn Uthaymin said: Good character in dealing with the Creator comprises three matters: 1) receiving what Allah Most High tells us with belief in its truth; 2) receiving His rulings by carrying them out and applying them; 3) receiving His decrees with patience and contentment.

Good character towards created beings: Al-Hasan al-Basri described it as 'refraining from harm, giving generously and having a cheerful face.'

Allah Most High said: 'So do not claim purity for yourselves. He knows best who is mindful of Him.' (Al-Najm 53:32.) Al-Hasan said: Allah, glorified is He, already knows every soul: what it will do, what it will undertake and what it will become. End of quotation. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi.)

Six qualities through which Allah raises a servant: 1) beneficial knowledge; 2) good conduct learned from the books and the Sunnah; 3) trustworthiness; 4) chastity; 5) truthfulness; 6) fidelity.

Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Whoever combines six qualities leaves no means of seeking Paradise or escaping the Fire unused: 1) knowing Allah and obeying Him; 2) knowing Satan and disobeying him; 3) knowing the truth and following it; 4) knowing falsehood and avoiding it; 5) knowing this world and rejecting it; 6) knowing the Hereafter and seeking it.

The heart is built up through four things: knowledge, God-consciousness, obedience to Allah and remembrance of Allah. The heart is ruined through four things: ignorance, disobedience, delusion and heedlessness.

The main categories of desire are five, contained in the words of Allah, majestic and exalted: 'The life of this world is only play, amusement, adornment, mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in accumulating wealth and children.' (Al-Hadid 57:20.)

Al-Shafii, may Allah Most High have mercy on him, said: The good of this world and the Hereafter lies in five qualities: contentment of the soul, refraining from harm, earning lawfully, clothing oneself in God-consciousness, and trusting Allah, mighty and majestic, in every circumstance.

It is stated in the Psalms: Allah Most High revealed to David, peace be upon him, that a sensible, wise person should never be without four periods: 1) a period in which he privately communes with his Lord; 2) a period in which he holds himself to account; 3) a period in which he goes to his brothers who tell him of his faults; 4) a period in which he allows his self its lawful pleasures. (Adapted from Irshad al-Ibad li al-Istidad li Yawm al-Maad.)

Al-Shafii, may Allah Most High have mercy on him, said to al-Rabi: 'Adhere to asceticism.' He said: 'The most beneficial provision is God-consciousness, and the most harmful is aggression.' He said: 'Whoever wishes Allah to open or illuminate his heart should refrain from speaking about what does not concern him, avoid sins, and have a hidden deed between himself and Allah Most High.' In another narration: 'He should practise solitude, eat little and avoid associating with foolish people.' He said: 'O Rabi, do not speak about what does not concern you. Once you utter a word, it owns you, and you do not own it.'

Farqad al-Sanji asked al-Hasan al-Basri about a matter, and he answered him. Farqad said: 'The jurists disagree with you.' Al-Hasan said: 'May your mother lose you, Furayqid! Have you ever seen a jurist with your own eyes? The jurist is the one who renounces this world, desires the Hereafter, has insight into his religion, persists in worshipping his Lord, does not disparage those above him, does not ridicule those below him, and seeks no payment for knowledge that he has taught for Allah Most High.'

One of the early Muslims said: The jurist is the one who does not make people despair of Allah's mercy, does not make them feel secure from Allah's plan, and does not abandon the Qur'an out of preference for something else.

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said: It is also known that some souls are so vile that nothing is viler, some are wholesome, and some are in between. Likewise, among hearts are the noble, pure heart and the lowly, vile heart. He, glorified is He, created opposites, just as He created night and day, cold and heat, illness and remedy, and the high and the low. He knows best the pure hearts and wholesome souls fit for these blessings to settle within them, to be entrusted to them, and for their seeds to flourish within them. His singling them out for these blessings is like singling out good soil receptive to seeds for sowing. It is not wise to sow seeds in rocks, sand and saline ground; someone who does so is not wise. What, then, of sowing the seeds of faith, the Qur'an, wisdom, and the light of knowledge and insight in places that are the vilest of places? (Tariq al-Hijratayn wa Bab al-Saadatayn.)

Abu al-Abbas Sahl ibn Sad al-Saidi, may Allah be pleased with him, said: A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, direct me to a deed which, if I do it, will make Allah love me and people love me.' He said: 'Renounce attachment to this world, and Allah will love you. Renounce desire for what people possess, and people will love you.' (Sahih al-Targhib.)

Abdullah ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, slept on a mat and rose with its marks on his side. We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall we not prepare a soft bed for you?' He said: 'What have I to do with this world? In this world I am only like a rider who rested in the shade of a tree, then departed and left it.' (Al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

Ibn al-Jalla said: Asceticism is looking at this world with an awareness that it will pass away, so that it becomes small in your eyes and turning away from it becomes easy for you. (Al-Risalah al-Qushayriyyah.)

It was said: Asceticism is the self's turning away from this world without forcing itself. (Al-Risalah al-Qushayriyyah.)

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah Most High have mercy on him, said: The asceticism prescribed by religion is abandoning what does not benefit one in the abode of the Hereafter. As for everything through which a servant seeks help in obeying Allah, abandoning it is not prescribed asceticism. Rather, what is prescribed is abandoning excesses that distract from obedience to Allah and His Messenger. (Majmu al-Fatawa.)

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said: I heard Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah sanctify his soul, say: 'Asceticism is abandoning what does not benefit one in the Hereafter, and scrupulousness is abandoning what one fears will harm one in the Hereafter.' This is among the best and most comprehensive statements about asceticism and scrupulousness. Sufyan al-Thawri said: 'Asceticism in this world means keeping one's hopes short; it does not mean eating coarse food or wearing a rough cloak.' (Madarij al-Salikin.)

Ibrahim ibn Adham, may Allah Most High have mercy on him, said: Asceticism is the heart's being empty of this world, not the hand's being empty. This is the asceticism of those who know Allah. Higher than it is the asceticism of those brought near to Him concerning everything other than Allah Most High, whether this world, Paradise or anything else. The possessor of this asceticism seeks nothing except reaching Allah Most High and closeness to Him.. (Al-Futuhat al-Wahbiyyah bi Sharh al-Arbain Hadith al-Nawawiyyah by Shaykh Ibrahim al-Shabrakhiti.)

Imam Ahmad said: Asceticism in this world means keeping one's hopes short. Another narration from him describes it as not rejoicing when worldly goods come or grieving when they go. He was asked whether a man who possessed a thousand dinars could be an ascetic. He said: 'Yes, on condition that he does not rejoice if they increase or grieve if they decrease.'

Imam Ahmad said: Asceticism is of three kinds. The first is abandoning the unlawful, which is the asceticism of ordinary people. The second is abandoning excesses of the lawful, which is the asceticism of the select. The third is abandoning what distracts from Allah, which is the asceticism of those who know Him.

Al-Hasan, or someone else, said: Asceticism in this world does not mean forbidding what is lawful or wasting wealth. Rather, it means trusting what is in Allah's hand more than what is in your own hand, and, when a calamity strikes you, desiring its reward more than you would desire its not having struck you. This is among the most comprehensive and finest statements about asceticism, and it has also been narrated as a statement attributed to the Prophet. (Madarij al-Salikin.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever among you wakes up secure in his surroundings, healthy in his body, and possessing his day's food, it is as though the whole world has been gathered for him.' (Sahih al-Jami.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'For every joint of a person, charity is due on every day on which the sun rises. Judging fairly between two people is charity. Helping a man with his mount by assisting him onto it or lifting his belongings onto it is charity. A good word is charity. Every step you take towards prayer is charity. Removing something harmful from the road is charity.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abdullah ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'In Paradise there is a chamber whose exterior can be seen from its interior, and whose interior can be seen from its exterior.' Abu Malik al-Ashari said: 'For whom is it, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'For the one who speaks kindly, feeds others, and spends the night standing in prayer while people sleep.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in al-Targhib.)

Hani—Abu Shurayh—may Allah be pleased with him, said: I said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: 'Tell me something that makes Paradise assured.' He said: 'Adhere to good speech and providing food.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad and by Ibn Hibban.)

Abu Malik al-Ashari, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'In Paradise there are chambers in which those inside can see those outside, and those outside can see those inside. They are for those who speak kindly, feed others and pray at night while people sleep.' (Sahih al-Targhib.)

A pig passed by Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, and he said: 'Pass in peace.' He was asked: 'O Spirit of Allah, do you say this to this pig?' He said: 'I dislike accustoming my tongue to evil.' (Recorded by Malik in al-Muwatta.)

One of the wise said: Gentle speech washes away the grudges hidden within hearts. (Recorded by Ibn Abi al-Dunya in Kitab al-Samt.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Protect yourselves from the Fire, even with half a date; and if not with half a date, then with a good word.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Allah Most High said: 'O you who believe, if a wrongdoer brings you news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance and then become regretful for what you have done.' (Al-Hujurat 49:6.) Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Allah Most High commands verification of a wrongdoer's report so that one exercises caution and does not judge on the basis of his statement, when in reality he may be lying or mistaken. Someone who judges according to his statement would then have followed him, whereas Allah, mighty and majestic, has forbidden following the path of those who spread corruption. For this reason, groups of scholars refrained from accepting the narration of someone whose condition was unknown, because he might in reality be a wrongdoer. Others accepted it, because we have only been commanded to verify a wrongdoer's report, and this person's wrongdoing has not been established, since his condition is unknown. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir.)

Allah Most High said: 'Those who said about their brothers, while they themselves stayed behind: "Had they obeyed us, they would not have been killed."' (Al Imran 3:168.) Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, though there is good in both. Be eager for what benefits you, seek Allah's help, and do not give up. If something befalls you, do not say: "If only I had done this, such-and-such would have happened." Rather, say: "Allah decreed, and He did what He willed", for "if only" opens the door to Satan's work.' (Recorded by Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Modesty brings only good.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) In another narration from Muslim: 'Modesty is entirely good.' (Muslim.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Faith has over seventy—or over sixty—branches. The highest is saying "There is no deity except Allah", the lowest is removing something harmful from the road, and modesty is a branch of faith.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) Al-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: According to scholars devoted to Allah and the imams of verified understanding, modesty is a quality that prompts one to abandon what is ugly and prevents neglecting the rights of anyone entitled to a right. This is the meaning of what we have narrated from al-Junayd, may Allah be pleased with him, in al-Qushayri's Risalah. He said: 'Modesty is seeing the blessings and seeing one's shortcomings; between them, a state called modesty arises.' (Al-Adhkar by al-Nawawi.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Everything belonging to a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his blood, wealth and honour.' (Recorded by Muslim.)

Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla said: The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told us that they were travelling with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on a journey. One of them fell asleep, and some of them went to the arrows he had with him and took them. When the man woke up, he became frightened, and the people laughed. He said: 'What is making you laugh?' They said: 'Nothing, except that we took this man's arrows, and he became frightened.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten a Muslim.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in Ghayat al-Maram.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Charity does not diminish wealth. Through pardoning, Allah increases a servant only in honour. No one humbles himself for Allah except that Allah raises him.' (Recorded by Muslim.) In a narration from Ahmad: 'No man pardons a wrong done to him except that Allah increases him in honour.' (Al-Musnad.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Allah has revealed to me that you should be humble, so that no one boasts over another and no one oppresses another.' (Recorded by Muslim.)

Al-Hasan ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: If a man insulted me in this ear and apologised in the other, I would accept his apology.

It is related about Ali ibn al-Husayn—may Allah have mercy on him and be pleased with his father—that a servant girl was pouring water for him as he prepared for prayer. The jug fell from her hand onto his face and cut it. He raised his head towards her, and she said: 'Allah says: "Those who restrain anger."' He said: 'I have restrained my anger.' She said: '"And pardon people."' He said: 'May Allah pardon you.' She said: '"And Allah loves those who do good."' He said: 'Go; you are free.'

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Allah is gentle and loves gentleness in every matter.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) In a narration from Muslim: 'Allah is gentle and grants for gentleness what He does not grant for harshness, and what He does not grant for anything else.'

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Gentleness is never present in anything without adorning it, and is never removed from anything without making it ugly.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad; al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih al-Jami.) Ibn Hajar, may Allah Most High have mercy on him, said: Regarding the heading 'Gentleness in every matter': rifq—with a kasrah on the ra, a silent fa, followed by a qaf—means gentleness in speech and action, and choosing the easier course. It is the opposite of harshness. He included two hadiths in this chapter. One is Aishah's report concerning the Jews when they said, 'Death be upon you'; its full explanation will come in the Book of Seeking Permission. Regarding the words, 'Allah loves gentleness in every matter': in Amrah's narration from Aishah recorded by Muslim, it reads, 'Allah is gentle, loves gentleness, and grants for gentleness what He does not grant for harshness.' The meaning is that things can be achieved through gentleness that cannot be achieved through its opposite. It has also been said that what is intended is that He rewards it as He does not reward anything else. The first interpretation is more apt. (Fath al-Bari.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever has been given his share of gentleness has been given his share of good, and whoever has been deprived of his share of gentleness has been deprived of his share of good.' (Al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'O Aishah, be gentle, for when Allah intends good for a household, He brings gentleness into it.' (Shaykh al-Albani graded it authentic in al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Shall I tell you who is forbidden to the Fire—or upon whom the Fire is forbidden? It is forbidden upon every easygoing, gentle and accommodating person.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

Jarir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever is deprived of gentleness is deprived of good.' (Recorded by Muslim.)

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Deliberateness, moderation and good bearing are one part of twenty-four parts of prophethood.' (Sahih al-Jami.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: A Bedouin urinated in the mosque, and the people rose to rebuke him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Leave him, and pour a bucket of water—or a large bucket of water—over his urine. You have been sent only to make things easy, and have not been sent to make things difficult.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Make things easy and do not make them difficult. Give glad tidings and do not drive people away.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: 'Whenever the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was given a choice between two matters, he chose the easier of them, provided it was not a sin. If it was a sin, he was the person furthest from it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, never took revenge for himself, except when Allah's sacred limits were violated; then he took redress for Allah's sake.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Allah has revealed to me that you should be humble, so that no one boasts over another and no one oppresses another.' (Recorded by Muslim.)

Abu al-Darda wrote to Salman al-Farisi, may Allah be pleased with them both: 'Peace be upon you. To proceed: since we parted, Allah has provided me with wealth and children, and I have settled in the Holy Land.' Salman wrote back: 'Know that goodness does not lie in abundant wealth and children. Rather, goodness is that your forbearance grows great and your knowledge benefits you. The land does not perform deeds on anyone's behalf. Act as though you are being seen, and count yourself among the dead.' (Siyar Alam al-Nubala.)

Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Learn knowledge, and learn tranquillity and forbearance for the sake of knowledge. Be humble towards those from whom you learn, and let those you teach be humble towards you. Do not be tyrants among scholars; your knowledge will not stand alongside your ignorance.

Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Be vessels of the Book and springs of knowledge. Ask Allah for provision one day at a time; it will not harm you if He does not make it abundant for you. End of quotation. (Kitab al-Zuhd by Ibn Abi Asim.)

Abd al-Aziz ibn Abi Rawwad said: It used to be said that the beginning of humility is being content with a lower place of honour in a gathering.

Al-Shafii, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever wishes Allah to open or illuminate his heart should practise solitude, eat little, avoid associating with foolish people, and dislike scholars who lack fairness and good conduct. (Introduction to al-Majmu Sharh al-Muhadhdhab.)

Abdullah, the son of Imam Ahmad, said to his father one day: 'Advise me, Father.' He said: 'My son, intend good, for you remain in goodness from the moment you intend good.' Ibn Muflih said: This is great advice, easy for the person asked to give, and easy for the questioner to understand and follow. The reward of the one who practises it is constant and continuing because the intention is constant and continuing. It applies to all the deeds of the heart required by religious law, whether relating to the Creator or to created beings, and one is rewarded for them. I have found no disagreement concerning the reward for them. (Al-Adab al-Shariyyah.)

Ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A man does not become noble through any field of knowledge unless he adorns his knowledge with good conduct. (Recorded by al-Hakim in his History.)

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Proper conduct is the whole religion. Covering the parts of the body that must be concealed is proper conduct, bathing after major ritual impurity is proper conduct, and cleansing oneself of physical impurity is proper conduct, so that one stands pure before Allah. For this reason, they considered it recommended for a man to make himself presentable in prayer, because he is standing before Allah. (Madarij al-Salikin.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever does not show mercy to people, Allah does not show mercy to him.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: 'You will not believe until you show mercy to one another.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we are all merciful.' He said: 'It is not the mercy of one of you towards his companion; rather, it is mercy towards people generally.' (Al-Albani graded it hasan in al-Targhib.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, kissed al-Hasan—or al-Husayn—ibn Ali while al-Aqra ibn Habis al-Tamimi was with him. Al-Aqra said: 'I have ten children, and I have never kissed any of them!' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, looked at him and then said: 'Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I heard the truthful and trusted one, the occupant of this chamber, Abu al-Qasim, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: 'Mercy is removed only from a wretched person.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in al-Targhib.)

Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: 'You kiss the children, but we do not kiss them.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Can I do anything for you if Allah has removed mercy from your heart?!' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said about the words of Allah Most High, 'Repel with what is better': 'Patience when angry and pardon when wronged. When they do that, Allah protects them and their enemy submits to them.' (Al-Bukhari mentioned it without a complete chain of transmission. Al-Albani said: Authentic; Mishkat al-Masabih.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The strong person is not the one who throws others down in wrestling. Rather, the strong person is the one who controls himself when angry.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that a man said: 'O Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, I have relatives with whom I maintain ties, but they cut me off. I do good to them, but they mistreat me. I show forbearance towards them, but they behave ignorantly towards me!' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'If you are as you say, it is as though you are making them swallow hot ashes. You will continue to have a supporter from Allah against them for as long as you remain like that.' (Recorded by Muslim.) Al-mall means hot ashes.

Sulayman ibn Surad said: I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while two men were exchanging insults. One of them had become red in the face, and the veins of his neck had swollen. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'I know a phrase which, if he said it, would remove what he is experiencing. If he said, "I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed", what he is experiencing would go away.' They told him: 'The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed."' He replied: 'Am I mad?' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever restrains his anger while able to act upon it, Allah, glorified and exalted is He, will summon him before all creation on the Day of Resurrection and allow him to choose whichever of the wide-eyed maidens of Paradise he wishes.' (Sahih Ibn Majah.)

A man wrote to Ibn Umar: 'Write to me all knowledge.' He wrote back: 'Knowledge is abundant. But if you can meet Allah with your back unburdened by people's blood, your belly empty of their wealth, your tongue restrained from their honour, and adhering to their community's affairs, then do so.' (Siyar Alam al-Nubala.)

Ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with them both, asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: 'What will keep me far from the anger of Allah, mighty and majestic?' He said: 'Do not become angry.' In Ibn Hibban's narration, he said: 'What will protect me?' (Sahih al-Targhib.)

Abu al-Darda, may Allah be pleased with him, said: A man said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: 'Direct me to a deed that will admit me to Paradise.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Do not become angry, and Paradise will be yours.' (Sahih al-Targhib.) Al-Khattabi said: 'Do not become angry' means: do not expose yourself to the causes of anger or to matters that bring it about, since anger itself is innate in the human being and cannot be removed from his nature. Alternatively, it means: do not do the words and deeds that anger commands you to do and drives you towards. (Umdat al-Qari.)

Ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'No draught has a greater reward with Allah than a draught of anger that a servant swallows, seeking Allah's pleasure.' (Sahih al-Targhib.)

'Anger is like a wild beast: if its owner releases it, it begins by devouring him.' (Al-Fawaid.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'When a man becomes angry and says, "I seek refuge in Allah", his anger subsides.' (Recorded by al-Tabari; al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'When one of you becomes angry, let him remain silent.' (Al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

Al-Hasan ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: No servant has swallowed a greater draught than forbearance at a time of anger and a draught of patience at a time of calamity.

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Spread the greeting of peace, provide food, and be brothers as Allah has commanded you.' (Recorded by al-Nasai; al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Al-Salam is one of Allah's names, which Allah has placed on earth, so spread it among yourselves. When a man greets a group and they return his greeting, he has a degree of merit over them because he reminded them. If they do not return his greeting, one better and purer than they are returns it to him.' (Al-Tabarani; al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Offering the greeting of peace and speaking well are causes of forgiveness.' (Sahih al-Jami.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I direct you to something which, if you do it, will make you love one another? Spread the greeting of peace among yourselves.' (Recorded by Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'When one of you meets his brother, let him greet him with peace. If a tree, wall or rock comes between them and he then meets him again, let him greet him with peace.' (Sahih Abi Dawud.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever begins speaking to you before offering the greeting of peace, do not speak to him.' In another narration: 'Do not answer him.' (Sahih al-Jami.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'The most miserly person is the one who is miserly with the greeting of peace, and the most helpless person is the one who is unable to supplicate.' (Al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'No two Muslims meet and shake hands without being forgiven before they part.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahih al-Jami.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whenever two Muslims meet, one takes the other's hand, they shake hands and both praise Allah Most High, they part with no sin remaining between them.' (Recorded by Ahmad in his Musnad and by al-Diya; Sahih al-Jami.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'When a Muslim shakes his brother's hand, their sins fall away as the leaves of a tree fall away.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in al-Targhib.)

Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Any man who lifts a curtain and looks inside before being given permission has crossed a boundary he is not permitted to cross. If a man were to put out his eye, no compensation would be due for it. If, however, a man is at a doorway without a curtain and sees the private parts of its occupants, there is no sin upon him; the sin is upon the people of the house.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

Abdullah ibn Busr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: 'Do not approach houses directly at their doorways. Rather, approach them from the sides and seek permission. If permission is given to you, enter; otherwise, return.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad; al-Albani graded it hasan in Mishkat al-Masabih and Sahih al-Targhib.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Do not envy one another, hate one another, spy on one another, seek out one another's private affairs, or bid up prices without intending to buy. Be servants of Allah as brothers.' (Recorded by Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the most false of speech. Do not spy on one another or seek out one another's private affairs.' (Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever claims to have had a dream that he did not see will be required to tie two barley grains together, and he will never do so. Whoever listens to the conversation of people who dislike his listening will have molten lead poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever makes an image will be punished and required to breathe a soul into it, but he will never be able to do so.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'When there are three of you, two men must not converse privately to the exclusion of the other until you mix with other people, because that would make him sad.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) The narrator said: We asked Ibn Umar: 'What if there are four?' He said: 'There is no harm in that.' (Al-Istidhkar.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'It is not permissible for a Muslim to shun his brother for more than three nights. They meet, and this one turns away and that one turns away. The better of them is the one who begins with the greeting of peace.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Fadalah ibn Ubayd, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever shuns his brother for more than three days is in the Fire, unless Allah reaches him with His mercy.' (Al-Albani said: Hasan through supporting reports; al-Targhib.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Shall I tell you what is better in rank than fasting, prayer and charity?' They said: 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Reconciling relations between people, for the corruption of relations is the shaver.' (Recorded by Abu Dawud, Ibn Hibban and al-Tirmidhi, who said: A hasan sahih hadith.)

Ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Adhere to truthfulness, for it leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man continues to speak truthfully until he is recorded with Allah as utterly truthful. Lying leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Fire. A man continues to lie until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-Hasan said: Differences between words and deeds, between the private and public state, and between entering and leaving are counted as hypocrisy. The root of hypocrisy, and that upon which it is built, is lying. (Recorded by Ibn Abi al-Dunya in al-Samt.)

Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say in his sermons: There is no good in speech that falls short of truthfulness. Whoever lies commits wickedness, and whoever commits wickedness perishes. (Recorded by Ibn Abi al-Dunya in al-Samt.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Among the greatest fabrications is for a man to claim that his eyes saw what they did not see.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari.) Its meaning is that he says, 'I saw such-and-such in my dream', when he saw nothing. (Al-Kabair by al-Dhahabi.)

Muawiyah ibn Bahz said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: 'Woe to the one who speaks and lies to make people laugh! Woe to him, woe to him!' (Al-Albani graded it hasan; Sahih Abi Dawud.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'A false oath promotes the sale of merchandise but wipes out earnings.' (Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The person who utters an indecency and the person who spreads it are equal in sin. (Sahih al-Adab al-Mufrad.)

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever conceals his brother's shame, Allah will conceal his shame on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever exposes his Muslim brother's shame, Allah will expose his shame until He disgraces him through it in his own home.' (Sahih al-Targhib.)

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Everything belonging to a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his honour, wealth and blood. God-consciousness is here. It is enough evil for a person to despise his Muslim brother.' (Recorded by Muslim.) In another narration: 'Everything belonging to a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his blood is inviolable, and so are his wealth and honour.' (Recorded by Muslim.)

Al-Amash reported from Abu Yahya, the freedman of Jadah, who said: I heard Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, say: It was said: 'O Messenger of Allah, a certain woman prays at night and fasts during the day, but her tongue has something that harms her neighbours; she is sharp-tongued.' He said: 'There is no good in her; she is in the Fire.' (Recorded by Ahmad in al-Musnad; al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The most excessive usury is a person's unjust encroachment upon his Muslim brother's honour.' (Al-Silsilah al-Sahihah.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Whoever has two faces in this world will have two tongues of fire on the Day of Resurrection.' (Al-Albani graded it authentic in al-Targhib.)

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by two graves and said: 'They are being punished, and they are not being punished for something great. One of them used to spread malicious gossip, and the other did not protect himself from his urine.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'You find among the worst people the two-faced person: the one who comes to these people with one face and to those people with another.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) In another wording: 'You find the worst of people to be the two-faced person.'

Kab said: Beware of malicious gossip, for the one who practises it finds no relief from the punishment of the grave.

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Backbiting is mentioning your brother in a way he dislikes.' He was asked: 'What if what I say is actually in my brother?' He said: 'If what you say is in him, you have backbitten him; if what you say is not in him, you have slandered him.' (Recorded by Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'No one abandons a Muslim in a situation where his honour is diminished and his inviolability violated without Allah Most High abandoning him in a situation where he wishes for His support. No one supports a Muslim in a situation where his honour is diminished and his inviolability violated without Allah supporting him in a situation where he wishes for His support.'.. (Sahih al-Jami.)

Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or oppressed.' A man said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I help him when he is oppressed, but if he is an oppressor, how do I help him?' He said: 'Restrain him—or prevent him—from oppression, for that is helping him.' (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: 'Then Adam received words from his Lord, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, He is the Acceptor of repentance, the Merciful.' (Surah al-Baqarah 2:37.) Among Allah's mercy and kindness towards Adam and his descendants is that He taught him words through which he would receive mercy and forgiveness. These are words of admitting sin, declaring repentance and asking for pardon. This shows the merit of seeking forgiveness, and that a sin can contain great benefits for the servant—if he repents and returns—such as brokenness, remorse, striving in obedience, weeping, fear and humility towards Allah's servants.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: 'Except those who repent, make amends and make the truth clear: I accept their repentance, and I am the Acceptor of repentance, the Merciful.' (Surah al-Baqarah 2:160.) Except those who turn back from what they committed, repent of their excesses, feel remorse, desist, seek their Lord's pardon, repair what they previously corrupted and reveal what they concealed. Allah accepts the repentance of these people, washes away their sin and forgives their slip, for He is the Acceptor of repentance: He turns to His servants with pardon when they repent, and with kindness when they return to Him. He is Merciful: He does not hold someone accountable for a sin He has forgiven, but treats him kindly and envelops him in His mercy.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: 'Indeed, Allah loves those who repeatedly repent, and He loves those who purify themselves.' (Surah al-Baqarah 2:222.) He, glorified is He, loves the one who repents of sins and the one who purifies himself of impurities. Sin stains the soul, and filth is defilement and impurity upon the body. Thus, souls and bodies are purified by abandoning impurities and sins.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: 'Indeed, those who disbelieve after their belief and then increase in disbelief will never have their repentance accepted, and those are the ones who have gone astray.' (Surah Al Imran 3:90.) The Jews who disbelieved in Jesus after believing in Moses, then increased in transgression and defiance and disbelieved in Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, added evil to evil and wickedness to wickedness. These betrayers who turn away and break Allah's covenant do not have their repentance accepted by Allah, glorified and exalted is He, because they repent only at death. He does not forgive their sins or pardon them, because they went astray and led others astray, barred people from the path of Allah, mighty and majestic, plunged deeply into disbelief, persisted in error and increased in corruption.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: 'Allah accepts the repentance only of those who do evil in ignorance and then repent soon afterwards. It is they whose repentance Allah accepts. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.' (Surah al-Nisa 4:17.) The sound, accepted repentance whose possessors receive Allah's acceptance is that of people who committed disobedience out of foolishness and ignorance. Then a person feels his sin, remorse, sorrow and brokenness, returns to his Lord, glorified and exalted is He, turns back to Him, desists, frees himself from his sin and seeks his Lord's pardon—unlike someone who commits wrongs deliberately. On returning to his Lord Most High after committing the sin out of foolishness and ignorance, turning back and being sincere, Allah, glorified and exalted is He, forgives his sin, conceals his fault, changes his bad deeds into good deeds and honours his abode. Allah, glorified and exalted is He, knows who is sincere in his repentance and returns to his Master with sincerity. He is Wise—glorified and exalted is He—and puts everything in its proper place. He punishes only those who deserve punishment, giving every person the reward or punishment he deserves with consummate wisdom and supreme power.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: 'Repentance is not for those who continue doing evil until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "Now I repent", nor for those who die as disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment.' (Surah al-Nisa 4:18.) Sound, accepted repentance is not granted to someone who has committed crimes excessively, continued in sins, deliberately committed forbidden acts, fallen short, and mocked the promise and warning of Allah, glorified and exalted is He. When death suddenly comes upon him, he begins making excuses and trying to disown his sins. Such a person is not among those deserving acceptance of repentance, because he persisted, acted arrogantly, dared to violate the prohibitions of Allah, mighty and majestic, procrastinated over repentance and delayed returning to Him. Nor is the repentance of someone who dies a disbeliever accepted. Rather, he remains eternally in the Fire. Allah accepts neither a deed nor intercession from a disbeliever, and no one can avert punishment from him on the Day of Resurrection. For these people, Allah, glorified and exalted is He, has prepared painful, agonising punishment, lasting chastisement and abiding retribution.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: ‘They thought that there would be no trial, so they became blind and deaf. Then Allah turned to them in mercy; then many of them became blind and deaf again. Allah sees what they do’ (Surat al-Ma’idah: 71). The Jews thought that Allah, glorified and exalted, would not punish them for what they had done. They preferred blindness to guidance and became deaf when the truth was heard. Then Allah turned to them in mercy so that they might reconsider their conduct and return to their Lord. They returned once more to their crimes and transgression, becoming still blinder to the truth and deafer to sound guidance. Many of them did this, whereas a few were rightly guided. None of their deeds, what they concealed, or what they committed is hidden from Allah. He will recompense them for their evil conduct and their ugly deeds.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: ‘Do they not know that it is Allah who accepts repentance from His servants and receives charitable offerings, and that Allah is the Accepter of repentance, the Merciful?’ (Surat al-Tawbah: 104). Do these repentant people not know that Allah accepts the repentance of those who repent and has mercy on those who return to Him? He forgives their slips and accepts their charitable offerings, for He abundantly forgives those who abandon disobedience, turn toward obedience, and regret their sin. He is merciful to those who are sincere in their repentance, so He does not hold them accountable for what has passed or punish them for what they committed.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: ‘Those who repent, worship, praise, travel, bow, prostrate, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and observe Allah’s limits; give glad tidings to the believers’ (Surat al-Tawbah: 112). These righteous people who engage in jihad, whom their Lord has promised Paradise, are those who repent of sins, outward and inward; sincerely obey their Lord; praise Allah in prosperity and adversity; fast or reflect on Allah’s creation; regularly maintain prayer and perform many voluntary prayers; enjoin what Allah and His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, love; forbid what Allah and His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, dislike; and uphold the revealed laws, adhere to the rulings, and abandon prohibited things. Give the believers glad tidings, O Messenger, of Gardens of bliss as a reward for their righteous deeds.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: ‘Indeed, I am abundantly forgiving to whoever repents, believes, does righteous deeds, and then follows guidance’ (Surat Ta Ha: 82). Allah abundantly forgives those who sincerely repent of their sin, believe what has come from Allah, perform the prescribed righteous deeds, then are guided to follow the straight path and remain steadfast upon the truth.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: ‘Turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, so that you may succeed’ (Surat al-Nur: 31). Return, O believers, to obedience to Allah by carrying out His commands and avoiding His prohibitions. Adorn yourselves with praiseworthy qualities and noble traits, and avoid the practices of ignorance: vice, indecency, and wrongdoing. Thus you may attain Allah’s pleasure and His Paradise, and He may enfold you in His mercy.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: ‘Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. He is indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful. And return to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped’ (Surat al-Zumar: 53–54). Say, O Prophet, to Allah’s servants who have committed many sins and gone to excess in disobedience: Do not despair of Allah’s mercy because of your many offenses and great sins. Allah’s mercy is vast and His generosity immense. He, glorified be He, forgives every sin and pardons all evil deeds for those who repent to Him and regret what they have done. Indeed, Allah rejoices in their repentance and replaces their evil deeds with good deeds. If repentance were not the most beloved thing to Him, He would not have tested the person dearest to Him, Adam, peace be upon him, with sin. Allah abundantly forgives His servant, whatever offenses he has committed. He accepts repentance, returning to His servants with His favor, concealment of their faults, and pardon. He is merciful, dealing kindly with them by bringing them the things they love through the best means and warding off what they dislike. A Muslim should therefore rejoice in this verse, think well of his Lord, neither despair of Allah’s relief nor lose hope in his Master’s mercy.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: ‘He is the One who accepts repentance from His servants, pardons evil deeds, and knows what you do’ (Surat al-Shura: 25). Allah Most High accepts the repentance of those who repent, return to Him, and turn to Him in devotion. He accepts their good deeds and pardons their evil deeds. Allah knows the good and evil that His servants do; nothing escapes Him, and He will call them to account for it.

Repentance in divine revelation: Allah Most High said: ‘O you who believe, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove your evil deeds and admit you into Gardens beneath which rivers flow, on the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right. They will say: Our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us; indeed, You have power over all things’ (Surat al-Tahrim: 8). O believers, repent of every sin with repentance after which you do not return to disobedience, sincerely for Allah’s sake. Perhaps your Lord will forgive your evil deeds, erase your sins, and admit you into Gardens whose rivers flow beneath their trees and whose light fills their palaces. This will be on the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will not disgrace His Prophet or His righteous servants, expose them, or punish them. Rather, He will make them happy, reward them, and raise their standing. Their light will proceed before them and on their right. They will ask their Lord to sustain this light until they finish crossing the bridge to the abode of joy, together with forgiveness of their sins, concealment of their faults, and the pleasure of the Knower of all unseen things. Allah has power over everything: His command prevails over all else, His judgment is carried out as He wills, and no one can repel it.

Repentance in the Prophet’s teaching: Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Allah rejoices more in His servant’s repentance when he repents to Him than one of you who was on his riding animal in a barren desert, and it escaped from him carrying his food and drink. He lost hope of finding it, went to a tree, and lay down in its shade, having despaired of his animal. While he was in that state, there it was, standing beside him. He took hold of its halter and then said, out of intense joy: O Allah, You are my servant and I am Your lord! He made a mistake because of his intense joy’ (Narrated by Muslim).

Repentance in the Prophet’s teaching: Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Every child of Adam repeatedly errs, and the best of those who err are those who repeatedly repent’ (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ahmad, and al-Darimi).

Repentance in the Prophet’s teaching: Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘If you sinned until your sins reached the sky, then repented, Allah would accept your repentance’ (Narrated by Ibn Majah).

Repentance in the Prophet’s teaching: Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Repentance from a sin is to repent of it and then not return to it’ (Narrated by Ahmad).

Repentance in the Prophet’s teaching: Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Allah, mighty and majestic, extends His hand at night so that the person who did wrong during the day may repent, and extends His hand during the day so that the person who did wrong at night may repent, until the sun rises from the west’ (Narrated by Muslim and Ahmad).

Repentance in the Prophet’s teaching: Al-Agharr, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘O people, repent to Allah, for I repent to Him one hundred times a day’ (Narrated by Muslim and Ahmad).

Repentance in the Prophet’s teaching: Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Allah accepts a servant’s repentance as long as his soul has not reached his throat’ (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad).

Repentance in the Prophet’s teaching: Jabir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Do not wish for death, for the terror of what lies ahead is severe. Part of happiness is that a servant’s life should be prolonged and Allah should grant him the ability to turn back to Him’ (Narrated by Ahmad).

Repentance in the Prophet’s teaching: A’ishah, Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me: ‘O A’ishah, if you have committed a sin, seek Allah’s forgiveness, for repentance from sin is remorse and seeking forgiveness’ (Narrated by Ahmad).

Repentance in Islamic legal terminology means returning from distance from Allah to closeness to Him, glorified and exalted. It consists of remorse. Remorse is the heart’s pain; its sign is prolonged grief and weeping over what has passed, and the resolve not to return to it or anything like it. It includes abandoning the sin, regretting what occurred in the past, and resolving not to commit it in the future. A person must repent of all sins. It means leaving the sin out of fear of Allah, recognizing its ugliness, regretting the act of disobedience because it is disobedience, resolving not to return to it even when able to do so, and making up whatever deeds can be made up by performing them again. Imam al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, defined it by saying: ‘Sincere repentance is remorse in the heart, seeking forgiveness with the tongue, abandoning the sin with the limbs, and inwardly resolving not to return.’

Sinners fall into three categories. The first: believing sinners who committed sins out of a form of inner ignorance that weakened their will, then repented soon afterward and reformed themselves. Allah has promised these people acceptance of their repentance. The second: sinners who mixed a righteous deed with another that was evil, and acknowledged their sins without repentance or upright conduct. These people have no promise from Allah that He will accept their repentance, but Allah has given them hope of this. The third: sinners who went to excess in disobedience and neither repented nor acknowledged their sins. Their hope of repentance is weak, and the expectation that punishment will befall them is stronger.

Imam al-Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, says: ‘Repentance is achieved through three things.’ First: knowledge, meaning faith and certainty that sins are deadly poisons, as well as knowing the harm of sins and that they form a barrier between the servant and his Lord. Second: a state, whereby knowledge leads to another state called volition, which stirs pain and remorse in the sinner’s heart and produces a will to abandon the sin. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Remorse is repentance’ (Narrated by Ibn Majah). Third: action, which results from remorse and the resolve to abandon sins, and includes compensating for the past by performing righteous deeds that make amends.

The effects of sins: Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Sins have harmful effects on the heart and body, in this world and the Hereafter, that only Allah knows. Among them is that they are reinforcements a person supplies to his enemy against himself, and an army with which he strengthens that enemy to wage war against him. Among their punishments is that they betray the servant when he most needs himself. Among them is that they embolden the servant against those whom he would not otherwise dare confront. Among them is the sealing of the heart when sins multiply, until the sinner becomes one of the heedless. Some of the early Muslims said concerning Allah Most High’s words, ‘No! Rather, what they used to earn has covered their hearts with rust’ (Surat al-Mutaffifin: 14): It is sin after sin. Another said: It is sin upon sin until the heart becomes blind. The basis of this is that the heart rusts through disobedience. When disobedience increases, the rust gains the upper hand until it becomes a covering; then it prevails until it becomes a seal, a lock, and a stamp, leaving the heart under a veil and a covering.

The effects of sins include corrupting the intellect, for the intellect is a light, and disobedience extinguishes its light.

The effects of sins include the servant continuing to commit sins until they become insignificant to him and small in his heart.

The effects of sins include the heart losing its sense of their ugliness, so that they become habitual for it.

The effects of sins include sins sowing others like themselves, with some giving birth to others.

The effects of sins include a darkness a person finds in his heart, which he senses just as he senses the darkness of night.

The effects of sins include sins weakening the heart and body. Their weakening of the heart is evident: they continue to weaken it until they entirely remove its life. As for their weakening of the body, the believer’s strength lies in his heart; the stronger his heart becomes, the stronger his body becomes.

The effects of sins include sins wiping out the blessing of one’s lifetime, for sins are all evils. This delights the enemy and grieves the friend.

The effects of sins include making a person’s affairs difficult: whenever he turns to a matter, he finds it closed to him or difficult for him. They also include the estrangement that arises between him and other people, especially people of goodness.

The effects of sins include being deprived of the supplication of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the supplication of the angels for those who have repented.

The effects of sins include sins bringing the servant under the curse of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

The effects of sins include their causing various forms of corruption on earth, in water, air, crops, fruit, and dwellings.

The effects of sins include their extinguishing the fire of protective moral concern in the heart.

The effects of sins include the disappearance of modesty, which is the substance of the heart’s life.

The effects of sins include their weakening the heart’s magnification of the Lord and weakening reverence for Him in the servant’s heart.

The effects of sins include their bringing about Allah’s forgetting His servant.

The effects of sins include their taking the servant outside the sphere of excellence and depriving him of the reward of those who do good.

The effects of sins include their weakening the heart’s journey toward Allah and the abode of the Hereafter.

The effects of sins include their diverting the heart from its soundness and uprightness.

The effects of sins include their blinding the heart’s insight, obliterating its light, and blocking the paths to knowledge.

The effects of sins include their diminishing the soul, debasing it, and holding it back from goodness.

The effects of sins include the sinner being captive to his devil and imprisoned by his desires.

The effects of sins include the loss of standing, rank, and honor before Allah and before His creation.

The effects of sins include their causing a rupture between the servant and his Lord.

The effects of sins include their stripping the sinner of titles of praise and honor.

The effects of sins include their making the sinner one of the base and lowly.

The effect of sins on the heart is like the effect of illnesses on bodies. Indeed, sins are the heart’s illnesses and maladies, and their only remedy is abandoning them. What reason does a person possess if he prefers the pleasure of an hour, a day, or a lifetime—which then passes away as though it were a dream—to this enduring bliss and great triumph? Indeed, it is happiness in this world and the Hereafter. Were it not for the intellect by which the case against him is established, he would be like the insane. Indeed, the insane may be in a better condition than he is and have a safer outcome. As for their effect in diminishing the intellect used in everyday life, were this deficiency not shared, the deficiency in the intellect of our disobedient people would be apparent to our obedient people. But the calamity is widespread, and madness takes many forms.

Sins have a great effect on societies and nations. Examples include the following: The destruction of nations because of sins; there is no doubt that all harm in this world and the Hereafter occurs because of sins. The destruction of nations because of sins; there is no doubt that all harm in this world and the Hereafter occurs because of sins. What expelled the two parents from Paradise, the abode of pleasure, bliss, delight, and joy, to the abode of pain, sorrow, and needs?

Sins have a great effect on societies and nations. Examples include the following: What expelled Iblis from the heavenly realm, banished and cursed him, and transformed his outward and inward being, making his appearance the ugliest and most hideous of appearances and his inward being uglier and more hideous still? What replaced closeness with distance, mercy with a curse, beauty with ugliness, Paradise with a blazing Fire, and faith with disbelief?

Sins have a great effect on societies and nations. Examples include the following: What drowned all the people of the earth until the water rose above the mountain peaks?

Sins have a great effect on societies and nations. Examples include the following: What unleashed the wind against the people of ‘Ad until it cast them dead upon the earth like hollow palm trunks, destroying their dwellings, cultivated lands, crops, and animals, until they became a lesson for nations until the Day of Resurrection?

Sins have a great effect on societies and nations. Examples include the following: What sent the blast against the people of Thamud until it tore their hearts apart within their bodies and they all died, to the last person?

Sins have a great effect on societies and nations. Examples include the following: What raised the towns of Lot’s people until the angels heard their dogs barking, then overturned them upon their inhabitants, making their upper parts their lower parts and destroying them all? Then it followed them with stones from the sky, raining them down upon them and combining punishments against them that were not combined against any other nation. Those like them have similar punishments, and these are not far from the wrongdoers.

Sins have a great effect on societies and nations. Examples include the following: What drowned Pharaoh and his people in the sea, after which their souls were transferred to Hell—the bodies to drowning and the souls to burning?

Sins have a great effect on societies and nations. Examples include the following: What caused the earth to swallow Qarun, his house, his wealth, and his family?

Sins have a great effect on societies and nations. Examples include the following: What destroyed the generations after Noah with various kinds of punishment and utterly devastated them?

Sins have a great effect on societies and nations. Examples include the following: What destroyed the people of the man mentioned in Ya Sin with the blast, until they were all extinguished, to the last person?

Sins are ugly, and some are uglier than others. Unlawful sexual intercourse is among the ugliest sins, for it corrupts the marital bed and harms lineages. It is uglier still when committed with a neighbor’s wife. It is established in the two Sahih collections in the narration of Ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, which sin is greatest?’ He said, ‘That you set up a rival to Allah, although He created you.’ I asked, ‘Then which?’ He said, ‘That you kill your child for fear that he will eat with you.’ I asked, ‘Then which?’ He said, ‘That you commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife.’

Sins relating to the right of Allah Most High: The first type is a sin consisting of abandoning an obligation that can be made up, such as prayers, fasting, or pilgrimage. These rights require repentance together with making up what was missed wherever one has the ability and opportunity. Some sins require repentance together with expiation, such as breaking oaths, zihar, and other matters. The second type arises from ignorance, failing to know Allah as one should, failing to regard what He has permitted as lawful and what He has forbidden as unlawful, and similar matters. Repentance alone suffices for this type. If the sin entails disbelief, one must pronounce the two testimonies of faith, affirm what one denied, and reject the beliefs one held that entail disbelief. If it arose from ignorance or turning away, one must seek knowledge and learn enough about one’s religion to protect and fortify oneself against falling into the sin again.

Sins relating to the rights of human beings are of two types. The first type is where the right can be compensated with its equivalent, involving property, injuries, the value of destroyed objects, stolen goods, usurped property, and so on. In this type, every wrongfully taken thing must be returned to its owner and every right restored to the person entitled to it, whether property or something similar: the thing itself if it still exists, or its equivalent if it no longer exists or has been consumed. It is purely another person’s right and must therefore be delivered to its owner. If the owners cannot be found, it should be given in charity on their behalf. The person entitled to legal retaliation must also be enabled to exercise it in the prescribed manner. If the offender does not return what is owed to its owners but confines himself to repentance, remorse, abandoning the sin, and resolving not to return, his repentance may be valid in what is between him and Allah, while the wrong done to the human being remains a liability upon him and the claim against him remains unchanged. Whoever cannot discharge what he owes because of insolvency may hope for Allah’s pardon. His favor is freely given: how many liabilities He has taken care of and how many evil deeds He has replaced!

Sins relating to the rights of human beings are of two types. The second type is where the right cannot be compensated with its equivalent; rather, the penalty is of a different kind. For example, the prescribed punishment for an accusation of unchastity is flogging, and the prescribed punishment for unlawful sexual intercourse, when established, is stoning or flogging. As for backbiting and tale-bearing, the person who commits them is sinful and deserves punishment if he does not obtain pardon from the person he has backbitten. When sins of this kind remain concealed between the servant and his Lord and no one has discovered them, repentance consists of regretting them, abandoning them, frequently seeking forgiveness for the person backbitten and others similarly wronged, declaring one’s accusation false, and abundantly doing good to the person whose wife one corrupted and committed adultery with. One should supplicate to Allah for the person whose right was violated and seek forgiveness for him. In the places where one backbit or accused him, one should mention the opposite of what one said: replace backbiting with praise, commendation, and mention of his good qualities, and replace the accusation with mention of his chastity and virtue. One should seek forgiveness for him in proportion to the backbiting one committed. Allah knows best.

Traits that give rise to sins: Imam al-Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned four types of traits that stir up sins: 1. Traits of lordship, which give rise to sins such as arrogance, self-exaltation, and love of praise and commendation. 2. Satanic traits, which give rise to sins such as envy, transgression, deception, scheming, cheating, and hypocrisy. 3. Animal traits, which appear in responding to the desires of the self, the stomach, and the instincts, such as unlawful sexual intercourse, sexual deviation, and theft. 4. Predatory traits, which give rise to sins such as rancor, usurpation, aggression, killing, and beating.

There are mistakes concerning repentance that cause sinners to procrastinate in repenting or turn away from it, or lead some repentant people to fall once more into the snares of whims and desires. Among these mistakes is postponing repentance, delaying and putting it off until old age, after marriage, or similar occasions. One must hasten to repent, for lifespans are not guaranteed, and the increase and accumulation of sins cause them to become ingrained traits and habits.

There are mistakes concerning repentance that cause sinners to procrastinate in repenting or turn away from it, or lead some repentant people to fall once more into the snares of whims and desires. Among these mistakes is heedlessness about repentance. Some sinners neglect repentance from sins because of weak religious commitment, admiration of themselves and their deeds, ignorance of the religious ruling, or preoccupation with this world at the expense of the Hereafter. The guidance of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is to seek forgiveness continually and persist in repentance.

There are mistakes concerning repentance that cause sinners to procrastinate in repenting or turn away from it, or lead some repentant people to fall once more into the snares of whims and desires. Among these mistakes is fear of returning to sins. Some sinners postpone abandoning sins and repenting of them out of fear that they will return to them again. This is one of Satan’s tricks and incitements against a person, intended to divert him from repentance and turning away from sins and acts of disobedience.

There are mistakes concerning repentance that cause sinners to procrastinate in repenting or turn away from it, or lead some repentant people to fall once more into the snares of whims and desires. Among these mistakes is concern over people’s taunts and disparagement. Some sinners abandon repentance for fear of people’s criticisms, talk, and comparisons between their condition after repentance and their previous condition. This is a grave mistake, because fear and reverence of Allah take precedence over fear of others. Everything the repentant person encounters along his way is a trial and a test for which he will be rewarded, Allah willing.

There are mistakes concerning repentance that cause sinners to procrastinate in repenting or turn away from it, or lead some repentant people to fall once more into the snares of whims and desires. Among these mistakes is attachment to prestige and social standing. Some sinners prefer remaining in jobs and positions that bring sins, or gaining favor with prominent people, over uprightness, turning back, and repenting to their Lord, mighty and majestic. This is a deficiency in a person’s religious commitment and honorable conduct, and a grave mistake that leads its perpetrator to loss and remorse when it is too late. All these things are passing enjoyments of this world. Nothing remains for a person except the deeds he has sent ahead that lead him to bliss and form a barrier between him and falling into Hell.

There are mistakes concerning repentance that cause sinners to procrastinate in repenting or turn away from it, or lead some repentant people to fall once more into the snares of whims and desires. Among these mistakes is procrastinating on the grounds of Allah’s forgiveness and mercy. Some sinners abandon repentance and persist in committing sins on the pretext of the vastness of Allah’s forgiveness, saying that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, or being deceived by Allah’s granting respite to some evildoers. This is a serious mistake and great ignorance of the rules of repentance. Allah, mighty and majestic, is Forgiving and Merciful to His repentant servants who do evil in ignorance and then return soon afterward. But Allah is severe in punishment toward those who persist in sins, obstinately resist, and act arrogantly.

There are mistakes concerning repentance that cause sinners to procrastinate in repenting or turn away from it, or lead some repentant people to fall once more into the snares of whims and desires. Among these mistakes is despair of Allah’s mercy. Some who have gone to excess in disobedience lose hope in Allah’s mercy and forgiveness and believe that wretchedness has been decreed for them. Others invoke destiny as an excuse, saying that Allah has decreed His servants’ righteousness and corruption, and they can have only what has been decreed for them. All this is great ignorance, error in belief, and Satan’s illusions and deception. The door of repentance is open to the servant until death arrives. Despair and hopelessness regarding Allah’s mercy are major sins, and a greater offense than committing sins.

There are mistakes concerning repentance that cause sinners to procrastinate in repenting or turn away from it, or lead some repentant people to fall once more into the snares of whims and desires. Among these mistakes is the repentance of liars. Some people stop disobeying for a short time because of illness or a particular situation, but soon return to it again. These people have not repented sincerely. Rather, they have felt secure against the divine plan, desires have taken control of them, and sins have gained mastery over them. They have no escape from them unless Allah permits it.

Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, wept one night until morning. When morning came, he was asked, ‘Is all this out of fear of sins?’ He picked up a piece of straw from the ground and said, ‘Sins are less significant than this. I am weeping only out of fear of a bad ending.’

Question: What is the wisdom in Allah Most High granting sinners respite? Answer: It has been said that this is to show His servants that pardon and kindness are dearer to Him than punishment and retribution, and so that they may know the utmost extent of His compassion, goodness, and generosity. Allah is Forbearing and Patient; He grants His disobedient servants respite so that they may repent. ‘If Allah were to take people to task for their wrongdoing, He would not leave a single living creature upon it’ (Surat al-Nahl: 61).

Question: Why did Allah decree sins for His servants? Answer: It has been said: So that they do not admire themselves. Also, to humiliate Iblis, for when a hunter catches something and his catch escapes from the net, his grief is greater than over something he never caught. Also, so that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, may rejoice in his intercession. Yahya ibn Mu‘adh al-Razi also said: He caused them to fall—that is, cast them—into sins so that they would recognize their need for Him; then He saved them so that they would recognize the honor He bestowed upon them.

Question: How can a person rid himself of hardness of heart, and what causes it? Answer: Sins, acts of disobedience, much heedlessness, and the company of heedless and immoral people are all causes of hardness of heart. What makes hearts gentle, pure, and tranquil is obedience to Allah, exalted and sublime, the company of good people, and preserving one’s time through remembrance, reading the Qur’an, and seeking forgiveness. Whoever preserves his time through remembrance of Allah, reading the Qur’an, keeping company with good people, and avoiding the company of heedless and evil people will have a heart that becomes wholesome and gentle. Allah Most High said: ‘Surely, in the remembrance of Allah hearts find tranquility’ (Surat al-Ra‘d: 28) (Collected Fatwas and Various Articles, Shaykh Ibn Baz).

Allah Most High said: ‘No! Indeed, the record of the wicked is in Sijjin’ (Surat al-Mutaffifin: 7). Abu ‘Ubaydah and al-Akhfash said: That is, in confinement and severe constriction.

He, glorified be He, said: ‘Whoever turns away from My remembrance will have a constricted life, and We will raise him blind on the Day of Resurrection’ (Surat Ta Ha: 124). Sins cause misery and constriction of life in this world and the Hereafter. Repentance is therefore a straight path to relief from worries, tranquility of the soul, peace of mind in this world, and salvation on the Day of Reckoning.

Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: ‘Call yourselves to account before you are called to account, and weigh yourselves before you are weighed. It will make tomorrow’s reckoning easier for you if you call yourselves to account today. Adorn yourselves for the greatest presentation: on that Day you will be presented, and nothing about you will remain hidden.’

The scholars said: Repentance is obligatory for every sin. If the disobedience is between the servant and Allah Most High and does not concern a human being’s right, it has three conditions. The first: abandoning the sin. The second: regretting having committed it. The third: resolving never to return to it. If any condition is absent, the repentance is invalid. If the sin concerns a human being, its conditions are three: 1. Discharging the right owed to its owner; if it is money or something similar, return it to him. 2. If it involves the prescribed punishment for an accusation of unchastity or a similar matter, enable him to claim it or ask his pardon. 3. If it is backbiting, seek his pardon for it.

One must repent of all sins. According to the people of truth, if a person repents of some sins, his repentance from that particular sin is valid, while the others remain upon him. Allah, mighty and majestic, accepts only deeds performed sincerely for Him alone, seeking His countenance and conforming to His command by following His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The deed must therefore be sincere for Allah Most High and correct—that is, in accordance with the Sunnah. A deed may be correct but insincere, so it is not accepted; it may be sincere but incorrect, so it is likewise not accepted. Among the supplications of Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, was: ‘O Allah, make all my deeds righteous, make them sincerely for Your countenance, and give no one any share in them.’

Signs of the acceptance of repentance, as mentioned by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy on him: 1. Openness of the heart and tranquility. 2. Obedience becoming easy for a person. 3. Love of good and hatred of evil.

Repentance will not be valid until a person is remorseful, regretful, and saddened by the acts of disobedience he has committed. He must humble himself before Allah, mighty and majestic, and turn back to Him. Therefore, someone who talks about his past sins with pride and boasts of them is not considered repentant or remorseful. Rather, this is openly publicizing sins, about which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘All of my community will be pardoned except those who openly publicize their sins’ (Narrated by al-Bukhari) (Repentance to Allah, Dr. Salih Ghanim al-Sadlan).

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, says: When Allah intends good for His servant, He opens for him the doors of repentance, remorse, brokenheartedness, humility, neediness, seeking His help, sincerely taking refuge in Him, constantly pleading and supplicating, and drawing near to Him through whatever good deeds he can perform. Through this, that evil deed becomes a cause of mercy for him, until Allah’s enemy says, ‘If only I had left him alone and had not caused him to fall!’ This is the meaning of the saying of some early Muslims: ‘A servant may commit a sin through which he enters Paradise, and perform a good deed through which he enters the Fire.’ They asked, ‘How?’ He said: ‘He commits a sin and it remains constantly before his eyes. He fears it, is apprehensive and afraid, weeps and regrets it, feels ashamed before his Lord Most High, bows his head before Him, and has a heart broken in humility toward Him. That sin is then more beneficial to him than many acts of obedience because of these consequences, through which the servant attains happiness and success, until that sin becomes a cause of entering Paradise’ (Resources for the Thirsty for Lessons of the Times, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Muhammad al-Salman).

Allah’s favor, mighty and majestic, in opening the door of repentance: Allah, mighty and majestic, commanded repentance, saying: ‘Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped’ (Surat al-Zumar: 54). Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his commentary on this verse: That is, return to Allah, submit to Him, and hasten to repent and perform righteous deeds before punishment arrives.

Allah’s favor, mighty and majestic, in opening the door of repentance: Allah has promised to accept repentance, however great the sins. He said: ‘He is the One who accepts repentance from His servants, pardons evil deeds, and knows what you do’ (Surat al-Shura: 25).

Allah’s favor, mighty and majestic, in opening the door of repentance: Allah warned against despair of His mercy, saying: ‘Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. He is indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful’ (Surat al-Zumar: 53). Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah reported from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, concerning this verse: Allah Most High has invited to His forgiveness those who claimed that the Messiah is Allah, those who claimed that the Messiah is the son of Allah, those who claimed that ‘Uzayr is the son of Allah, those who claimed that Allah is poor, those who claimed that Allah’s hand is chained, and those who claimed that Allah is the third of three. Allah Most High says to these people: ‘Will they not repent to Allah and seek His forgiveness? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful’ (Surat al-Ma’idah: 74). Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said concerning the verse in al-Zumar: Its purpose is to prohibit despair of Allah Most High’s mercy, even when sins are great and numerous. No one may despair of Allah’s mercy or cause people to despair of it. Thus some early Muslims said: The truly learned jurist is the one who neither makes people lose hope in Allah’s mercy nor emboldens them to disobey Allah.

Allah’s favor, mighty and majestic, in opening the door of repentance: Allah extends His hand at night so that the person who did wrong during the day may repent, and extends His hand during the day so that the person who did wrong at night may repent. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Allah, mighty and majestic, extends His hand at night so that the person who did wrong during the day may repent, and extends His hand during the day so that the person who did wrong at night may repent, until the sun rises from the west’ (Narrated by Muslim).

Allah’s favor, mighty and majestic, in opening the door of repentance: Allah has attached immense reward to repentance and promised those who repent much goodness. Some wise people said: ‘Disobedience following disobedience is the punishment of disobedience, and a good deed following a good deed is the reward of a good deed. Immediate punishment may sometimes be inward.’ One of the scholars of the Children of Israel said: ‘O Lord, how often I disobey You, yet You do not punish me!’ He was told: ‘How often I punish you without your knowing! Have I not deprived you of the sweetness of intimate prayer to Me?’ Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘A person of reason must beware of the consequences of sins, for their fire lies beneath the ashes. Punishment may be delayed, and it may come swiftly.’

Allah’s favor, mighty and majestic, in opening the door of repentance: Despair of Allah’s mercy. Some people, when they have gone to excess in sins or repented once or more and then returned to sin, despair of Allah’s mercy and think that wretchedness has been decreed for them. They therefore persist in sins and abandon repentance for good. This is a great sin, and may be greater than the original sin they committed, for none despair of Allah’s relief except the disbelieving people. Let a person renew his repentance and strive against himself for Allah’s sake until certainty comes to him.

Allah’s favor, mighty and majestic, in opening the door of repentance: Despair of sinners’ repentance. Some people possess goodness, sincere concern, and a love of reform. You see them eagerly calling sinners, whatever their sins. But when they see one of them turning away from advice, shunning goodness, and persisting in error, they despair of his guidance and stop advising him. They may even declare with certainty that Allah will not forgive him or guide him to the right path. Yet how many people persist in error and wrongdoing until it is thought that they will die in that condition, then the Most Merciful, the Merciful, reaches them with a breath of His grace, and suddenly they are among the righteous and good!

Imam al-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘They agreed that repentance from all sins is obligatory immediately, and that it may not be delayed, whether the sin is minor or major.’

Abu Sa‘id, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Iblis said: O Lord, by Your might, I will continue to mislead them as long as their souls remain in their bodies. Allah, mighty and majestic, said: By My might and majesty, I will continue to forgive them as long as they seek My forgiveness’ (Narrated by Imam Ahmad in the Musnad). The door of repentance is therefore open, and those who have strayed return to it.

Safwan ibn ‘Assal reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘In the direction of the setting sun there is an open gate whose width is seventy years. That gate will remain open for repentance until the sun rises from its direction. When it rises from that direction, no soul will benefit from its faith if it had not believed before or earned some good through its faith’ (Narrated by Ibn Majah).

Ibn Hubayrah said: ‘If a believing soul has not earned any good through its faith before the sun rises from the west, what it earns afterward will not benefit it.’

Repentance accepted by Allah has two aspects. First: His enabling His servant to repent, as Allah Most High said: ‘Then He turned to them in mercy so that they might repent’ (Surat al-Tawbah: 118), meaning He enabled them to repent so that they would repent. Second: His accepting it from the servant, as Allah Most High said: ‘Indeed, I am abundantly forgiving to whoever repents, believes, does righteous deeds, and then follows guidance’ (Surat Ta Ha: 82). Both are encompassed by His words: ‘I am the Accepter of repentance, the Merciful’ (Surat al-Baqarah: 160). On the servant’s part, repentance is returning and turning in devotion to Allah, mighty and majestic, with sincerity toward Him, abandoning the sin, regretting having committed it, resolving not to return to it, and repenting within its proper time.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘Every believer must repent, and no one becomes complete without it.’ He also said: ‘Repentance is not a deficiency; rather, it is among the highest forms of perfection. Allah has told us about repentance and seeking forgiveness on the part of the prophets in general: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others.’ It has been said: ‘A sin that produces humility and brokenheartedness may be better than an act of obedience that produces pride and arrogance.’ Everyone who does evil does it out of ignorance, foolishness, and lack of sound judgment. Every sin by which Allah is disobeyed is ignorance, whether its perpetrator is knowledgeable or ignorant, mindful or forgetful, deliberate or mistaken, acting freely or under compulsion, because Allah Most High said: ‘For those who do evil in ignorance’ (Surat al-Nisa’: 17).

Ibn Taymiyyah said: Whoever disobeys Allah is ignorant, whoever he may be, and whoever obeys Him is knowledgeable. Thus Allah Most High said: ‘Only those of His servants who possess knowledge fear Allah’ (Surat Fatir: 28). Every truly knowledgeable person fears Him. Whoever does not fear Allah is not among the knowledgeable but among the ignorant. Ibn Mas‘ud said: ‘Fear of Allah suffices as knowledge, and being deceived about Him suffices as ignorance.’ A man said to al-Sha‘bi, ‘O learned one!’ He replied: ‘The learned person is only the one who fears Allah.’

Things that help a person repent and persevere in repentance: Making one’s intention sincere for Allah Most High in repentance and in all other deeds.

Things that help a person repent and persevere in repentance: The repentant person should strive, as much as possible, to perform righteous deeds that help him remain steadfast in goodness, after Allah’s enabling him.

Things that help a person repent and persevere in repentance: Recognizing the ugliness and gravity of the sin or sins one has committed, and their harm to oneself in this world and the Hereafter.

Things that help a person repent and persevere in repentance: Keeping away from the place where the sin was practiced.

Things that help a person repent and persevere in repentance: Destroying the forbidden tools with which one used to commit the sin, or anything that reminds one of that sin.

Things that help a person repent and persevere in repentance: Finding righteous companions who help one do good, and not sitting with the bad companions who used to commit sins with one.

Things that help a person repent and persevere in repentance: Continually reading passages in the Noble Qur’an and the purified Sunnah that warn sinners, to deter one from wanting to return to heedlessness, as well as passages about the acceptance of repentance and encouragement to repent.

Things that help a person repent and persevere in repentance: Remembering that immediate punishment may come at any time.

Things that help a person repent and persevere in repentance: Continually remembering Allah, glorified and exalted.

Signs of the repentant person’s sincerity: Actually abandoning the sin and taking up acts of obedience in its place. This indicates the heart’s sensitivity, its awakening, its awareness of sin, and its desire to repent.

Signs of the repentant person’s sincerity: Resolving and intending to make up for what has passed and to put right what is to come. If the past involved neglect of worship, he makes it up; if it involved a wrong against another, he discharges it; if it involved a sin that entails no compensation, he grieves over having committed it. This indicates his magnification of Allah in his heart, the intensification of his fear of Him and hope in Him, and his longing for what is with Him.

Signs of the repentant person’s sincerity: The earth feels narrow to him, as it did to Ka‘b ibn Malik and his two companions—see his story in the two Sahih collections. Grief and weeping take hold of him, occupying him away from amusement and laughter.

Signs of the repentant person’s sincerity: His condition after repentance is better than it was before. Allah Most High said: ‘Then Adam received words from his Lord, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, He is the Accepter of repentance, the Merciful’ (Surat al-Baqarah: 37).

Signs of the repentant person’s sincerity: He does not feel secure against Allah’s plan even for the blink of an eye. Allah Most High said: ‘Those who are apprehensive of their Lord’s punishment; indeed, their Lord’s punishment is not something from which anyone can feel secure’ (Surat al-Ma‘arij: 27–28). Fear therefore accompanies him throughout his life, and he continues in that condition until he hears the words of the messenger sent to take his soul: ‘Indeed, those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then remain steadfast—the angels descend upon them: Do not fear or grieve, but receive glad tidings of the Paradise you were promised’ (Surat Fussilat: 30).

Signs of the repentant person’s sincerity: Feeling pain, remorse, and regret over what he has neglected, and fearing a bad outcome.

Signs of the repentant person’s sincerity: Among the strongest signs of sincerity in repentance are loving Allah and His Messenger, loving believers for His sake, and performing the deeds that this love requires.

Know that each part of a person’s body has its own repentance. The repentance of the eye is restraining it from looking at forbidden things; the repentance of the hand is restraining it from taking what is forbidden; the repentance of hearing is restraining it from listening to what is forbidden; the repentance of the private parts is restraining them from unlawful sexual intercourse, and so on. The servant should make up what he has missed, perform every obligation he neglected, and restore every wrongfully withheld right to its owner. He should occupy the body he used in illicit gain and forbidden conduct with obedience to Allah Most High, carrying out His commands, nourishing it with what is lawful, and keeping away from places of doubtful and forbidden matters.

Sincere repentance: Ibn Kathir, may Allah Most High have mercy on him, defined it by saying: ‘True, firm repentance that erases the evil deeds preceding it, puts the repentant person’s scattered affairs in order, gathers him together, and restrains him from the base acts he used to practice.’

Among the most important fruits of repentance is the pleasure of Allah, blessed and exalted. The person who repents to Allah, glorified be He, is beloved to Allah, supported by His help, protected and preserved from every evil and affliction. Mercies descend upon him, blessings envelop him, and his supplications are answered. Allah Most High said in the sacred hadith: ‘When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he grasps, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks Me, I will give him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him’ (Narrated by al-Bukhari).

Among the most important fruits of repentance is tranquility of the soul. The harm of sins to spouses and souls is more dangerous than the harm of illnesses to bodies. Indeed, the harm of disobedience encompasses both spirit and body. You see the sinner beset by various worries and griefs, and different obsessive thoughts and anxieties. You find him only anxious, alarmed, and afraid, all because of the acts of disobedience and sins he has committed. Repentance is therefore tranquility for the soul and happiness for the heart. Imam al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘A good deed is light in the heart and strength in the body; an evil deed is darkness in the heart and weakness in the body.’ Repentance is a remedy for illnesses of the soul and body, requiring patience and contemplation of the reward from Allah. It is a remedy that polishes hearts and removes the causes of distress and constriction: the rust covering them. Allah Most High said: ‘No! Rather, what they used to earn has covered their hearts with rust’ (Surat al-Mutaffifin: 14). When this rust is removed, hearts become light and joyful; they know no despair and are not afflicted by misery.

Among the most important fruits of repentance is avoiding the wrath of Allah, mighty and majestic. Repentance protects against Allah’s punishment and chastisement, because sins bring wrath and punishment, while repentance erases and cancels sins. Allah Most High said concerning Jonah, peace be upon him: ‘Had he not been among those who glorify Allah, he would have remained in its belly until the Day they are raised’ (Surat al-Saffat: 143–144). Jonah’s glorification was: ‘There is no god but You. Glory be to You! Indeed, I was among the wrongdoers’ (Surat al-Anbiya’: 87).

Reflect, may Allah grant you success, that the pleasures of sins pass away while their consequences remain, and that repentance separates the servant from punishment. Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Allah has protective jealousy, and the believer has protective jealousy. Allah’s protective jealousy is aroused when the believer does what He has forbidden him’ (Narrated by Muslim).

Among the benefits of repentance: Self-respect. One of the most beautiful benefits of repentance is that a person respects himself and his being after previously despising and hating himself, when he had fallen in his own estimation during disobedience. After repentance, however, his psychological state changes: the repentant person loves and respects himself. This is explained by the following matters: Repentance opens hope before the anxious person whom his sins and offenses have broken; hope after repentance gives him psychological comfort. Repentance leads him to respect himself after previously declaring war on himself and despising himself because of his offenses. Repentance impels him to free himself from feelings of guilt and fear.

Among the benefits of repentance: Blessing in deeds and tenderness in the heart. My repentant brother, repentance has effects upon the heart. Thus Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah stated: ‘Repentance brings the repentant person love, tenderness, kindness, gratitude to Allah, praise of Him, contentment with Him, and other forms of servitude. When he repents to Allah and Allah accepts his repentance, this acceptance brings him kinds of blessings whose details the servant cannot fully discern. He continues to enjoy their blessings and effects as long as he does not undo or spoil his repentance.’

Among the benefits of repentance: The replacement of evil deeds. Allah Most High said: ‘Except those who repent, believe, and perform righteous deeds; Allah will replace their evil deeds with good deeds. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful’ (Surat al-Furqan: 70). This is among the greatest benefits encouraging the repentant person to repent at every moment of his life. Repentance wipes away the evil deeds preceding it, and a person remains pure and clean, as on the day his mother bore him, after declaring sincere repentance.

Who are the repentant? They are those who, when they commit an evil deed, an indecency, or a wrong against themselves, remember Allah, feel remorse, repent, believe, and return to Allah soon afterward. They seek forgiveness for their sins, do not persist in the disobedience they committed without abandoning it, and resolve never to return to it. They follow their repentance with righteous deeds.

Who are the repentant? The repentant person is truthful in expression, rich in feeling, with a heart overflowing with emotion and a conscience aflame.

Who are the repentant? The repentant person has a humbled heart, abundant tears, a living conscience, and inward unease.

Who are the repentant? The repentant person is between hope and fear, safety and harm, salvation and destruction.

Who are the repentant? The repentant person has a burning pain in his heart, anguish in his inner feelings, sorrow on his face, and secrets in his tears.

Who are the repentant? The repentant person finds a lesson in every event. When the dove coos, he weeps; when the bird cries, he laments; when the nightingale sings, he remembers; when lightning flashes, he trembles.

Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: ‘Sit with those who frequently repent, for their hearts are more tender. Every child of Adam repeatedly errs, and the best of those who err are those who repeatedly repent.’

Abu Yazid al-Bistami, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘The signs of the repentant person are five: when he remembers himself, he feels his need; when he remembers his sin, he seeks forgiveness; when he remembers this world, he takes a lesson; when he remembers the Hereafter, he rejoices; and when he remembers the Master, he takes pride.’

Shaykh Sayyid Qutb, may Allah have mercy on him, addresses steadfastness after repentance and how to fill the satanic void in the soul with practical faith, saying: ‘Repentance begins with remorse and abandoning disobedience, and ends with righteous action that proves repentance is valid and serious. At the same time, this creates a positive replacement in the soul after abandoning disobedience. Disobedience is action and movement; its void must be filled with an opposing action and movement. Otherwise, the soul will yearn for sin under the influence of the emptiness it feels after abandoning it.’

The esteemed teacher Muhammad Khayr Ramadan Yusuf says in his book: ‘No peace with Satan and his helpers means no peace with evil and its people, no peace with falsehood and its adherents, and no peace with the self that commands evil.’

Abu Sulayman al-Darani, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘Whoever becomes pure will have things made pure for him; whoever brings turbidity will have things made turbid for him. Whoever does good in his night will be rewarded in his day, and whoever does good in his day will be rewarded in his night.’

‘A laughing person who acknowledges his sin is better than a weeping person who presumes upon his Lord. A weeping person who regrets his sin is better than a laughing person who acknowledges his frivolity.’

Does returning to a sin invalidate repentance from it? In other words, if a person repents of a sin and then returns to it, does the guilt of that sin return upon him because he has gone back to it? Shaykh Salih ibn Ghanim al-Sadlan sets out the details of this question as follows: 1. If he repents and continues in his repentance, and that repentance fulfills its conditions and is free of impediments, it is valid repentance, with no disagreement, by the consensus of scholars. 2. If he repents of a sin, returns to it, repents of it, and returns to it again, then each repentance is valid if each fulfills its conditions. 3. If he repents of a sin, then returns to it and dies in that condition, is he held accountable for both the first and second instances, or only for the second, while repentance has wiped away the first and removed its guilt?

It is narrated that there was a young man among the Children of Israel who worshipped Allah for twenty years, then disobeyed Him for twenty years. He looked in the mirror and saw gray hair in his beard, and said: ‘My God, I obeyed You for twenty years and disobeyed You for twenty years. If I return to You, will You accept me?’ He heard a caller from behind the house saying: ‘You loved Us, so We loved you. You abandoned Us, so We abandoned you. You disobeyed Us, so We granted you respite. If you return to Us, We will accept you.’

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Among the Children of Israel there was a man who killed ninety-nine people. He went out asking, came to a monk, and asked him: Is there any repentance? He said: No. So he killed him. He continued asking, and a man told him: Go to such-and-such a place. Death overtook him, and he stretched his chest toward it. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over him. Allah revealed to this place: Draw nearer, and to the other: Move farther away. He said: Measure the distance between them. He was found to be nearer to this one by a handspan, so he was forgiven’ (Narrated by al-Bukhari).

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘A servant committed a sin and said: O Allah, forgive my sin. He, blessed and exalted, said: My servant committed a sin and knew that he has a Lord who forgives sin and takes people to task for sin. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive my sin. He, blessed and exalted, said: My servant committed a sin and knew that he has a Lord who forgives sin and takes people to task for sin. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive my sin. He, blessed and exalted, said: My servant committed a sin and knew that he has a Lord who forgives sin and takes people to task for sin. Do as you wish, for I have forgiven you.’ This accords with the graciousness of Islam, because it encourages those who repent and turn toward uprightness. Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Makhul said: It has reached me that when Abraham, peace be upon him, ascended into the heavenly realm, he saw someone committing a major sin and supplicated against him, so Allah destroyed him. Then he looked and saw a servant going to excess in wrongdoing, and supplicated against him, so Allah Most High destroyed him. Allah, exalted and sublime, said: ‘O Abraham, leave My servants alone. My servant faces one of three possibilities: he may repent and I accept his repentance; I may bring forth from him descendants who worship Me; or wretchedness may overcome him, and Hell lies ahead of him. Do you not know that one of My names is the Patient?’

Our master Moses, peace be upon him, said: ‘O Lord, when Your obedient servant asks You, what do You say to him?’ He said: ‘I say: Here I am.’ He asked: ‘And the ascetic?’ He said: ‘I say: Here I am.’ He asked: ‘And the fasting person?’ He said: ‘I say: Here I am.’ He asked: ‘And the sinner?’ He said: ‘I say: Here I am, here I am, here I am. Each of those others relies upon his deeds, while the sinner relies upon My mercy. I do not disappoint a servant who relies upon Me, for I have said: Whoever relies upon Allah, He is sufficient for him’ (Surat al-Talaq: 3).

Imam al-Shafi‘i, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked: ‘Which is better: a disbeliever who embraces Islam, or a sinner who repents?’ The Imam said: ‘The sinner who repents, because the disbeliever who embraces Islam moves from the degree of ignorance of Allah to the degree of knowledge of Allah. But the sinner who repents moves from the degree of knowledge of Allah to the degree of love of Allah.’

Yahya ibn Mu‘adh, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘What has kept people from repentance is prolonged hope. The signs of the repentant person are flowing tears, love of solitude, and calling the self to account at every intention.’

Muhammad ibn Ka‘b al-Qurazi said: ‘Repentance encompasses four things: seeking forgiveness with the tongue, abandoning the sin with the body, inwardly resolving in the heart not to return, and leaving bad companions.’

‘The signs of repentance are leaving ignorance, regretting sin, distancing oneself from desire, abandoning lies, and ceasing bad character.’

Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said: ‘How astonishing that someone should perish while he has salvation with him!’ He was asked: ‘What is it?’ He said: ‘Repentance and seeking forgiveness.’

Abu Bakr al-Wasiti, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘Taking one’s time is good in everything except three matters: when the time for prayer arrives, when burying the dead, and repenting upon committing a sin.’

Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘Whoever does not repent when evening comes and when morning comes is among the wrongdoers.’

Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘Whoever wants repentance should free himself of injustices and give up mingling with people; otherwise, he will not attain what he wants.’

Shaqiq al-Balkhi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘The signs of repentance are weeping over what has passed, fearing a fall into sin, abandoning bad companions, and keeping close to good people.’

Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘The believer keeps watch over himself, calling himself to account for Allah, mighty and majestic. The reckoning on the Day of Resurrection was made light for people who took up this matter without self-examination.’

It has been said: ‘Allah wants only two qualities from people: that they acknowledge His blessings so that He increases them, and acknowledge their sins so that He forgives them.’

It has been said: ‘Repentance is taking off the soiled garment and cutting away the impure root.’

Al-Sari al-Saqati, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘Repentance rests on four pillars: seeking forgiveness with the tongue, remorse in the heart, abandoning the sin with the limbs, and inwardly resolving not to return.’

Hatim al-Asamm was asked: ‘Why do we listen but gain no benefit?’ He said: ‘Because of five traits in you: you do not give thanks for the blessings Allah grants you; you do not act upon the knowledge you have learned; you do not follow the good people whose company you keep; you do not take a lesson from the dead you have buried; and you do not repent to Him of the sins you have committed.’

Abu Nasr al-Haddadi, the author of al-Basatin, reported that al-Juzajani said: ‘The foundation of repentance is five things: remorse in the heart together with seeking forgiveness with the tongue; putting one’s affairs right in accordance with the Qur’an; striving against the self to please the Most Merciful; leaving companions who belong to Satan’s party; and constant fear concerning past disobedience.’

Ibn ‘Ata’ said: ‘Repentance is of two kinds: repentance of turning back, and repentance of response. Repentance of turning back is when the servant repents out of fear of His punishment. Repentance of response is when he repents out of shame before His generosity.’

Yahya ibn Mu‘adh said: ‘The signs of sincere repentance are three things: little food, little sleep, and little speech.’

Abu ‘Uthman reported that Shah said: ‘When the servant establishes the station of repentance correctly, he is moved to the station of fear, then the station of hope, then the station of the righteous, then the station of the seekers, then the station of the obedient, then the station of those who love, then the station of those who yearn, then the station of the friends of Allah, then the station of those brought near.’

One of the wise people said: ‘The most truthful person is the one who remains steadfast in his repentance; the greatest liar is the one who returns to his sin; the most ignorant is the one who boasts of his good deeds; and the most knowledgeable is the one who fears Allah most.’

It is related that a man repented in his old age. He was told: ‘You have been slow, and you have been quick.’ That is, he was slow because he delayed repentance, and quick because he repented before death.

Some commentators said: ‘All sins are of three kinds: a sin between you and the Truth, a sin between you and creation, and a sin consisting of abandoning commands. Repentance from them all is turning away from them all, humbly pleading and beseeching, and giving precedence to Allah’s command until certainty comes to you.’

It has been said: ‘The repentant person’s sleep is little, his intimate prayer to the Truth is long, his body is ailing from shame over his shortcomings, and his companion is a majestic King.’

In the Psalms: ‘Allah Most High revealed to David, peace be upon him: I am Allah, the giver to every petitioner, the forgiver of everyone who seeks forgiveness, the helper of everyone who cries for help, the reliever of everyone in distress, and the lover of everyone who repents. So love the repentant, give glad tidings to those who do good, and warn those who sin.’ He, blessings and peace be upon him, said: ‘If you committed sins until they reached the sky, then repented, Allah would accept your repentance’ (Narrated by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak; al-Albani graded it hasan).

Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: ‘Sincere repentance is to repent and then not return.’ He also said: ‘The door of repentance is open, and repentance is accepted from everyone except three: Iblis, the chief of the disbelievers; Qabil, son of Adam, the chief of sinners; and whoever killed one of the prophets.’

Dhu al-Nun al-Misri said: ‘The repentance of ordinary people is from sins; the repentance of the elect is from heedlessness.’

Luqman the Wise said to his son while admonishing him: ‘Do not delay repentance, for death comes suddenly.’

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Iblis said: O Lord, I will continue to mislead the children of Adam as long as their souls remain in their bodies. The Lord, mighty and majestic, said: I will continue to forgive them as long as they seek My forgiveness’ (Reported by Ahmad and al-Hakim).

Qatadah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘The Qur’an directs you to your illness and your remedy. Your illness is sins, and your remedy is seeking forgiveness.’

Al-Fudayl, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘Seeking forgiveness without abandoning the sin is the repentance of liars.’

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘The reality of repentance is returning to Allah by committing to do what He loves and abandon what He dislikes. It is therefore a return from what is disliked to what is loved. Returning to what is loved is one part of its meaning, and turning away from what is disliked is the other part.’

Question: I fall into a sin and repent of it, then my self that commands evil overcomes me and I return to it! Does my first repentance become invalid, leaving me with the guilt of the first sin and the subsequent ones? Answer: Most scholars hold that never returning to the sin is not a condition for repentance to be valid. Rather, its validity depends upon abandoning the sin, regretting it, and firmly resolving not to repeat it. If the person returns to it, he becomes like someone who has committed a new sin requiring new repentance from it, while his first repentance remains valid.

Question: If the evil deed concerns a human being’s right, how does one repent? Answer: The basis is the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: ‘Whoever has wronged his brother concerning his honor or property should seek his pardon today, before recompense is taken from him on a Day when there will be neither dinars nor dirhams. If he has righteous deeds, an amount corresponding to his wrongdoing will be taken from them. If he has no deeds, some of his companion’s evil deeds will be taken and placed upon him’ (Narrated by al-Bukhari). The repentant person frees himself of these wrongs either by restoring the rights to their owners or by seeking their pardon and asking them to forgive him. If they forgive him, that suffices; otherwise, he returns what is owed.

Question: How does a thief repent? Answer: If the thing is still in his possession, he returns it to its owners. If it has been destroyed or its value has decreased through use or time, he must compensate them for that, unless they forgive him; in that case, praise be to Allah.

Question: I feel intensely embarrassed to face those from whom I stole. I cannot tell them frankly or ask their forgiveness. What should I do? Answer: There is no blame upon you for finding a way to avoid this embarrassment that you cannot face. For example, you can send what they are owed with another person and ask that your name not be mentioned, send it by mail, or place it secretly with them, saying: ‘These are rights owed to you by someone who does not wish to mention his name.’ What matters is that the right returns to its owners.

Question: I used to steal secretly from my father’s pocket. I now want to repent, but I do not know exactly how much I stole, and I feel embarrassed to face him. Answer: Estimate what you stole at an amount you consider most likely to equal it or exceed it. There is no harm in returning it secretly to your father, just as you took it secretly.

Question: I stole money from people and repented to Allah, but I do not know their addresses. Another person says: I secretly took money from a company that has since ceased operating and left the country. A third says: I stole goods from a shop whose location has changed, and I do not know its owner. Answer: Search for them to the extent of your ability and capacity. If you find them, pay it to them, and praise be to Allah. If the owner of the money has died, give it to his heirs. If you cannot find them despite a serious search, give this money in charity on their behalf and intend it for them, even if they are disbelievers, for Allah gives them in this world but does not give them in the Hereafter.

Question: I usurped money belonging to orphans, traded with it, profited, and the money multiplied several times over. I became afraid of Allah and remorseful. How do I repent? Answer: Scholars have several opinions on this matter. The most balanced and just is that you return the original capital to the orphans plus half the profits. It is as though you and they were partners in the profit, while the original capital is restored to them. This is a narration from Imam Ahmad, the view of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and the preferred opinion of his student Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him (al-Madarij 1/392). Likewise, if you usurped grazing camels or sheep that produced offspring, the animals and half their offspring belong to the original owner. If they died, their value together with half the offspring is given to their owner.

Question: A man working in air freight secretly took a tape recorder from goods left behind with them. Years later he repented. Should he return the recorder itself, its value, or a similar one, given that this model is no longer on the market? Answer: He returns the recorder itself, together with the amount by which its value has decreased through use or the passage of time, in a suitable manner without harming himself. If that is impossible, he gives its value in charity on behalf of its original owner.

Question: I had money from usury, but spent all of it and have none left. I have now repented. What must I do? Answer: You are required only to repent sincerely to Allah, mighty and majestic. Usury is dangerous, and in the Noble Qur’an Allah declared war against no one except those who engage in usury. Since the usurious money has all gone, nothing is now due from you concerning it.

Question: I bought a car with money that was partly lawful and partly unlawful, and it is still with me. What should I do? Answer: Whoever buys something indivisible, such as a house or car, with money that is partly lawful and partly unlawful need only take from his other money an amount equivalent to the unlawful portion and give it in charity to purify that property. If that unlawful portion is a right belonging to others, he must return its equivalent to them according to the details given earlier.

Question: What should a person do with money earned from trading in tobacco, including when it is mixed with his other lawful money? Answer: Someone who knowingly traded in forbidden things, such as selling instruments of amusement, forbidden recordings, or tobacco, and then repents should spend the profits of that forbidden trade on good causes to dispose of them, rather than as charity, because Allah is good and accepts only what is good. If this unlawful money is mixed with other lawful money, as with a grocer who sells tobacco alongside permissible goods, he estimates the unlawful amount to the best of his judgment and removes it, so that he considers it most likely that he has purified his wealth of unlawful earnings. Allah will compensate him with something better; He is All-Encompassing and Generous. In general, someone who possesses money from unlawful earnings and wants to repent falls into one of these cases: 1. If he was a disbeliever when he earned it, he is not required to dispose of it upon repentance, because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not require the Companions to dispose of their unlawful money when they embraced Islam. 2. If he was Muslim and knew it was forbidden when he earned it, he disposes of the unlawful money he possesses when he repents.

Question: A person used to take bribes, then Allah guided him to uprightness. What should he do with the money taken as bribes? Answer: This person falls into one of two cases: 1. He took the bribe from a wronged person entitled to a right, who was forced to pay the bribe to obtain it because he had no other means of reaching his right. Here the repentant person must return the money to the bribe-giver who holds that right, because it has the status of usurped property and because he forced him to pay it. 2. He took the bribe from a wrongdoer who obtained through bribery things to which he was not entitled. In this case, he does not return what he took to that person. Rather, the repentant person disposes of this unlawful money in good causes, such as giving it to the poor. He also repents of having caused rights to be diverted from their rightful holders.

Question: I committed an indecency—Allah’s protection is sought—and contracted marriage with the woman with whom I committed unlawful sexual intercourse. We have been together for years, and both of us have sincerely repented to Allah. What must I do? Answer: As long as both parties’ repentance is valid, you must renew the marriage contract with its prescribed conditions, including the guardian and two witnesses. It need not take place in court; if it takes place at home, that is sufficient.

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: A wise man was asked, 'Describe for us the measure of this world and the length of our stay.' He replied: 'Your world is the moment in which your glance returns to you. What has passed is beyond your grasp, and you do not know what has yet to come. Time is a coming day whose night announces its passing and whose hour folds it away. Its events continually change and diminish the human being. Time scatters gatherings, breaks bonds, and transfers power from one people to another. Hopes are long and life is short, and all matters return to Allah.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/103].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Abū Marḥūm said: 'We went with al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him, to visit a sick man. When al-Ḥasan sat beside him, he asked, “How do you feel?” The man answered, “I crave food but cannot swallow it, and I crave a drink but cannot take it down.” Al-Ḥasan wept and said, “This abode was founded upon illnesses and ailments. Even if you recover from illness and are cured of disease, can you escape death?” The whole house then shook with weeping.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/108].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said: 'Poor son of Adam! He is content with an abode in which what is lawful brings an accounting and what is unlawful brings punishment. If he takes from lawful means, he is called to account for its pleasures; if he takes from unlawful means, he is punished for it. Son of Adam considers his wealth too little but does not consider his deeds too little. He rejoices over a misfortune in his religion and grieves over a misfortune in his worldly life.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/110].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Entering into worldly life is easy, but freeing oneself from it is difficult. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/115].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Hishām ibn Ismāʿīl, may Allah have mercy on him, said: There was a king who, whenever he seized a believer, ordered him to be crucified. A man who believed in Allah was brought before him, and the king ordered his crucifixion. After he was killed, they found a writing containing three statements: If destiny is real, greed is futile. If treachery is part of people's nature, trusting everyone is helpless folly. And if death lies in wait for everyone, feeling secure in this world is foolishness. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5 / 116].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Shawdhab, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It used to be said that Allah marked this world with loneliness and placed the comfort of those who obey Him in Him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/118].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, may Allah have mercy on him, delivered a sermon. He said: People, you were created for a matter that, if you truly believe in it, you are foolish to neglect, and if you deny it, you are doomed. You were created to live forever, but you are moved from one abode to another. Servants of Allah, you are in an abode where your food can choke you and your drink can go down the wrong way. No blessing that makes you happy remains pure for you except with the parting of another blessing whose loss you dislike. So work for the abode to which you are going and in which you will remain. Then weeping overcame him, and he stepped down. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/118].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Son of Adam, you rejoiced at reaching your hope, although you reached it only because part of your allotted life had passed. Then you put off your deeds, as though someone other than you would benefit from them. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/121].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The soul of the son of Adam does not leave this world without three regrets: he did not have enough of what he gathered; he did not attain what he hoped for; and he did not prepare good provisions for what he is approaching. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/132].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: ʿĀmir ibn ʿAbd Qays, may Allah have mercy on him, said: In this world, everyone who lives in it moves through things he does not wish for, and everyone who settles in it is dissatisfied with it. That bears witness that it is not an abode of lasting residence. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/132].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Ibn al-Sammāk, may Allah have mercy on him, used to say: If this world lets a person taste its sweetness because he inclines toward it, the Hereafter will make him drink its bitterness because he turned away from it. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/132].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: No one can abstain patiently from the desires of this world unless his heart contains something of the Hereafter that occupies him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/135].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: One of the wise said: Whoever renounces this world gains mastery over it, and whoever desires it is deprived of it. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/135].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It was said: 'Moses, does My believing servant grieve when I withhold this world from him, although he is closer to Me, and rejoice when I give it freely to him, although he is farther from Me?' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/143].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When Allah intends good for a servant, He gives him a portion of this world and then holds back. When the portion is used up, He gives to him again. But when a servant has become insignificant in His sight, He spreads the world out abundantly for him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/145].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: One of the scholars used to pray: O You who hold back the sky from falling on the earth except by Your permission, hold this world back from me. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/145].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, said: The person who pursues this world is like someone who drinks seawater. The more he drinks, the thirstier he becomes, until it kills him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/152].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: One of the wise said: Everything of this world that passes you by is a gain. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5 / 152].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Wahb, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I read in the book of Isaiah that Jonah son of Matta was told: Jonah, when a scholar loves this world, the delight of speaking privately with Me is taken from his heart. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/164].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Ibrāhīm, may Allah have mercy on him, said: They used to seek this world; when they reached the age of forty, they sought the Hereafter. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/184].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: One of the wise said: This world makes itself hateful to us while we still love it. What would happen if it made itself lovable to us? [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/191].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If a man went before an earthly king who said, 'Ask me for anything,' and the man replied, 'I ask you for a small bunch of greens,' would that man be wise? By Allah, this world is less significant to Allah, mighty and majestic, than that bunch of greens is to the king. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/192].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Abū Khālid al-Ṣūrī, may Allah have mercy on him,, who was among the people who kept silent the longest, said: O Allah, take me out of the company of Iblīs and into Your nearness. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/196].

Condemning reliance on this world and delight in its comforts: Al-Junayd, may Allah have mercy on him, said: We did not learn Sufism from idle talk and hearsay, but from hunger, leaving worldly attachments, and breaking familiar habits. Al-Dhahabī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is good. He meant breaking most familiar habits, leaving the excesses of worldly life, and going hungry without excess. As for the person who takes hunger to extremes as the monks do, rejects all of worldly life, and abandons what the soul is used to, including food, sleep, and family, he exposes himself to severe affliction. His mind may even become disturbed, and he may miss much of the generous, upright religion. Allah has given everything its proper measure, and happiness lies in following the Prophetic ways. So weigh matters justly: fast and break your fast; sleep and rise; keep to scrupulous care in what you eat; be content with what Allah has allotted you; and remain silent except to speak good. May Allah have mercy on al-Junayd. Where is anyone like him in his knowledge and state? [Siyar (abridged edition) 3/1133].

Sayings and wisdom on contentment and acceptance: Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ, may Allah be pleased with him, said to his son ʿUmar: My son, if you seek wealth, seek it through contentment. If you lack contentment, no amount of money will make you rich. [Uyun al-Akhbar 3/187].

Sayings and wisdom on contentment and acceptance: Wuhayb ibn al-Ward, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Even if a believer had no reason to dislike this world except that Allah is disobeyed in it, it would be right for him to dislike it. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3 / 35].

Sayings and wisdom on contentment and acceptance: Among the words of Abū ʿUthmān al-Ḥīrī, may Allah have mercy on him,: Your joy in this world has removed from your heart your joy in Allah. [Siyar(abridged edition)].

Sayings and wisdom on contentment and acceptance: One of the worshippers, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked, 'Have you attained wealth?' He replied: The one who truly attained wealth is the person freed from slavery to this world. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/132].

Sayings and wisdom on contentment and acceptance: Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Contentment is the beginning of acceptance. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3 / 183].

Sayings and wisdom on contentment and acceptance: Bakr al-Muzanī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whatever you are content with from this world is enough for you, even if it is a handful of dates, a drink of water and the shade of a tent. Whenever something of this world opens up for you, your soul grows a new key to desire more of it. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 4/119].

Sayings and wisdom on contentment and acceptance: Fatḥ al-Mawṣilī, may Allah have mercy on him, passed two boys. One had a piece of bread with honey on it; the other had a piece with a savoury relish. The boy with the relish asked the boy with the honey, 'Give me some of your bread.' He replied, 'If you will be my dog, I will feed you.' The boy said yes. So the other fed him from his bread, put a string in his mouth and led him along. Fatḥ said, 'Had you been content with your own bread, you would not have become this boy's dog.' Abū Mūsā said: And so it is with this world. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3 / 75].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Abū al-Safar related that when Abū Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, became ill, people visited him and asked, 'Shall we call a physician for you?' He said, 'He has already seen me.' They asked, 'What did he say to you?' He answered, 'He said: I do whatever I will.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 58].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I do not mind in what state I begin the morning, whether with what I love or with what I dislike, because I do not know whether the good lies in what I love or in what I dislike. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/414].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: A person seeks Allah's guidance in making a choice. Allah chooses for him, but he is displeased with his Lord. Before long he sees how it turns out, and finds that the choice was good for him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/432].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Nāfiʿ related: A son of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, fell ill, and Ibn ʿUmar was so distressed about him that some people said, 'We fear that something may happen to this old man because of the boy.' The boy died, and Ibn ʿUmar went out in his funeral procession, looking happier than anyone there. Asked about it, Ibn ʿUmar said, 'Our feelings for him were mercy toward him. When Allah's command came to pass, we accepted it.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/457].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, said: A person may come close to gaining a business opportunity or a position of authority, until he thinks it is within his grasp. Allah mentions him above the seven heavens and says to an angel, 'Go and turn this matter away from My servant. If I make it easy for him, it will lead him into Hell.' The angel then comes and obstructs him, turning it away. The man spends his time blaming his neighbours, saying, 'So-and-so plotted against me; so-and-so got ahead of me.' Yet it was none other than Allah who turned it away from him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/433].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I do not mind what state I find my family in when I return to them, whether good or bad. Nor have I woken up in any state and wished to be in another. [Sifat al-Safwah 1/186].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him, was told: 'Abū Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, says that poverty is dearer to him than wealth, and illness dearer than health.' He replied: 'May Allah have mercy on Abū Dharr. As for me, I say that whoever relies on Allah's good choice for him does not wish to be in a state other than the one Allah has chosen for him.' This is the limit of standing firm in acceptance of what the decree brings about. [al-Bidayah wa-al-Nihayah 8/204, 205].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Abū Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: While I was standing with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,, he said to me, 'Abū Dharr, you are a righteous man, and you will face a trial after me.' I asked, 'For Allah's sake?' He replied, 'For Allah's sake.' I said, 'Then I welcome Allah's command.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 138].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Al-Mughīrah related that a nephew of al-Aḥnaf complained to al-Aḥnaf ibn Qays, may Allah have mercy on him, about toothache. Al-Aḥnaf told him: 'I lost the sight of one eye forty years ago, and I have never mentioned it to anyone.' [Sifat al-Safwah 3/140].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Shahr ibn Ḥawshab related that ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, the son of Muʿādh ibn Jabal, may Allah have mercy on him, was stricken with the plague. His father went in to see him and asked, 'How do you feel, my son?' He answered, 'Father, “The truth is from your Lord, so do not be among those who doubt”' [Qur'an 2:147]. Muʿādh replied, '“You will find me, if Allah wills, among the patient”' [Qur'an 37:102]. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/341].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A group from the earliest generation visited a man and found him near death. One of them asked, 'What do you have to say about this moment in which you lie?' The man answered, 'Acceptance and submission to Allah's command.' They had not left before he died. Al-Ḥasan said, 'By Allah, he understood; the end of acceptance and submission is good.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/339].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Ibrāhīm, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If there were no good for us in what we dislike, there would be no good for us in what we love. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/94].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Ibn ʿUyaynah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: What a servant dislikes is better for him than what he loves, for what he dislikes stirs him to supplicate, while what he loves distracts him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/97].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: We pray to Allah concerning what we love; when what we dislike occurs, we do not oppose Allah, mighty and majestic, in what He loves. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 510].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar al-Kūfī said: In Kufa there was a man who had turned away from considerable worldly wealth and devoted himself to worship. Al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ was in Kufa in his day. When Ibn al-Mubārak arrived, al-Fuḍayl told him, 'There is a devoted worshipper here who has left worldly wealth. Come with us to see how sound his understanding is.' They went to him while he was ill. He wore a cloak, with a piece of brick beneath his head. Ibn al-Mubārak greeted him and said, 'Brother, we have heard that whenever a servant leaves something for Allah, Allah replaces it with something greater. What has He given you in its place?' The man replied, 'Contentment with the state I am in.' Ibn al-Mubārak said, 'That is enough for you,' and the two men left it at that. [Sifat al-Safwah 3/129].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Sayyār ibn Salāmah said: I visited Abū al-ʿĀliyah, may Allah have mercy on him, during the illness in which he died. He said, 'Whatever is dearest to Allah, mighty and majestic, is dearest to me.' [Sifat al-Safwah 3/148].

A servant's acceptance of Allah and His decrees, without complaining to people: Mālik ibn Dīnār, may Allah have mercy on him, said, 'I envy a man whose livelihood is just sufficient and who is content with it.' Muḥammad ibn Wāsiʿ, may Allah have mercy on him, replied, 'By Allah, to me even more enviable is a man who begins and ends the day hungry, yet remains content with Allah, mighty and majestic.' [Sifat al-Safwah 3/193].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAwn, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A servant will not attain true acceptance until his acceptance in poverty is like his acceptance in wealth. How can you ask Allah to judge—that is, ask Him to decide your affair and then be displeased when His decision differs from what you desire? Perhaps what you desired, had it been granted, would have destroyed you. Yet you accept His decision when it agrees with your desire. You have not been fair to yourself, nor have you entered the gate of acceptance. [Sifat al-Safwah 3/223].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Ayyūb al-Sakhtiyānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If what you want does not happen, want what does happen. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 434].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If you are not pleased with Allah, how can you ask Him to be pleased with you? [Sifat al-Safwah 4/341].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Al-Ḥasan ibn Ṣāliḥ, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Sometimes I wake up without a single dirham, yet it is as though the whole world has been gathered for me. [Siyar (abridged edition) 2/703].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Abū ʿUthmān al-Nahdī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: For forty years Allah has never placed me in a condition that I hated, nor moved me to another condition that I resented. [al-Muntazam 13 / 121].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Zayd, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Acceptance is Allah's greatest gate, the garden of this world and the place where worshippers find rest. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 301].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Zayd, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I think no deed stands above patience except acceptance. I know of no rank higher or nobler than acceptance; it is the head of love. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 305].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Shaqīq al-Balkhī related: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Abī Rawwād, may Allah have mercy on him, lost his sight for twenty years, without his family or children knowing. One day his son looked at him carefully and asked, 'Father, have you lost your eyesight?' He answered, 'Yes, my son. Acceptance of Allah has taken your father's eyesight for twenty years.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3 / 40].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Al-Nibājī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If I were granted one prayer certain to be answered, I would not ask for al-Firdaws. I would ask for acceptance, for it is al-Firdaws brought forward into this life. [Siyar (abridged edition)].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The rank of acceptance of Allah, mighty and majestic, is the rank of those brought near. Between them and Allah Most High there is only repose and sweet provision. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3 / 16].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Abū ʿAlī al-Rāzī said: I accompanied al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ, may Allah have mercy on him, for thirty years and never saw him laugh or even smile except on the day his son ʿAlī died. I asked him about that, and he said, 'Allah, mighty and majestic, loved that a matter should happen, so I loved what Allah loved.' Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: His state—that is, al-Fuḍayl's—is good compared with the state of those who are overcome by anguish. But showing compassion for the deceased while accepting Allah's decree and praising Him, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did, is more complete. Allah Most High says, 'Then he was among those who believed and urged one another to patience and urged one another to mercy' [Qur'an 90:17]. Thus He mentions encouraging one another to both patience and mercy. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3 / 17]. [Majmu al-Fatawa 10/30].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Al-Fuḍayl, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A person who accepts his lot does not wish for a station higher than his own. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/402].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Abū Muʿāwiyah al-Aswad, may Allah have mercy on him, said, concerning Allah's words, 'We shall surely give him a good life' [Qur'an 16:97]: It means acceptance and contentment. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/424].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, may Allah have mercy on him, used to say: I have left aside those requests in prayer. In all my affairs I have no wish—that is, no need—except for the places where Allah's decree falls. He often prayed, 'O Allah, make me pleased with Your decree and bless what You have decreed for me, so that I do not desire to hasten what You have delayed or to delay what You have hastened.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/424].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Sulaymān al-Khawwāṣ, may Allah have mercy on him, related: A man's son died, and ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz attended. The man bore his loss well, so someone said, 'By Allah, this is acceptance.' ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz replied, 'Or patience.' Sulaymān said: Patience is below acceptance. Acceptance means a person was already content before a calamity came, whichever outcome it brought; patience means bearing it after it has come. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/325].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him, related: In al-Maṣṣīṣah there was a blind man who had lost the lower half of his body; only life remained in part of him. He lay on a bed with a hole made for urination. A visitor came in and asked, 'How are you this morning, Abū Muḥammad?' He replied, 'I own the world and am devoted to Allah. I ask nothing more of Him except that He let me die as a Muslim.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/438].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Ibn ʿAwn, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Accept Allah's decree, whether it brings hardship or ease. That will lessen your worry and help you better attain what you seek for your Hereafter. Know that a servant will not attain true acceptance until he accepts poverty and affliction as he accepts wealth and ease. How can you ask Allah to decide your affair and then be displeased when you see a decision contrary to your desire? Perhaps what you desired, had you been granted it, would have destroyed you. Yet you accept His decision when it agrees with your desire, because you know so little of what is unseen. How can you ask Him to decide for you if that is your way? You have not been fair to yourself, nor have you entered the gate of acceptance. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/441].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: When ʿAbd al-Malik, the son of ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, died, ʿUmar, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I seek Allah's protection from loving anything in a way that conflicts with what Allah loves, for that would not be right for me in light of His testing of me and His kindness toward me. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/448].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever is content with what Allah has allotted to him finds it sufficient, and Allah blesses it for him. Whoever is not content does not find it sufficient, and it is not blessed for him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/456].

Acceptance of Allah and His decrees without complaining to people: A scholar was asked, 'How do those who accept reach acceptance?' He replied, 'Through knowledge of Allah. Acceptance is a branch of that knowledge.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/460].

Allah's pleasure with a servant and its causes: Wuhayb ibn al-Ward, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I was told that Moses, peace be upon him, said, 'My Lord, tell me the sign that You are pleased with a servant.' Allah Most High revealed to him: 'When you see Me preparing him for My obedience and turning him away from disobeying Me, that is the sign that I am pleased with him.' [Sifat al-Safwah 2/533].

Allah's pleasure with a servant and its causes: Mālik ibn Dīnār, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I wish Allah, mighty and majestic, would allow me, when I stand before Him on the Day of Resurrection, to make one prostration and know that He has become pleased with me, and then say to me, 'Mālik, become dust.' [Sifat al-Safwah 4/202].

Allah's pleasure with a servant and its causes: Al-Ṣaʿlūkī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If winning the pleasure of people is difficult and cannot be achieved, seeking Allah's pleasure is possible and must not be abandoned. [Siyar (abridged edition) 3/1337].

Allah's pleasure with a servant and its causes: Ḥātim al-Aṣamm, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever begins his day upright in four things moves within Allah's pleasure: first, trust in Allah; then reliance on Him; then sincerity; then knowledge of Him. All these things are completed through knowledge. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 504].

Remembrance: Al-Aswad ibn Hilāl said: We were walking with Muʿādh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, when he said, 'Sit with us so that we may renew our faith for a while.' [Sifat al-Safwah 1/232].

Remembrance: Muʿādh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Remembering Allah from early morning until night is dearer to me than riding fine horses in Allah's cause from early morning until night. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 184].

Remembrance: Abū al-Dardāʾ, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Saying 'Allah is greatest' a hundred times is dearer to me than giving a hundred dinars in charity. [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 259].

Remembrance: Sālim ibn Abī al-Jaʿd related: Abū al-Dardāʾ, may Allah be pleased with him, was told, 'Abū Saʿd ibn Munabbih has freed a hundred enslaved people.' He replied, 'For a man to free a hundred people from his wealth is indeed a great thing. But shall I tell you of something better? Faith maintained by night and day, and a tongue that never ceases to be moist with the remembrance of Allah, mighty and majestic.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 175].

Remembrance: Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The people of heaven see the houses of those who remember Allah shining for them just as the stars shine for the people of earth. [Uyun al-Akhbar 2 / 678].

Remembrance: Abū Burdah al-Aslamī, may Allah be pleased with him, said: If one man had dinars in his lap and gave them away, while another remembered Allah, the one who remembered Allah would be better. [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 338].

Remembrance: ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: No group gathers to remember Allah except that Allah mentions them among a company nobler and more honoured than they are. And no people leave a gathering without remembering Allah, mighty and majestic, except that it will be a cause of regret for them on the Day of Resurrection. [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 278].

Remembrance: Salmān, may Allah be pleased with him, said: A man said, ‘Abundant praise be to Allah.’ The angel considered it too great to write down until he referred the matter to his Lord, mighty and majestic. He said: ‘Write it as My servant said it: abundant.’ [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 281].

Remembrance: Kaʿb, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Whoever remembers Allah often is free of hypocrisy. Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This meaning is supported by the fact that Allah describes hypocrites as remembering Him only a little. Whoever remembers Allah often differs from them in this quality. That is why Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn ends by commanding the remembrance of Allah and warning believers not to let wealth or children distract them from it. Those distracted from Allah's remembrance by these things are among the losers. [Jami al-Ulum wa-al-Hikam / 578].

Remembrance: Ibrāhīm ibn Abī ʿAbdah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I was told that when a believer dies, he wishes to return to this world for no reason other than to say 'Allah is greatest' once or 'There is no god but Allah' once. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/399].

Remembrance: Abū Jaʿfar, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Lightning strikes believers and unbelievers, but it does not strike a person engaged in remembrance. [Sifat al-Safwah 2/458].

Remembrance: Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: My father, may Allah have mercy on him, lost a mule and said, 'If Allah, mighty and majestic, returns it, I shall praise Him with praises that please Him.' Before long it was brought back with its saddle and bridle. He mounted it and, once settled and his clothes arranged, raised his head to heaven and said, 'Praise be to Allah.' He added nothing. Asked why, he replied, 'Did I leave anything out? I assigned all praise to Allah, mighty and majestic.' [Sifat al-Safwah 2/460].

Remembrance: Muḥammad ibn al-Munkadir, may Allah have mercy on him, had an afflicted neighbour who would cry out loudly at night. Muḥammad would raise his own voice in praise of Allah. Asked about it, he said, 'He raises his voice because of affliction, and I raise mine in gratitude for blessing.' [Sifat al-Safwah 2/479].

Remembrance: Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Remembrance means obeying Allah. Whoever obeys Him has remembered Him. Whoever does not obey Him has not truly remembered Him, even if he recites much glorification and Qur'an. [Sifat al-Safwah 3/55].

Remembrance: Bakr ibn ʿAbd Allāh, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I caught up with a porter carrying a load. He was saying, 'Praise be to Allah, and I seek Allah's forgiveness.' I waited until he set down his load and asked, 'Do you know nothing else to say?' He said, 'Yes, I know much good and I recite the Book of Allah. But a servant stands between blessing and sin: I praise Allah for His abundant blessings and seek His forgiveness for my sins.' I said to myself, 'The porter understands better than Bakr.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/486].

Remembrance: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It used to be said that a single man may praise Allah, mighty and majestic, in a gathering and, because of him, the needs of everyone present are fulfilled. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/512].

Remembrance: Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I would not be pleased to possess all the wealth from the beginning of the world to its end and spend it in good causes if, in doing so, I were heedless of Allah for the blink of an eye. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/397].

Remembrance: ʿAwn ibn ʿAbd Allāh, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A person who remembers Allah while people are heedless is like a man protecting a retreating company. Without him that company would be defeated; without those who remember Allah while people are heedless, the people would perish. [Sifat al-Safwah 3/70].

Remembrance: ʿAwn ibn ʿAbd Allāh, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Every man has a foremost deed among his deeds, and the foremost of mine is remembrance. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 94].

Remembrance: ʿAwn ibn ʿAbd Allāh, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Gatherings of remembrance heal hearts. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 94].

Remembrance: ʿAwn ibn ʿAbd Allāh, may Allah have mercy on him, said: They used to meet and ask one another how they were, intending by that only to praise Allah, mighty and majestic. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 95].

Remembrance: Thābit al-Bunānī related from a worshipper, may Allah have mercy on him, that he once told his brothers, 'I know when my Lord, mighty and majestic, remembers me.' They were startled and asked, 'You know when your Lord remembers you?' He said yes. They asked, 'When?' He replied, 'When I remember Him, He remembers me.' [Sifat al-Safwah].

Remembrance: Thābit al-Bunānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: We have been told that on the Day of Resurrection the believing servant will stand before Allah, mighty and majestic. Allah will ask, 'My servant, did you worship Me among those who worshipped Me?' He will answer, 'Yes, my Lord.' Allah will ask, 'Did you call upon Me among those who called upon Me?' He will answer, 'Yes, my Lord.' Allah will ask, 'Did you remember Me among those who remembered Me?' He will answer, 'Yes, my Lord.' Allah will say, 'By My might, you never remembered Me in any place without My remembering you there, nor did you ever call upon Me with a prayer without My answering you.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 405].

Remembrance: Thābit al-Bunānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: People who remember Allah may sit down to remember Him while bearing sins like mountains; when they rise from their remembrance, they are free of those sins and carry none of them. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 405].

Remembrance: Mālik ibn Dīnār, may Allah have mercy on him, said: No one enjoying a blessing has enjoyed anything like the remembrance of Allah Most High. [Sifat al-Safwah 3/195].

Remembrance: Jaʿfar said: I heard Mālik, may Allah have mercy on him, say, 'I read in the Torah: O truthful ones, delight in remembering Allah in this world. It is a delight for you here and a great reward in the Hereafter.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 417].

Remembrance: Sallām ibn Abī Muṭīʿ said: When al-Rabīʿ ibn Khuthaym, may Allah have mercy on him, awoke, he would say, 'Welcome, angels of Allah. Write: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful. Glory be to Allah; praise be to Allah; there is no god but Allah; Allah is greatest.' [Sifat al-Safwah 3/45].

Remembrance: ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever sits in a gathering of remembrance, Allah expiates for him by that gathering ten gatherings of vain talk. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 15].

Remembrance: Abū ʿUbaydah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: As long as a man's heart remembers Allah, he is in prayer, even if he is in the market. If he also moves his lips with the remembrance, that is greater still. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 86].

Remembrance: Abū ʿUbaydah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If a man sat beside a road with a cloth full of dinars and gave dinars to everyone who passed, while another man beside him said 'Allah is greatest,' the one saying the takbīr would have the greater reward. [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 651].

Remembrance: ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmayr, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If you are too reluctant to spend your wealth, too afraid to fight the enemy, and find staying up at night too burdensome, then say often, 'Glory and praise be to Allah.' By the One in whose hand is my soul, this is more valued by Allah than two mountains of gold and silver. [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 628].

Remembrance: ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmayr, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Allah, mighty and majestic, gives worldly things to those He loves and to those He does not love, but He gives religion only to those He loves. When Allah loves a servant, He gives him faith. So whoever fears confronting the enemy, dreads striving through the night, or is too reluctant to spend wealth should say much glorification, praise and declaration that there is no god but Allah. [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 648].

Remembrance: Mujāhid, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A person is not among those who remember Allah often until he remembers Him standing, sitting and lying down. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 11].

Remembrance: Maymūn ibn Mihrān, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It used to be said that remembrance has two forms: remembering Allah with the tongue, and—better than that—remembering Him when a sin presents itself to you. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 55].

Remembrance: Bilāl ibn Saʿd, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Remembrance has two forms. Remembrance with the tongue is good and beautiful, but remembering Allah with regard to what He has permitted and forbidden is better. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 190].

Remembrance: Ḥassān ibn ʿAṭiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: No servant shows greater enmity toward his Lord than by disliking His remembrance and those who remember Him. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 266].

Remembrance: Saʿīd ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz said: I told Maʿrūf ibn Hāniʾ, may Allah have mercy on him,, 'I see that your tongue never stops remembering Allah, mighty and majestic. How many times do you glorify Him each day?' He replied, 'Two hundred thousand times, unless my fingers make a mistake in counting.' [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 308].

Remembrance: Ibn ʿAwn, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Speaking about people is a disease; remembering Allah is its cure. Al-Dhahabī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Indeed, by Allah! How astonishing are we in our ignorance: we abandon the cure and rush into the disease. Allah Most High says, 'Remember Me; I will remember you' [Qur'an 2:152], 'The remembrance of Allah is greater' [29:45], and 'Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah: surely hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah' [13:28]. But this comes only through Allah's enabling grace. Whoever persists in supplication and keeps knocking at the door will find it opened. [Siyar (abridged edition) 2/657].

Remembrance: Yūnus ibn ʿUbayd, may Allah have mercy on him, said: We set down in writing what would set people right, but left aside what would set us right. Khālid said: He meant glorifying Allah, declaring that there is no god but Him, and speaking of good things. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 439].

Remembrance: Ibn Abī ʿAdī said: Dāwūd ibn Abī Hind, may Allah have mercy on him, turned to us and said, 'Young men, let me tell you something from which one of you may benefit. When I was a boy, I used to go to the market. As I returned home, I set myself the task of remembering Allah Most High until I reached a certain place. On reaching it, I set myself the task of remembering Allah Most High until the next place, and so on until I got home.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 464].

Remembrance: Maymūn ibn Siyāh, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When Allah wishes good for a servant, He makes His remembrance beloved to him. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 468].

Remembrance: Al-Ḥasan ibn Manṣūr related: A barber was trimming the moustache of Maʿrūf al-Karkhī, may Allah have mercy on him, while Maʿrūf glorified Allah. The barber said, 'I cannot trim your moustache while you keep glorifying Allah.' Maʿrūf replied, 'You work; should I do no work?' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3 / 102].

Remembrance: Abū Usāmah said: I asked Muḥammad ibn al-Naḍr, may Allah have mercy on him,, 'It seems you dislike receiving visitors?' He replied, 'Yes.' I asked, 'Do you not feel lonely?' He replied, 'How could I be lonely when He says, “I am the companion of whoever remembers Me”?' [al-Muntazam 8 / 269].

The importance of supplication, humbling oneself and pleading with Allah: Salmān al-Fārisī, may Allah be pleased with him, said: If a servant regularly calls upon Allah in ease, then hardship comes and he calls upon Him, the angels say, 'A familiar voice from a weak human being,' and intercede for him. But if he does not call upon Allah in ease and then calls upon Him when hardship comes, the angels say, 'An unfamiliar voice from a weak human being,' and do not intercede for him. [Sifat al-Safwah 1/259].

The importance of supplication, humbling oneself and pleading with Allah: Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān, may Allah be pleased with him, said: A time will surely come upon people when no one will be saved except the one who prays with the desperation of a drowning person. [Sifat al-Safwah 1/290].

The importance of supplication, humbling oneself and pleading with Allah: Abū al-Dardāʾ, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Call upon Allah on a day of ease; perhaps He will answer you on a day of hardship. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 178].

The importance of supplication, humbling oneself and pleading with Allah: Shahr ibn Ḥawshab related from Abū al-Dardāʾ, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: A Muslim servant can be forgiven while he sleeps. I asked, 'How is that, Abū al-Dardāʾ?' He replied, 'His brother rises at night to pray, calls upon Allah and is answered; then he prays for his father and that prayer is answered.' [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 264].

The importance of supplication, humbling oneself and pleading with Allah: ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: Ask your Lord even for a sandal strap. By Allah, if He does not make it easy, it will not become easy. [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 361].

Etiquette and errors in supplication: ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Zayd, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The answer to prayer is joined to sincerity; the two cannot be separated. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/174].

Etiquette and errors in supplication: ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, may Allah have mercy on him, passed a man playing with pebbles in his hand while saying, 'O Allah, marry me to one of the maidens of Paradise.' ʿUmar stopped and said, 'What a poor suitor you are! Why did you not put the pebbles down and make your prayer sincerely to Allah?' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/175].

Ibn Abī Rawwād related: After Ṭāwūs, may Allah have mercy on him, and some of his companions had prayed ʿAṣr, they would face the qiblah, speak to no one and plead earnestly in supplication.

Etiquette and errors in supplication: Jaʿfar reported from Thābit al-Bunānī, from a worshipper who told his brothers one day, 'I know when my Lord, mighty and majestic, answers me.' They were astonished and asked, 'You know when your Lord answers you?' He said yes. They asked how. He replied, 'When my heart is filled with awe, my skin shivers, my eyes overflow and the words of supplication are opened to me, then I know that I have been answered.' [Sifat al-Safwah].

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote: Reverent fear (khashyah) is more specific than fear (khawf), because khashyah belongs to those who know Allah. Allah says, “Only the knowledgeable among His servants truly fear Allah.” It is fear joined with knowledge. The Prophet ﷺ said, “I am the most mindful of Allah among you and have the greatest reverent fear of Him.” Fear involves movement; reverent fear involves gathering oneself, restraint and stillness. Someone who sees an enemy, a flood or something similar has two states: moving to escape it, which is fear, and remaining settled in a place it cannot reach, which is reverent fear. Hence the expression inkhasha al-shay’: the doubled-root and weak-root forms are related, as in taqaddi and taqaddud of a falcon. Dread (rahbah) means going far in escaping what is disliked. Its opposite is desire (raghbah), the heart’s journey in seeking what it wants. Rahab and harab, dread and flight, correspond in wording and meaning through the derivation that relates arrangements of root letters to a shared meaning. Trembling (wajal) is the heart’s shaking and breaking at the mention or sight of someone whose authority and punishment it fears. Awe (haybah) is fear accompanied by magnification and reverence, usually together with love and knowledge. Reverence (ijlal) is magnification joined with love. Fear is for believers generally; reverent fear for knowledgeable scholars; awe for those who love; and reverence for those brought near. Fear and reverent fear correspond to the degree of knowledge, as the Prophet ﷺ said, “I know Allah best among you and have the greatest reverent fear of Him”; another narration says “fear.” He also said, “If you knew what I know, you would laugh little, weep much, take no pleasure with women in beds, and go out to open ground crying out to Allah.” The person experiencing fear resorts to escape and restraint; the person experiencing reverent fear resorts to holding fast to knowledge. Their example is someone without medical knowledge compared with a skilled physician: the first resorts to abstinence and avoidance, while the physician resorts to knowledge of remedies and diseases. Abu Hafs said: Fear is Allah’s whip by which He sets straight those who stray from His door. He also said: Fear is a lamp in the heart through which its good and evil become visible. Whoever you fear, you flee from, except Allah: when you fear Him, you flee to Him. The fearful person flees from his Lord to his Lord. Abu Sulayman said: Fear never leaves a heart without that heart falling into ruin. Ibrahim ibn Sufyan said: When fear settles in hearts, it burns away the places of desires and drives worldly attachment out. Dhu al-Nun said: People remain on the path as long as fear has not left them; when fear leaves them, they stray from the path. Hatim al-Asamm said: Do not be deceived by a righteous place: no place is better than Paradise, yet Adam experienced there what he experienced. Do not be deceived by much worship: Iblis experienced what he experienced after prolonged worship. Do not be deceived by much knowledge: Balaam ibn Baura experienced what he experienced, although he knew the Greatest Name. Do not be deceived by meeting and seeing righteous people: no one is more righteous than the Prophet ﷺ, yet his enemies and the hypocrites did not benefit from meeting him. Fear is not sought for itself but for something else, as a means. It therefore disappears when the feared thing disappears: the inhabitants of Paradise have no fear and do not grieve. Fear relates to actions, while love relates to the being and attributes. The believers’ love for their Lord therefore increases when they enter the abode of bliss, where no fear reaches them. Thus the station and rank of love are higher than the station and rank of fear. True, praiseworthy fear is that which stands between a person and what Allah has forbidden. If it goes beyond this, there is a danger of hopelessness and despair.

Fear and reverent awe: Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I wish I were a tree that was cut down and then eaten. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/538].

Fear and reverent awe: Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I wish I were a hair on the side of a believing servant. [al-Muntazam 4 / 63].

Fear and reverent awe: Qays said: I saw Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, may Allah be pleased with him, holding the tip of his tongue and saying, 'This has led me into dangerous situations.' [al-Muntazam 4 / 63].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿĪsā said: There were two dark lines on ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him,'s face from weeping. [Hilyah (abridged edition)1/71].

Fear and reverent awe: Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah related that when ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, was stabbed and began to suffer, Ibn ʿAbbās said, as if to comfort him: 'Commander of the Believers, you accompanied the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and were a good companion to him; you parted from him while he was pleased with you. Then you accompanied Abū Bakr and were a good companion to him; you parted from him while he was pleased with you. Then you accompanied their companions and treated them well; if you leave them, you will leave them pleased with you.' ʿUmar said: 'What you mentioned of my companionship with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his pleasure was a favour Allah Most High bestowed upon me. What you mentioned of my companionship with Abū Bakr and his pleasure was likewise a favour Allah, exalted be His mention, bestowed upon me. As for the distress you see in me, it is on account of you and your companions. By Allah, if I possessed enough gold to fill the earth, I would ransom myself with it from the punishment of Allah, mighty and majestic, before I saw it.' [Narrated by al-Bukhari: 3416].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān, may Allah be pleased with him, said: If I stood between Paradise and the Fire and were offered a choice between becoming ashes and choosing which of the two abodes I would enter, I would choose to become ashes. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/549].

Fear and reverent awe: Abū Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I wish that, on the day Allah, mighty and majestic, created me, He had made me a tree to be cut down. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/540].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I wish I were ashes scattered by the winds. [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 277].

Fear and reverent awe: Masrūq related: A man said in the presence of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him,, 'I would rather be among those brought near than among the people of the right.' ʿAbd Allāh replied, 'But there is a man here who wishes that, when he dies, he will not be raised again.' He meant himself. [Sifat al-Safwah 1/185].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I wish Allah would forgive one of my sins and that no one knew my lineage. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/539].

Fear and reverent awe: Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān, may Allah be pleased with him, said: People used to ask the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about good, while I used to ask him about evil, fearing that it might reach me. [Narrated by al-Bukhari: 3338].

Fear and reverent awe: When death came to Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān, may Allah be pleased with him,, he became deeply distressed. Asked why he was crying, he said, 'I am not weeping out of regret for this world; indeed death is dearer to me. But I do not know what I am approaching: Allah's pleasure or His displeasure.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/343].

Fear and reverent awe: Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, wept during his illness. Asked why he was crying, he said, 'I am not crying over this world of yours. I weep because my journey is long and my provisions are few. Tonight I find myself on a steep ascent whose descent leads to either Paradise or the Fire, and I do not know to which I will be taken.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/344].

Fear and reverent awe: Abū ʿUbaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I wish I were a ram slaughtered by my family, so that they ate my meat and drank my broth. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2/540].

Fear and reverent awe: Shaddād ibn Aws al-Anṣārī, may Allah be pleased with him, would turn over in bed without being able to sleep and say, 'O Allah, the Fire has driven sleep away from me.' Then he would rise and pray until morning. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 202].

Fear and reverent awe: Nāfiʿ said: Ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, entered the Kaʿbah, and I heard him say while prostrating, 'You know that nothing prevents me from competing with Quraysh for this world except fear of You.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 210].

Fear and reverent awe: Sumayr al-Riyāḥī related from his father: ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, drank cool water and wept intensely. Asked why, he said, 'I remembered a verse in the Book of Allah, mighty and majestic: “A barrier will be placed between them and what they desire” [Qur'an 34:54]. I realised that the people of the Fire desire nothing as much as water. Allah, mighty and majestic, says, “Pour some water over us, or some of what Allah has provided you” [7:50].' [Sifat al-Safwah 1/274].

Fear and reverent awe: Nāfiʿ said: Whenever ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, recited, 'Has the time not come for those who believe that their hearts should humble themselves at the remembrance of Allah?' [Qur'an 57:16], he would weep until crying overcame him. [Sifat al-Safwah 1/274].

Fear and reverent awe: Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Weeping from fear of Allah until my tears run down my cheeks is dearer to me than giving my weight in gold as charity. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 246].

Fear and reverent awe: Sufyān said: We were told that the mother of al-Rabīʿ ibn Khuthaym, may Allah have mercy on him, would call out, 'My son, Rabīʿ, will you not sleep?' He would answer, 'Mother, someone overtaken by night who fears a sudden attack has reason not to sleep.' When he grew older and she saw his weeping and sleeplessness, she asked, 'My son, have you killed someone?' He answered, 'Yes, Mother, I have killed someone.' She said, ‘Who is this person you killed, my son? We will appeal to his family so that they pardon you.’ 'By Allah, if they knew how much you weep and lose sleep, they would have mercy on you.' He replied, 'Mother, it is my own soul.' [Sifat al-Safwah 3/43].

Fear and reverent awe: Sufyān al-Thawrī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When I used to see men gathering around someone, I envied him. After I was tested with that myself, I wished I had escaped it with nothing for or against me. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 387].

Fear and reverent awe: Sufyān al-Thawrī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: No one has been able to bear worship or grow strong enough for it except through intense fear. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 362].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿAṭāʾ al-Khaffāf said: Whenever I met Sufyān al-Thawrī, may Allah have mercy on him,, he was weeping. I asked why, and he said, 'I fear that I may be written among the wretched in the Mother of the Book.' [Siyar (abridged edition) 2/698].

Fear and reverent awe: Abū Nuʿaym, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When Sufyān al-Thawrī, may Allah have mercy on him, remembered death, people could not make use of him for days afterwards. [Siyar (abridged edition) 2/700].

Fear and reverent awe: Farqad al-Sabakhī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: We have been told that all deeds are weighed except a tear from a servant's eye out of fear of Allah. It has no measurable weight or limit, and a single tear can extinguish seas of fire. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/172].

Fear and reverent awe: Farqad al-Sabakhī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I read in some books that when a servant weeps out of fear of Allah, his sins fall away until he is like the day his mother gave birth to him. Even if a servant brought mountains of sins and offences, mercy would encompass him when he wept. Paradise intercedes for one who weeps in longing for it, saying to its Lord, 'My Lord, admit him to Paradise as he wept for me.' The Fire seeks his protection from its Lord, saying, 'My Lord, protect him from the Fire as he sought Your protection from me and wept in fear of entering me.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/177].

Fear and reverent awe: Wahb ibn Munabbih, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Weeping out of fear of Allah Most High is measured in great weights of righteousness, yet its reward is beyond weighing. One who weeps out of fear of Allah and one who patiently obeys Him are given their reward without reckoning. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/172].

Fear and reverent awe: Jaʿfar ibn Sulaymān related: Mālik ibn Dīnār, may Allah have mercy on him, gave an admonition one day. As he spoke, Ḥawshab wept. Mālik struck him on the shoulder and said, 'Weep, Abū Bishr, for I have been told that a servant keeps weeping until his Master has mercy on him and frees him from the Fire.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/173].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿUmar ibn Dharr, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whenever I see someone weep, I imagine that mercy has descended upon him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/175].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, may Allah have mercy on him, wept; Fāṭimah wept, and then everyone in the house wept, none knowing what had made the others cry. When their tears subsided, Fāṭimah said, 'May my father be your ransom, Commander of the Believers, why did you weep?' He said, 'Fāṭimah, I thought about the people leaving Allah's presence: one group in Paradise and another in the blazing Fire.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/181].

Fear and reverent awe: Sufyān related that ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, may Allah have mercy on him, was silent one day while his companions talked. They asked, ‘Why are you not speaking, Commander of the Believers?’ He replied, 'I was thinking of the people of Paradise visiting one another there and the people of the Fire crying out to one another there.' Then he wept. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/182].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked what had begun his turning back to Allah. He said, 'I was about to strike a boy in my service, and he said, “ʿUmar, remember a night whose morning is the Day of Resurrection.”' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/230].

Fear and reverent awe: Al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Muzāḥim, may Allah have mercy on him, would weep every evening. Asked why, he said, 'I do not know what of my deeds has ascended today.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/204].

Fear and reverent awe: Ṣāliḥ al-Murrī, may Allah have mercy on him, related that Yazīd al-Raqāshī, may Allah have mercy on him, said, 'If you do not weep over your own sin, who will weep over it for you when you are gone?' Then Ṣāliḥ would weep and say, 'Brothers, weep over sins. They cover hearts in rust until they become darkened, so that no good admonition can reach them.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/206].

Fear and reverent awe: Thābit al-Bunānī, may Allah have mercy on him, complained of trouble with his eye. A physician told him, 'Promise me one thing and your eye will recover.' He asked what it was. The physician said, 'Do not weep.' Thābit replied, 'What good is an eye that does not weep?' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/210].

Fear and reverent awe: Yūnus said: I have never seen anyone remain sorrowful longer than al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him,. He used to say, 'We laugh, though for all we know Allah may have looked at some of our deeds and said, “I will accept nothing from you.”' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/268].

Fear and reverent awe: Al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A person whose destination is death, whose appointed meeting is the Hour, and whose prospect is standing before Allah has every reason for prolonged sorrow. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/211].

Fear and reverent awe: Al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever knows his Lord loves Him; whoever sees this world for what it is renounces it. A believer does not amuse himself until he becomes heedless; when he reflects, he feels sorrow. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/211].

Fear and reverent awe: Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah related: Al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked, 'We have people who weep but are not particularly righteous, while we see others better than they who do not weep.' Al-Ḥasan replied, 'The hearts of the latter weep.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/284].

Fear and reverent awe: Mālik ibn Ḍaygham said: Al-Ḥakam ibn Nūḥ, may Allah have mercy on him, told me, 'Your father wept from the beginning of the night until its end without making a single prostration or bow, while we were with him at sea.' In the morning I said, 'Abū Mālik, your night was long, yet you neither prayed nor supplicated.' He wept and said, 'If creatures knew what awaits them tomorrow, they would never enjoy life. By Allah, when I saw the night, its terror and its intense darkness, I remembered the standing before Allah and the severity of that occasion. Every person then will be concerned for himself: no father will avail his child, nor will a child avail his father at all.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/227].

Fear and reverent awe: Mālik ibn Ḍaygham related from his father, may Allah have mercy on him,: It used to be said that the abundance or scarcity of tears depends on how intensely the heart burns. When the whole heart burns, the grieving person weeps whenever he wishes, and even a small reminder saddens him. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 3/280].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Zayd ibn Aslam spoke of ʿUmar and Abū Bakr, the two sons of al-Munkadir, may Allah have mercy on them,. When death came to one of them, he wept. People asked, 'Why are you weeping? We used to envy you for this day!' He replied, 'By Allah, I do not weep because I dared to commit a sin against Allah. I fear that I may have done something I thought slight but which is great before Allah.' The other also wept at death. Asked the same question, he said, 'I have heard Allah say of some people, “Things will appear to them from Allah that they had never expected” [Qur'an 39:47]. I am awaiting what you see. By Allah, I do not know what will appear to me.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/358].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿĀmir ibn ʿAbd Qays, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked, 'You spend the night outdoors. Are you not afraid of lions?' He replied, 'I would be ashamed before my Lord to fear anything besides Him.' [Siyar (abridged edition) 1/434].

Fear and reverent awe: Al-Muʿāfā said: I heard Sufyān al-Thawrī, may Allah have mercy on him, say, 'I wish every report stored in my chest were erased from it.' I said, 'Abū ʿAbd Allāh, this is sound knowledge and clear Sunnah. Do you wish it erased from your chest?' He said, 'Be quiet! Do you want me to stand on the Day of Resurrection and be questioned about every gathering in which I sat and every report I related: What did you intend by it?' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 2 / 555, 556].

Fear and reverent awe: Al-Muʿallā ibn Ziyād related that Harim ibn Ḥayyān, may Allah have mercy on him, would go out during part of the night and call at the top of his voice, 'How astonishing that someone seeking Paradise can sleep! How astonishing that someone fleeing the Fire can sleep!' Then he would recite, 'Do the people of the towns feel secure from Our punishment coming upon them by night?' [Qur'an 7:97]. [Siyar (abridged edition) 1/440].

Fear and reverent awe: Faḍālah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Knowing that Allah has accepted from me even the weight of a tiny grain would be dearer to me than the world and all it contains, for He says, 'Allah accepts only from those who are mindful of Him' [Qur'an 5:27]. [Siyar (abridged edition) 1/347].

Fear and reverent awe: Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, may Allah have mercy on him, would often say in his gathering, 'O Allah, grant safety; grant safety.' [Siyar (abridged edition) 1/482].

Fear and reverent awe: Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A man may commit a sin and never forget it; he continues to fear its consequence until he enters Paradise. [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 469].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿAlqamah ibn Marthad related: One day al-Mughīrah ibn Makhādish stood before al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, may Allah have mercy on him, and said, 'What should we do with people who frighten us so much that our hearts almost fly away?' Al-Ḥasan replied, 'By Allah, accompanying people who make you afraid until you reach safety is better for you than accompanying people who make you feel secure until fear overtakes you.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 336].

Fear and reverent awe: Abū Isḥāq related that Abū Maysarah ʿAmr ibn Shuraḥbīl, may Allah have mercy on him, went to bed and said, 'I wish my mother had never given birth to me.' His wife said, 'Abū Maysarah, has Allah not been good to you? He guided you to Islam and gave you this and that.' He said, 'Yes. But Allah told us that we will come to the Fire, and did not make clear to us that we will depart from it.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 70].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿAbd al-Aʿlā al-Taymī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: One given knowledge that does not make him weep is unlikely to have been given knowledge that benefits him. Allah, blessed and exalted, describes those with knowledge: 'Those given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down upon their faces in prostration' [Qur'an 17:107]. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 149].

ʿAbd Allāh al-Shāmī said: I went to Ṭāwūs, may Allah have mercy on him,, and an elderly man came out to me. I asked, 'Are you Ṭāwūs?' He said, 'I am his son.' I said, 'If you are his son, has the old man become confused with age?' He replied, 'A scholar does not become confused.' I went in to Ṭāwūs, who told me, 'Ask, and be brief.' I said, 'If I am brief, be brief in your answer.' He asked, 'Would you like me to bring together for you in this one sitting the Torah, Gospel, Psalms and Qur'an?' I said yes. He said, 'Fear Allah Most High with a fear greater than any other fear you have; hope in Him with a hope stronger than your fear of Him; and love for people what you love for yourself.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 30].

Fear and reverent awe: Murayj ibn Masrūq, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Fear comes before hope. Allah, mighty and majestic, has created Paradise and the Fire, and you will not cross toward Paradise until you pass over the Fire. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 172].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ said: Fāṭimah, the wife of ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, may Allah have mercy on him,, told me that she entered and found him in his prayer place, his hand against his cheek and his tears flowing. She asked, 'Commander of the Believers, has something happened?' He replied, 'Fāṭimah, I have taken charge of the community of Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,. I thought of the hungry poor, the neglected sick, those worn down for lack of clothes, the oppressed, the captive stranger, the elderly, and those with families to support throughout the lands. I realised that my Lord will question me about them and that Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, will be my opponent on their behalf. I feared I would have no sound defence when he does, so I took pity on myself and wept.' [Siyar (abridged edition) 2 / 589].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ḥafṣ al-Qurashī related: When ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn, may Allah have mercy on him, performed ablution, his colour would turn pale. His family asked what came over him whenever he made ablution. He replied, 'Do you know before Whom I intend to stand?' [Sifat al-Safwah].

Fear and reverent awe: Abū Nūḥ al-Anṣārī related: A fire broke out in a house where ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn, may Allah have mercy on him, was prostrating. People called, 'Son of the Messenger of Allah, the fire! Son of the Messenger of Allah, the fire!' He did not raise his head until it had been put out. Asked what had distracted him from it, he said, 'The other Fire distracted me from this one.' [Sifat al-Safwah 2/447].

Fear and reverent awe: Ibrāhīm ibn Shaybān, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When fear settles in the heart, it burns away the places occupied by desires and drives out longing for this world. [al-Muntazam 14 / 119].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿUqbah ibn Faḍālah said: I heard Abū ʿUbaydah al-Khawwāṣ, may Allah have mercy on him, in his old age, holding his beard, weeping and saying, 'I have grown old; set me free.' [al-Muntazam 8 / 259].

Fear and reverent awe: Muḥammad ibn al-Munkadir, may Allah have mercy on him, was standing in prayer one night when he began to weep. He wept so much that his family became alarmed. They asked why he was weeping, but he could not make himself understood and went on crying. They sent for Abū Ḥāzim and told him what had happened. When Abū Ḥāzim arrived and found him weeping, he asked, 'Brother, why are you crying? You have frightened your family.' Muḥammad said, 'A verse from the Book of Allah, mighty and majestic passed through my mind.' Abū Ḥāzim asked which verse. He replied, ‘Allah, mighty and majestic, says: And things will appear to them from Allah that they had never expected' [Qur'an 39:47]. Abū Ḥāzim began weeping with him, and their tears grew more intense. One of the family said to Abū Ḥāzim, 'We brought you to comfort him, but you have made him worse.' Abū Ḥāzim then told them what had made them both weep. [Sifat al-Safwah 2/479].

Fear and reverent awe: Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Reverent awe is fearing Allah until your fear of Him comes between you and disobeying Him. That is true reverent awe. [Sifat al-Safwah 3/54].

Fear and reverent awe: Ibrāhīm al-Taymī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever does not grieve should fear that he may be among the people of the Fire, for the people of Paradise say, 'Praise be to Allah, who has removed sorrow from us' [Qur'an 35:34]. Whoever does not feel apprehension should fear that he may not be among the people of Paradise, for they say, 'Before this, we were apprehensive among our families' [52:26]. [Sifat al-Safwah 3/62].

Fear and reverent awe: Ismāʿīl ibn Zakariyyā, a neighbour of Ḥabīb ibn Abī Thābit, may Allah have mercy on him,, said: 'I heard him weeping in the evening and heard him weeping in the morning. I asked his family why he cried at both times. His wife replied, “In the evening he fears Allah lest he not see the morning, and in the morning lest he not see the evening.”' [al-Muntazam 7 / 197].

Fear and reverent awe: Jaʿfar ibn Sulaymān related: Thābit al-Bunānī, may Allah have mercy on him, wept until he nearly lost the sight of an eye. They brought a man to treat it. He said, 'I will treat it provided you obey me.' Thābit asked what he must do. The man said, 'Do not weep.' Thābit replied, 'What good are my eyes if they do not weep?' He refused the treatment. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 405].

Fear and reverent awe: Al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever fears Allah cannot be harmed by anyone; whoever fears other than Allah cannot be helped by anyone. [Siyar (abridged edition) 2/773].

Fear and reverent awe: Muslim ibn Ibrāhīm said: Hishām al-Dastawāʾī, may Allah have mercy on him, never extinguished his lamp before morning. He said, 'When I see darkness, I remember the darkness of the grave.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 340].

Fear and reverent awe: Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever thinks well of Allah, mighty and majestic, yet has no fear of Him is deceived. [Sifat al-Safwah 4/475].

Fear and reverent awe: Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Everything has a sign, and the sign of being deprived of divine help is no longer weeping. [Siyar(abridged edition)].

Fear and reverent awe: ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Abī Jaʿfar, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It used to be said that a servant has no aid for his religion like reverent fear of Allah. [Siyar (abridged edition) 2/625].

Fear and reverent awe: Al-Marwadhī said: When Abū ʿAbd Allāh Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, remembered death, tears choked him. He used to say, 'Fear prevents me from eating and drinking. When I remember death, every worldly concern becomes light to me. It is only one sort of food rather than another and one sort of clothing rather than another, and the days are few. I would not exchange poverty for anything. If I found a way, I would go away so that I would no longer be known.' [Siyar (abridged edition) 2/929].

Fear and reverent awe: Ibn al-Jawzī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: In my youth, when I had not yet tasted knowledge, I used to read hadith to our teacher ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Anmāṭī, may Allah have mercy on him. He would weep continuously. His tears affected my heart, and I thought, 'Only a great matter could make him weep like this.' I benefited from his weeping more than I benefited from his narrating. [Sifat al-Safwah 2/703].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn related that ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him, asked, 'Which verse in the Qur'an is the most encompassing?' People mentioned verses such as, 'Whoever does evil or wrongs himself and then seeks Allah's forgiveness will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful' [Qur'an 4:110]. ʿAlī said, 'There is no verse more encompassing than: “Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of Allah's mercy. Allah forgives all sins; He is the Forgiving, the Merciful”' [39:53]. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/84, 85].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, said: On the Day of Resurrection Allah will surely grant forgiveness beyond anything that has entered a human heart. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/83].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, said: By the One besides whom there is no god, no servant has been given anything better than thinking well of Allah. By the One besides whom there is no god, whenever a servant thinks well of Allah, Allah grants him what he expects, for all good is in His hand. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/94].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: On the Day of Resurrection Allah draws the servant near, places His covering over him, hides him from all creatures and hands him his record within that concealment. He says, 'Read your record, son of Adam.' The servant comes to a good deed; his face brightens and his heart rejoices. Allah asks, 'Do you recognise it, My servant?' He says, 'Yes, my Lord, I do.' Allah says, 'I have accepted it from you,' and the servant falls in prostration. Allah says, 'Raise your head, son of Adam, and return to your record.' He comes to a bad deed; his face darkens and his heart trembles. Allah asks, 'Do you recognise it, My servant?' He says, 'Yes, my Lord, I do.' Allah says, 'I have forgiven it for you.' He goes on prostrating for every good deed accepted and every bad deed forgiven. The creatures see nothing of him but his prostrations. They call to one another, 'Blessed is this servant who never disobeyed Allah!' They do not know what passed between him and Allah when Allah showed him his deeds. [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 316].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Ḥayyān Abū al-Naḍr related that Wāthilah ibn al-Asqaʿ, may Allah be pleased with him, visited Yazīd ibn al-Aswad when he was gravely ill, turned toward death and no longer fully aware. Wāthilah said, 'Will you answer something I ask you? What do you think of Allah?' He replied, 'My sins have engulfed me and I stand on the brink of destruction, but I hope for Allah's mercy.' Wāthilah said 'Allah is greatest,' and the household repeated the takbīr. He then said, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say that Allah says: “I am as My servant thinks of Me, so let him think of Me as he wishes.”' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/306].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: A Bedouin became ill and was told, 'You are going to die.' He asked, 'Where will I be taken?' They said, 'To Allah.' He replied, 'Why should I dislike going to One from whom I have seen nothing but good?' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/309].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Ibrāhīm, may Allah have mercy on him, said: They liked to remind a servant of the good things he had done when he was dying, so that he would think well of his Lord. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 5/309].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Al-Aʿmash said: Muṭarrif ibn ʿAbd Allāh, may Allah have mercy on him, told me, 'I have found the forgetfulness Allah, mighty and majestic, placed in the hearts of the most truthful among His creation to be a mercy He showed them. If He had placed in their hearts fear in proportion to their knowledge of Him, they could not have found pleasure in living.' [Sifat al-Safwah 3/159].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Abū ʿImrān al-Jawnī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Allah never looks upon anything without showing it mercy. If He were to look upon the people of the Fire, He would have mercy on them, but He has decreed that He will not look upon them. [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 6/456].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Isḥāq ibn Suwayd said: I accompanied Muslim ibn Yasār, may Allah have mercy on him, for a year on the way to Mecca and did not hear him speak a word until we reached Dhāt ʿIrq. Then he related: I was told that on the Day of Resurrection a servant will be brought to stand before Allah, mighty and majestic. He will say, 'Look at his good deeds.' They will find none. He will say, 'Look at his bad deeds,' and they will find many. He will be ordered to the Fire. As he is led away, he will look back. Allah will say, 'Bring him back. Why do you look back?' He will say, 'My Lord, this was not what I thought—or hoped—of You'—Ibrāhīm was unsure of the wording. Allah will say, 'You spoke the truth,' and he will be ordered to Paradise. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 396].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Muʿādh ibn Muʿādh said: I have seen no one with greater hope for Muslims than Ibn ʿAwn, may Allah have mercy on him,. Al-Ḥajjāj was mentioned to him in my presence. Someone asked, 'They claim that you seek forgiveness for al-Ḥajjāj?' He replied, 'Why should I not seek forgiveness for al-Ḥajjāj as I do for other people? What is there between me and him? I would not mind seeking forgiveness for him now.' Muʿādh said: When a man's fault was mentioned in his presence, he would say, 'Allah Most High is merciful.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 444].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Mujāhid, may Allah have mercy on him, said: On the Day of Resurrection a servant will be ordered to the Fire. He will say, 'This was not what I expected!' He will be asked, 'What did you expect?' He will say, 'That You would forgive me.' Then it will be said, 'Let him go.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 12].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: ʿAmr ibn Mālik al-Nukrī related that Abū al-Jawzāʾ, may Allah have mercy on him, used to say: 'Suppose some of your scholars and wealthy people went to a learned, wealthy man and asked him for a cup of water. Would he give it to them?' They replied, 'Abū al-Jawzāʾ, who would withhold a cup of water?' He said, 'By Allah, Allah is more generous with His Paradise than that man would be with that cup of water.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 1 / 458].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Bilāl ibn Saʿd, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Your Lord is not quick to punish any of you. He overlooks a stumble, accepts repentance, welcomes the one who turns toward Him, and shows kindness to the one who has turned away. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 190].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: ʿAmr ibn Maymūn, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I would not be pleased to have my affair on the Day of Resurrection entrusted to my parents. (He, may Allah have mercy on him, knew that Allah, blessed and exalted, is more merciful, gentler, kinder and more generous to him than his parents.) [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 72].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī said: I heard one of our companions say that Ḥammād ibn Salamah, may Allah have mercy on him, visited Sufyān al-Thawrī when he was ill. Sufyān asked, 'Abū Salamah, do you think Allah will forgive someone like me?' Ḥammād answered, 'By Allah, if I had to choose between Allah calling me to account and my parents calling me to account, I would choose Allah, for Allah Most High is more merciful to me than my parents.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 2 / 336].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ, may Allah have mercy on him, said: By His might, even if He admitted me to the Fire and I found myself in it, I would not lose hope. [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3 / 8].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Maʿrūf al-Karkhī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A man took leave of the Sacred House, saying, 'O Allah, to You belongs praise as numerous as Your acts of pardon toward Your creation.' He returned the following year and said it again. He heard a voice say, 'We have not been able to count them since you said it last year.' [Hilyah (abridged edition) 3 / 104].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Thābit al-Bunānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: There was a young man who had fallen into wrongdoing. His mother would counsel him, saying, 'My son, you have a day appointed for you; remember that day.' When Allah's command came to him, his mother bent over him and said, 'My son, I used to warn you about this end and tell you that you have an appointed day: remember it.' He replied, 'Mother, I have a Lord who is abundant in kindness. I hope that today He will not deprive me of some of the kindness of my Lord, mighty and majestic and that He will forgive me.' Thābit said that he died, may Allah have mercy on him, while thinking well of Allah even in that state. [al-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad / 517].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If pardon were not among the things most beloved to Him, He would not have tested the noblest of His creation with sin. [Sifat al-Safwah 4/341].

Hope and thinking well of Allah: Suhayl al-Quṭaʿī said: I saw Mālik ibn Dīnār, may Allah have mercy on him, in a dream and asked, 'Abū Yaḥyā, what did you bring before Allah, mighty and majestic?' He said, 'I brought many sins, but my good opinion of Allah erased them for me.' [Ibn Abi al-Dunya Encyclopedia 1/51].