Sayings of the Salaf » Gratitude

The best thing after Iman and the worst thing after Kufr [women]

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:02:26 +0000

It is reported that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattâb – Allâh be pleased with him – once addressed the people and said:

No man can have anything better after faith (îmân) than a woman of righteous character, loving and child-bearing. And no man can have anything worse after unbelief (kufr) than a sharp-tongued woman of bad character.

Al-Hâfidh Abul-Qâsim Al-Asbahânî, Al-Targhîb wa Al-Tarhîb article 1528. Also recorded in other sources with a slight variation in wording.

Dead Hearts and Empty Supplications

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:23:32 +0000

It is reported that Ibrâhîm b. Adham (d162H) – Allâh have mercy on him – once passed through the market of Basrah. People gathered around him and asked:

O Abû Ishâq, Allâh the Exalted says in his Book. ‘Call on me, I will answer your prayers’, but we have been calling on Him for a long time and He does not answer our prayers. [Ibrâhîm] replied, “O people of Basrah, your hearts have died in respect to ten things: First, you know Allâh but you do not give Him His rights; second, you have read Allâh’s Book but you do not act by it; third, you claim to love Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – yet you abandon his Sunnah; fourth, you claim to be enemies to Shaytân but you conform to [his ways]; fifth, you say you love Paradise yet you do not work for it; sixth, you say you fear The Fire yet you put yourselves closer to it [by sinning]; seventh, you say death is true but you do not prepare for it; eighth, you busy yourselves with the faults of others and disregard your own; ninth, you consume the favors of your Lord but are not grateful for them; and tenth, you bury your dead but take no lesson from them.”

Abû Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyâ’ 8: 15, 16.

Praise be to Allâh for this Calamity

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:55:35 +0000

It is reported that Shurayh – Allâh have mercy on him – said, “If I am afflicted with a calamity, I praise Allâh for it four times: I praise Him because it wasn’t worse than it was, I praise Him when He gives me the patience to bear it, I praise Him for enabling me to say al-istirjâ’ (‘To Allâh we belong and to him we will return’; see Al-Baqarah: 154-156 ) in hope of a great reward, and I praise Him for not making it a calamity in my religion.”

Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ`, in his biography of Shurayh Al-Qâdî.

We can only repent

Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimi — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:45:23 +0000

It is reported that Talq b. Habîb – Allâh have mercy on him – said, “The right of Allâh is too great and heavy for the creation to fulfill and the blessings of Allâh are too many to enumerate, but you should remain repentant, morning and evening.”

Ibn Abî Al-Dunyâ, Al-Tawbah article 62.