A wise old man was sitting at the river bank when he saw a cat that had fallen into the water, flailing around, trying to save itself from drowning.

The man decided to save the cat. He stretched his hand out but was scratched by the cat. He pulled his hand back in pain.

However, a minute later he stretched his hand out again to save the cat, but it scratched him again, and again he pulled his hand back in pain.

Another minute later he was yet again trying for the third time!!

A man, who was nearby watching what was happening, yelled out: "O wise man, you have not learned your lesson the first time, nor the second time, and now you are trying to save the cat a third time?"

The wise man paid no heed to that man's scolding, and kept on trying until he managed to save the cat.

He then walked over to the man, and patted his shoulder saying: "My son.. it is in the cat's nature to scratch, and it is in my nature to love and have sympathy. Why do you want me to let the cat's nature overcome mine !?!!

My son: Treat people according to your nature, not according to theirs, no matter what they are like and no matter how numerous are their actions that harm you and cause you hurt sometimes.

And do not pay heed to all the voices that loudly call out to you to leave behind your good qualities merely because the other party is not deserving of your noble actions.

When you live to give happiness to others, Allah Ta'ala will send you those who will live to give happiness to you.

"Is the reward for good anything but good?" -55:60

Be beautiful in character and hearts will love you.

So never regret the moments you gave happiness to someone, even if that person did not deserve it.

And suffice in the fact that you have a Lord Who will reward you for good with good.

____

“The entire Deen is (about) good character, so whoever exceeds you in good character, has exceeded you in the Deen.”

- Ibn al Qayyum (Rahmatullahi 'alayh)

‼️MAN IN THIS WORLD‼️

Ibn al-Qayyim (may ALLĀH have mercy on him)

‼️The slave has three states

The first state is his condition where he is nothing, and this is before he exists.

‼️The last state is from the time of his death until the state that has no end, the eternal life. After the soul exits the body it will have its presence either in Paradise or the Hellfire; then it will be returned to its body for recompense according to its actions. It will then reside in one of these two abodes - Paradise or the Hellfire - for eternity.

‼️ The second state is between these two, which is from the time he exists until he dies. This is the state that lies in the middle and consists of the days of his life. Therefore, look at the time man spends in this middle state compared to the first and last states, and you will notice man's years in this world are less than the blink of an eye. Those who are able to view the world like this will not cling to it; and they will not care how their days pass by, whether they have difficulty and restricted means or ease and luxury."

📚 The Dunya And Its Reality || Page 9

Sometimes Allah takes away what you hold on to, not to hurt you, but to rebuild you inside. People leave, plans fail, doors close. For a while, the hurt of letting go is all you feel. But if you knew what is being written out of sight, you'd bow in thanks for every unanswered duaa. Allah does not take without giving something better.

He does not delay without making a path to something greater. He does not test you unless there is a hidden mercy in it. Your tears, your heartbreak, your lonely nights-we're not wasted. They teach you. All is heard. All is carried by the Most Merciful. Let your heart rest in this: what is meant for you will find you when you're ready, when it is good for your soul, and when it brings you closer to Jannah. Hold on. Better is on the way by the will of Allah.

Be Mindful Of Allah and He will Protect You

On the authority of Abul Abbas Abdullah bin Abbas (رضي الله عنه) who said:

One day I was behind the Prophet (ﷺ) [riding on the same mount] and he said,

"O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]:

Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you.

Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you.

If you ask, then ask Allah [alone];

and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone].

And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you.

And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you.

The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.”

It was related by at-Tirmidhi, who said it was a good and sound hadeeth. Another narration, other than that of Tirmidhi, reads:

Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you.

Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity.

And know that what has passed you by [and you have failed to attain] was not going to befall you,

and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by.

And know that
victory comes with patience,
relief with affliction,
and with hardship comes ease."

[40 Ḥadith Nawawi, Ḥadith 19]

Dhun-Noon al-Misri (rahimahullah) was asked:

"What are the signs of sincerity?"

He (rahimahullah) stated:

"When there is no love of the people's praise and fear of their blame in your action, you are one who is sincere."

[Abu Nu’aym al-Asfahani (rahimahullah), Hilayat al-Awliyaa’, 10/242]

If a person is exposed, It’s not his first Sin:

Anas b. Mālik reports:

A young man who had stolen was brought to ʿUmar (for punishment). He said, “By Allāh I have never stolen before this time.” So ʿUmar responded, “You lie, Allāh would not (or does not) surrender a servant of His on the first sin.”

Abū Dāwūd, Al-Zuhd article 56, and others. Graded ṣaḥīh by Ibn Kathīr and others.

https://www.sayingsofthesalaf.net/topic/wisdom/

Hasan al-Basri (rahimahullah) said, speaking about the striving of the Salaf in hiding their deeds:

"A man would have gathered the Quran (i.e., memorised it) whilst his neighbour would be unaware.

Another man would have learnt a lot of Fiqh whilst the people would be unaware.

A man would be praying lengthy prayers in his house, whilst he has guests (staying with him), and they would not even realise.

Indeed, I came across a people, there was not a single deed on the face of the earth which could be done in secret, that they ever did it in public (meaning if a good deed can be done without anyone knowing about it one would choose to do it that way so that he is not recognised, treated specially or revered for it)!

[az-Zuhd, pg. 35-36]

🕯
Talhah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf was known as the most generous man of Quraysh in his time. One day, his wife said to him: "I've never seen people more disloyal than your friends." He asked, "Why do you say that?" She replied, "I see that when you're wealthy, they cling to you but when you're struggling, they leave you!"

He answered, "By Allah, that is a sign of their noble character. They come to us when we're able to honour them and leave us when we're not, so as not to burden us."

💠 al-Mawardi commented on this story, saying:
"Look at how through his generosity, he reinterpreted their behaviour in the best light, turning their seemingly ugly actions into something beautiful, and their apparent disloyalty into loyalty. This, by Allah, shows that a pure heart brings peace in this life and reward in the next. It is among the reasons for entering Paradise."

📑 Adab al-Dunya wa al-Din (p. 180)

Al-Fudayl ibn iyyad (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"The believer conceals and advises, whereas the wicked person exposes and humiliates."

▫️Jami al-Ulüm wa al-ahikam (1/225)

"This world is but a breath between two eternities.
A passing dream, a fleeting shore —
and soon, we will all return to Allah.

> ‘Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed, to Him we shall return.’
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:156)

I carry no grudge in my heart,
for resentment poisons the soul.
I do not hate — I forgive, again and again —
not because I am weak,
but because I long for the forgiveness of Ar-Rahman.

I give more than I take,
for I believe what the Prophet ﷺ said:

> ‘Charity does not decrease wealth,
forgiving others increases one’s honor,
and humility raises one’s rank.’
(Sahih Muslim 2588)

Pride does not live in me;
I bow only to the One who created me.
Some may see my gentleness as a lack of worth,
but my heart knows —
softness in the face of pain is strength.

I apologize even when I have not wronged,
for peace is more precious to me than ego.
When I am hurt, I hold my tongue;
when I am angry, I choose silence.
I speak no ill, for words are seeds —
and I wish to plant only what blossoms with kindness.

So I leave all my affairs in the hands of Allah —
Al-Lateef, the Subtle in His mercy,
the Knower of what the heart conceals.
He sees when I hold back tears,
He knows when I choose patience over pride.

And in the quiet of my heart, I whisper:
Ya Allah, let my gentleness be my strength,
my forgiveness be my honor,
and my trust in You be my peace.

For when all is said and done,
nothing remains but Your mercy —
and that is enough for me."

When Ibn Taymiyyah entered prison, he found the prisoners pre-occupied with various types of games with which they passed time, such as chess, backgammon and the likes, of (things that lead) to neglect of the five daily prayers.

So Ibn Taymiyyah disapproved of that for them. He commanded them to adhere to the five daily prayers and to turn to Allaah through performance of righteous deeds, glorification of Allaah, seeking forgiveness for their sins and du’aa.

He made them acquainted with what they were in need of from the Sunnah.

He awakened their desire for it and urged them towards it, until a lot of good came about in the prison until the prison turned into a place of knowledge and religion so it became better than many of the small prayer rooms, the hospices, the places where people secluded themselves for worship and even the schools!

And it reached a point where many prisoners chose to remain with him after they were released, often returning to the prison, which made it became so numerous that it became filled with them.

Source: al-Uqood Ad-Du’riyyah Fee Dhikri Manaaqib Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (pp. 330-331)

‼️‼️‼️‼️Heavy‼️‼️‼️‼️

Bilāl ibn Sa‘d رحمه الله said:

“Do not be a friend of Allah in public while being His enemy in private.”

Al-Ikhlās wa an-Niyyah (26)

🌿 𝘋𝘰 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘐𝘯 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘖𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘉𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁 ﷺ said: ❝Verily, (the rewards of) the deeds are decided by the last actions (deeds).❞
📚 [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6493, 6607)]

🌴🌴🌴

𝗔𝗹-𝗙𝘂𝗱‌𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗜𝗯𝗻 𝗔𝘆𝗮𝗮𝗱‌𝗵 asked a person:
“𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦? (𝑖.𝑒., 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑔𝑒?)”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 responded:
“Sixty years.”

𝗔𝗹-𝗙𝘂𝗱‌𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹 said:
“𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑥𝑡𝑦 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑟ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑜𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ (𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛).”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 said:
“إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ (Indeed, to Allaah we belong and to Him we will return)!”

𝗔𝗹-𝗙𝘂𝗱‌𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹 said:
“𝐷𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑?”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 replied:
“I said: ‘إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ (Indeed, to Allaah we belong and to Him we will return)!’”

𝗔𝗹-𝗙𝘂𝗱‌𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹 said:
“𝐷𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠?”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 requested:
“O Abu Alee! Please explain it to us.”

𝗔𝗹-𝗙𝘂𝗱‌𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹 said:
“𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑: ‘𝑇𝑜 𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑎ℎ 𝑤𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔’, 𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠: ‘𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑎 𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑎ℎ, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 (𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑) 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝐻𝑖𝑚.’ 𝑆𝑜, 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑎ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝐻𝑖𝑚, 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 (𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑). 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 (𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑) 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑑. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑑, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑙𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 said:
“What is the solution?”

𝗔𝗹-𝗙𝘂𝗱‌𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹 said:
“𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 said:
“What is it?”

𝗔𝗹-𝗙𝘂𝗱‌𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹 said:
“𝐷𝑜 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠 (𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒), 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠 (𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒). 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠 (𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒), 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠.”
📚 [حلية الأولياء (٨/ ١١٣)]

Al-Alaama Abdulrahman al-Mu’alami said:

❝As for the one who dislikes the truth and submits to his desires then he is deserving that Allah increases his misguidance.❞

[Tankeel, (2/201)]

Imām Abū Ḥātim ibn Ḥibbān (d. AH 354), may Allāh have mercy upon him, said:

Intelligence is the remedy of the hearts; the tool of the scholars; the seed for the tilth of the Hereafter; the Crown of the believer in the worldly life; and his readiness for any calamity. Whomever lacks intelligence, then gaining power shall never increase him in Honour, nor shall wealth ever Exalt him.

Rawḍah al-ʿUqʿalá, p56.
Translated by Umm Sufyān Fāṭimah

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said:

The best of those who do any action are those who remember Allāh the most whilst performing it.

The best of those who fast are those who remember Allāh the most whilst fasting.

The best of those who give charity are those who remember Allāh the most.

The best of those who perform the Hajj are those who mention Allāh the most.

The same applies to the rest of the actions.

[al-Wābil al-Sayyib, Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah), pg. 152]

The Tree of Sincerity 🌱

Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله:

“A year is like a tree, the months are its boughs, the days are its branches, the hours are its leaves, and its breath is its fruit. Whoever's breath used to obey Allāh, the fruit of his tree will be good and pure. Whoever's breath used to disobey Allāh, his fruit will be evil.

The time of harvest is on the Day of Resurrection, and at that time the fruit will be shown, whether it is sweet or sour.”

[al-Fawā’id]

𝗗𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 #𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝗺𝘂'𝗮𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿

Imran ibn Qais, who said: “𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦 #𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀.”

One of the narrators said: This is after the Friday prayer; referring to this verse.

(Tafsir Ibn Rajab, vol. 2, p. 470)

Arak ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“When he finished the Friday prayer, he would stand at the mosque door and say:
‘O Allah, You have answered Your call and I have prayed Your prescribed prayer, and I have spread out as You commanded me, so provide for me Your #bounty, and You are the best of providers.’”

(Ibn Abi Hatim’s Tafsir, vol. 10, p. 3356
And Al-Bahuti’s Al-Kashaf, vol. 3, p. 377)

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim — may Allah have mercy upon him — said:

“And some physicians have said: Love is the intermixing of one soul with another due to the harmony and resemblance between them. So, when water mixes with water, it becomes impossible to separate one from the other. For this reason, love between two individuals may reach such a degree that one of them feels pain when the other is in pain, and becomes ill when the other becomes ill — without even realising it.

It is mentioned that a man once loved someone, and that beloved fell ill. His companions entered upon him to visit him (the lover) and found that his condition had lightened, so he became cheerful with them and said: ‘From where have you come?’ They said: ‘From so-and-so; we visited him.’ He said: ‘Was he sick?’ They said: ‘Yes, but he has now recovered.’ He said: ‘By Allah, I was confused about my illness and could not find any reason for it except that I thought perhaps it was due to an ailment that had afflicted the one I love. And today I have found relief, so I rejoiced hoping that Allah, exalted and glorified is He, had cured him.’ Then he called for an inkwell and wrote to his beloved.”

Rāwḍat al-Muḥibbīn, p. 73

Ar-Rabee bin Anas [may Allāh have mercy on him] said:

“A sign of loving Allāh is abundant remembrance of Him, because you do not love someone except that you remember them a great deal.”

Madārij as-Sālikeen 2/210 | Al-Imām ibn al-Qayyim [may Allāh have mercy on him]

Translation: Authentic Quotes