Inspiration from Past & Present

January 11, 2013

Recognize One Another to Unite in Harmony

Ibn ‘Abbas saw a man and said, “Indeed he loves me.”

The people said, “And how do you know that?!”

He said, “Because I love him, and souls are like recruited soldiers: those that recognize one another unite in harmony, and those that do not recognize one another are at an aversion.”

(Rawdah Al-Uqalaa 1/108)

January 11, 2013

Busy in Worship

If I said that I never saw Hammad b. Salamah laughing, I would be telling the truth. Indeed he was busy either narrating hadith, reading, glorifying Allah or praying.

—Musa b. Isma’il

(Qiymah Al-zaman ‘Ind Al-‘Ulama’, Pg. 28)

January 1, 2013

Exerting in Good Seeking Ease

A worshiper was once told: “You should be easy on yourself [i.e. do not exhaust yourself with acts of worship].

He replied: “Indeed, I exhaust myself in worship because easiness is what I am looking for.”

(Read on pg 45, Ibn al-Jawzi, Awakening From The Sleep of Heedlessness. Daar as-Sunnah Publishers. Birmingham: 2012.)

January 1, 2013

Fasting Hot Days to Prepare

Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (rah) used to fast in hot weather so it as said to him, “You are an old man.”

He said, “I’m preparing it for a long day [i.e. Day of Judgement].


(Read on pg 44, Ibn al-Jawzi, Awakening From The Sleep of Heedlessness. Daar as-Sunnah Publishers. Birmingham: 2012.)