Inspiration from Past & Present
The Muslim ummah cannot take another war. Let’s unite on our common grounds rather than focus on our differences. Let us focus on what we agree upon and negotiate/discuss matters based upon them. You will find that most of these differences will begin to melt away.
—Shaykh Waleed Bassyouni, Torchbearers 2010 NJ
مَنْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ الْمَوْت مَوْرِدُهُ , وَالْقِيَامَةَ مَوْعِدُهُ , وَالْوُقُوفَ بَيْن يَدَيْ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مَشْهَدُهُ , فَحَقُّهُ أَنْ يَطُولَ فِي الدُّنْيَا حُزْنُهُ
Whoever realizes that death is his ultimate fate, Judgement his final appointment, and standing before Allah his inevitable witnessing, then it is his right that in this world, his grief be prolonged.
—Hasan al-Basri [d. 110/728]
Fath al-Bari
Whoever fears Allah will not be harmed by anyone, while whoever fears others besides Allah will not be helped by anyone.
—Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad [d. 187H]
(from pg 22, Ibn al-Jawzi, The Devil’s Deception. Al-Hidaayah Publishing and Distribution. UK: 1996.)
Many people used to pay me social visits and I likewise, until I realized that time is a most noble and precious thing and hence began to dislike visiting. However, I became caught between two possibilities: if I refused their visits, I would feel lonely and miss something which I had grown accustomed to, but if I accepted their visits, my time would be wasted. Consequently, I began to avoid visits to the best of my ability and if it became unavoidable, I would limit the conversation in order to hasten the visit’s end. I also prepared work to do during my visits so that no time would pass idly by.
—Ibn al-Jawzi [d. 597H]
The Devil’s Deception. Al-Hidaayah Publishing and Distribution. UK: 1996.