‏لأن تُدَرِّسَ الكتابَ خيرُ لك من أن تقرَأه بمُفْرَدِكَ عشرَ مرَّاتٍ
•••
‏To teach a book is better than reading it alone ten times

‏[الشيخ مقبل رحمه الله]

ربَّ جلْسَةٍ عند المعلم تعدلُ قراءةَ شهرٍ
•••
‏Perhaps one session with a teacher equals a month's worth of reading

‏[الشيخ مقبل رحمه الله]

Imam al-Shafi’i رحمه الله was asked: Which is better, patience, tests or prevailing?

He said: Prevailing is the level attained by the Prophets, and there can be no prevailing except after trials. If a person is tried he will become patient, and if he remains patient he will prevail.

قال ابن القيم رحمه الله:

للذّكْرِ تَأْثِيرٌ عَجِيبٌ فِي انْشِرَاحِ الصَّدْرِ وَنَعِيمِ الْقَلْبِ، وَلِلْغَفْلَةِ تَأْثِيرٌ عَجِيبٌ فِي ضِيقِهِ وَحَبْسِهِ وَعَذَابِهِ.

[زاد المعاد 2/23]
•••
Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله:

The remembrance of Allah has an amazing effect of ease, serenity and tranquility within the heart and chest. Whilst on the other hand, negligence of Allah’s remembrance causes tightness, constriction and torture to the heart and chest.

[Zad al-Ma’ad 2/23]

"يا ابن آدم انما انت أيام فإذا ذهب يومك ذهب بعضك"

ʿĀʾishah bint Ṭalḥa reported that ʿĀʾishah, the Mother of the Believers (رضي الله عنها) said:

‎“I never saw anyone whose speech more closely resembled that of the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم than Fāṭimah.

When she entered upon him, he would stand up to greet her, Kiss her, And welcome her, And she would do the same for him.”

سير أعلام النبلاء ٢/١٢٧

‏قال الإمام ابن القيم رحمه الله
‏
"صوت القرآن
يسكن النفوس ويطمئنها ويوقرها

وصوت الغناء
يستفزها ويزعجها ويهيجها."

[بدائع التفسير ٢/١٤٣]
•••
ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

“The sound of the Qur’an soothes the souls, gives it tranquility and causes it to be calm.

The sound of music causes the hearts to become agitated, distressed and disturbed causing it [a feeling of] unease.”

[Badā’i’ at-Tafseer 2/143]

إن الخيل إذا شارفت نهاية المضمار، بذلت قصارى جهدها لتفوز بالسباق، فلا تكن الخيل أفطن منك، فإنما الأعمال بالخواتيم، فإنك إذا لم تحسن الاستقبال لعلك تحسن الوداع.
•••
When the race horse knows that it’s nearing the end of the track, it exerts all its effort to win the race. Do not let the race horse be more clever than you. For verily, actions are judged by their endings. So if you didn’t do well with welcoming Ramadan, then perhaps you will do better bidding it farewell.

يقول ابن الجوزي رحمه الله: تالله لو قيل لأهل القبور تمنوا، لتمنوا يومًا من رمضان.
•••
Ibn al-Jawzi رحمه الله said:
By Allah, if it were said to the people of the graves to make a wish, they would wish for one day of Ramadan.

[التبصرة لابن الجوزي]

قال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية: الذكر للقلب كالماء للسمك، فكيف يكون حال السمك إذا أخرج من الماء؟
•••
Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said:
Remembrance of Allah for the heart is like water for the fish, and what will be the state of the fish when it is separated from water?

[الوابل الصيب من الكلم الطيب]

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: والله ما الدنيا في الآخرة إلا مثل ما يجعل أحدكم إصبعه هذه - وأشار يحيى بالسبابة - في اليم، فلينظر بم ترجع.‏
•••
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: This world in comparison with the Hereafter is like the amount of water one of you gets when he dips his finger into the sea. Let him see what his finger returns with.

[صحيح مسلم]

إن مشقة الطاعة تذهب ويبقى ثوابها وإن لذة المعاصي تذهب ويبقى عقابها
•••
The discomfort of obedience goes and it's reward remains, while the delight of sins go and it's punishment remains…

قال ابن القيم في كتابه الوابل الصيب عن ابن تيمية:

وعلم الله ما رأيت أحدا أطيب عيشا منه قط، مع كل ما كان فيه من ضيق العيش، وخلاف الرفاهية والنعيم، بل ضدها، ومع ما كان فيه من الحبس والتهديد والإرهاق، وهو مع ذلك من أطيب الناس عيشاً، وأشرحهم صدراً، وأقواهم قلباً، وأسرهم نفساً، تلوح نضرة النعيم على وجهه، وكنا إذا اشتد بنا الخوف، وساءت منا الظنون، وضاقت بنا الأرض، أتيناه فما هو إلا أن نراه ونسمع كلامه فيذهب ذلك كله، وينقلب انشراحاً وقوة ويقينا وطمأنينة.
•••
Ibn al-Qayyim said about Ibn Taymiyyah in his book al-Waabil al-Sayyib:

Allah knows that I have never seen anyone who was more content with his life than him, despite all the hardship that he experienced, and the lack of luxury and comfort, in fact the opposite of that, and despite the imprisonment, threats and exhaustion that he faced; despite all of that, he was the happiest of people with his life, the most content, the most courageous, the most satisfied. You could see the signs of joy and happiness in his face. When we felt afraid and were expecting calamity, and we had nowhere to turn, we would go to him and as soon as we saw him and heard his voice, all those fears disappeared and were replaced with contentment, courage, certainty and tranquillity.

اللهم أصلح أحوال إخواننا في فلسطين.
Oh Allah, rectify the affairs of our brothers in Palestine. ❤️‍🩹

(4) You Are Your Thoughts

Whether you like it or not, the internal dialogue that occurs within your mind is what steers your life; you are but a collection of thoughts. What you do in your life every day is nothing but a reflection of the thoughts that dominate your mind. If you want to improve any aspect of your life, you must first improve your thoughts towards that aspect. There is a psychological principle that states:

“If you believe that you will succeed in something or that you will not, then you are right in both cases."

You cannot succeed in anything unless you first believe that you can succeed in it.

قال الإمام ابن القيم رحمه الله:
“الصومُ يكسِرُ الشهوةَ، ويقطعُ مادّةَ الشّرِّ، ويُعينُ على التّقوى، فالصّائمُ في عبادةٍ وإن كان نائمًا على فراشه، فكانت نفَسُه تسبيحًا، ونومُه عبادةً، ودعاؤُه مُستجابًا.”
•••
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:
“Fasting suppresses desires, cuts off the source of evil, and aids in attaining piety. The fasting person remains in worship even while sleeping on his bed; his breath is glorification to Allah, his sleep is an act of worship, and his supplication is answered.”

[زاد المعاد ٢/٢٩]