Ibn Rajab رحمه الله said: "O group of repenters, fast today from the lustful desires so that you can acquire Īd ul Fitr on the Day you meet (your Lord)."

[لطائف المعارف ١٦٠]

When Imam Ahmad (rahimahullah) would walk in the streets, he would walk amongst the laborers so that nobody would point to him out of respect, and so that the people would think him to just be another laborer, and would therefore not point to him out of respect.

[Siyar A’laam an-Nubalaa (9/465)]

Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنه said:

“Verily, shyness and Īmān are linked together. So if one of them is removed [from the heart], the other one leaves.”

[Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 25859]

خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَأَنزَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ثَمَـٰنِيَةَ أَزْوَٰجٍۢ ۚ يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ خَلْقًۭا مِّنۢ بَعْدِ خَلْقٍۢ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتٍۢ ثَلَـٰثٍۢ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ ۖ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُصْرَفُونَ ٦

He created you ˹all˺ from a single soul,1 then from it He made its mate.2 And He produced for you four pairs of cattle.3 He creates you in the wombs of your mothers ˹in stages˺, one development after another, in three layers of darkness.4 That is Allah—your Lord! All authority belongs to Him. There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. How can you then be turned away?

Imām Ibn Al-Qayyim رحمه الله stated:

‎"Some of the Salaf said: If it wasn't for the calamities of the Dunyā we would come on the Day of Judgment bankrupt."

‎[Zād Al-Ma'ād 4/176]

Imam Abdur Rahman al-Jawzi (rahimahullah) said:

If you find a darkness in your heart after you sinned , know then that in your heart there is light, because of this light you felt the darkness.

[Rowdathul Muhibeen 2/112]

Why is it that some students love for people to sit under them and don’t want to be the one seated and have expectations that they must be given a position. Even if it be handed to them from Ahlul Bidah?

Abdullah bin Muhayriz (from the Tabi’īn) said: "I accompanied Fudālah bin Ubayd, May Allāh be pleased with him, the companion of the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ). I said to him:
'Advise me, may Allāh have mercy upon you.' He said: 'Memorise three characteristics from me, may Allāh benefit you with them. If you are able to know and not be known, then do so. If you are able to listen and not speak, then do so. If you are able to sit (in the circles of knowledge) and not have people come to you to sit, then do so.'"(1)

Abu Bakr Al-Marūthī (d. 275H) said:
"Imaām) Ahmad bin Hanbal (d.241H) said to me: 'Tell Abdul Wahhāb [al-Warrāq (d. 251H)]: (Prefer to) have no fame, for indeed, I have become trialled with fame.'" (2)

Look at the status of Sufyān Ath-Thawrī (d.161H):

Sufyān Ath-Thawrī was an imam of Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jamā'ah. It was said about him:
"The people of Hadith are three, Abdullah ibn Abbās (d.68H) in the era of the Sahābah, Ash-Sha’bi (d.100H) in the era of the Tabi’ūn, and Sufyān (Ath-Thawrī) in the era of the Atbā' at-Tabi’īn." (3)

Sufyān Bin 'Uyaynah (d.191H) said to Imām Ahmad:
"You will never with your eyes see the likes of Sufyān Ath-Thawrī up until you die." (4)

Yet look at how Ath-Thawrī saw himself:

Khalfah bin Tamīm (d. 213H) said:
"I saw Ath-Thawrī in Makkah, and many had gathered around him. So he said: 'Indeed to Allāh we belong. I fear that Allāh will cause this ummah to be in a state of loss, when the people are in need of the likes of me.'" (5)

And he said:
"If it was not that I saw it as something lowly, I would live amongst a people who did not know me." (6)

And he likewise said:
"Safety is in not loving to be known!" (7)

• (1) Hilyah al-Awliyah 5/141
• (2) Siyar A’lam An-Nubala 11/226
• (3) Siyar A’lam An-Nubala 7/240
• (4) Siyar A’lam An-Nubala 7/238
• (5) Siyar A’lam An-Nubala 7/275
• (6) Siyar A’lam An-Nubala 7/275
• (7) Siyar A’lam An-Nubala 7/258

Narrated Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ used to say,

‎اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْفَقْرِ وَالْقِلَّةِ وَالذِّلَّةِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ أَظْلِمَ أَوْ أُظْلَمَ ‏"‏

"O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from poverty, lack and abasement, and I seek refuge in Thee lest I oppress others or am opressed."

Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)

[Sunan Abi Dawud 1544]

‎{كلا بل رَانَ على قلوبهم ما كانوا يكسبون}

‎قال الحسن البصري

‎الذنب على الذنب

‎والذنب على الذنب

‎حتى يعمى القلب فيموت

Ḥasan al-Baṣrī رحمه الله said: "Sin on top of sin, sin on top of sin until it blinds the heart and then it becomes dead."

‎[المخلصيات ١٧١٢]

Shaykh Mohamed bin Salih Al - Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) said:

From the means of steadfastness upon the religion

-From that which necessitates steadfastness is that the person looks at what he is going to achieve from steadfastness and what he is going achieve from deviation; he will gain from steadfastness the affair of having a good life and (receiving) abundant reward.

Allah The Most High said:

"Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter). [Surah An - Nahl, Ayah 97]

And from that which increases upon steadfastness (is) purifying the heart from resentment, hatred, envy and transgression against the Muslims - for indeed if a person's heart is pure, sound and righteous, Allah will grant him firmness (in the religion) and steadfastness.

[Liqaat Al - Bab Al - Maftooh 7/275]

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲

١.) Avoid continuing the debate whilst angry and abstain from this until the nerves are calm.

٢.) Utilize the manner of investigation and not argumentation; identify the problem and its causes.

٣.) Avoid interrupting (them when speaking) and listen attentively.

٤.) It is incumbent to make it (a pleasant environment) with good feelings, and for each spouse to clarify that they love each other. However, they want a resolution to the problem.

٥.) It is a must that they be prepared to forego the issue. If each party persists upon what they are upon, then this will lead to the situation getting worse and it could possibly end in divorce.

[A Woman’s Guide to Raising a Family by Shaykh Sālih Al-Fawzān (حفظه اللّٰه) pg. 39-40]

Al-Hafidh Ibn Rajab al Hambalee رحمه الله said,

To fast in the month of Shaban before the month of Ramadan is like praying the supererogatory prayers associated with the obligatory prayers

[طائف المعارف]

Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal (rahimahullah) said:

“The fundamentals of the Sunnah with us are: Clinging to that which the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam were upon, taking them as our examples to be followed; avoiding innovations, for every innovation is misguidance.”

[Usoolus-Sunnah (p.5) by Imaam Ahmad]

Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī رحمه الله said,

"Knowledge is ruined due to forgetfulness and neglect."

[Sunan ad-Dārimī v. 1 p. 488 no. 649]

"The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is in prostration." • [رواه مسلم ٢٨٤]

Sheikh Uthaymīn رحمه الله stated: "This is because he has placed his forehead (face) - the highest and most honourable part of his body - down into the ground where people treat upon with their feet, in doing so he demonstrates the perfection of subservience to Allāh."

The one standing up is actually higher up physically than the one down in prostration, however since the prostrating one humbled himself to Allāh, consequently Allāh raised him and so he is actually closer to Allāh."

So if is appropriate you make plentiful supplication in these prostrations - whether obligatory or supererogatory prayers -, and you supplicate for whatever you wish (after completing the prescribed supplications) as long as it's not a sin or cutting the ties of kinship.

So a student of knowledge may ask, "O' Allāh increase me in knowledge and grant me understanding and memorisation", the one building a house may ask, "O' Allāh aid me in the completion of the house", the youth may ask "O' Allāh grant me a wife", ... and so on."

[صفة الصلاة (بتصرف يسير) للشيخ العثيمين ص ٤٢١]

Ibn Mas’ūd said: “It is hard for us to memorize the words of the Qur’an, but easy to act upon it.

But those after us will find it easy to memorize the Qur’an but hard to act upon it.”

[Tafṣīr al-Qurṭubī v. 1, p. 40]

Story of one of the most famous of Imam Ash Shafī'ī students, Al Buwayti rahimahullah.

When he refused to say that the Quran was created, he was imprisoned until he died in his prison cell in the year 231 Hijri. When he (rahimahullah) used to hear the adhan of Jumu'ah from his prison cell, he would bathe, wear his best clothes and walk to the main gate of the prison intending to go for the prayer. But the guards refused him. He would then say: “O Allāh I responded to the call, but these have barred me.”

[طبقات الفقهاء، للشيرازي، ص ٩٨]

‎قال الشيخ محمد بن عبدالوهاب رحمه الله: التوحيد اسم لفعلك إن كانت أعمالك كلها لله فأنت موحد، فإن كان فيها شرك للمخلوقين فأنت مشرك

Shaykh Muhammad bin Abdul Al Wahab رحمه الله said: "Tawheed is a name for your action, if all your actions were for Allah alone then you are a Muwahid (monotheist), and if some were for the creation then you’re a Mushrik (polytheist)."

‎[الدرر السنية ١/١٦٨]

Whenever the month of Sha'baan would begin, Habeeb ibn Abi Thaabit رحمه الله used to say,

"This is the month of the reciters of the Quran."

[Al Lataaif al Ma’arif pg. 258-259]

Fuḍayl b. ‘Iyāḍ's Raḥimahullāh Advice to a 60 - Year Old Man.

Fuḍayl b. ‘Iyāḍ رحمه الله said to a man: "How many (years) have come upon you?"

The man said: "60 years."

Fuḍayl said: "So since 60 years you are heading toward your Lord, and you are on the verge of arriving."

So the man said: "Indeed to Allāh we belong and indeed to Him we return."

Fuḍayl said: "Do you know the meaning of that?"

You are saying that I am a servant of Allāh and to Him I will return, so whomsoever knows he is a servant of Allāh, and that to Him he will return, then let him be aware that he will stand before Him, and whomsoever is aware that he will stand before him then let him be aware that he will be questioned, and whomsoever is aware he will be questioned then let him prepare an answer to the question."

So the man said: "So what is the strategy?"

Fuḍayl said: "Easy."

The man said: "What is it?"

Fuḍayl b. ‘Iyāḍ said: "Be righteous in what remains and you will be forgiven for what has passed, for indeed of you incur evil in what remains (i.e. no repentance and continuation upon wrongdoing) then you will be held accountable upon it and that which has passed."

[جامع العلوم والحكم لابن رجب الحنبلي ص ٣٨٣]