(ʿAbd al-Razzāq the teacher of Imām Aḥmad) said: I did not see anyone one who possesses more understanding [of the religion] or more pious than Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal.
وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ: مَا رَأَيْتُ أَحَداً أَفقَهَ وَلاَ أَوْرَعَ مِنْ أَحْمَدَ بنِ حَنْبَلٍ.

I say: He [ʿAbd al-Razzāq] says this even though he has seen al-Thawrī — Mālik and Ibn Jurayj.
قُلْتُ: قَالَ هَذَا، وَقَدْ رَأَى مِثْلَ الثَّوْرِيِّ وَمَالِكٍ وَابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ.


الذهبي رحمه الله ، سير أعلام النبلاء ١١/١٩٥

وأَخبرنا محمد بن أَبي منصور، قال: أخبرنا عبد القادر بن محمد، قال: أَنبأَنا إبراهيم بن عمر، قال: أخبرنا ابن مَرْدَك، قالا: حدثنا أَبو محمد بن أَبي حاتم، قال: حدثنا الحسين بن الحسن الرازي، قال: سمعت علي بن المديني يقول: ليس في أصحابنا أَحفظ من أَبي عبد الله أَحمد بن حنبل؛ وبلغني أَنه لا يحدث إِلا من كتاب ولنا فيه أُسوة حسنة.

ʿAlī b. al-Madīnī said: “None among our companions has memorized more than Abū ʿAbd Allah Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, and I have been informed that he never transmitted a ḥadīth except from a book; and in him, we have an excellent example to follow.”


ابن الجوزي رحمه الله، مناقب الإمام أحمد رحمه الله ١/١٤٧

Ibn Abbās and a group of Companions of the Prophet ﷺ narrated that
وَلَكِنْ حَكَى السُّدِّيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، وَأَبِي مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، وَعَنْ مُرَّةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، وَعَنْ نَاسٍ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا:

When Iblīs was sent out of Paradise,
أُخْرِجَ إِبْلِيسُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ،

And Ādam was accommodated therein, Ādam was alone in Paradise and did not have a partner from whom he could get tranquility.
وَأُسْكِنَ آدَمُ الْجَنَّةَ فَكَانَ يَمْشِي فِيهَا وَحْشًا، لَيْسَ لَهُ فِيهَا زَوْجٌ يَسْكُنُ إِلَيْهَا

He slept for some time,
فَنَامَ نَوْمَةً

And when he woke up, he saw a woman whom Allāh had created from his ribs.
فَاسْتَيْقَظَ وَعِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ امْرَأَةٌ قَاعِدَةٌ خَلَقَهَا اللَّهُ مِنْ ضِلْعِهِ،

So he asked her, “Who are you?”
فَسَأَلَهَا مَنْ أَنْتِ؟

She replied, “A woman.”
قَالَتْ: امْرَأَةٌ.

He asked: “Why have you been created?”
قَالَ: وَلِمَا خُلِقْتِ؟ .

She said: “So that you could find comfort in me.”
قَالَتْ: لِتَسْكُنَ إِلَيَّ.

The angels, trying to find out the extent of his knowledge, asked him: “What is her name O Ādam?”
فَقَالَتْ لَهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَنْظُرُونَ مَا بَلَغَ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ: مَا اسْمُهَا يَا آدَمُ.

He replied, “Hawā (Eve).”
قَالَ: حَوَّاءُ.

They asked “Why was she named Hawā?”
قَالُوا: وَلِمَ كَانَتْ حَوَّاءَ؟

He replied, “Because she was created from something living.”
قَالَ: لِأَنَّهَا خُلِقَتْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ.


ابن كثير رحمه الله، البداية والنهاية ١/١٧٣

al-Ḥasan said: There are *three aspects of al-ġībah* (ie: backbiting), all of which are [mentioned] in the Book of Allāh the Exalted:
قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: الْغِيبَةُ ثَلَاثَةُ أَوْجُهٍ كُلُّهَا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى:

al-ġībah, al-ifk (ie: rumours), wa ʿl-buhtān (ie: slander):
الْغِيبَةُ وَالْإِفْكُ وَالْبُهْتَانُ.

As for *al-ġībah*, then it is to say about your (Muslim) brother (that which he dislikes in his absence) but it is true.
فَأَمَّا *الْغِيبَةُ* فَهُوَ أَنْ تَقُولَ فِي أَخِيكَ مَا هُوَ فِيهِ.

As for *al-ifk*, then it is to say about him what has been reported to you about him.
وَأَمَّا *الْإِفْكُ* فَأَنْ تَقُولَ فِيهِ مَا بَلَغَكَ عَنْهُ.

And as for *al-buhtān*, it is to say about him what is not true.
وَأَمَّا *الْبُهْتَانُ* فَأَنْ تَقُولَ فِيهِ مَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ.

al-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li Aḥkām al-Qurʾān 16/335
القرطبي، تفسير ١٦/٣٣٥

‏"فالكذب على الشخص حرام كله سواء كان الرجل مسلما أو كافرا برا أو فاجرا لكن الافتراء على المؤمن
أشد".

Lying upon a person is completely harām, regardless of him being a Muslim, or a kāfir, pious or immoral, but slandering a Muslim is worse.

مجموع الفتاوى جـ٢٨صـ٢٢٣

Ibn Taymīyyah رحمه الله stated:

Whoever interprets the Qur’ān or the Hadīth, and his interpretation is in a way other than the known tafsīr from the Sahābah and the Tābi’īn, then he is a slanderer against Allāh, an atheist in the verses of Allāh, and a distorter of words from its place.

[من فسر القرآن أو الحديث وتأوله على غير التفسير المعروف عن الصحابة والتابعين، فهو مفتر على الله، ملحد في آيات الله، محرف للكلم عن مواضعه!].اهـ.

مجموع الفتاوى (١٣/ ٢٤٣).

Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

‎”The eye is the mirror of the heart, so if the slave lowers his gaze, the heart will lower its desires and whims, and if he lets his gaze wander, the desire in his heart will be released.”

‎[رَوضةُ المُحبينَ | 109]

How beautiful is al-ʿilm (ie: knowledge); by Allah, no kingdom, no authority, no worldly possessions, no trade compares to or equals al-ʿilm.
ما أحسن العلم والله لا ملك، ولا رئاسة، ولا دنيا، ولا تجارة، تماثل العلم،

Congratulations, congratulations to the one who has tasted the sweetness of al-ʿilm.
هنيئا هنيئا لمن ذاق حلاوة العلم،

And Allah is the only One who provides help.
والله المستعان.


مقبل بن هادي الوادعي رحمه الله، البشائر في السماع المباشر ١/٢٤ #٣٣

Concise Biography of the Prophet ﷺ

Imagine you’re alone in a vast desert and you’ve lost your only means of transport, i.e. your camel.

Then suddenly, you find it again!

Think of the joy that would overflow your heart in that moment.

Now read this beautiful ḥadīth ⬇️

“The winter night has grown long; blessed is the one who has excelled in their actions during it, and unfortunate is the one who has done wrong”

ابن الجوزي رحمه الله قال:
Ibn al-Jawzi may Allāh have mercy on him said:

لا تقنط من رحمة الله، حتى وإن طالت المحنة
Never despair of Allāh’s mercy, even if the trial is prolonged.

صيد الخاطر ٤٣٩

The Messenger ﷺ said:

“The five prayers, Friday to Friday, and Ramadan to Ramadan will be expiation for the sins between them, so long as major sins are avoided.”

‎📗 [مسند أحمد مخرجا ١٥/١٠٦ — أحمد بن حنبل (ت ٢٤١)]

Imām Al-Shāfi’ī said:

O soul, it is but days’ worth of patience
whose period is as long as a dream
O soul, give up the worldly life
and leave it, because [real] life is ahead

[Captured Thoughts by Imām Ibn al-Jawzī رحمه الله pg. 942]

“A slave must not be reliant on himself and not be busied with blaming people;
وَلَا يَشْتَغِلُ بِمَلَامِ النَّاسِ وَذَمِّهِمْ؛

But he asks Allāh to aid him in obedience.”
بَلْ يَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُعِينَهُ عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ؛


بن تيمية رحمه الله، مجموع الفتاوى ١٤/٢٢٧