Lisanu’l-Hal

“Beware of being seen by Allah where He forbids you from being and not being seen by Him where He commands you to be.”

Abu Hazim al-Makki (rahmatullahi alayh)

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Stains on a Garment

Yusuf al-Lujai (rahmatullahi alayh), who is among the great walis, said this about tawbah:

“Tawbah (repentance) is obligatory (fard) for everyone. Even if a servant’s sins weigh heavier than the earth and heavens combined, they will be washed away. Sins are like the stains on a garment, while tawbah is like the water which cleans those stains. The same way stains and dirt are cleansed from an object when it is washed with water, there will be no trace of the sins left when one repents of them.

If you continually commit sins, then you should feel renewed regret for each and every one of them and make tawbah, so that your sins are scoured. This is because the grace (lutf) of Allah upon His servants spans wider and is greater than their sins.

As a result, no sin can harm those that Allah loves provided that they make (true) tawbah, just like the mistakes of our loved ones do not make them fall out of favor with us instantly.

Abdurrahman b. Yusuf al-Lujai, The Sun of the Hearts (Shams al-Qulub)

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Muraqabah at All Times

Abdullah b. Alawi al-Haddad (quddisa sirruhu), who was one of the great Sufi scholars, told this about being in muraqabah at all times, which means to be engaged in self-supervision:

“Brother! Know that you are under Allah’s supervision at every moment, in every action, at each blink of an eye, in each thought, in each wish, and in all circumstances, and be careful. Feel His closeness to you. Know that Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is gazing upon you and knows your situation. Nothing you have is hidden from Him.

Whenever you sense a disinclination towards worship or an inclination towards sins in your nafs, remind it that Allah hears and sees you and that He knows everything about your secrets and self-introspections.”

Abdullah b. Alawi al-Haddad, From Captivity to Salvation

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Five Bad Friends

Jafar-i Sadiq (rahmatullahi alayh), who was among the prominent people of Ahl al-Bayt, said:

“Avoid befriending five types of people!

First, the liar. You will be deceived as long as you are with them.

Second, the fool. Even if they want to benefit you, they will do harm and will not recognize it.

Third, the stingy. They will sap your most valuable asset, your time.

Fourth, the malevolent. They will not be of help when you are in need.

Fifth, the sinner who sins openly (fasiq). They will stoop so low as to covet a trifling amount of gain and betray you for the sake of a pittance.”

Fariduddin Attar, Tazkiratu’l-Awliya

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The Day of Well-being

When Khatam al-Asamm (quddisa sirruhu), one of the great walis, was asked:

-What do you desire?

-I want to be in good health from the morning till the evening, he said.

They asked him again:

-Are you not in good health all day?

He replied:

-The day I am in good health is the day in which I have no deed that comprises disobedience to Allah Almighty.

Qushayri, ar-Risalah

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“You cannot take pleasure from worship unless you build an iron wall between yourself and the wishes and manipulative directions of your nafs.”

Bishr al-Khafi (rahmatullahi alayh)

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A Sound Heart

Mutaarrif b. Abdullah (rahmatullahi alayh), one of the great Islamic scholars of the Tabiun, said:

“The soundness of a deed requires the soundness of heart, and the soundness of heart requires the soundness of intention (niyyah). Whoever makes their intention sound, their heart becomes sound as well. Whoever muddles their intention with unsound thoughts, their heart becomes muddled as well.”

Abu Talib al-Makki, Qutu’l-Qulub

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Three Degrees of Wara

Hasan al-Basri was among the prominent people of the Tabiun. He said:

There are three degrees of wara:

First, be it angry or calm, one who has wara will only tell the truth.

Second, they will protect all their organs from the things that beget the wrath of Allah, Who has Izzah and Jalal.

Third, they pursue the things that Allah is pleased with.

Fariduddin Attar, Tazkiratu’l-Awliya

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Safeguarding Ikhlas

Abu Talib al-Makki (quddisa sirruhu) said:

“One who has ikhlas needs two things in it; they are not interchangeable, nor can they replace one another.

First, the righteousness of the purpose. This means striving for Allah’s rida (consent) and those He promised in the akhirah (afterlife).

Second, keeping the deed free from things that corrupt it. This means safeguarding the deed from the beginning till the end from the dangers and pitfalls.

When this is done, the ikhlas in deed is obtained. The servant is safe from the nafs tainting the deed.

Thanks to ikhlas, the servant is freed from the secret wishes of the nafs, rids themselves from showiness, becomes purified from the corrupt desires of the nafs, and is saved from the danger of their deeds being riddled with afflictions.”

Abu Talib al-Makki, Qut al-Qulub (The Provision of the Hearts)

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Wishing to Know

Shaqiq-i Balkhi (quddisa sirruhu), one of the zahid Sufis of the early Islamic era said:

“When you want to know a man, observe: Does his heart trust more in Allah’s promises or in people’s promises? Asses accordingly.”

Qushayri, Risalah

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Four Groups of People

Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said in a hadith:

“The likeness of this nation [ummah] is that of four people:

[first]:

A man to whom Allah gives wealth and knowledge, so he acts according to his knowledge with regard to his wealth, spending it as it should be spent;

[second]:

a man to whom Allah gives knowledge, but he does not give him wealth, so he says: “If I had been given (wealth) like this one, I would have done what (the first man) did.”

The Messenger of Allah said: ‘They will be equal in reward.

[third]:

And a man to whom Allah gives wealth but does not give knowledge, so he squanders his wealth and spends it in inappropriate ways;

[fourth]:

and a man to whom Allah gives neither knowledge nor wealth, and he says: ‘If I had (wealth) like this one, I would do what (the third man) did.’

The Messenger of Allah said: ‘They are equal in their burden (of sin).”

Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 26

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Eser Sazak