Kitāb al-Zuhd · Volume 1 · Section 2 · 33 narrations
“I told Abū ʿAbdillāh (a), ‘I only get to meet you once every few years, so give me some advice that I can adopt [in the meantime].’ He said, ‘I advise you to be mindful of Allah, to espouse piety, and struggle [for the…
Read the full narration →“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, ‘Indeed I dislike a man who seeks to please his Lord with something while not having anything better than it [to offer]. So when I see him prolonging his bowing I say: O [base] soul! And…
Read the full narration →“Should I not inform you about Islam: its branch, its root, its summit and its peak?” I said, “Yes, indeed, may I be your ransom!” He said, “As for its root [and foundation], it is prayer; as for its branch, it is zakāt…
Read the full narration →The best things through which the supplicants can entreat Allah are: faith in Allah and His Messenger, jihād in the way of Allah, acknowledgement of [His] oneness (kalimat al-ikhlāṣ) – for indeed it is something [that is…
Read the full narration →“I heard a statement that was attributed to the Prophet (ṣ), that he said, ‘The felicitous is he who was felicitous in the womb of his mother, and the wretched is he who was wretched in the womb of his mother. And the…
Read the full narration →“I asked Abā ʿAbdillāh (a), ‘Is an hour of contemplation better than standing vigil [in worship] at night?’ He replied, ‘Yes. The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said that an hour of contemplation is better than standing for…
Read the full narration →“The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said in a sermon, ‘Should I not inform you about the best of creation in this world and the Hereafter? [It is] the forgiveness offered to one who wrongs you, the good that is done to one who…
Read the full narration →“Abū ʿAbdillāh said to me, ‘Let people not delude you from yourself, for verily recompense [for your deeds] will reach you, not them. And let your day not be spent on this and that [which is of no benefit], for indeed…
Read the full narration →“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) saying to a man, ‘Why is it that you hurt the Messenger of Allah (ṣ)?’ So the man said to him, ‘May I be your ransom! How do we hurt him?’ He said, ‘Do you not know that your actions are…
Read the full narration →“I heard Abā alḤasan Mūsā (a) saying, ‘Do not consider [your] many good deeds as abundant, and do not consider [your] few sins as paltry, for verily sins that are few keep accumulating until they become many. And fear…
Read the full narration →“Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, and gives for the sake of Allah, is among those whose faith is complete.”
Read the full narration →12.Also [narrated] from him (a), that he said, “Among the firmest handles of faith are that you love for Allah, hate for Allah, give for Allah, and withhold for Allah.”
Read the full narration →“I asked Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) about the verse wherein Allah, the Exalted, says: Guard yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is humans and stones (Q66:6), and said, ‘This is my soul that I am guarding, but how…
Read the full narration →“I asked Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) about the verse wherein Allah, to Whom belong might and majesty, says: Be mindful of Allah in the manner which He deserves (Q3:102), so he said, ‘He is to be obeyed and never disobeyed,…
Read the full narration →“Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) said, ‘Three things are such that people cannot [easily] bear them: pardoning [the wrongs of] others, assisting someone [else] with one’s wealth, and remembering Allah often.’” Ibn Abī Yaʿqūb said,…
Read the full narration →“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, ‘Beware of the violent strikes of Allah by night and by day.’ So I asked, ‘What are the violent strikes of Allah?’ He said, ‘His punishment for [your] sins.’”
Read the full narration →“ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a) said, ‘One who acts upon what Allah has made obligatory on him, he is among the best of people; and whoever eschews what Allah has forbidden him, he is among the most devoted of people; and…
Read the full narration →“Woe be to the one who does not obey Allah through enjoining good and forbidding evil.” He [further] said, “Whoever says ‘There is no god but Allah’ will never go through the heavenly realms until his statement is…
Read the full narration →I advise you to espouse Godwariness, be truthful in [your] speech, return the trusts [entrusted to you], and be a good companion to the one who accompanies you. In the moments just before sunrise and sunset, supplicate…
Read the full narration →“Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) said, ‘Treat people with fairness, assist them with your wealth, and wish for them what you wish for yourself. Remember Allah often and beware of laziness and ennui, for that's what my father used to…
Read the full narration →“A man sought permission from the family of the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) to enter [his house], then he said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, advise me.’ He (ṣ) said to him, ‘I advise you not to ascribe any partners to Allah – even…
Read the full narration →“A bedouin came to the Prophet (ṣ) and took hold of the bridle of his mount as he was proceeding to one of his battles. Then he said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, teach me an action by which I may enter Paradise!’ He (ṣ)…
Read the full narration →“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) saying, ‘Verily the righteous deed goes to Paradise and paves the way for its doer just as a man sends his servant boy to prepare a place for him.’ Then he recited: ‘As for those who believe…
Read the full narration →“The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said to ʿAlī (a), ‘O ʿAlī, I advise you to espouse certain qualities, so learn them from me. O Allah, help him [to do so]! As for the first one, it is truthfulness – never let any lie be…
Read the full narration →“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, ‘Maintain ties with each other, be kind to each other, have compassion for one another, and be righteous brothers as Allah has commanded you.’”
Read the full narration →“Soften your speech with [even] the hypocrite, love the faithful believer sincerely, and [even] if a Jew were to sit with you, then be gracious in his company.”
Read the full narration →“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, ‘Verily Allah revealed to Ādam (a), “I have gathered for you all ordinances in four statements.” He asked, “What are they, O Lord?” He said, “One is for Me, one is for you, one is between…
Read the full narration →“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, ‘You will not be a [true] believer until you have fear and hope, and until you act upon what you fear and hope for.’”
Read the full narration →“I prayed the fajr prayer behind ʿAlī (a) in this mosque of yours, then [after completing the prayer,] he turned towards his right side and had a sorrowful disposition. [He remained there] until the sun rose over the…
Read the full narration →[They are fearful] out of their concern and their hope; they fear that their deeds will be rejected if they do not obey Allah – and He has power over all things – and they hope that He accepts [their deeds] from them.”
Read the full narration →“He gives what he does [as the people do] [1] while he is full of awe and hope.”
Read the full narration →“They perform [good] deeds and know that they will be rewarded for it.”
Read the full narration →“Allah, to Whom belong might and majesty, said, ‘By My might and My majesty, by My greatness and My power, by My grandeur and exaltedness, [I swear that] My servant does not prefer My desire over his own desire but that…
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