Words of Wisdom

Whoever gives advice to a heedless man is himself in need of advice. [Saadi al-Shiraz]

'Be more concerned for the acceptance of your action than you are for the action;
for, an action with fearful obedience will not be little.

How could an action which is accepted be little?'

[Ali ibn Abi Talib]

Do not take upon your self hardships more than what you can tolerate.

[Shaykh Rashīd Ahmad Gangohi]

Let your main concern be to remove from your outerstate anything that is displeasing,
then maintain this state through continual counsel.

At this point, it is time to turn inward toward your heart's presence and to it's reality,
by way of reflection and remembrance.

[Ahmad al Zarruq]

Pray for what you want; but work for the things you need.
The difference between an amateur and a professional is this:
An amateur hopes, a professional works.

Unity/brotherhood (in any group) and arrogance can not co-exist.
Arrogance and false-pride has to be eliminated in order for unity to exist.

[From Anfas-e-Eisa, of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi]

Never let your doubt blind your goals,
for your future lies in your ability,
not your failure.

"The Prophet Muhammad (S) is like a spring of pure water in the heart of a desert,
or like a source of light in the darkness enveloping the universe.

Whoever appeals to this spring can take as much water as to quench his thirst
and is purified of all his dirt or pollution, spiritual or intellectual,
and illumined with the light of belief."

[M. Fethullah Gulen]

"Life is short, time is precious, death near, and the distance to travel great, while the moment of standing before God to account for everything, however insignificant, is daunting and hard." [Imam al-Haddad]

Know that the hearing and eyesight are two open doors; whatever enters through them reaches the heart. [Two Treatises of Imam al-Haddad]

"The one with real trust is he who sees Allah in the outward forms of causes and effects, doing and choosing everything that those veiled from Him ascribe to them. He thus consigns the matter to Him in charge of the matter, and is well pleased with Him to rely on." [Mustafa al-'Arusi ]

"What you love to have with you in the Hereafter you should advance today, and what you hate to have with you, you should abandon today." [Salman ibn Dinar]

Imam al-Shafi' in his final sickness said: When my heart was hardened and my courses constrained I made my hope a stairway to Your forgiveness My sin burdened me heavily, but when I measured it by Your forgiveness Lord, Your forgiveness was the greater.

Abd Allah ibn Mubarak (Allah be pleased with him), said, "How often it is that a small action becomes great by its intention. And how often it is that a great action becomes small by its intention." [Dhahabi, Siyar A`lam al-Nubala', 8: 400]

We love to serve, not to be served. When we serve, Allah is happy with us, and this brings more attraction to the Divine Presence and Allah opens that state more for us. However, to be served, brings pride and weakness to the heart and causes us to recedefrom the Divine Presence. [Shah Naqshband (q) ]