Words Of Wisdom – Councel In Three’s
“Wisdom is the lost property of the believer.
If he finds it then he is most deserving of
it.”
[1] It has been reported that the Prophet
(salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The
one who wakes up in the morning and complains
about the scarcity of livelihood,
it is as though he is complaining against his
Lord. The one who wakes up and is
sad over the affairs of the dunya, it is as
though he has woken up angry with
Allah. And the one who humbles himself in front
of a rich man because of his
wealth will have lost two-thirds of his
Religion.”
[2] Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radyAllahu`anhu) said,
“There are three things which
cannot be attained through another three:
wealth with hope, youth with dyeing
[the hair], and health with medication.”
[3] ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (radyAllahu`anhu)
said, “Good interaction with people is
half of intelligence, good questioning is half
of knowledge, and good planning is
half of subsistence.”
[4] ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (radyAllahu`anhu) said,
“The one who leaves the dunya
Allah the Exalted will love him; and the one
who leaves sins, the Angels will love
him; and the one who has no craving for the
possessions of the Muslims, the
Muslims will love him.”
[5] ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (radyAllahu`anhu) said,
“Surely from the blessings of this
world, sufficient is Islam as a blessing;
surely from the multitude of
preoccupations, sufficient is obedience as a
preoccupation; and surely from the
causes for reflection, sufficient is death as a
cause.”
[6] ‘Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (radyAllahu`anhu)
said, “How many are deluded by the
blessings showered on them; how many are tested
by the praise heaped on them;
and how many are duped into a sense of security
by Allah hiding their sins.”
[7] Prophet Dawud (`alayhi sallam) said, “It
was revealed to me in the Psalms that
a sensible person should only occupy himself
with three things – making
provisions for the Day of Judgement, seeking
sustenance for his life, and seeking
pleasure within what is permissible.”
[8] Abu Hurayrah (radyAllahu`anhu) related that
the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) said, “There are three saviours and
three damnations, three [high] ranks
and three absolutions. As for the saviours,
they are: fearing Allah the Exalted in
secret and in public, spending moderately in
poverty and in richness, and justice
in contentment and in anger. As for the
damnations, they are: sever miserliness,
following one’s desires, and self-infatuation.
As for the [high] ranks, they are:
spreading the greeting of salam, providing food
(for guests, as well as the poor
and needy), and praying at night whilst people
are asleep. As for the absolutions,
they are: making ablution in cold nights,
walking to the congregational prayers,
and awaiting the next prescribed prayer having
just finished a prescribed prayer
[in the mosque].”
[9] Jibreel (‘alayhi-sallam) said, “O Muhammad!
Live as long as you will, for you will surely
die;
love whomsoever you wish, for you will leave
them; and do whatever you wish,
for you will be recompensed accordingly.”
[10] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
said, “There are three individuals
whom Allah will shade under the shade of His
Throne on a day when there will
be no shade except His shade – the one who
makes ablution in difficult
conditions, the one who walks to the mosque in
the darkness, and the one who
feeds the hungry.”
[11] It was said to Prophet Ibrahim (`alayhi
sallam), “Why did Allah take you as a
friend?” He said, “For three things – I always
chose Allah’s commands over the
commands of others; I never worried about what
Allah had already allotted for
me (of livelihood); and I never lunched and
supped except with a guest.”
[12] A wise man said, “Three things drive away
anguish – remembrance of Allah,
meeting His awliya’ (those close to Him), and
talking to ascetics.”
[13] Al-Hasan al-Basri said, “He who has no
manners has no knowledge; he who
has no patience has no Religion (din); and he
who has no God-consciousness has
no closeness to Allah.”
[14] It has been narrated that a man from Bani
Isra`il went to seek knowledge
and their prophet came to hear of this. He
called for the man and said to him, “O
young man! I will tell you of three things in
which lies the knowledge of all those
who have come and all those to come – fear
Allah in secret and public, hold your
tongue regarding people and do not speak of
them except in goodness, and
ensure that the bread that you eat is halal.”
Upon hearing this, the young man
refrained from leaving [to seek knowledge].
[15] It has been narrated that a man from Bani
Isra’il collected eighty chests full
of scriptures and books of knowledge but did
not benefit from his knowledge.
Allah the Exalted revealed to their prophet to
say to this collector, “Even if you
had collected a lot of knowledge it will not
benefit you except if you do three
things – do not love the dunya for it is not a
home for the believers, do not
befriend Satan for he is not a companion for
the believers; and do not hurt
anyone for that is not the way of the
believers.”
[16] It is reported that Abu Sulayman al-Darani
said in his supplication, “O my
Lord, if you ask me about my many sins, I will
surely as You for Your
forgiveness; and if you ask me about my
miserliness, I will surely ask You for
Your generosity; and if you make me enter Hell,
I will inform the people of Hell
that I love You.”
[17] It is said, “The happiest of all people is
he who has a sincere heart, a patient
body, and contentment with what he possesses.”
[18] Ibrahim al-Nakha`i said, “Those who were
destroyed before you were
destroyed due to three traits – excess in
speech, excess in food, and excess in
sleep.”
[19] Yahya ibn Mu`adh al-Razi said, “Glad
tidings to the one who leaves the
dunya before it leaves him, prepares for his
grave before he enters it, and pleases
his Lord before he meets Him.”
[20] `Ali ibn Abi Talib (radyAllahu`anhu) said,
“He who does not have the sunnah
of Allah, the sunnah of His Messenger (saw),
and the sunnah of His chosen ones, has
nothing.” It was asked, “What is the sunnah of
Allah?” He replied, “Safeguarding
secrets.” It was asked, “What is the sunnah of
the Messenger (saw)?” He replied, “Being
gentle with people.” It was asked, “What is the
sunnah of His chosen ones?” He
replied, “Bearing people’s harm.”
[21] Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) also said, “People
before us used to advice each other
of three things – the one who works for his
Hereafter, Allah will take care of the
matters of his din and dunya for him; and the
one who beautifies his inner self,
Allah will beautify his appearance; and the one
who rectifies that which is
between him and Allah, Allah will rectify that
which is between him and
people.”
[22] `Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) also said, ‘Be in
Allah’s estimation the best of people,
and in the estimation of your nafs the worst of
people, and in people’s estimation
just a man from amongst the people.’
[23] It was said that Allah revealed to Prophet
‘Uzayr (`alayhi sallam), “O ‘Uzayr!
If you committed a small sin, do not look at
its smallness; rather look at Whom
you have sinned against. If you are granted a
small blessing, do not look at its
smallness; rather look at the One who has
granted it to you. And if a calamity
befalls you, then do not complain against Me to
My creation, just as I do not
complain against you to My angels when your bad
deeds are raised to Me.”
[24] Hatim al-Asamm said, “There is not a
morning that passes except that Satan
says to me, ‘What do you eat? What do you wear?
Where do you live? I say to
him, ‘I eat death, I wear the shroud, and I
live in the grave.”
[25] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
said, “The one who comes out of
the
humiliation of disobedience into the honour of
obedience, Allah the Exalted will
make him rich without wealth, strengthen him
without soldiers, and honour him
without a clan.”
[26] It has been reported that he (salAllahu
‘alayhi wa sallam) went out to his
companions and said, “How do you find
yourselves this morning?” They replied,
“As believers in Allah.” He said, “What is the
sign of your iman (belief)?” They
replied, “We are patient in times of hardship,
grateful in times of ease, and
content with whatever has been predestined.”
The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) said, “By the Lord of the Ka`bah, you
are truly believers!”
[27] Allah revealed to one of the Prophets,
“Whoever meets Me [on the Day of
Judgement] while he loves Me, I will make him
enter My Paradise. Whoever
meets Me while he fears Me, I will spare him My
Hell. And whoever meets Me
and is ashamed because of his sins, I will make
the angels who record deeds
forget his sins.”
[28] `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (radyAllahu`anhu)
said, “Fulfil that which Allah has
made obligatory upon you and you will be the
best of worshippers; refrain from
the prohibition of Allah and you will be the
best of ascetics; and be pleased with
what Allah has allotted for you and you will be
the richest of people.”
[29] Salih al-Marqadiy once passed by some
houses and said, “Where are your
first inhabitants? And where are your old
dwellers?” So he heard a voice saying,
“Their legacy has come to an end, underneath
the soil their bodies have
decomposed, and their actions remain as
necklaces around their necks.”
[30] `Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Give to
whomsoever you wish and you will
become his master; ask from whomever you wish
and you will become his
prisoner; and do not seek help from whomsoever
you wish and you will be his
equal.”
[31] Yahya ibn Mu`adh said, “Leaving all of the
dunya is taking all of the dunya;
the one who leaves all of it has taken all of
it and the one who takes all of it has
left all of it; so, taking it is leaving it;
and leaving it is taking it.”
[32] It was said to Ibrahim ibn al-Adham, “How
did you attain zuhd
(asceticism)?” “With three things,” He said, “I
saw that the grave is lonesome
and that I would have no companion therein; I
saw that the path is long while I
had no provisions; and I saw that the
Omnipotent would be the Judge while I
had no valid argument (in my defence).”
[33] Shibli said, “If you find delight in
Allah’s company then renounce the
company of your nafs.” And he said, “Had you
tasted the sweetness of closeness
to Allah you would have known the bitterness of
estrangement (from Him).”
[34] Sufyan al-Thawri was asked about the
sweetness of closeness to Allah the
Exalted. He replied, “It is that you do not
find delight in a beautiful face, nice
voice, or eloquent tongue.”
[35] Ibn `Abbas (radyAllahu`anhu) said, ‘Zuhd
(asceticism) is composed of three
letters, z-h-d. ‘Z’ is zadun lil ma`ad
[provision for the Hereafter]. ‘H’ is hudan
lildin
[guidance for the Religion]. And ‘D’ is dawam
`ala al-ta`a [constancy in
obedience].”
[36] Ibn `Abbas (radyAllahu`anhu) also said,
“Zuhd (asceticism) is composed of
three letters, z-h-d. ‘Z’ is for leaving zina
[adornments], ‘H’ is for leaving hawa
[desires] and ‘D’ is leaving the dunya [this
world].”
[37] A man once came to Hamid al-Laffaf and
said to him, “Advise me.” He said,
“Have for your Religion (din) a cover, just
like a copy of the Qur’an (mushaf) has
a cover.” The man asked, “And what is the cover
of the din?” He replied,
“Leaving speech except that which is necessary,
leaving the dunya except that
which is necessary, and refraining from mixing
with people except when it is
necessary. Also know that the essence of
asceticism is refraining from the
prohibitions be they minor or major, fulfilling
all the obligations be they easy or
difficult, and leaving the things of this world
for its people be they great or
small.”
[38] Luqman al-Hakim, peace be upon him, said
to his son, “O my son! Man is
composed of three thirds – a third for Allah, a
third for himself and a third for
the worms. The third that is for Allah is his
soul; the third that is for himself is his
actions, and the third that is for the worms is
his body.”
[39] ‘Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “Three things
enhance memorisation and
eradicate phlegm – siwak, fasting, and reading
the Qur’an.”
[40] Ka`b al-Ahbar (radyAllahu`anhu) said,
“Fortresses for the believers are three –
the mosque is a fortress, the remembrance of
Allah is a fortress, and the reading
of the Qur’an is a fortress.”
[41] A wise man said, “Three things are from
the treasures of Allah the Exalted
that He does not give except those He loves –
poverty, illness and patience.”
[42] Ibn `Abbas (radyAllahu`anhu) was once
asked, “Which is the best of days?
Which is the best of months? Which is the best
of actions?” He replied, “The best
of days is Friday, the best of months is
Ramadan, and the best of actions is
performing the five daily prayers in their
prescribed times.” After three days `Ali
(radyAllahu`anhu) came to hear of the questions
and the answers of Ibn `Abbas.
`Ali said, “If the scholars, the ascetics, and
the jurists of the East and the West
were asked, they would not have replied as well
as Ibn `Abbas , except that I say,
“The best of actions is that which Allah
accepts from you, the best of months is
the month in which you make sincere repentance
to Allah, and the best of days is
the day in which you leave the world to [meet]
Allah the Exalted while you are a
believer.”
[43] A poet said:
Do you not see how the two ever-renewables
[night and day]
Wear us out, while we jest in secret and in
public?
Trust not this world and its pleasures
For its homes are not real homes
And work for your benefit before your death
And be not deceived by the abundance of friends
and brothers
[44] It is said that, “If Allah wants good for
His servant He gives him the
understanding of the din, reduces his
attachment to the dunya, and grants him
awareness of his faults.”
[45] The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam) said, “I was made to love
three things from your world – perfume, women,
and prayer.” The companions
were sitting with him and Abu Bakr
(radyAllahu`anhu) said, “You have spoken
the truth, O Messenger of Allah! I was made to
love three things from this world
– looking at the face of the Messenger of Allah
(salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and
giving my daughter in marriage to the Messenger
of Allah (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam).” ‘Umar (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “You
have spoken truthfully, O Abu Bakr!
I was made to love three things from this world
– commanding good, forbidding
evil, and worn garments.” `Uthman
(radyAllahu`anhu) said, “You have spoken
truthfully, O `Umar! And I was made to love
three things from this world –
feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and
reading the Qur’an.” `Ali
(radyAllahu`anhu) said, “You have spoken
truthfully, O `Uthman! I was made to
love three things from this world – serving the
guest, fasting in the summer, and
fighting with the sword.” As they were
discoursing, Jibreel (‘alayhi-salam) came and
said,
“Allah the Exalted sent me when He heard your
discussion and has ordered you
to ask me what I would have loved if I were to
be from the people of this world.”
The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) asked, “If you were to be
from the people of this world what would you
have loved?” Jibreel (alayhi-sallam) replied,
“Guiding those led astray, keeping the company
of contented strangers, and
helping families afflicted with hardship.” He
continued, “The Lord of Honour
loves three things from His servants – giving
one’s utmost, crying when in regret,
and being patient in times of poverty.”
[46] An ascetic said, “The one who only
considers his own opinion as correct will
be misguided; the one who thinks he is rich due
to his wealth will be
impoverished; and the one who seeks prominence
through a creature will be
humiliated.”
[47] An ascetic said, “The fruits of ma`rifa
(knowledge of Allah) are three – being
ashamed from Allah the Exalted, loving Him and
enjoying his Company.”
[48] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
said, “Love is the basis of ma`rifa,
chastity is the sign of conviction, and the
peak of conviction is Godconsciousness
and contentment with what Allah the Exalted has
predestined.”
[49] Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah said, “Whoever loves
Allah, Allah will make him love
those whom He loves; and the one who loves
those whom Allah the Exalted
loves, Allah will make him love that which has
made Him love them; and the
one who loves that which made Allah the Exalted
love those whom He loves will
wish that no one knew him.”
[50] The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
said, ‘Truthfulness of love is in three
things – choosing the speech of the beloved
over the speech of others, choosing
the company of the beloved over the company of
others, and choosing the
pleasure of the beloved of the pleasure of
others.”
[51] Wahb ibn Munabbih al-Yamani said, “It is
written in the Torah that he who
is greedy is in fact poor even if he owns the
whole world; he who obeys [God] is
obeyed even if he is a slave; and he who is
content is rich even if he is hungry.”
[52] A wise man said, “The one who knows Allah
will not find any pleasure in
the company of creatures; the one who knows the
world will not desire anything
from it; and the one who knows the justice of
Allah the Exalted will not feel the
need to present his grievances to Him in order
to obtain redress.”
[53] Dhu al-Nun al-Misri said, “Anyone who
really fears something flees from it;
anyone who really desires something seeks it;
and anyone who finds the
[sweetness of the] company of Allah becomes
estranged from his nafs.”
[54] Dhu al-Nun al-Misri also said, “The one
who knows Allah the Exalted is a
captive, his heart is seeing, and his actions
for Allah are many.”
[55] He also said, “The one who knows Allah the
Exalted is loyal, his heart is
alert, and his actions for Allah are pure.”
[56] Ibn Sulayman al-Darani said, “The origin
of every good in this world and
the Hereafter is fear of Allah; the key to the
dunya is satiety; and the key to the
Hereafter is hunger.”
[57] It is said that worship is a craft: its
marketplace is isolation, its capital is
Godconsciousness,
and its profit is Paradise.
[58] Malik ibn Dinar said, “Remedy three things
with three – pride with humility,
greed with contentment, and envy with sincere
advice.”
[Preparing for the Day of Judgement – Imam Ibn
Hajar al-‘Asqalani]