Islamic Thoughts

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I commonly come across many meaningful stories, quotes, reminders & other anecdotes that help us come closer to Allah.

I couldn't see a place to post these so this is it.


Feel free to post anything that will help your brothers & sisters with their eeman.


Don't post any hadith or ayahs though as we have a place for them.

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Deeds without sincerity are like a traveler who carries in his water-jug dirt. The
carrying of it burdens him and it brings no benefit.

-Ibn Qayyim

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The Carpenter

A highly skilled carpenter who had grown old was ready to retire. He told his employer
of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his
family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire.

The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one
more house as a personal favor. The carpenter agreed to this proposal but made sure
that this will be his last project. Being in a mood to retire, the carpenter was not
paying much attention to building this house. His heart was not in his work. He
resorted to poor workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way
to end his career.

When the job was done, the carpenter called his employer and showed him the house.
The employer handed over some papers and the front door key to the carpenter and
said "This is your house, my gift to you."

The carpenter was in a shock! What a shame! If he had only known that he was
building his own house, he would have made it better than any other house that he
ever built!

Our situation can be compared to this carpenter. Allah Ta'la has sent us to this world
to build our homes in paradise by obeying His commands. Now, we have to decide how
well we wish to build the homes where we will live forever.

[Haris]

“If someone comes to you complaining about another person, tell him:

‘My brother, forgive him, for forgiveness is close to piety.’

If he says: ‘But my heart cannot bear that. I would rather take revenge as
Allaah has commanded me.’

Tell him: ‘If you are able to take revenge in the best manner, you can
proceed to do so; but if you are not, resort to forgiveness, for its gate is
wide. He who forgives and amends, his reward is with Allaah. The one who
forgives passes his night in his bed happily and contentedly but the one
who takes revenge always ponders on these things. This is because;
magnanimity lies in forgiving one’s brethren.”


-Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad

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A saying from Jesus (A.S.) recorded in Islamic literature.

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Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety; after all, it is in the darkest of
nights that the stars shine most brilliantly


-Alib ibn Abi Talib (R.A)

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To admonish your brother in private is to advise him and improve him but to
admonish him publicly is to disgrace and shame him


-Imam Shafi'i (Rahimatullah)

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"What a bad servant [of the Lord] is he! I am speaking of a servant who fits
the following description:

1. He asks for forgiveness (maghfirah), while he is actively engaged in sinful
disobedience (ma'siya).

2. He behaves in a humbly submissive manner, so that he may be credited with
loyalty (amana), but he is only pretending, to hide his disloyalty (khiyanah).

3. He forbids what is wrong, but does not refrain from it himself.

4. He enjoins what is right, but does not act upon his own instructions.

5. If he gives, he does so very stingily, and if he withholds, he offers no
apology.

6. If he is in the best of health, he feels secure, but if he falls sick, he becomes
remorseful.

7. If he is impoverished, he feels sad, and if he gets rich, he is subject to
temptation.

8. He hopes for salvation, but does not act accordingly.

9. He is afraid of punishment, but takes no precautions against it.

10. He wishes to receive more benefit, but he does not give thanks [for what
he has received].

11. He likes the idea of spiritual reward, but he does not practice patience.

12. He expedites sleep and postpones fasting"



-Al-Hasan al-Basri (Rahimatullah), Ghunyat-ut-Talibeen

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The believer regards his sin as if he were sitting beneath a mountain
which he fears may fall on him, whereas the sinner regards his sin as if
a fly lands on his nose and he swipes it away

-Ibn Mas'ood (RA)

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The slave is not afflicted with a punishment greater than the hardening
of the heart and being distant from Allah. For the Fire was created to
melt the hardened heart. The most distant heart from Allah is the heart
which is hardened. If the heart becomes hardened, the eye becomes dry.

-Ibn Qayyim (RA)

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