Purification of the Soul

Author's Introduction

Praise belongs to Allah, to Whom all praise is due. I bear witness that there is no diety worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family and his companions.

There is no doubt that the bliss of the heart, its tranquility and happiness, and the absence of grief and worry from it, is the goal of every individual. It is the means by which a happy, blissful and excellent life is achieved. There are means to achieve this; some of which are religious, some are natural and some are physical. These means are never gathered together except to the believers. The non-believers on the other hand, despite the fact that the earnest endeavours of their philosophers is to lead them to these means, even if they achieve them in certain aspects, they miss the way to them in several other aspects that are more beneficial, more permanent and better in yielding results.

I will mention in this treatise of mine the ways and means to achieve this lofty goal that is the quest of every individual. Some people are successful in following these ways, and therefore live a good and pure life and enjoy their life. Some woefully fail in following any of them, and they live a wretched and miserable life. Others lie between these two extremes; by the level of their following these means, by that level do they live a good life. And it is Allah that guides to all that is good, and wards off all that is evil, and it is His Help we seek in this.

Whoever knows Allah truly will make his deeds sincere to Him. For riya' occurs when someone lacks knowledge of His Creator, when he does not glorify Allah as should be, when the inner self seeks people's compliments and praise.

People vary in this disease, some seek praise from others only, some seek [the pleasure of] Allah in their deeds as well as people's praise, some do not seek people's praise at all, however when people see them doing good deeds, they improve their work to be praised. In the latter case it becomes a lesion that has affected a good deed.

The general cure for this disease is to know Allah truly. For whoever knows Him would make his actions sincerely for Him and would not see anyone besides Him. He would locate himself in the position of worshipper, who is humble to his Worshipped God, not in the position of the praised worshipped God. He would know that reward is given only for sincere deeds, therefore he should be aware of the wasted exhaustion (or performing acts for other than the sake of Allah).

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

1. It is reported about Bishr al-Hafi that he said: "That I seek the world with a wind instrument is more loved by me than that I seek it with the din."
2. It is reported from Ibrahim an-Nakha'i that he said: "When Shaytan comes to you whilst you are engaged in prayer and says: You are showing off, increase it in length."
3. One of the salaf said: "Direct me to an action by which I will never cease to be performing for Allah, the Exalted." It was said to him: "Always intend good because you will never cease to be performing even if you do not do any actions. The intention performs even in the absence of any actions. Whoever intended to pray at night and then slept, the reward for what he intended will be written for him."
4. One of them said: "I love that I have an intention for every single thing until my food, drink and sleep."
5. It was said to Sahl: "What is the hardest thing for the soul (to achieve)?" He said: "Sincerity, when there is no other desire in it."
6. It is reported from Ya'qub al-Makfuf that he said: "The sincere person is the one who hides his good deeds just like he hides his evil deeds."
7. One of them wrote to his brother: "Make your intention sincere in all of your actions and little action will suffice you."
8. It is reported from Ayyub as-Sakhtiyani that he said: "Purifying the intention is harder than all other actions for those who act."
9. It is reported from Yahya ibn Mu'adh that he said: "Ikhlas separates (good) actions from faults like the separation of milk from dung and blood."
10. It is reported from As-Susi that he said: "What Allah desires from the actions of His creation is ikhlas and nothing else."
11. It is reported from Al-Junayd that he said: "To Allah belong servants who understand, and when they understand they act and when they act they make (their action) sincere. Their recalling of ikhlas at the time of doing righteousness is what accumulates the greatest (good for them)."
12. It is reported about Hawshab that he used to cry and say: "My name has reached the large mosque." {qluetip title=[1]}i.e. he disliked to be known out of humility and that people should mention him for fear of fame and repute.{/qluetip}
13. It is reported from As-Susi that he said: "Ikhlas is to lose the vision of ikhlas (in oneself)."
14. One of them said: "Whoever sees sincerity in his sincerity, his sincerity is itself in need of sincerity. The destruction of every sincere person lies in his sincerity, (he is destroyed) to the extent that he sees sincerity in himself. When he abandons seeing sincerity in himself he will be sincere and purified."
15. It is reported from Abu 'Uthman that he said: "Ikhlas is to forget the vision of creation by constantly looking at the Creator."
16. It is reported from Ibrahim ibn Adham that he said: "He is not truthful to Allah who loves fame."
17. It is reported from Ath-Thawri that he said: "They used to hate fame and reputation due to wearing nice garments so that eyes would stretch towards them."
18. Ibn Al-Jawzi reports from Al-Hasan that he said: "I was with Ibn Al-Mubarak one day and we came to a watering place. The people were drinking from it and Ibn Al-Mubarak came closer in order to get a drink. The people did not know him and shoved and pushed him. When he came out he said: 'Life is but this,' meaning we are not known nor are we respected."
19. It is reported from Na'im ibn Hammad that he said: "'Abdullah ibn Al-Mubarak frequently used to sit in his house for long periods of time so it was said to him: 'Do you not feel lonely and isolated?' He said: 'How can I feel isolated while I am with the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam).' "
20. It is reported from Ibn Al-Mubarak that he said: I heard Ja'far ibn Hayyan say: "The foundations of these actions are the intentions. Indeed a man reaches with his intentions a position he does not reach with his actions."
21. One of the people of wisdom used to say: When a man is speaking in a gathering and his speech amazes him let be silent and when he keeps silent and his silence amazes him let him speak.
22. It is reported from Mutraf ibn 'Abdullah ash-Shakhir that he said: "That I spend the night sleeping and wake up remorseful is more loved to me than that I spend the night standing (in prayer) and wake up in admiration."
23. It is reported from An-Nu'man ibn Qays that he said: "I never saw Abidah (rahimahullah) performing any voluntary prayers in the mosque of Al-Hayy."
24. It is reported from 'Ali (radhiallahu 'anhu) that he said: "The one who shows off has three characteristics: He is lazy when by himself, he is lively and energetic when with others and he increases in his actions when he is praised and decreases in them when he is criticised."
25. It is reported from Al-Hasan (radhiallahu 'anhu) that he said: "The one who shows off desires to overcome what Allah has decreed for him. He is an evil person who desires to inform the people that he is righteous in order to hear what they would say. He has obtained a position of vileness and wickedness from his Lord. It is therefore essential for the hearts of the believers to recognise him."
26. It is reported from Sahl ibn 'Abdullah (rahimahullah) that he said: "There is nothing which is tougher upon the soul than (achieving) ikhlas. How many times have I tried to remove riya' from my heart except that it sprouted in a different colour (i.e. in a different form)."
27. It is reported from Ibn Mas'ud (radhiallahu 'anhu) that he said: "Do not learn knowledge for three (things): To amaze and confound the foolish, to argue with the learned and to make peoples faces turn towards you. (But) seek what is with Allah with your hearts and actions, since only that will remain and whatever is besides it will go."
28. It is reported from Abu Sulayman ad-Darini (rahimahullah) that he said: "Tuba (the tree in Paradise) for the one who took a single step desiring nothing but the face of Allah by it."
29. Some of the salaf said: "Whoever had a single instance in his lifetime which was purely and sincerely for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, will be saved, and this is due to the greatness of ikhlas."
30. It is reported from Abu Sulayman ad-Darini (rahimahullah) that he said: "When the servant is sincere, riya' and the many whisperings (of the shayatin) are cut off from him."
31. It has also been said: "Ikhlas is that the servants inward and outward actions are equal. Riya' is when the outward appearance is better than the inner self and truthfulness in one's sincerity is when the inner self is better cultivated and more flourishing than the outward appearance.".
32. Some of the salaf have said: "Ikhlas is that you do not seek a witness over your action besides Allah and nor one who gives reward besides Him."
33. It is reported from Makhul (rahimahullah) that he said: "Never does a servant maintain sincerity for forty days in succession except that the streams of wisdom from his heart appear on his tongue."
34. It is reported from Adiyy ibn Hatim that he said: "The people destined for the Fire will be ordered (to come) towards Paradise until they come close to it and smell its fragrance, see its palaces and what Allah has prepared in it for its people. Then an announcement will be made (to the angels) that they be turned away from it. There will be no portion for them in it. They will return in loss and ruin just like the ones before them (who were also commanded likewise). Then they will say: 'O our Lord. If you had entered us into the Fire before You showed us what You have shown us from Your reward and what You have prepared for you friends and allies it would have been easier upon us.' Then the Exalted will say: 'This is what I intended with you. When you used to be alone you would combat me (or show boldness to Me) with grave sins and when you used to meet people you would meet them with humility. You would show to the people other than that which you used to give Me from your hearts. You feared people but you did not fear Me. You honoured the people but you did not honour Me, you abandoned (actions) for the people but you did not abandon for Me. This day (therefore), will I make you taste a tormenting punishment along with your prevention from receiving that reward.' "
35. It has been said: "The damage (caused) to every servant lies in his being pleased with himself. Whoever looks at his soul and sees something in it which he deems to be good has caused its destruction. And whoever does not suspect his soul at every single moment is one who is deceived."
36. Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said: "Ikhlas is the tawhid of one's wish/intent."

(s) The sayings have been taken from Ihya' Ulum ad-Din of Al-Ghazali, Mukhtasir Minhaj al-Qasidin of Ibn Qudamah and Kitab az-Zuhd of Ibn Al-Mubarak. {qluetip title=[2]}Translator's note: The author said, "I have quoted these statements without knowing their authenticity and it is allowable for a Muslim to take from what has been narrated from the Salaf without verification if the particular statement is in agreement with the Book and the Sunnah."{/qluetip}

These quotes further illustrate how the illustrious pious predecessors of this Ummah (may Allah be pleased with and bestow His Mercy upon them and guide us to their example) understood the guidance of the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam (i.e. Islam).

• Knowledge is like a father and action is like a child. Knowledge goes with action as narrating goes with understanding.
• Do not feel satisfied with action while being desolate of knowledge, and do not feel satisfied with knowledge whilst being heedless of actions. Rather, combine the two, even if your share of either may be meager. A little of this, with a little of that is safer in the outcome, if Allah bestows His Mercy, and completes His favor upon His slave ...
• Knowledge leads to action, just as action leads to salvation. So if the action is less than the knowledge, the scholar's knowledge is a burden upon him.
• Just as wealth has no benefit unless it is spent, knowledge does not benefit except one who acts upon it and observes its obligations.
• Knowledge is one of the pleasures of the world, yet if it is acted upon, it becomes for the Hereafter.
• There are two tyrannies in the world: the tyranny of knowledge and the tyranny of wealth. What saves you from the tyranny of knowledge is worship, and what saves you from the tyranny of wealth is renouncing it.
• Whenever you intend to be honored with knowledge, be attributed to it and be of its people, before giving knowledge its full rights upon you, otherwise its light will be concealed from you and all that will remain on you is its outward illumination. That knowledge is against you, not for you, because knowledge directs towards its application, so if it is not applied appropriately, its blessings are removed.
• The best knowledge is that which benefits, and Allah only causes knowledge to benefit a person when he acts upon it once having learnt it and He does not cause it to benefit the person that leaves it after having learnt it.
• Knowledge without action is like a tree without fruit.
• You are now in the preliminary world, in front of you are two places of abode, out of which you must live in one of. You have not been given assurance of protection, causing you to feel safe. Nor have you been granted acquittal, causing you to slacken.
• If I were to know with full certainty that all of my life was but an hour, Why should I not renounce it and dedicate it to righteousness and obedience?
• You are submerged in careless hope, the time or death you do not know of. § Do not be fooled by good health, for it is from the most painful of illnesses.
• Every soul is by its day, in the morning all hope will be removed. So act with good deeds and work hard Before you are prevented from acting.
• Ibn Mas'ud radhiallahu 'anhu said: "Learn, learn, and once you have learned, act." [isnad hasan]
• Abu Hurayrah radhiallahu 'anhu said, "The example of knowledge not acted upon is that of a treasure none of which is spent in the way of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic."
• Az-Zuhri said, "The people will never be pleased with the statement of a scholar who does not act, nor of a person who acts but has no knowledge." [hasan]
• Whoever sought knowledge, intending the knowledge alone (i.e. without action) would not benefit by it. Yet whoever sought knowledge intending to act upon it, would benefit, even by a little knowledge.
• Knowledge rests upon action, action rests upon sincerity, and sincerity to Allah brings about understanding of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
• Whoever seeks knowledge in order to act upon it will be humbled by his knowledge but whoever seeks it for other than that, will be increased by it in arrogance.
• The time will soon come, if you live long, that knowledge will become a source of beautification, just as a person beautifies himself with a garment.
• If Allah grants you knowledge, in return worship Him and do not make your goal merely narrating to the people.
• The scholar remains ignorant with regard to what he has learned until he acts according to it, and only then does he become a true scholar.
• The knowledge of the hypocrite is in his speech, yet the knowledge of the believer is in his actions.
• Act upon your knowledge O man, and you will profit, for knowledge does not benefit unless one is proficient in action. Knowledge is a beauty, the taqwa of Allah being its oration, and the pious are busy with the knowledge they possess. Learn, and then act, as much as you are able to, and do not let amusement nor arguing distract you. Teach the people and always intend to benefit them, and beware! Beware of weariness befalling you.
• Whoever speaks good things yet acts unrighteously, Allah does not accept his good speech. Whereas he who speaks good things and works righteous acts, his speech is raised by his good deeds. That is because Allah says: "To Him ascend the goodly word, and the righteous action raises it." [Al-Qur'an 35:10]
• Knowledge is the tool of action. So if a person spends his whole life gaining knowledge, when will he act?!
• Regardless of what knowledge passes you, do not let acting upon what you already know pass you.
• Whoever does not look into Allah's right upon him with regards to his knowledge, that knowledge is a proof against you and its result is evil.
• If knowledge is not acted upon it becomes a proof against you and you are not granted an excuse for the knowledge you possess. So if you have realized this fact also realize, that the proof of a man's speech is in his actions.
• One scholar said, "O how I wish I could gain salvation from my knowledge, it neither being for me nor against me."
• If knowledge does not benefit you, it will harm you.
• There is no good in seeking to gain more knowledge, without having acted upon what you have already learnt, for the example of this person is that of one who gathers firewood and then ties them ready to carry. Yet once finding himself unable to do so, adds another to the bundle.
• For how long will I continue seeking knowledge, affectionately gathering with every eagerness, seeking to learn every type of it and every field yet not acting upon a thing of it. If the seeker of knowledge does not act upon what he knows, he is a wretched servant. Indeed knowledge is only of benefit for he who acts upon it and is pious.
• I certainly regard that a person forgets what he used to know because of a sin he commits.
• Indeed if the scholar does not act, his admonitions fail to affect the hearts, just like the rain slides off a smooth rock.
• The example of an evil scholar is that of a large rock which blocks a canal. Neither does it drink from the water, nor does it allow the water to pass, giving life to the trees. So if only the evil scholars advised the servants of Allah saying: "O worshippers of Allah! Listen to what we tell you of your Prophet, and your righteous predecessors, and act upon that. Do not took at these poor actions of ours, as we are a people in trial." They would have, by this, advised the people correctly. Yet they want to call the people towards their bad actions causing them to act similarly.
• A corrupt reciter (of the Qur'an) is more feared by me than a corrupt man who is open with his corruption, as the latter is the less deceiving of the two.
• One scholar said: "Indeed the Qur'an was revealed to be acted upon, but the people took its reciting as a vocation." [i.e. in order to earn money by that] At that it was asked, "What is acting upon it?" So he replied, "Accepting as halal what is mentioned in it as halal and as haram what is mentioned as haram. To act upon its orders, abstain from all it prohibits and to ponder over its wonders."
• It has been said with regard to the saying of the Most High: "(They) recite it as it should be recited." [Al-Qur'an 2:121] "They follow it as it should be followed, acting upon it." Ibn Kathir mentions in his Tafsir: "lf the reciter reaches mention of Paradise, he beseeches Allah, the Most High, to grant him Paradise. If he reaches mention of the Fire he seeks refuge in Allah the Most High from it." He (Ibn Kathir) also mentions, "Abu'l-'Aliyah said: Ibn Mas'ud radhiallahu 'anhu said: 'By Him in Who's Hand is my soul, reciting it as it should be recited is to consider its halal as halal and its haram as haram. To recite it as Allah revealed it without distorting its words, nor falsely explaining its intended meanings.' "
• If Allah intends good for a servant he opens for him the door of action and closes for him the door of argumentation. Whereas, if Allah intends for a servant evil [once the servant had decided to follow such a path Allah, the Most High, allows him to take such a path] He opens for him the door of argumentation and closes for him the door of action.
• We used to seek aid in memorizing ahadith by acting upon them.
• You meet a man not finding one mistake in his speech yet his actions may be completely at fault.
• We have not been given ignorance but we Hide the face of knowledge through ignorance. We detest making mistakes in our speech Yet we do not care about making mistakes in our actions.
• And you will not possess on the Day of Resurrection other than what you ascertained before death If you do not sow the seeds and the harvest approaches you will regret not having done so when the time was right.
• When you find yourself in need of provisions You will not find provisions the like of righteous actions.
• One of the scholars saw his neighbors wandering aimlessly, so he asked them, "What is the matter with you?" They replied, "We have finished our duties of the day." So he said, "And is this what the one with no duties has been ordered with?!"
• The people who will be most accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be the healthy ones who had free time.
• Take advantage of your spare time by engaging in prayers for maybe your death will come suddenly. So many a healthy person you may have seen His life snatched away from him unexpectedly.
• Some people invited a man to eat with them who in turn said, "I am fasting." They said to him, "Break your fast today and instead fast tomorrow." So he said, "And who will guarantee my living tomorrow?!"
• It was said to a scholar, "Advise us." So he said, "Beware of saying 'soon'."
• Beware of procrastination overcoming you and taking over your heart for verily it is the cause of fatigue and wastefulness. Due to it, aspirations are severed and amidst it, death is met.

(s) Iqtida ul-'Ilm al-'Amal {qluetip title=[1]}The names that the sayings were attributed to are not cited, fearing the inauthenticity in the original attribution except where the authority is established and has abridged some statements, yet the wisdom within them is resoundingly established.{/qluetip}

Admonitions in Two Sentences

• "He who enters the grave without provisions (good deeds), has, as if, he started swimming across the ocean without a vessel." [Abu Bakr - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Worldy honour is derived from riches and the honour of the Hereafter is derived from the performance of good deeds." ['Umar - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Absorption in worldly affairs breeds darkness in the heart, and absorption in the affairs of the next world enkindles light in the heart." ['Uthman - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "He who seeks knowledge of religion (Islam), Paradise seeks him, and he who seeks deeds of vice, Hell seeks him." ['Ali - may Allah be pleased with him]

Admonitions in Three Sentences

• "There are three things that cannot be acquired by means of three other things: riches by means of desire, youth by means of khijab (dye of beard) and health by means of medicine." [Abu Bakr - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "To maintain nice relations with the people is half of intelligence, nice questioning is half of knowledge, and nice domestic arrangements is half of the management of livelihood." ['Umar - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Allah, the Exalted, loves him who forgoes worldly life, the angels love him who rejects the vices, and the Muslims love him who gives up greediness in respect of the Muslims." ['Uthman - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Be a good man to Allah and a bad man to yourself (desires); and be one of the commoners among the people." ['Ali - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Give alms to anybody you like and become his master, beg from anybody you wish and become his captive, and you may remain self-dependent if you like so that you may be an equal to others." ['Ali - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "A great many people proceed towards evils on account of receipt of blessings, many people are ruined by praise, and many a man is deceived by Allah's protection (in concealing vices)." [Ibn Mas'ud - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Perform well those (things) that have been made compulsory for you, you will then be amongst the distinguished devotees. Refrain from those (things) that have been prohibited, you will then be amongst the distinguished pious men. Be content with those things that are allotted to you by Allah, you will then be amongst the richest." [Ibn Mas'ud - may Allah be pleased with him]
• He was asked, "Which of the days is the best?" He replied, "The day of congregation (Jumu'ah)." He was again asked, "Which of the months is the best?" He replied, "The month of Ramadhan." He was again asked, "Which of the deeds is the best?" He replied, "To punctually establish the five daily prayers." [Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "He who has no manners has no knowledge; he who has no patience has no Din, and he who has no piety has no nearness to Allah for him." [Al-Hasan al-Basri - may Allah have mercy upon him]
• "Those who were destroyed in the past, were surely destroyed because of three bad habits: Wasting time in useless talks, excessive eating, and excessive sleeping." [Ibrahim an-Nakha'i - may Allah have mercy upon him]
• "Rectify three things by three other things till you become amongst the faithful (mu'min): Pride by modesty, greed by contentment in a little, and envy by listening to advice." [Malik ibn Dinar - may Allah have mercy upon him]

Admonitions in Four Sentences

• "There are four types of oceans. Passions are the ocean of sins, the self (nafs) is the ocean of lust, death is the ocean of life, and the grave is the ocean of distress." ['Umar - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "There are four things with which Allah is pleased - the external side of them is blessing and the inner side of them is compulsion. It is a blessing to associate with the pious servants (salihun) of Allah, but it is a compulsion to follow them (in deeds). It is a blessing to recite the Qur'an, but it is compulsory to act according to it. It is a blessing to visit a grave, but it is a compulsion to make provisions for it. It is a blessing to take care of the sick, but it is a compulsion to take a lesson from it." ['Umar - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "By Allah! Whenever I endure any adversity I gain four blessings of Allah in exchange. The first of them is, when the adversity is not caused by my sin (virtue is earned). The second, when the adversity is not greater than my sin (virtue is earned). The third, when I am not deprived of contentment (virtue is earned). and the fourth, I hope for virtues thereby." ['Umar - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "I have got the taste of worship ('ibadat) in four things - firstly in the discharge of the compulsory duties (fara'id) prescribed by Allah; secondly in abstaining from the things forbidden (haram) by Allah; thirdly in enjoining performance of good deeds in the hope of earning virtues; and fourthly in prohibiting evil deeds in fear of the curse of Allah." ['Uthman - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Whoever desires Paradise, proceeds towards goodness; whoever fears Hell, refrains from the impulses of passions; whoever believes firmly in death, detests wordly life; and whoever recognises the worldly life, the trials and tribulations (of life) become slight for him." ['Ali - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Both religion and the world will exist so long as four things continue to exist - so long as the rich will not be miserly in spending in the path of Allah; so long as the learned will perform deeds in accordance with the knowledge acquired; so long as the ignorant will not display obstinacy and pride in what they do not know; and so long as the poor will not sell their Hereafter in exchange for the worldly life." ['Ali - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Four things are exceedingly difficult - to forgive while angry, to give alms during want, to abstain from sins in solitude, and to speak the truth before the person from whom may come fear or favour." ['Ali - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Four things produce darkness in the heart - to take excess meals recklessly, to bear company with the oppressors, to forget past sins, and to keep lofty desire. and four things produce light in the heart - to keep the stomach hungry for fear of sins, to keep company with the righteous (salihun), to remember the past sins, and to curtail desires." ['Ibn Mas'ud - may Allah be pleased with him]

Admonitions in Five Sentences

• "I looked at all friends and did not find a better friend than safeguarding the tongue. I thought about all the dresses but did not find a better dress than piety. I thought about all sorts of wealth but did not find a better wealth than contentment in a little. I thought of all sorts of good deeds but did not find a better deed than offering good advice. I looked at all types of sustenance but did not find a better sustenance than patience." ['Umar - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Five are the marks of Allah-fearing people. They do not associate with people other than those with whom they can maintain terms on a religious basis; they restrain their private parts and their tongues; when they make any large temporal gain, they take it as a curse, and when they gain even a little piety, they consider it precious; they do not eat to their full even of what is permitted for fear that anything forbidden might be mixed with it, they consider all people pious and pardoned, but consider themselves as sinners." ['Uthman - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Had there not been five bad qualities, all the people would have been righteous. Contentment with ignorance; love for worldly life; miserliness inspite of much wealth; ostentation in (good) deeds; and pride in their own intelligence." ['Ali - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "Whoever does five things is fortunate in this world and in the Hereafter. Reciting La ilaha illallah Muhammad ar-Rasulallah; Inna lillahi wa ina ilayhi raji'un when any mishap befalls them; saying la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahi'l-'adhim - alhumdulillahi rabbi'l-alamin when any gift is bestowed upon them; saying bismillah ar-rahman ar-rahim when beginning any work; and saying astaghfirullah al-'adhim wa atubu ilayhi when any sin is noticed." ['Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Al-'As - may Allah be pleased with him]
• "None in this age will amass wealth except those having five traits of character. High hopes; abnormal greediness; excessive miserliness, lack of fearing Allah; and forgetfulness of the coming world." [Sufyan ath-Thawri - may Allah have mercy upon him]