“We have seen so many who wear coarse clothing, and show off their devotion to God, yet no one turns to them, and others who wear good clothing, and who smile, and the hearts love them.

“No one can claim to know Him except one who fears Him. The one who feels safe from Him does not know Him.

“Contentment is one of the fruits of spiritual knowledge. When you know Him, you will be content with His decrees.

“Perhaps God will cause something to befall someone that will disgrace them in front of the creation as a recompense for sins they have committed in private.

“The closeness of the believers to the Creator [in the afterlife] is by the degree of their heedfulness in the worldly life.

“When Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal decided to never again hope to be supported by people’s charity and gifts, his abilities increased, and his fame spread. While when Ibn al-Madini and others desired people’s charity and gifts, remembrance of them fell from people’s minds.

“Be very wary of the consequences of sins, and be very hasty in seeking to erase them by returning to God, because sins have evil and ugly consequences, whether they come quickly, or whether they accumulate and befall you all at once.

“The sins that are punished most quickly are the ones that are not due to overwhelming desire, but are an act of obstinacy and rebellion [against God].

“It is necessary for us to suffer good and bad. The good necessitates that we show thankfulness, and the bad that we supplicate. If our supplication is not answered, this means that it is intended that the test should finish, and for one to humbly submit to the decree.

This is where true faith shows itself. It is in submission and acceptance that the gems among men become apparent.

“I do not know of anyone who lived more exalted and enjoyable lives than the truly pious scholars.

“Whoever acts pious for the sake of the creation is in effect worshiping them, although he does not realize it.

“Showing enmity toward enemies is a show of weakness and fear. It is wiser to show kindness and courtesy toward enemies until this causes an end of their enmity, and if that does not happen, courtesy can be a cause for blocking any harm that may come from them, and among them will be those who will feel ashamed of the courtesy they are shown, and this will change their heart.

There were among the pious predecessors those who, when they heard someone had spoken of them in abusive terms, would send them presents.

“How few are those who purely dedicate their deeds to God, glory to Him! Most people like what is visible of their acts of worship. Sufyan al-Thawri used to say, “I have never relied on my visible good deeds [for my salvation in the hereafter].”

“I reflected upon myself and those of my extended family who spent their lives in acquiring wealth while I spent my childhood and youth seeking knowledge, and I saw that I have not been deprived of anything they have acquired.

“The ship of your lifetime is approaching the coast of the graveyard. What is the matter with you that you are busy inside the ship trying to acquire goods?

“O sinner! If you start to suffer punishment, do not make a clamor about it and say, “I have repented and regret my actions, so why is my punishment not going away?”, for perhaps your repentance has not come true yet.

“Mend what is between you and God in private, and He will mend for you your public matters. Do not be deceived by His covering of your sins, for perhaps He will eventually make them public, and do not be deceived by the respite He grants you, for perhaps His punishment may come at you suddenly when you do not expect it.