Beware of being deluded and self-amazed by the people’s praise of you for that which you are not…
Category: Sincerity
Don’t rejoice at people’s praise for you
Don’t rejoice at people’s praise for you, rather ask Allaah if indeed this is true that He increases you from His Bounty…
Signs of happiness and success
From the signs of happiness and success is the more a worshipper is increased in [beneficial] knowledge, the more he is increased in humility and compassion [towards others].
‘So I turn my gaze away from her’
I see a woman in a dream, and know she is not permissible for me, so I turn my gaze away from her.
‘The walls have ears’
If we changed the [famous] saying ‘the walls have ears’ to ‘the angels write [everything]’, we would certainly produce a generation which only fears Allaah, and is conscious of Allaah in their speech and actions.
Privately, he would weep profusely
When Abu Waa.il would pray [a voluntary prayer] in his home, he would weep profusely; [and such was the level of his humility that] if the entire world was offered to him to do [the same] so someone could see him – he would not do so.
Not be seen to be praying voluntary prayers
I have not seen a man [whom Allaah has] raised [in rank] like Maalik ibn Anas; he would not be seen to be praying voluntary prayers, nor voluntary fasting – yet he must have had a secret [hoard of righteous deeds].
A man broke down and began sobbing
al-Hasan was preaching [to the people] when a man [broke down and] began sobbing; so al-Hasan said to him: ‘By Allaah you will [even] be questioned as to what you intended by this [tearful sobbing].’
The status of ‘Abdullaah Ibn al-Mubaarak
Allaah did not raise the status of [‘Abdullaah] Ibn al-Mubaarak except for the secret hoard [of his righteous deeds] he had.
Out of his fear of showing off
ar-Rabee’ ibn Khuthaym only ever prayed a voluntary prayer in his local masjid once.