books & benefits 📖

"الثقة بالله هي البذرة الأولى للأمل، وهي الجسر الذي نعبر به من ظلمات الهموم إلى نور الطمأنينة."

"Trust in Allah is the first seed of hope, and it is the bridge we cross from the darkness of worries to the light of tranquility."

(علي بن جابر الفيفي، لأنك الله)

وَفِي الْأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِّلْمُوقِنِينَ ۝ وَفِي أَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ
“And on the earth are signs for those of sure faith, And in yourselves. Then will you not see?”
(Surah Adh-Dhariyat, 51:20-21)

Ibn al-Jawzī رحمه الله said:

“If a person only contemplates over himself, that would be enough of a proof. The human body contains wisdoms that may not be compiled in a book.

He who ponders on the sharpness of teeth to enable it to chop (food), the flatness of molars to grind (food), the tongue that rotates what is being chewed, the liver that ripens food, how nutrition flows to each part of the body as needed, these fingers that have knuckles so that they can bend and open to perform work, they never become hollow from work, otherwise they would break, how some fingers are longer than others so they all become the same length when bent, and how the most hidden of the body is that which holds it together, the soul, once it goes the body becomes corrupt, and intellect that leads to welfare community,

whoever ponders on all of these things must surely call: Can there be any doubt about Allāh?”

📖 [The Devil’s Deceptions by Ibn al-Jawzī رحمه الله pg. 92-93]

قال ابن القيم رحمه الله :
Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

إن العبد لا يزال يرتكب الذنوب حتى تهون عليه
Indeed, a servant continues to commit sins until they become insignificant to him.

وتصغر في قلبه
And they become small in his heart.

وذلك من علامة الهلاك
And that is a sign of destruction.

الداء والدواء

قال الإمام ابن القيِّم رحمه الله:
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏الدعاء هو ذِكْرٌ للمدعو سُبحانه؛ مُتضمنٌ للطلب منه
Supplication is remembrance of the One being called upon, Exalted is He; it includes requesting from Him

‏والثناء عليه بِأسمائه وأوصافه؛ فهو ذِكْرٌ وزيادة
and praising Him by His names and attributes; thus, it is remembrance and more.

‏بدائع الفوائد - (ص٥٢١)

قال الإمام الشافعي رحمه الله
al-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏الشّبع؛ يثقل البدن، ويزيل الفطنة،
Fullness burdens the body, removes sharpness of mind,

‏ويجلب النوم، ويضعف صاحبهُ عن العِبادة.
brings about sleep, and weakens its possessor from worship.

‏جامع العلوم والحكم (ص٨٩٧)

الله لا يغلق بابًا إلا ويفتح لك بابًا خيرًا منه
Allah does not close a door except that He opens for you a better one

لكنه يختبرك بمرارة الإغلاق
but He tests you with the bitterness of closure

حتى تشعر بحلاوة الفتح
so that you may taste the sweetness of opening

(علي بن جابر الفيفي، لأنك الله)

من أحب العلم أحب الكتب، ومن أحب الكتب لم يعـد فقيرًا، لأن الكتب أغنى ما يملك المرء

Whoever loves knowledge loves books, and whoever loves books will never be poor, for books are the richest possession a person can have. 📚

قال أحمد بن البلخي رحمه الله
Ahmad ibn al-Balkhi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏مَن أحبّ أن يكون الله معه في جميع الأحوال؛
Whoever loves that Allah be with him in all situations,

‏فاليلزم الصدق، فإنّ الله مع الصّادقين.
then let him adhere to truthfulness, for Allah is with the truthful.

‏حلية الأولياء وطبقات الأصفياء (٤٣/١٠)

قال العلامة السعدي رحمه الله:
Shaykh al-Sa'di, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏فالكسل هو أصل الخيبة والفشل
Laziness is the root of disappointment and failure

‏فالكسلان لا يدرك خيراً
For the lazy person achieves no good

‏ولا ينال مكرمة
Nor attains any honor

‏بهجة قلوب الأبرار (ص٣٤)

قال الإمام أحمد بن حنبل رحمه الله
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏كيف يتبيّن للرّجُل ما هو عليه من خطأ؛ إذا
How will a man realize the mistake he is upon if

‏لم يجِد مُنكِرًا، ولا جفْوةً من صديق؟!
he does not find someone to disapprove of it, nor harshness from a friend?

‏الآداب الشرعية (٢٢٩/١)

قال الإمام ابن القيِّم رحمه الله
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said

‏إذا أردتَ أن تستدل على ما في القلب
If you want to infer what is in the heart

‏فاستدل عليه بحركة اللِّسان
Then infer it by the movement of the tongue

‏فإنّهُ يُطلعك على ما في القلب
For it reveals to you what is in the heart

‏شاء صاحبُه أم أبى
Whether its owner wills it or not

‏الجواب الكافي (ص٣٧٩)

قال الامام ابن سيرين - رحمه الله -
Imam Ibn Sirin, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

لو يعلم الذي يتكلم ان كلامه يكتب عليه
If the one who speaks knew that his words are being written down against him

لقل كلامه
He would speak less

طبقات ابن سعد (147/7)

قال الإمام ابن القيِّم رحمه الله
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏حُبّ العِلْم، وطلبه أصل كُلّ طاعة
Love of knowledge and seeking it is the foundation of every act of obedience.

‏وحُبّ الدُّنْيا والمال، وطلبه أصل كُلّ سيِّئة
And love of the world and wealth, and seeking it, is the foundation of every sin.

‏مفتاح دار السعادة (٤١٩/١)

قال الإمام ابن قدامة رحمه الله
Imam Ibn Qudamah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏قد كان السّلف يُحبّون مَن يُنَبِّهُهم على عيوبهم
The Salaf used to love those who would alert them of their faults,

‏ونحن الآن في الغالب أبغض النّاس إلينا مَن يُعرِّفنا عُيوبنا
but now, in most cases, the people we dislike the most are those who make us aware of our faults.

‏مختصر منهاج القاصدين (ص١٥٧)

"لأنك الله، لا خوف، لا قلق، لا غياب، لا خوف من المستقبل، لا ندم على الماضي."
"Because You are Allah, there is no fear, no worry, no absence, no fear of the future, and no regret for the past."

(علي بن جابر الفيفي، لأنك الله)

أكثر ما أخافه الانغماس في مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي،
What I fear most is becoming immersed in social media,

حتى يموت القلب وتكثر الغفلة،
Until the heart dies and heedlessness increases,

ويتعوّد سمعك وبصرك على بذيء الكلام
And your hearing and sight become accustomed to foul speech

الذي أصبح وسيلة للرد عند ضعاف الدين والعقل والمروءة،
Which has become a means of response for those weak in religion, intellect, and virtue,

الانغماس يجعل الحياة الواقعية ليست أولوية،
Immersion makes real life no longer a priority,

يومك مثل أمسك،
Your day becomes like your yesterday,

ووقتك واهتمامك لأشياء لا تفيد بل قد تكون سبب شقائك.
And your time and attention are for things that do not benefit, but may even be a cause of your misery.

قال الإمام ابن رجب رحمه الله:
Imam Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏التّوْبة من الذّنْب هي الندم عليه؛
Repentance from sin is regret over it;

‏بِشرط الإقلاع عنه،
On the condition of giving it up,

‏والعزم على عدم العَود إليه.
And resolving not to return to it.

‏فتح الباري (١٤٤/١)

"الثقة بالله تملأ قلبك طمأنينة مهما اضطربت الدنيا من حولك."
Trust in Allah fills your heart with tranquility, no matter how chaotic the world around you becomes. 💌

(علي بن جابر الفيفي، لأنك الله)

قال الحسن البصري رحمه الله:
Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏المؤمن في الدُّنْيا كالغريب؛
The believer in this world is like a stranger;

‏لا يجزع من ذُلها،
He does not despair over its humiliation,

‏ولا يُنافس في عزها،
Nor does he compete for its honor,

‏له شأنٌ، وللنّاس شأن.
He has his own concern, and people have theirs.

‏مصنف ابن أبي شيبة (189/7)

قال الإمام ابن تيمية رحمه الله:
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

وكلما ازداد العبد في البدع اجتهاداً ازداد من الله بُعداً،
The more a servant increases in striving in innovations, the farther he becomes from Allah,

لأنها تخرجه عن سبيل الله؛
Because they take him out of the path of Allah;

سبيل الذين أنعم الله عليهم من النبيين والصديقين والشهداء والصالحين
The path of those upon whom Allah has bestowed favor, from the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous,

إلى بعض سبيل المغضوب عليهم والضالين.
To a part of the path of those who have earned Allah's anger and those who have gone astray.

مجموع الفتاوى (49/19)

قال الإمام ابن القيِّم رحمه الله:
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏ضياع العُمر أسوأ من المَوت؛
The loss of one's lifetime is worse than death;

‏فإنّ المَوت يقطعك عن الدُّنْيا،
For death cuts you off from the worldly life,

وضياع العُمر يقطعك عن الآخِرة.
And the loss of one's lifetime cuts you off from the Hereafter.

‏الفوائد (ص٣١)

قال العلامة ابن عثيمين رحمه الله:
The scholar Ibn Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏العاقل إذا قرأ القرآن، وتبصّر عرف قيمة الدنيا،
The intelligent person, when he reads the Qur'an and reflects, he understands the value of this world,

‏وأنّها ليست بشيء، وأنّها مزرعة للآخرة؛
and that it is worth nothing, and that it is a farm for the Hereafter;

‏فانظُر ماذا زرعت فيها لآخرتك!
so look at what you have planted in it for your Hereafter!

‏إن كنت زرعت خيراً فأبشر بالحصاد الذي يرضيك،
If you have planted good, then rejoice in the harvest that will please you,

‏وإن كان الأمر بالعكس فقد خسرت الدنيا والآخرة.
and if it is the opposite, then you have lost this world and the Hereafter.

‏شرح رياض الصالحين (٣٥٨/٣)

قال الإمام ابن تيمية رحمه الله:
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

النّفس مفطورة على حُب الحق؛
The soul is naturally inclined to love the truth;

وهو الّذي يُلائمها،
and it is in harmony with it,

ولا شيء أحبّ إلى القُلوب السّليمة من الله.
and nothing is more beloved to sound hearts than Allah.

‏الإيمان الأوسط [422]

والله ما يعرف قدرَ النوم إلا مَن طرقه الألم بالليل
By Allah, none knows the value of sleep except the one whom pain visits at night.

ولا يعرف قدر العافية إلا من أَلَمّ به ألمٌ
And none knows the value of good health except the one who has been afflicted by pain.

فالعجب لمن أصبح سليم البدن، معافى من ألم، صحيح الخلقة، عنده قوت يومه
So it is astonishing for one who wakes up with sound body, free from pain, complete in form, and possesses his daily sustenance.

كيف لا يَجِدُّ في الشكر
How does he not strive in gratitude?

[صيد الخاطر]

قال وهب بن الورد رحمه الله:
Wahb bin al-Ward, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

‏لم نجد شيئًا أرق لهذه القلوب،
We have not found anything more softening for these hearts,

ولا أشد استجلابًا للحق
Nor more compelling in bringing about the truth

من قِراءة القرآن لمن تدبّره.
Than the recitation of the Qur’an for the one who contemplates it.

‏[مجموع الرسائل 263]