Al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 3125 — Beneficial counsels

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to say in his sermon: "Indeed, the most truthful speech is the Word of Allah; the firmest handhold is the word of taqwa (God-consciousness); the best religion is the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him); the best of stories is this Qur'an; the best ways are the ways of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him); the noblest speech is the remembrance of Allah Almighty; the best of affairs are those of firm resolve (that are well established); the worst of affairs are those newly invented in the religion; the best guidance is the guidance of the prophets (peace be upon them); the most honourable death is the death of the martyrs; the worst misguidance is going astray after having been guided; the best knowledge is that which benefits; the best guidance is that which is followed; the worst blindness is blindness of the heart; the upper hand is better than the lower hand; a little that suffices is better than much that distracts; a soul that you save is better than a position of rule whose duties and responsibility you cannot fully discharge; the worst deception is deception at the time of death; the worst regret is regret on the Day of Resurrection; among people are some who come to the Friday prayer or the prayer only at the very last moment, and who remember Allah Almighty only with idle and indecent talk; the greatest of sins is a lying tongue; the best wealth is richness of the soul; the best provision is taqwa; the foundation of wisdom is the fear of Allah Almighty; the best thing placed in the heart is certainty; doubt is part of disbelief; wailing over the dead is among the deeds of the Jahiliyyah; stealing from the spoils of war is among the embers of Hell; hoarded treasure on which zakah has not been paid is a cause of being branded with fire; poetry is the flutes of Iblis; wine is the sum of all sins; women are the snares of Satan; youth is a branch of madness; the worst earnings are the earnings of usury (riba); the worst food is eating the wealth of the orphan; the fortunate one is he who takes admonition from the circumstances of others, and the wretched one is he who was written wretched while still in his mother's womb; what suffices each of you is that with which his soul is content; every person's end is a place of four cubits (the grave); the best matter is that which is accomplished promptly; deeds depend upon their endings; the worst narrations are false narrations; everything that is coming is near; abusing a Muslim is sinfulness and fighting him is disbelief; eating his flesh (backbiting him) is disobedience to Allah; the sanctity of his wealth is like the sanctity of his blood; whoever swears false oaths by Allah, Allah proves him a liar; whoever forgives, Allah forgives him; whoever pardons, Allah pardons him; whoever swallows his anger, Allah rewards him; whoever is patient over calamities, Allah helps him; whoever recognises trial for what it is bears it patiently, and whoever does not recognise it rejects it (with impatience), and whoever rejects it, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, lets him go to ruin; whoever pursues fame, Allah makes him famous (with disgrace); whoever intends this world, it defeats him; whoever follows Satan disobeys Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; and whoever disobeys Allah, He will punish him."
In the narration of Imam Ahmad bin Mani' it states that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to deliver this sermon every Thursday evening, and we considered it to be the sermon of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself: "O people! Indeed, the most truthful speech is the Book of Allah; the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him); the worst of affairs are newly invented matters; every newly invented matter is an innovation (bid'ah), and every innovation is misguidance. Behold! You will all be gathered on a single plain, where eyes will be able to see all of you and the voice of the caller will be heard by all; and indeed the wretched one is he who was wretched while still in his mother's womb, and the fortunate one is he who takes admonition from others."