The words of Talq bin Habib

It is narrated from Talq bin Habib, who said: "There are four things such that whoever is given them has been given the good of this world and the Hereafter: whoever is given a tongue that remembers, a heart that gives thanks, a body patient upon afflictions, and a believing wife who commits no betrayal against her husband concerning herself."

It is narrated from Talq bin Habib, who said: "Indeed, the rights of Allah Almighty are too weighty for the servants to fulfil, and the blessings of Allah are too many for the servants to count. So repent in the morning and repent in the evening."

Kulthum bin Jabr says: The one who made a wish in Basrah used to say: "The worship of Talq bin Habib and the forbearance of Muslim bin Yasar."

It is narrated from Asim that he said: We said to Talq bin Habib: Tell us about piety (taqwa). He said: Piety is the act of obeying Allah, in hope of His mercy and in the light of His radiance; and piety is the name for leaving disobedience to Allah out of fear of Allah, because of the light from Allah.

Safwan bin Muhriz narrates, saying that Sayyiduna Jundab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The likeness of the man who preaches and forgets himself is that of a lamp which gives light to others and burns itself. Let each one of you look at what goes into his belly, for when an animal dies, the first thing of it to burst is its belly. And let each one of you beware of even a palmful of a Muslim's blood coming between him and Paradise.

A man of the tribe of Uraynah narrates that Sayyiduna Jundab al-Bajali (may Allah be pleased with him) set out on one of his journeys, and some people of his tribe set out with him. When they reached the place where they bid one another farewell, Jundab said: Do you not know? The one truly plundered (mahrub) is he whose religion has been attacked, and the one truly robbed (maslub) is he whose religion has been taken away. Beware! There is no poverty after Paradise and no wealth after Hell. Indeed, the captive of Hell is not set free, and its poor man does not become rich. Then he took to the main road and went on his way.

A man from among the jurists of the people of Sham narrated in the mosque of Mina that Allah Almighty created the earth and the trees that are in it. Whoever of the children of Adam came to any of those trees obtained nothing but good from it, or it was only good for him. The trees remained in this state until the wicked among the children of Adam uttered this enormous word: that Allah has taken offspring. At that the earth shuddered, and thorns appeared on the trees.

It is narrated from Abu Qahdham that he said: A pouch was brought to Ibn Ziyad containing grains of wheat the size of date stones. This pouch had been found in one of the houses of the family of Kisra, and with it was this writing: This is the produce of such-and-such a time, meaning it grew in a time in which Allah was obeyed.

It is narrated from Khalid al-Rib'i that he said: There was a man among the Children of Israel who was steeped in knowledge. He invented an innovation (bid'ah), then he called people to it and he began to be followed. One night this thought came to him, and he said: Leave these people aside; they do not know what I have invented. But does Allah Almighty not know this innovation that I have produced? He said: He went so far in his repentance that he pierced his collarbone, put a chain through it, tied it to one of the pillars of the mosque, and said: I will not undo it until my repentance is accepted. The narrator said: At this Allah Almighty sent revelation to one of the prophets of the Children of Israel, and revelation was not regarded as something strange: Say to so-and-so: If your sin were only between Me and you, I would forgive you. But what of those of My servants whom you led astray and who entered Hell?

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Marwan that he said: I heard Salih Abu al-Khalil speaking about the saying of Allah: "Only those of His servants who have knowledge fear Allah" [Fatir: 28]. He said: The most knowledgeable of Allah is the one who fears Him the most.