The words of al-Hasan al-Basri

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: May Allah Almighty have mercy on the servant who stands firm at his intention and resolve. For every servant who acts first forms an intention; then if that intention is good, the servant carries it out, and if it is evil, the servant holds back from it.

It is narrated from Imran al-Qasir that he said: I asked al-Hasan about something, and I said: The jurists say such-and-such. Al-Hasan said: Have you ever seen a jurist with your own eyes? The jurist is only the one who is detached from the world, who has insight into his religion, and who is constant in the worship of his Lord.

It is narrated from Yunus that he said: Al-Hasan said: A servant remains in goodness as long as he knows what spoils his deed.

Yunus said: Among them are those who think they are in the right, and among them are those overcome by their desire.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: It used to be said: The heart of the believer is behind his tongue. So when one of you intends something, let him reflect on it; if it is a good matter, let him speak it, and if it is otherwise, let him remain silent. And the heart of the hypocrite is at the tip of his tongue: when he intends something, he speaks it and makes it known.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: Indeed, the believer thinks well of his Lord, so he also acts well; and the hypocrite thinks ill of his Lord, so he also acts badly.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: Seek knowledge in a way that does not harm worship, and seek worship in a way that does not harm knowledge. For the one who acts without knowledge does more that is wrong than what is right.

It is narrated from Yunus that he said: Al-Hasan was a sorrowful man.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: I have certainly met people who, whichever of their deeds they could keep hidden, they kept hidden.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: Indeed, a man does a good deed, and it becomes light in his heart and strength in his body. And indeed, a man does an evil deed, and it becomes darkness in his heart and weakness in his body.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: When the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), may Allah be pleased with them, met one another, a man would say to his companion: Has it reached you that you will arrive? He would say: Yes. Then the first would ask: Has it also reached you that you will come out of it? He would say: No. At this the first would say: Then what is there to laugh about?

Dawud, the companion of al-Hasan al-Basri, said that al-Hasan said: By Allah, there is no servant for whom provision has been allotted day by day and who does not know that what is best has been done for him, except one who is helpless and dull-minded.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: By Allah, these are not the worst days of a believer: the days in which his appointed term is brought nearer to him, in which he recalls what he had forgotten of his final return, and in which his sins are forgiven.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: I have not seen anyone who turns back more than a Qur'an reciter (qari) when he turns back.

It is narrated about al-Hasan that he said: On the Bridge (al-Sirat) there are thorns and thorny plants. On that day the men and women who slip will be very many.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: Indeed, a man acquires one chapter of knowledge and then acts upon it, and that is better for him than all the world, were it to come to him and he were to give it away for his Hereafter.

Al-Hasan said: Indeed, the believer begins the morning in sorrow and the believer ends the evening in sorrow, and what suffices the believer is what suffices a little she-goat ('anizah).

Ayyub said: I heard al-Hasan saying: When you see a man competing for the world, compete with him for the Hereafter.

It is narrated from al-Hasan concerning "Indeed, its punishment is ever clinging" [Al-Furqan: 65] that he said: Know that every creditor lets his debtor go, except the creditor (gharim) of Hell.

It is narrated from Qurrah that he said: I heard al-Hasan saying: "Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of people have earned." He said: Because of their sins and because of their foul deeds, Allah Almighty brought corruption upon them on the dry and the wet parts of the earth, "so that they may return" [Al-Rum: 41], meaning that those who come after them may return.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: It reached me that in a Book of Allah it says: Son of Adam, I have assigned two things for you, though they are not yours: a bequest from your wealth in the proper manner, when ownership has already gone to another; and the supplication of the Muslims for you, when you are in a place where you can neither make amends for any evil nor increase in any good.

It is narrated from Yunus that he said: When Sa'id bin Abi al-Hasan died, al-Hasan felt very deep grief over him. People spoke to him about this, and he said: I have heard the state that Allah has described concerning the grief of Ya'qub.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: Whoever goes to a graveyard and says: O Allah, Lord of the decayed bodies and of the decayed bones which left the world believing in You, send down upon them mercy from You and peace from me, then every believer who has died since the creation of Adam seeks forgiveness for that man.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: Indeed, the believer is a guardian over his own self, and he takes account of himself for the sake of Allah. The reckoning will be light on the Day of Resurrection only for those who took account of themselves in this world, and the reckoning will be hard on the Day of Resurrection only for those who did not take account of this matter. Indeed, when something suddenly comes to the believer and pleases him, he says: By Allah, I desire you, and you are indeed something I need; but by Allah, there is no means of reaching you. Alas! A barrier has been placed between you and me. And when something slips from the believer, he returns to himself and says: What did I intend by this? What have I to do with this? I have no excuse for this. By Allah, I will never return to this, if Allah Almighty wills. Indeed, the believers are people whom the Qur'an has bound, and it stands between them and their destruction. The believer is a captive in this world, striving to free his neck; he feels safe from nothing until he meets Allah Almighty. He knows that he will be held accountable for all of that.

Al-Hasan said: The believer in this world is like a traveller, who does not covet its glory and does not grieve over its humiliation. People have one state and he has another. Direct this surplus (wealth) where Allah has directed it.

Zakariyya said: I heard al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) say: Indeed, faith is not a matter of adornment and wishful thinking; rather, faith is that which settles in the heart and is confirmed by deeds.

It is narrated from Muhammad bin Juhadah that he said: A non-Arab horse passed by al-Hasan, walking with a prancing gait, so he said: Oh! I have come to know that when the Hour comes, it will come with grief.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: Indeed, the believers took on fear early, in this world, so Allah Almighty will keep them safe on the Day of Resurrection. And indeed, the hypocrites postponed fear from this world, so Allah Almighty will make them afraid on the Day of Resurrection.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: Some people performed deeds, but they did not indulge in wishful thinking.

It is narrated from Mubarak that he said: I heard al-Hasan say: Indeed, there are some people whose eyes weep but whose hearts do not weep. So whoever's eyes weep, his heart too should weep.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: The wisest of them is the one who weeps.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: I met people who spent their silver (wealth) and guarded their tongues. Then after them I met people who hoarded their silver (wealth) and let their tongues loose.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: The forbearing (are such that) if ignorance is shown toward them, they do not respond with foolishness. This is their day; and how is their night? The best of nights. They let their tears flow down their cheeks and line up their feet in rows, seeking from Allah Almighty the freeing of their necks.

It is narrated from Asim that he said: I never heard al-Hasan cite any verse of poetry as an illustration except this verse: "He is not the only dead one who has died and found rest; the dead one is he who is dead among the living." Then al-Hasan said: By Allah, he (the poet) spoke the truth. A person can be alive while his heart is dead.

It is narrated from al-A'mash that he said: Al-Hasan continued to seek wisdom until he came to speak it.

It is narrated from al-Hasan concerning the saying of Allah: "And woe to you for what you describe" [Al-Anbiya: 18]. He said: By Allah! This is the valley of Wayl for every lying describer until the Day of Resurrection.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: When Allah Almighty created Adam and his offspring, the angels said: These people will not fit on the earth. Allah Almighty said: I am going to create death as well. The angels said: Then their life will have no pleasantness. Allah Almighty said: I am going to create hope.

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: A moment of reflection is better than standing in prayer the whole night.

It is narrated from Abu Sufyan al-Sa'di that he said: I heard al-Hasan recite this verse of poetry as an illustration: "The young man will be gladdened by the good deed he has sent ahead, when he comes to know the illness that is killing him."

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them): "Your example among people is like the example of salt in food."