Reports on weeping out of fear of Allah

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the shadows decline and the breezes begin to blow, ask Allah for your needs, for this is the hour of those who repent. Then he recited this verse of the Qur'an: "Indeed, He is Most Forgiving to those who repent" [Al-Isra: 25].

Ukayl said: There was a dispute between a man of the tribe and Abd al-Rahman bin Yazid. Alqamah said to him: "If I were to revile you, would you revile me?" He replied: "No, I would not." He said: "This man is better than I am, and he strives more than I do."

Asim bin Bahdalah said: Abu Wa'il had a wooden hut in which he and his riding animal stayed. When he intended to go out on a military expedition he would pull the hut down, and when he returned he would build it again.

It is mentioned from Abu al-Jawza' (may Allah have mercy on him), in explanation of the Qur'anic verse "Indeed, Hell is lying in wait" [Al-Naba: 21], that "kanat" in the verse means "sarat" (it has become).

The father of Abu Hayyan said: We went to Suwayd, that is, Ibn Math'abah, while he was in pain. We asked him, "How do you feel?" He replied: "I am in well-being from my Lord."

Abdullah bin al-Harith said: There is no tree, small or large, and no spot the size of a needle's insertion, dry or fresh, without an angel appointed over it, who brings to Allah its deeds each day: its deeds in its time of freshness and its deeds in its state of dryness.

Ibrahim al-Taymi said: If anyone reviled al-Harith bin Suwayd, he would remain silent. When the man fell silent, he would shake out his cloak and leave.

Wahb bin Munabbih (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Allah Almighty revealed to one of His friends: "When I have sent down My good pleasure upon the people of any household, dwelling or town, I do not turn away until they themselves come from My good pleasure to My displeasure. And when I have sent down My displeasure upon the people of any dwelling, household or town, I do not turn away until they themselves come from My displeasure to My good pleasure."

Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Layla said: What harm is there for you that, when one is alone, he should say to his angels, "Listen, may Allah have mercy on you," and then begin dictating good things to them?

It is narrated from al-Hasan that when he recited "Competition in increase has distracted you," he said: "This refers to wealth and children." Then he recited "until you visit the graves. No! You are going to know," and said: "This is a threat upon a threat," of "the knowledge of certainty."

When al-Hasan recited this verse, "Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth," he said: "He Himself created those lives, and He Himself provides that wealth." "So they kill and are killed; it is a promise binding upon Him in truth, in the Torah and the Gospel" [Al-Tawbah: 111].

Al-Rabi' bin Khuthaym (may Allah have mercy on him), explaining the Qur'anic verse "O man, what has deceived you concerning your Generous Lord?" [Al-Infitar: 6], said: Ignorance has kept him in deception.

Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman bin Yazid (may Allah have mercy on him) used to take a female servant of his to the market, reciting verses of the Qur'an to her and teaching her. At night he would get up, go to his courtyard and recite to her.

Awn bin Abdullah said: Beware! Forbearance, modesty, inability of the tongue (not of the heart) and understanding of the religion (fiqh) are part of faith. And these things decrease worldly gain and increase the Hereafter, and they do not decrease the world as much as they increase the Hereafter. Beware! Indecency, obscene speech, harshness and eloquent talk are part of hypocrisy. These things increase worldly gain but decrease the Hereafter, and they do not increase the world as much as they decrease the Hereafter.

Al-Rabi' bin Khuthaym, explaining the Qur'anic verse "And when the pregnant she-camels are abandoned" [Al-Takwir: 4], said: It means that the owners of the she-camels will neither milk them nor tie up their udders to preserve their milk.

Tarif (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I saw al-Rabi' bin Khuthaym carrying a basket of palm leaves to the house of his paternal aunt.

Al-Rabi' bin Khuthaym said: Any work in which the pleasure of Allah is not sought comes to nothing.

Sa'id bin Jubayr said: When Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) was afflicted, he said: I have left behind me nothing of this world that I grieve over, except the thirst of the intense midday heat and my walking to the prayer.

Adam bin Ali said: I heard the brother of Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him), the mu'adhdhin of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), say: People are of three kinds: the safe one, the gainer and the one who perishes. Then he said: The safe one is he who remains silent. The gainer is he who enjoins good and forbids evil; such a man is in profit from Allah. The one who perishes is he who speaks foully and helps in oppression.

Al-Rabi' bin Abi Rashid (may Allah have mercy on him) said: My respected father greatly admired Khalaf bin Hawshab. I said to him: "O my father, you admire this man so much?" He replied: "O my son, this man grew up on a good path and has remained upon it." He said: At that time his kunyah was Abu Marzuq. Rabi' (may Allah have mercy on him) said to him: "Change this kunyah." He said: Khalaf (may Allah have mercy on him) said to him: "Then you give me a kunyah." He said: "You are Abu Abd al-Rahman."

Al-Hasan said: Islam! What is Islam? Islam is that a person's heart be subject to the commands of Allah in both private and public, and that every Muslim and every person under covenant be safe from you.

Al-Hasan bin al-Hurr said: It has reached me that the reward for doing deeds on the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr) is the same as the reward for doing them on that day.

Khaythamah said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) said: Do not store up from today's provision for tomorrow, for the One who has given today will give tomorrow as well. If the question arises in your mind how this can be, then look at the birds, which neither plough nor cultivate. They go out in the morning and return in the evening with the provision of Allah. And if you say that this example of the birds is not enough, then look at the wild donkeys and the wild cattle, which go out in the morning toward the provision of Allah and return in the evening fully satisfied.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The bearer of the Qur'an should be known by his night when people are asleep, and by his day (of fasting) when people are not fasting, and by his grief when people are rejoicing, and by his weeping when people are laughing, and by his silence when people are busy talking, and by his humility when people are behaving arrogantly. The bearer of the Qur'an should be one who weeps, is sorrowful, forbearing, wise and of a quiet nature. And it is not fitting for the bearer of the Qur'an that he be (Abu Bakr (Ibn Abi Shaybah) said: he mentioned these words) one who makes noise, shouts and is given to anger.

Amr bin Murrah said: Abu Wa'il came to al-Rabi' bin Khuthaym to visit him in his illness and said: "I came only because I heard the voice of the one announcing death." Al-Rabi' replied: "For a month I have been in such a state that the reward of one hundred and fifty (150) prayers is being written for me."

Abu Ja'far al-Khatmi (may Allah have mercy on him) reports that his respected grandfather, Sayyiduna Umayr bin Habib (may Allah be pleased with him), used to get up at night and say: "O people, depart! Others have got ahead of you to the water. Depart, depart! Whoever is beaten to the water remains thirsty, and whoever is beaten toward the sun is burned by the sun. Depart, depart!"

Sayyiduna Umayr bin Habib (may Allah be pleased with him) had a slave who taught his sons the Qur'an and the Book. He began talking with them about the world and women. So Umayr bin Habib said to him: "O Ziyad! You have set up a dome of Satan over our children. Take it down."

Muslim bin Yasar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: When you intend to relate something from Allah Almighty, stop, and first learn its context.

Asim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Most of the speech of al-Hasan was this: 'Subhan Allahil-Azim, Subhan Allahi wa bihamdihi' (Glory be to Allah the Magnificent, glory be to Allah and praise be to Him).

Mutarrif bin Abdullah bin al-Shikhkhir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Whoever devotes himself to purity of heart is given purity, and whoever chooses adulteration has adulteration cast upon him.

Abd al-Malik bin Umayr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A man advised his son: Show that you have no hope in what is in people's hands, for this is true wealth. Guard yourself against asking for your needs, for this is poverty here and now. Guard yourself against things for which you would have to apologize. When you pray, pray as though it were your last prayer, and do not think that you will have another chance. And if you are able to make your today better than your yesterday, and your coming day better than your today, then certainly do so.

Yunus bin Khabbab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Mujahid said to me: "Shall I not tell you about the one who repents and the one who guards?" I said: "Of course." He replied: "This is the person who, when alone, remembers his sins and asks Allah for forgiveness."

Abu Ishaq al-Hamdani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) closely resembled the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

Humayd (may Allah have mercy on him) and Yunus bin Ubayd (may Allah have mercy on him) said: We have seen many jurists, but among them we have not seen anyone of so comprehensive a personality as al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him).

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about an issue. He replied: "Ask our client (mawla) al-Hasan." People said: "O Abu Hamzah, we are asking you about the issue, and you say: Ask our client al-Hasan?" He replied: "We heard and he heard too, but we forgot and he remembered."

Talhah bin Abdullah said: Zadhan used to teach without taking anything.

Asad bin Wada'ah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: When Sayyiduna Shaddad bin Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) went to his bed, it looked as though he were a grain in a frying pan. Then he would say: "O Allah, the fire of Hell has kept me from sleeping." Then he would stand up for prayer.

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The most generous of people is the one who is generous to someone from whom he hopes for no reward. The most forbearing of people is the one who forgives despite having the power to retaliate. The most miserly of people is the one who is miserly even in giving the greeting of peace. And the most helpless of people is the one who is helpless even in supplicating to Allah.

Al-Hasan said: When a person falls asleep in his prostration, Allah takes pride in him before His angels and says: "Look at this servant of Mine: he is worshipping Me while his soul is with Me."

Mutarrif (may Allah have mercy on him) said: In my view the rank of knowledge is higher than the rank of worship, and the capital of the religion is piety.