Islamic Wisdom Quotes & Sayings

Two kinds of people live a life without care: one kind are extremely worthy of praise, the other kind are extremely worthy of criticism. The first are those who care nothing for the pleasures of the world and the second (i.e. those who are deserving of criticism) care nothing for haya or modesty. — Ibn Hazm

True devotion is for itself: not to desire heaven nor to fear hell. — Rabia Basri

Anyone who rises above the things of this world, to which you kneel, is mightier than you. — Ibn Hazm

Yearning for Allah and His meeting is like the gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, extinguishing the blaze of the Dunya. Whosoever caused his heart to settle with his Lord shall be in a state, calm and tranquility, and whosoever sent it amongst the people shall be disturbed and excessively perturbed. — Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya

I swear that ever since the first day You brought me back to life,
The day You became my Friend,
I have not slept -
And even if You drive me from your door,
I swear again that we will never be separated -
Because You are alive in my heart — Rabia Basri

We used to say that those amongst us with the most sins are those who spend their time talking about the sins of others. — Ibn Sirin

Whenever Allah gives a blessing to a servant, and then takes it back from him, and the servant patiently endures his loss, then He rewards him with a blessing which is better than the one which He took back. — Umar II

Allah's Generosity is connected to gratitude, and gratitude is linked to increase in His generosity. The generosity of Allah will not stop increasing unless the gratitude of the servant ceases — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

I am a bird of God's garden
and I do not belong to this dusty world
For a day or two they have put me here
in this cage of my own body
I did not come here of my own
I will not return of my own
to my own country. — Rumi

He whose sin is due to desires, then have hope for him. And he whose sin is due to pride, then fear for him - because Nabi Adam disobeyed due to desire and was forgiven, and Iblis sinned due to pride and was cursed — Sufyan Ibn Uyaynah

Know you that Allah has made Islam the most sublime path for attainment of His supreme pleasure and the highest standards of his worship and obedience. He has favoured it with noble precepts, exalted principles, undoubtable arguments, unchallengeable supremacy and undeniable wisdom. It is up to you to maintain the eminence and dignity granted to it by the Lord, to follow it sincerely, to do justice to its articles of faith and belief, to obey implicitly its tenets and orders and to give it the proper place in your lives. — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

The highest degree of love is Tatayyum (total enthrallment). The lowest degree is 'alaqah (attachment), when the heart is attached to the beloved: then comes sabahah (infatuation), when the heart is poured out: then gharam (passion), when love never leaves the heart: the nashaq (ardent love), and finally tatayyum. — Ibn Taymiyyah

It is reported from the famous worshiper Rabi'ah al-Adawiyya (radiAllahu anha) that she said: "I have never heard the adhaan except that I remember the caller who will announce the Day of Resurrection, and I never see the falling snow except that I imagine the flying pages of the records of peoples deeds (on that day), and I never see swarms of locusts except that I think about the Great Gathering on the Last Day." — Rabia Basri

The highest person is he who is of most use to humankind. — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

Dear friend,
Your heart is a polished mirror. You must wipe it dean of the veil of dust that has gathered upon it, because it is destined to reflect the light of divine secrets. — Al-Ghazali

It is sometimes said that we drink our religion with our mother's milk. — Al-Ghazali

Listen to your heart and not your ego. Your ego prompts you to boast of vain assertions to obtain the glory of this world. Turn away from vanity and seek Him in the recesses of your heart and soul — Abdul-Qadir Gilani

My heart is so small it's almost invisible. How can You place such big sorrows in it? "Look," He answered, "your eyes are even smaller, yet they behold the world. — Rumi

How many lessons there are and how little they are taken — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

Greed takes a person to the watering place but gets him back without letting him drink. It undertakes responsibility but does not fulfill it. Often the drinker gets choked before quenching his thirst. The greater the worth of a thing yearned for, the greater is the grief for its loss. Desires blind the eyes of understanding. The destined share would reach him who does not approach it. — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

The real work is in the Heart:
Wake up your Heart! Because when the heart is completely awake,
Then it needs no Friend. — Rabia Basri

The realization of 'La ilaha illa Allah' is one of the states of the heart that can be neither expressed by the tongue nor thought out by the mind. — Ibn Ata Allah

You possess only whatever will not be lost in a ship wreck. — Al-Ghazali

Anyone who refuses to marry is shrinking his farmwork, wasting the seed, and leaving idle the appropiate tools created by God; he sins against the purpose of creation and wisdom visible in the evidence of natural structure. The man who refuses to marry has severed a chain of being, a previously unbroken chain linking his own existence to that of Adam. — Al-Ghazali

Whoever passes forty without his virtue overpowering his vice, let him get ready for hellfire. This advice contains enough for people of knowledge. — Al-Ghazali

The purpose of our creation is obvious: to reach our utmost goals of belief, knowledge, and spirituality; to reflect on the universe, humanity, and God, and thus prove our value as human beings. — Fethullah Gulen

Abu Dharr once described the people of the world, says, They breed what will they ultimately bury, they build what will eventually be destroy, they hold firm to what is emphemeral, and they forsake what is everlasting. Hence, blessed are the two cries people abominate most: Death and poverty. — Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari

Only that which was effective for the first of this community will be effective for the last of it — Malik Ibn Anas

Whoever desires to purify his heart, then let him prefer Allah to his desires — Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya

O Beloved of Hearts, I beseech only You. Have pity this day on those who turn to You. My Hope, my Rest, my Delight, this heart can love none other but You. — Rabia Basri

Never break a Muslim's heart by refusing what he offers you, when you know that anything that comes to you through him is in reality from Allah, and he is only His powerless and compelled means. — Abdullah Ibn Alawi Al-Haddad

All humans are dead except those who have knowledge; and all those who have knowledge are asleep, except those who do good deeds; and those who do good deeds are deceived, except those who are sincere; and those who are sincere are always in a state of worry. — Al-Shafi'i

The Muslims have got Islam as a legacy, hence they fail to recognize its value — Marmaduke Pickthall

O you who complain to people about your misfortunes, what good will it do you to complain to creatures? They can bring you neither benefit nor harm. If you rely on them and associate partners with the Lord of the Truth, they will make you distant from Him, cause you to fall into His displeasure. — Abdul-Qadir Gilani

Eventhough you are not equipped,
keep searching:
equipment isn't necessary on the way to the Lord.
Whoever you see engaged in search,
become her friend and cast your head in front of her,
for choosing to be a neighbour of seekers,
you become one yourself;
protected by conquerors,
you will yourself learn to conquer.
If an ant seeks the rank of Solomon,
don't smile contemptuously upon its quest.
And of all your skills, and wealth and handicraft,
Weren't they first merely a thought and a quest? — Rumi

Knowledge is taken from breath, not lives in a book — Hamza Yusuf

To admonish your brother in private is to advise him and improve him. But to admonish him publicly is to disgrace and shame him. — Al-Shafi'i

Who are we to wish for Paradise? It will be enough if Allah spares us his wrath. — Abu Hanifa

Never do I argue with a man with a desire to hear him say what is wrong, or to expose him and win victory over him. Whenever I face an opponent in debate I silently pray - O Lord, help him so that truth may flow from his heart and on his tongue, and so that if truth is on my side, he may follow me; and if truth be on his side, I may follow him. — Al-Shafi'i

Truth is Timeless, and returning to Truth is better than continuing in Falsehood — Umar

I seek forgiveness from Allah for the lack of my sincerity when I say I seek the forgiveness of Allah — Rabia Basri

Be with Allah,
You will find Allah with you. — Abd Al-Ghani Al-Nabulsi

Neglect not your time, nor use it haphazardly; on the contrary you should bring yourself to account. Structure your litanies and other practices during each day and night. This is how to bring about the spiritual blessing (baraka) in each period. If each of your breaths is a priceless jewel, Be not like the deceived fools who are joyous because each day their wealth increases while their life grows ever shorter. — Al-Ghazali

Till man destroys "self" he is no true friend of God. — Rumi

Your heart mirrors not His love,
Rusty with your sins it is,
Remove this rust and you shall
Perceive how Glorious He is. — Rumi

Your prayers are your light;
Your devotion is your strength;
Sleep is the enemy of both.
Your life is the only opportunity that life can give you.
If you ignore it, if you waste it,
You will only turn to dust. — Rabia Basri

The beloved of Allah are the perfume of Allah upon this world, but only the true, sincere believers have noses to smell them. They smell that beautiful perfume; they follow that smell. That perfume creates a yearning in their hearts for their Lord, and as a result the sincere believers increase their pace, efforts and devotions. — Yahya Ibn Mu'adh Al-Razi

If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the eyes of God, he has only to look at what place he gives to God (in his heart and life) — Hakim

It may well be that you are in a bad state, but to keep company with someone worse than you would allow to see good in yourself. — Ibn Ata Allah

O Allah,
You know that the only thing I want in this life
Is to be obedient to Your command.
Even the living sight of my eyes
Is service at your court — Rabia Basri

The heart becomes sick, as the body becomes sick, and its remedy is al-Tawbah (repentance) and protection [from transgression]. It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty, and its clarity is obtained by remembrance. It becomes naked as the body becomes naked, and its beautification is al-Taqwa. It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry, and its food and drink are knowledge, love, dependence, repentance and servitude. — Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya

The heart, in its journey to Allah, Majestic is He, is like that of a bird; Love is its head, and fear and hope are its two wings. When the head and two wings are sound, the bird flies gracefully; if the head is severed, the bird dies; if the bird loses one of its wings, it then becomes a target for every hunter or predator. — Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya

Ikhlaas is to forget the vision of creation by constantly looking at the Creator. — Al-Jahiz

What can my enemies do to me? My paradise is in my heart, it is with me wherever I go. To imprison me is to provide me with seclusion. To send me into exile is to send me away in the Path of Allah. And to kill me is to make me a martyr. — Ibn Taymiyyah

In the intricate paths of life when difficulties and hardships confront a man, and the darkness of difficulty and suffering becomes long, it is patience only that acts like a light for a Muslim, that keeps him safe from wandering here and there, and saves him from the muddy marsh of disappointment, desperation and frustration. — Al-Ghazali

This world is full of remedies. But you have no remedy until God opens a window for you. You may not be aware of that remedy just now. In the hour of need it will be made clear to you. The Prophet said God made a remedy for every pain. — Rumi

Many times I heard Imam Ahmad saying (when asked to give his opinion) on controversial scholarly issues 'I do not know.' — Abu Dawood

Do not sit idle, for indeed death is seeking you — Hasan Of Basra

If asked whether you love God, say nothing. This is because if you say, 'I do not love God,'you are an unbeliever. If, on the other hand, you say, 'I do love God,' your actions contradict you. — Al Fudayl Ibn Iyad

Truthfulness is composed of justice and courage. — Ibn Hazm

Beware of the flight of Blessings,
For nothing that runs away is returned. — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

If you are looking for a friend who is faultless, you will be friendless. — Rumi

Put aside your pride,
Set down your arrogance,
And remember your grave. — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

A human-being is not a human-being while his tendencies include self-indulgence, covetousness, temper and attacking other people — Al-Ghazali

When the inward is good the outward is also inevitably so, for the outward always follows the inward, whether good or evil. — Abdullah Ibn Alawi Al-Haddad

Many a spoken word is more piercing than an attack. — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

There is no joy for someone who has no sorrow.
There is no pleasure for the one who has no patience
No bliss for someone with no misery
and no rest for the one with no fatigue.
When someone is a little tired,
he has long rest.
When he endures the difficulty of steadfastness for a time,
that leads him to eternal life.
All that the people of eternal bliss
are in is steadfastness for a time. — Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya

Like us many have spoken over this spring, but they were gone in the twinkling of an eye.
We conquered the world with bravery and might, but we did not take it with us to the grave. — Babur

O my Lord, whatever share of this world You have bestowed on me, bestow it to my enemies, and whatever share of the next world You have for me, give it to my friends. You are enough for me. — Rabia Basri

The hypocrite looks for faults; the believer looks for excuses. — Al-Ghazali

Be content with what you have Be satisfied with your dwelling place to accommodate your enterprise, Restrain your tongue, And shed tears of regret regarding past sins you committed knowingly, and those you do not recognize. — Abdullah, Son Of Masud

As there is no darkness in the moonlight. So is Mustafa (Muhammad), the well wisher, bright. — Abu Bakr

The World is three days: As for yesterday, it has vanished, along with all that was in it. As for tomorrow, you may never see it. As for today, it is yours, so work in it. — Hasan Of Basra

Everyone who is taken by death asks for more time, while everyone who still has time makes excuses for procrastination. — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

Doubt is a precipice on the way to God. Blessed is he who is freed from its bonds. He who fares without any doubt, adhere to his footprints if you do not know the way. Cleave to the footprints of the deer and advance with care that you may reach the musk-gland. By means of such trekking, even if you walk on fire, you will reach the luminous peak. — Rumi

A friend cannot be considered a friend until he is tested in three occasions: in timeof need, behind your back, and after your death. — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

Most people don't pray until they're in trouble.
When people need help they pray a lot.
But after they get what they want, they slow down.
If a man takes five showers a day, his body will be clean.
Praying five times a day helps me clean my mind. — Muhammad Ali

Knowledge is not what is memorised.
Knowledge is what benefits. — Al-Shafi'i

My request is not for bliss of the Garden. I only desire to see You. — Ibn Al-Farid

Prayer is that which enables the soul to realize its divinity. Through prayer human beings worship absolute truth, and seek an eternal reward. Prayer is the foundation-stone of religion; and religion is the means by which the soul is purified of all that pollutes it. Prayer is the worship of the first cause of all things, the supreme ruler of all the world, the source of all strength. Prayer is the adoration of the one whose being is necessary. — Avicenna

Had there not been five bad qualities, all the people would have been righteous. Contentment with ignorance; love for worldly life; miserliness inspite of much wealth; ostentation in (good) deeds; and pride in their own intelligence. — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

The beginning of knowledge is the intention, then listening, then understanding, then action, then preservation, and then spreading it. — Abdullah Ibn Mubarak

The tolerance within the body of Islam was, and is, something without parallel in history; class and race and color ceasing altogether to be barriers. — Marmaduke Pickthall

Be a good man to Allah and a bad man to yourself (desires); and be one of the commoners among the people — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

If you do not think well of Him because His qualities are beautiful then think well of Him because of the way He treats you. — Ibn Ata Allah

Dhikr is the reason for the life of the heart and leaving it is the reason for its death. — Ahmad Ibn ?Ajiba

A tree, freshly rooted, may be pulled up by one man on his own. Give it time, and it will not be moved, even with a crane — Saadi

If you don't wake up for Fajr, then don't wake up at all — Hamza Yusuf

A man without any history is like a tree without roots — Malcolm X

The relation of patience to iman is like the relation of the head to the body. If the head is chopped off, the body becomes useless. Then he raised his voice and said: Certainly, the one who has no patience has no iman, and patience is like a riding-beast that nevers gets tired — Ali Ibn Abi Talib

The mere physical man is like the ant crawling on the paper, who observes black lettering and attributes its production to the pen and nothing more. — Al-Ghazali

Cease to sin, because you will not meet Allah with anything [as valuable] as few sins. — Aisha Bint Abi Bakr

Knowledge for us means knowledge of the allowance/dispensation (rukhsa).
As for strictness, anyone can show strictness. — Sufyan Al-Thawri

Iman is to believe, even when an overpowering tide of evil surrounds you. — Anwar Al-Awlaki

It's time that Islam should be redefined by the world based upon, the goodness of all the peace-loving Muslims, instead of the theoretical teachings of some books, be it Quran or the Hadith. — Abhijit Naskar

It is indeed surprising that a man inspite of his belief in the Fire of Jahannum is still able to laugh, and inspite of his belief in Maut he is able to be happy. Inspite of believing in the Reckoning, he commits evil deeds. Inspite of believing in Taqdeer, he grieves. Inspite of observing the world with its changes, he feels contented with it. Inspite of believing in Jannat, he refrains from righteous deeds. — Moses

Wisdom is like the rain. Its source is unlimited, but it comes down according to the season. Grocers put sugar in a bag, but their supply of sugar is not the amount in the bag. When you come to a grocer, he has sugar in abundance. But he sees how much money you have brought and gives accordingly. Your currency on this Path is resolution and faith, and you are taught according to your resolution and faith. When you come seeking sugar, they examine your bag to see what its capacity is; then they measure out accordingly. — Rumi

Botha swimmer and a drowned man are in the water; the latter is borne by the water and controlled by it, while the swimmer is borne along by his own power and of his own volition. Every movement made by the drowned man - indeed, every act and word that issue from him - comes from the water, not from him ... The saints are like this. They have died before death. — Rumi

None in this age will amass wealth except those having five traits ofcharacter. High hopes; abnormal greediness; excessive miserliness, lack of fearing Allaah; and forgetfulness of the coming world. — Sufyan Al-Thawri

By Allah, whenever I endure any adversity I gain four blessings of Allah in exchange. The first of them is, when the adversity is not caused by my sin (virtue is earned). The second, when the adversity is not greater than my sin (virtue is earned). The third, when I am not deprived of contentment (virtue is earned). And the fourth, I hope for virtues thereby. — Umar