Sayings of Our Pious Predecessors

Mawlana Imran Akhtar Attari Madani

Statements of the Proof of Islam, Imam Muḥammad al-Ghazālī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه

1Making a place for yourself in people’s hearts through matters other than worship is like seeking wealth. Hence, it is not forbidden.^{^[1]}

2Wealth is like a snake that has poison and antivenom. The antidote is it benefits, and the poison is its harms. Only those who are aware of its advantages and evils will be able to gain benefit and protect themselves from its tribulations.^{^[2]}

3The tongue was created so that we could remember Allah in abundance, recite the Quran, guide creation to Islam, and express the feelings of our heart in relation to religious and worldly needs. When the tongue is used for purposes that it was not created for, it is a form of ungratefulness for the blessings of Allah.^{^[3]}

4Poverty is a great attribute, and a poor person should be content whereby he does not covet people’s wealth and does not earn wealth without being mindful of differentiating between permissible and impermissible means of income. This is only possible if he is content with that which fulfils his needs in matters of food, clothing and residence, sufficing with the least of amounts. Limit your aspirations to a day or a month, and do not engage wholeheartedly in projects of more than a month. Great ambitions and craving more deprive one of contentment. This leads to a censurable phenomenon: greed, and greed leads to immorality and evil.^{^[4]}

Statements of the Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه

1Cursing is a very serious matter. Every Muslim should be protected from this. In fact, cursing a disbeliever is impermissible unless death upon disbelief is proven for him from the Quran and Hadith.^{^[5]}

2It is categorically prohibited (ḥarām qaṭꜤī) for someone to love for others to praise him falsely for qualities that he does not possess.^{^[6]}

3If a scholar acts upon his knowledge, he is like a moon that is cool itself and provides you light. Otherwise, he is like a candle that burns itself but benefits you.^{^[7]}

Statements of the Leader of Ahl al-Sunnah, Mawlana Ilyas Attar al-Qadiri دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ

1It is essential to pray for death upon faith at least once a day.^{^[8]}

2Before praying, I try to apply perfume with the intention of honouring the prayer.^{^[9]}

[1] Iḥyāˈ al-ꜤUlūm, vol. 3, p. 368