The Difference Between Confidence and Delusion

Confidence is tranquility, and it increases with time and intuition. The heart attaches itself to one whom it trusts, thus it becomes reliant upon him. Similarly, if the heart reaches Allaah, it becomes lovingly subservient to him. Consequently, he will be the only source of aid for this heart.

As for delusion, it is produced by Shaytaan and the soul, and it is to trust one who is not trustworthy, and to depend upon a source which yields nothing beneficial. The Most High said:

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَسَرَابٍ بِقِيعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ الظَّمْآنُ مَاء حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءهُ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئًا وَوَجَدَ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ فَوَفَّاهُ حِسَابَهُ وَاللَّهُ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

“The work of those who disbelieve is like a mirage which appears to be water to a thirsty man. Though once he reaches it, he finds nothing. Allaah finds him there and concludes his account, and he is expeditious in this regard.” (An-Nur 24:39)

قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِالْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَالًا

الَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا

 

“Say: Shall we inform you of those who have suffered the greatest loss? They are those who have deviated on earth while thinking that they have done well.” (Al-Kahf 18:103-104)

Once the veil has been removed and reality becomes apparent, they will realize that they were lost.

The Nature of Things

Ibn al-Qayyim says: “For the tongue does not keep quiet at all. It is either a tongue that remembers or a tongue that is frivolous and it has to be one of these two.

It is the (nature of the) soul; if you do not preoccupy it with truth, it will occupy you with falsehood. It is the (nature of the) heart; if you do not accommodate it with love of Allaah, it will dwell with love of creation and this is a certain reality. It is the (nature of the) tongue; if you do not preoccupy it with remembrance, it will most definitely occupy you with frivolity.

Thus, choose for your own self one of the two courses and confer upon it one of the two standings.”

• Source: Al-Waabil as-Sayyib | Pgs. 166-167 | Ibn al-Qayyim
• Transcribed from: Causes Behind the Increase and Decrease of Eemaan | ‘Abdur-Razzq al-’Abbaad

The Difference between Caution and Suspicion

One who is cautious resembles one who travels with his wealth and riding animal while being mindful of thieves. He resembles one who has prepared himself with armor and weapons to meet his enemy.

As for suspicion, it is a heart filled with bad thoughts of others, and backbiting, slander, and hatred is the result. One who is cautious intermingles with people while protecting himself, though one who is suspicious harms them while avoiding them. The former advises them while the latter despises them.

• Transcribed from: The Soul | Imaam Ibn Al Qayyim

True Nobility

Dhun-Noon said, “Who is more noble and honourable than one who is cut off from everyone except the One who has sovereignty of everything in His Hand?

• Transcribed from: The Evil of Craving for Wealth and Status | al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee

Weep Tears of Understanding

Everything has its indications and signs. Indications that knowledge is beneficial are that it leads to fine character, good manners and praiseworthy attributes. In this regard it was said:

“He whose knowledge doesn’t cause him to weep, can be justifiably considered not to have been granted beneficial knowledge,” since Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala described the people of knowledge saying:

Say believe in it (The Qur’aan) or do not believe. Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration. And they say: “Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the Promise of our Lord must be fulfilled”. And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility.”

Complain of Yourself

Imām Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allāh have mercy upon him,  said:

The ignorant one complains about Allāh to the people! This is the height of ignorance in complaining and in whom the complaint is about. For if a person were to truly know his Lord, he would never complain of Him. If he truly knew people, he would never complain to them … The gnostic complains only to Allāh, and the most knowledgeable of the gnostics are those who complain to Allāh about themselves, not others … So there are three levels: The most contemptible of them is to complain to people about Allāh; the loftiest of them is to complain to Allāh about oneself; the middle level is to complain to Allāh about others.

• Source: al-Fawa’id
• Transcribed from: Translator’s Footnote from ‘The Exquisite Peal – The Journey to Allāh & The Home of the Hereafter’ | Shaykh ‘Abd Al-Rahmān Al-Sa’di

Two Paradises

Imām Ibn al-Qayyim said: ‘There is no [true] bliss, nor any delight, joy, or completeness for him, except in knowing Allāh, loving Him, being tranquil in the remembrance of Him, feeling delighted in drawing closer to Him and in yearning to meet Him; this being the paradise of the worldly life. Likewise, there is no delight or success for him in the Afterlife, except with his being enveloped in the Abode of Bliss in the Paradise of the next life. So there are for him two paradises, he will not enter the latter without first entering the former.

I heard Shaykh’l-Islām  Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allāh sanctify his soul, saying: ‘Indeed there is a paradise in this world, whoever does not enter it will not enter the Paradise of the Afterlife.’

One of the gnostics said: ‘There are times that pass over the heart about which I say: If the people of Paradise are in the likes of this [state], then what a wonderful life they are in.’

• Source: Madārij al-Sālikīn
• Transcribed from: The Translator’s Preface to ‘The Exquisite Peal – The Journey to Allāh & The Home of the Hereafter’ | Shaykh ‘Abd Al-Rahmān Al-Sa’di