Sayings: Eloquence -- Labor

• Eloquence

  Some eloquence is like magic.

  Index

• Envy

  If envy were proper, two persons would be the most proper objects of it; one, a man to whom god hath given riches, and apointed to bestow in charity; the other, to whom God hath granted the knowledge of religion, and acteth thereon himself, instructing others.

  Keep yourselves far from envy; it eateth up and taketh away good actions, like as fire eateth up and burneth wood.

  Index

• Experience

  He is not a perfect man of fortitude, who hath not fallen into misfortunes; and there is no physician but the experienced.

  Index

• Forgiveness

  Thus saith the Lord, "Verily those who are patient in adversity and forgive wrongs, are the doers of excellence."

  Once Muhammad was asked, "O Apostle of God!" How many times are we to forgive our servant's faults?" He was silent. Again the questioner asked, and Muhammad gave no answer. But when the man asked a third time, he said, "Forgive your servants seventy times day."

  There is no man who woundeth and pardoneth the giver of the wound but God will exalt his dignity and dimish his faults.

  That man is nearest to God, who pardoneth, when he had in his power him who would have injured him.

  Do not say, that if the people do good to us, we will do good to them; and if the people oppress us, we will oppress them; but determine that if people do you good, you will do good to them; and if they oppress you, you will not oppress them.

  Index

• Gentleness

  Verily, god is mild, and is fond of mildness, and he giveth to the mild what he doth not to the harsh.

  Whoever hath been given gentleness hath been given a good portion, in this world and the next.

  God is gentle and loveth gentleness.

  Verily you have two qualities which God and His Messenger love - fortitude and gentleness.

  Index

• God

  Whoever loveth to meet God, God loveth to meet him.

  God saith, "I fulfil the faith of whoso putteth his faith in Me; and I am with him, and near him, when remembereth Me."

  God saith, "Whoso doth one good act, for him are ten rewards; and I also give more to whomever I will; and whoso doth an ill, its punishment is equal to it, or I forgive him; and whoso seeketh to approach Me one span, I seek to approach one cubit; and whoso seeketh to approach Me one cubit, I seek to approach him two fathoms; and whoso walketh towards Me, I run towards him; and whoso cometh before Me with the earth full of sins, and believeth solely in Me, him I come before with a front of forgiveness as big as the earth."

  God saith, "The person I hold as a beloved, I am his hearing by which he heareth, and I am his sight by which he seeth, and I am his hands by which he holdeth, and I am his feet by which he walketh."

  God saith, "O Man! Only follow thou My laws, and thou shall become like unto Me, and then say, 'Be' and behold, It is."

  God is One, and liketh unity.

  We were with Muhammad on a journey, and some men stood up repeating aloud, "God is most great," and the Rasul said, "O men! Be easy on yourselves, and do not distress yourselves by raising your voices, verily you do not call to one deaf or absent, but verily to one who heareth and seeth; and He is with you; and He to whom you pray is nearer to you than the neck of your camel."

  God sait, "I was a hidden treasure. I would fain be known. So I created Man."

  Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first.

  Index

• God's Forgiveness

  Muhammad said, "I would not have the whole wealth of the world in the place of this revelation. . . O My servants who have oppressed your own souls by sinning, despair not of the mercy of God." A man said, "What of him who hath associated others with God?" Muhammad remained silent for a while and then said, "Know that him also God forgiveth; but on repentance."

  God saith, "Verily my compassion overcometh my wrath."

  Index

• God's Kindness

  If the unbeliever knew of the extent of the Lord's mercy, even he would not despair of Paradis.

  God's kindness towards his creaturee is more than a mother's towards her babe.

  If you put your whole trust in God, as you ought, He most certainly will give you sustenance, as He doth the birds; they come out hungry in the morning, but return full to their nests.

  Trust in God, but tie it (your camel).

  God is not merciful to him who is not kind to mankind.

  "Do none enter the Garden of Bliss save by God's mercy?" Muhammad said, "No. None enter save through God's favor." "You also, O Messenger of God! Will you not enter Paradise save by God's compassion?" Muhammad put his hand on his head and said thrice, "I shall not enter unless God cover me with His mercy."

  Index

• Good Works

  That person who relieveth a Mumin (Muslim) from distress in this world, God will in like manner relieve him in the next; and he who shall do good to the indigent, God will do good to him in this world and the next.

  Be persistent in good actions.

  Index

• Heart

  Beware! verily there is a piece of flesh in the body of man, which when good, the whole body is good; and when bad, the whold body is bad, and that is the heart.

  Muhammad said, "O Wabisah! are you come to ask what is goodness and what is badness?" Wabisah said, "Yes, I am come for that." Then He joined his fingers and struck them upon Wabisah's breast, that is made a sign towards his heart, and said, "Ask the question from thine own heart." This he repeated three times aloud and said, "Goodness is a thing from which thy heart findeth firmness and rest; and badness is a thing which throweth thee into doubt, although men may acquit thee."

  Index

• Heaven and Hell

  Hell is veiled in delights, and Heaven in hardships and miseries.

  Heaven lieth at the feet of mothers.

  He will not enter hell who hath faith equal to a mustard seed in his heart; and he will not enter Paradise who hath a single grain of pride, equal to a mustard seed, in his heart.

  Paradise is nearer to you than the thongs of your sandals; and the Fire likewise.

  Deal gently with the people, and be not harsh; cheer them and condemn them not. Ye will meet with many 'people of the Book' who will question thee, what is the key to Heaven? Reply to them (the key to Heaven) to testify to the truth of God, and to do good work.

  People asked Muhammad if to say "There is no diety but God" was not the key to Paradise. He said, "Yes, but it is a key which hath wards; and if ye come with a key of that description, Paradise will be opened to you, otherwise it will not."

  Paradise is not for him who reproacheth others with any favor he doth to them.

  The people entitled to the Abode of Bliss are three; the first, a just king, a doer of good to his people endowed with virtue; the second, an affectionate man, of a tender heart to relations and others; the third, a virtuous man.

  Verily a man used to come before the Rasul (Muhammad) bringing his son with him; and the Rasul said to him, "Dost thou love this boy?" And the man said, "O Rasul of God! May God love thee as I love this son!" Then the Rasul did not see the boy with his father for some time; and He said, "What has become of that man's son?" The said, "O Rasul! He is dead." And the Rasul said to the man, "Dost thou not like this, that thou wilt find no door of Paradise but thy son will be there awaiting thee, in order to conduct thee into Paradise?" And another man said, "O Rasul! Is this joyful news particularly for this man, or for the whole of us?" Lord Muhammad said, "For all of you."

  What is Paradise? Muhammad replied, "It is what the eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, nor ever flashed across the mind of man."

  Index

• Hospitality

  He who believeth in one God, and a future life, let him honor his guest.

  Whoever believeth in God and the Hereafter must respect his guest; and whoever believeth in God and the Hereafter must not incommode his neighbors, and a Mumin must speak only good words, otherwise remain silent.

  It is not right for a guest to stay so long as to incommode his host.

  Index

• Humility

  Humility and courtesy are acts of piety.

  Verily God instructs me to be humble and lowly and not proud; and that no one should oppress another.

  A tribe must desist from boasting of their forefathers; if they will not leave off boasting, verily they will be more abominable near God, than a black beetle which rolleth forward filth by its nose; and verily God has removed from you pride and arrogance. There is no man but either a righteous Mumin or a sinner; mankind are all sons of Adam, and he was from earth.

  Whoever is humble to men for God's sake, may God exalt his eminence.

  Index

• Islam

  "Inform me in the nature of Islam," said Sufyan, "so that I may have no occasion to ask others about it." Muhammad said, "Say, O Sufyan, 'I believe in God;' after which obey the commandments, and abandon the things forbidden."

  Islam commenced in a forlorn state, and will quickly return to what it was in the beginning; then be joyful, ye who are firm.

  My religion is like clouds dropping much rain; some of them falling on pure, favorable soil, cause grass to grow; some of them fall in hollows from which mankind are benefited, some fall on high lands from which benefit is not derived; then the two first are like the persons acquainted with the religion of God and instructing others; and the last like the person not regarding it nor accepting the right path.

  The greatest enemies of God are those who are entered into Islam, and do acts of infidelity, and who without cause, shed the blood of man.

  When asked, "What is Islam?" Muhammad said, "Abstinence and Obedience to God." Asked "What is one of the most excellent virtues of Iman (Faith)?" He said, "An amiable disposition." "Which is the most excellent Hijrah (Renunciation)?" He said, "Abandoning that of which God disapproveth."

  "What is Islam?" someone asked. Muhammad said, "Purity of speech and charity."

  Every child is born with a disposition towards the natural religion (Islam - submission to the Divine Will). It is the parents who maketh it a Jew, Christian or a Magian.

  Do you know what sappeth the foundations of Islam and ruineth it? The errors of the learned destroy it, and the disputations of the hypocrite, and the orders of kings who have lost the road.

  Men differ like mines of gold and silver: the good in ignorance are the good in Islam, once they have obtained the knowledge of religion.

  Index

• Jihad

  The most excellent Jihad is that for the conquest of self.

  The ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of the martyr.

  Index

• Kindness

  To gladden the heart of the weary, to remove the suffering of the afflicted, hath its own reward. In the day of trouble, the memory of the action cometh like a rush of the torrent, and taketh our burden away.

  He who helpeth his fellow-creature in the hour of need, and he who helpeth the oppressed, him will God help in the Day of Travail.

  What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of a human being, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful, and to remove the wrongs of the injured.

  Who is the most favored of God? He from whom the greatest good cometh to His creatures.

  All God's creatures are His family; and he is the most beloved of God who doeth most good to God's creatures.

  Whoever is kind to His creatures, God is kind to him; therefore be kind to man on earth, whether good or bad; and being kind to the bad, is to withold him from badness, thus in heaven you will be treated kindly.

  He who is not kind to God's creatures, and to his own children, God will not be kind to him.

  Kindness is a mark of faith: and whoever hath not kindness hath not faith.

  Index

• The Kuran

  The Kuran consisteth of five heads, things lawful, things unlawful, clear and positive precepts, mysteries, and examples. Then consider that lawful which is there declared to be so, and that which is forbidden as unlawful; obey the precepts, believe in the mysteries, and take warning from the examples.

  Doth any of you suppose that God hath not forbidden anything except in the Kuran? Beware, for verily I swear by God that I have ordered, and prohibited things in manner like the Kuran: and God hath not made it lawful for you to enter the houses of the People of the Book (that is Jews, Christians, etc.) without their permission, or you beat their women, or eat their fruits.

  The Kuran was sent down in seven dialects; and in every one of its sentences, there is an external and internal meaning.

  The other messengers of God had their miracles, mine is the Kuran and will remain forever.

  "By what rule," said Muhammad, "would you be guided, O Muaz, in your administration of Yeman?" "By the law of the Kuran." "But if you find no direction in the Kuran?" "Then I will act according to the example of the Messenger of God." "But if that faileth?" "Then I will exercise my own reason and judgement."

  Index

• Labor

  Pray to God morning and evening, and employ the day in your avocations.

  He who neither worketh for himself, nor for others, will not receive the reward of God.

  Whoso is able and fit and doth not work for himself, or for others, God is not gracious to him.

  Those who earn an honest living are the beloved of God.

  God is gracious to him that earneth his living by his own labor, and not by begging.

  Whoever desireth the world and its riches, in a lawful manner, in order to withold himself from begging, and for a livelihood for his family, and for being kind to his neighbor, will come to God with his face as bright as the full moon on the fourteenth night of the lunar month.

  Give the laborer his wage before his perspiration be dry.

  Index

Tweet
Follow @wisdomfund

Compilation Copyright © 1995 The Wisdom Fund - All Rights Reserved