Words That Fall Upon the Heart from Imām al-Shāfiʿī
The wisdoms of Imām al-Shāfiʿī are a selection of brief sayings that touch the heart, character, and inner discipline of a person. Although each saying may appear as a simple note on its own, behind it lie fundamental issues such as discipline of the nafs (the lower self), awareness of mortality, knowledge, adab (proper conduct), and maturity of the qalb (the heart).
01
"If you wish to take a lesson, look at the outcomes of those who have erred, and gather your heart."
02
"Neither the joy nor the sorrow, neither the abundance nor the hardship of this world is permanent. When you possess a content qalb (the heart), you and the one who possesses the world are equal. When death comes to someone, there is neither earth nor sky that can save him from the hand of death. Indeed, this earth that Allah the Exalted has created is vast. However, once the decree of Allah the Exalted comes, even the open expanse becomes constricted. There is absolutely no cure (remedy) for death."
03
"Do not respond when a foolish and ignorant person speaks. Silence is better than responding to him."
04
"I tested people early in the morning, and I saw that the skins of the world were walking, filled with stinginess. I saw nothing else. Then I drew a sword from the scabbard of contentment, and with its sharp edge, I cut off my hopes from them."
05
"The root of all enmities is befriending evil people and doing good to them."
06
"The leader of the Muslims, Imām al-Aʿẓam Abū Ḥanīfa, adorned the lands and their inhabitants with the rulings he gave through his knowledge. There is no equal to him in the East, the West, or in Kūfa. May Allah the Exalted have mercy on him."
07
"After the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), the most virtuous of people is Abū Bakr, then ʿUmar, then ʿUthmān, then ʿAlī."
08
"It is hoped that all enmities may turn into love. But enmity that arises from envy is not like this."
09
"Whoever backbites others in your presence will also backbite you in your absence."
10
"The most troubled people in the world are those who carry envy and rancor in their qalb (the heart)."
11
"Knowledge is not what is memorized, but the benefit obtained from what is memorized."
12
"There is no good in one who does not love knowledge. Cut off friendship and attachment with such people. For knowledge is the life of the qalb (the heart) and the light of the eyes."
13
"If you do not occupy yourself with truth, falsehood will occupy you."
14
"The beauty of the scholars is in reforming their nafs (the lower self); the adornment of knowledge is to avoid doubtful matters, to be gentle and not to show harshness."
15
"Whoever knows Allah the Exalted finds salvation. Whoever is meticulous in his religion is saved from evil. Whoever reforms his nafs (the lower self) attains happiness."
16
"You say you love Allah the Exalted, yet you disobey Him. Such love does not exist. If you were sincere in your love, you would obey Allah the Exalted. For the lover obeys the beloved."
17
"With the appearance of white hairs on my head, the fire of my nafs (the lower self) was extinguished. With the burning of white hairs on my head, my night has come. (For these are the harbingers of death.) After the heralds of old age descended upon my cheeks, how can I live in comfort? The best part of a person's life is before old age. However, a nafs (the lower self) whose youth is gone is as if it is gone. When a person's complexion turns pale and his hair turns white, his beautiful and sweet days also lose their beauty and sweetness. Do not walk arrogantly upon the earth. For after a while, this earth will take you into itself as well."
18
"Be ascetic in the world, do not become attached to worldly possessions! Be one who seeks the Hereafter, work for it! Remember Allah the Exalted in all your affairs. If you do so, you will be among the saved. There is no benefit from a scholar who is preoccupied with dispensations and interpretations."
19
"Do not envy those who have more wealth and money than you. They are afflicted with longing for their wealth and money. Envy those who have much worship and obedience. Since those who live will eventually die, it is not worth coveting their worldly possessions."
20
"Even if you have many faults and defects among people, let your character be goodness, generosity, and keeping your word. Cover your faults and defects with your goodness and generosity. Do not expect goodness from the miser. For in Hell, there is no water for the thirsty."
21
"It is very difficult to completely please and satisfy people. It is not possible for a person to please everyone. Therefore, the servant should always seek to please and satisfy his Lord, and be a person of ikhlas (sincerity)."
22
"If the elder of a people has no knowledge, when everyone turns to him, he is small. The young one of a people who has no rank or status but possesses knowledge is the elder in the assemblies of knowledge."
23
"O human, guard your tongue, lest it bite you. For it is a great serpent. In the graves, there are many who, even though they were brave and courageous, fell victim to their tongues, which even they feared to confront."
24
"There is no time when the study of knowledge does not remove sorrow and grief; the study of knowledge stirs the most subtle and hidden points of the qalb (the heart), and awakens lofty feelings in a person."
25
"There is no one who does not have both friends and enemies. Since this is so, then be with those who obey Allah the Exalted, and love them."
26
"Whoever wishes for a window of divine light to be opened in his qalb (the heart) should do these four things: 1- Be alone and enter into presence at a certain time of the day. 2- Do not overfill his stomach. 3- Cease associating with foolish people, do not keep company with evil people. 4- Do not approach those who seek only worldly desires with their knowledge."
27
"Whoever's thought, desire, and aim is eating and drinking (the world), his value is only as much as the filth that comes out of his intestines."
28
"None of those who seek knowledge for arrogance and self-importance have ever found success. But whoever seeks knowledge for humility, to serve the scholars and people, will certainly find success and salvation."
29
"Arrogance and boasting are the traits of the ignoble and base."
30
"Whoever serves, will be served."
31
"Learn knowledge; no one is born a scholar, and the knowledgeable and the ignorant are not equal."
32
"Learning knowledge is superior to supererogatory worship."
33
"A true friend warns his companion when he sees his faults, he does not expose them."
34
"A true friend is one who shares in his companion's sorrow and joy."
35
"Whoever knows how to keep his secret is the master of his affairs."
36
"Go to those who come to you. Do not harm those who harm and trouble you."
37
"Accept the truth and what is right, whoever says it."
38
"Whoever approves of false words is a flatterer and a hypocrite."
39
"Not everyone is called intelligent. The intelligent one is he who protects himself from all kinds of evil."
40
"A true friend and pure alchemy are rare; do not even seek them!"
41
"If I saw someone flying in the air who was not upon the path of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) and his Companions (ṣaḥāba), I would still not accept his truthfulness."
42
"There is no act more delightful than companionship with friends. And there is nothing that brings as much sorrow and grief as separation from friends."
43
"Whoever teaches knowledge to one who does not know himself has wasted the right of knowledge. Whoever withholds knowledge from one who deserves it has committed injustice."
44
"Do not give your opinion to one who does not ask for it. For if you do so, you will not be praised, nor will your opinion benefit that person."
45
"There are three conditions for learning knowledge: the teacher must be skillful, the student must be intelligent, and there must be a long time."
46
"For two people to expose each other's faults after becoming angry is a sign of hypocrisy."
47
"The root of all enmities is befriending evil people and doing good to them."
48
"To claim that one gathers love of the world and love of Allah together is a lie."
49
"Whoever falls into hardship and difficulty in worldly matters should turn to worship."
50
"Whoever claims to love both the world and its Creator together is a liar."
51
"Being content brings comfort."
52
"Whoever does not taste the bitterness of learning for a while will drink the humiliation of ignorance for a lifetime."