Sayings of Ibn Al-Qayyim al-Jawzziya:

[Abu Juwairiya]

The following is a summarised version from 'Zad-ul Ma'ad fi Hadyi Khari-l-Ibad' by Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziya about his life and times.

His real name is Abu Abdullah Shams Ad-Din Muhammad Ibn Abu Bakr, Ibn Ayyub, Ibn Sa'ad, Ibn Huraiz, Ibn Makki Az-Zu'ii.

He lived between 691-751 AH (After Hijrah). He was born close to Damascus and died in Damascus.

He received his more famous name, Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyah, because his father Abu Bakr, was the Qayyim or supervisor of the school known by the name, Al-Jawziyah, in Damascus.

He was born in the village of Zur in the area of Horan near Damascus, later he was transferred to Damascus itself where he was taught by the Ulema. His first teacher was his father (who died in 723).

After assuming the position of scholar himself, he specialised in Fiqh, Sunnah, Hadith and Arabic language. He later started teaching at the school known as 'As-Sadriyyah' and led Salah at Al-Jawziyah.

It was in 712 Ibn Qayyim met his most famous teacher and Sheikh, Ibn Taymiyyah, and remained with him for the rest of his life. Ibn Taymiyyah died in 728 and during those 16 years the two shared the responsibility of defending the Sunnah and its knowledge. When Ibn Taymiyyah was sent to jail for defending the Sunnah, Ibn Qayyim was often jailed along with him.

As a defender of the Sunnah against those who believed in Bid'ah, Ibn Qayyim would first read out what those sects believed in and then refute their creeds and statements using the Qur'an and Sunnah as his weapons. He would also mention several evidences to support certain rulings and cite scholars of earlier times and support their statements from the Qur'an and Sunnah.

 

[Abdur_Rahman1]

Follow the path of the truth:

" You must follow the path of the truth and do not be discouraged that so few are following it. You must beware of the path of falsehood and do not be deceived that so many are destroyed by it."

Ibn al-Qayyim

 

[Abdur_Rahman1]

 

[Abdur_Rahman1]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim al-Jauziyyah:

"The comfort of the body is in eating little food and the comfort of the soul is in having little sins and the comfort of the tongue is in speaking a little."

(Zaad al-Ma'aad,4/186)

 

[Abdur_Rahman1]

Are you serious about keeping away from evil ?

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimhaullaah) said:

As for the signs of being serious about keeping away from forbidden things, they are: keeping away from things that could lead to it, and avoiding all means of drawing close to it.

Such as the one who flees from places in which there are images that lead to fitnah (temptation), for fear of being tempted by them, and giving up things with which there is nothing wrong for fear of things that are wrong, and avoiding excessive indulgence in permissible things for fear of falling into that which is makrooh, and avoiding people who commit sin openly or regard it as good and promote it and take it lightly and do not care about what they do of sin.

For mixing with such people is likely to incur the wrath and anger of Allah, so no one mixes with them except the one whose heart is lacking in respect for Allah and His sacred limits.

[al-Waabil al-Sayyib, Page 32]

 

[Abdur_Rahman1]

Be like the Bee:

Sheikh Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah:

As people are content with the world, so you should be content with Allaah. As they are delighted by the world, so you should be delighted with Allaah. As they are intimate with their loved ones, so you should seek intimacy with Allaah. As they desire to know their kings and their leaders, and to draw near to them in order for honor and status to be conferred on them, so you should come to know Allaah and seek His love, this will lead to the utmost honor and distinction.

Said one of the zuhhad: “I can never imagine that someone could hear about Paradise and Hellfire and can still waste an hour without performing any act of obedience to Allaah; neither remembrance, prayer, reciting Quraan nor an act of charity or kindness.”

Someone said to him: “I weep profusely.”

He replied: “That you laugh while confessing your sin is better than weeping yet being puffed-up with pride because of your deeds. For the deeds of a conceited person will never rise above his head.”

The person then requested: “Please counsel me.”

So he replied: “Leave the world to those who hanker after it, as they leave the Afterlife to its seekers. And be in this world as the bee: it eats only good, produces only good, and when it rests upon anything it neither ruins it nor deflowers it.”

[Al Fawaa-id, Ibn al Qayyim al Jawziyyah (rahimahullaah), Pg.187]

 

[Abdur_Rahman1]

Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah:

"How many people caused misery to their own children, the apple of their eyes, in this world and the Hereafter, by neglecting them, not disciplining them, encouraging them to follow their whims and desires, thinking that they were honoring them when they were in fact humiliating them, that they were being merciful to them when in fact they were wronging them. They have not benefited from having a child, and they have made the child lose his share in this world and in the Hereafter. If you think about the corruption of children you will see that in most cases it is because of the parents."

- Tuhfat al-Mawlood, pg: 146

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

"Allah has created angels having reason but with no desires, animals having desires and no reason, and man with both reason and desires. Therefore, if one’s reason is stronger than his desires, he is like an angel. On the other hand, if his desires are stronger, he is like an animal."
~Ibn Al-Qayyim Al Jawziyyah

 

[Abdur_Rahman1]

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“Whosoever issued fatwas to people merely by citing quotes from books while they (people) vary in customs, times and conditions has deviated and caused others to deviate.”

Source: I’lam al-Muwaqqi’in by Ibn al-Qayyim Dar ibn al-Jawzi (2002), volume 4, page 470

 

[Abdur_Rahman1]

" The servant is never in need of any other thing , as much as he is need of guidance to the straight path. "

~ Ibn Al-Qayyim Al Jawziyyah

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

"If a man’s patience is stronger than his whims and desires, then he is like an angel, but if his whims and desires are stronger than his patience, then he is like a devil." (Source: "Ibn Al-Qayyim [Uddat as-Sâbireen wa Dhâkirat])

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

Ibn Qayyim was highly versed in Christianity and spoke in detail about the falseness of Christian worship, the imagery used of both Jesus and Mary and the worship of the Cross, even as a symbol. He also spoke about Christian veneration of so-called 'saints' throughout the centuries.

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

"As a whole, whoever sins, then sins remove away the blessings from the Deen and the Dunyaa, so that he won’t find any blessings in his age [Life full of suffering and illnesses.], his religious affairs [Less good deeds.] and his worldly affairs [A person may have much wealth, but he may have a problem with his wife, children or the society abhors him etc.]." (Source: Ibn Al Qayyim Jawziyyah, [al-Jawaab al-Kaafi (1/84)])

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

"Whoever would love that Allah reciprocates his evil with goodness, let him reciprocate the evil people do towards him with goodness." (Source: Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah "[Miftaah Daaris-Sa’aadah, Vol. 1, P 292])

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

"It is quite amazing how it can be easy upon a person to be cautious and wary with regards to [different impermissible acts such as]: eating from unlawful means, oppression, adultery and fornication, stealing, drinking intoxicants, looking at prohibited things and the likes, and yet quite difficult for him to be careful about the movement of his tongue.

So bad that you find a person towards whom the people point to concerning his practice of the religion, his asceticism, and worship, and despite this he says statements that anger Allah greatly and he shows no concern about this, yet this statement will take him [to a Fire] that is farther than distance between east and west." (Source: Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah '[“Al-Jawaabul-Kaafee/Ad Daa Wad-Dawaa”])

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

"The best thing to do when reciting the Qur’an is to have your heart and mind present in order to reflect over and understand it as if Allah is personally addressing you with it.

So, to have your heart present to understand and reflect over it and to have the zeal to implement its commands is greater than the attentiveness of the heart of one who has received a message from the ruler to that message." (Source: Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah, ‘Madarij as-Salikin’ (1/188)])

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

"If one does not spend one’s time for Allah’s sake, then it is better to die." (Source: Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah, Ad-Da’, P 183)

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

"Sincerity is not combined in the heart along with the love of being praised by the people, and being commended by them, and also having greed for what the people have, except like water being combined with fire." (Source: Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah, "‘Al-Fawaid" P 267)

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

"Jinns share the quality of patience with humans, as they are responsible for their actions like humans are. They need patience to fulfil their responsibilities towards Allah the same way that we do.

One might ask: are they responsible in the same way that we are, or in a different way? The answer is that with regard to matters of emotion and feelings they are responsible just as we are, and share the obligation to love for the sake of Allah and hate for Allah, to believe and have faith, to take believers for friends and unbelievers for enemies, etc.

But as far as physical matters such as ghusl, wudu, washing after relieving oneself and circumcision are concerned, they are not the same as us. Their duties in that regard are in accordance with the way they are created." (Source: Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah, "Uddat as-Sâbireen wa Dhâkirat")

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

"Wasting time is more severe than death, for wasting time cuts you off from Allah and the Abode of the Hereafter, whereas death cuts you off from the dunyaa and its people." (Source: Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah, "Fawaidul-Fawaid", P 458)