It was related that when Ibn Taymiyyah was being transported by the ruler’s representative to prison in Alexandria, a bystander saw him and said: “My master, this is the time for patience.”
So, Ibn Taymiyyah looked at him and replied: “Rather, this is the time to be thankful. By Allah, such joy and happiness are descending upon my heart at this moment that if it was divided between the people of Sham and Egypt, there would be some left over, and if I had that amount in gold and distributed it, it would not equal even a tenth of the blessing that I am experiencing.”
Later on, on Monday the 6th of the month of Sha’ban 726 AH, he was again arrested on orders from the ruler, and was ordered transferred to the Citadel Prison in Damascus. When he first learned of this, he said: “I was waiting for this, and this contains great benefit.” When he was later in the prison, he said: “If this prison was exchanged for its weight in gold, I would not consider this to be enough to repay this blessing I am in and the good that it has brought me.”
When he entered the grounds of the Citadel Prison in Damascus, he stood and looked at its walls, reciting the verse: {“…So a wall will be put up between them with a gate therein. Inside it will be mercy, and from the outside, it will be torment.”} [al-Hadid; 13]
[Ibn 'Abd al-Hadi's 'al-'Uqud ad-Durriyyah'; p. 177-178, 365,p. 44 Ibn al-Qayyim's 'al-Wabil as-Sayyib']
So, Ibn Taymiyyah looked at him and replied: “Rather, this is the time to be thankful. By Allah, such joy and happiness are descending upon my heart at this moment that if it was divided between the people of Sham and Egypt, there would be some left over, and if I had that amount in gold and distributed it, it would not equal even a tenth of the blessing that I am experiencing.”
Later on, on Monday the 6th of the month of Sha’ban 726 AH, he was again arrested on orders from the ruler, and was ordered transferred to the Citadel Prison in Damascus. When he first learned of this, he said: “I was waiting for this, and this contains great benefit.” When he was later in the prison, he said: “If this prison was exchanged for its weight in gold, I would not consider this to be enough to repay this blessing I am in and the good that it has brought me.”
When he entered the grounds of the Citadel Prison in Damascus, he stood and looked at its walls, reciting the verse: {“…So a wall will be put up between them with a gate therein. Inside it will be mercy, and from the outside, it will be torment.”} [al-Hadid; 13]
[Ibn 'Abd al-Hadi's 'al-'Uqud ad-Durriyyah'; p. 177-178, 365,p. 44 Ibn al-Qayyim's 'al-Wabil as-Sayyib']
