“Every time you feel the loneliness of isolation, remember your companions who have preceded you and be eager to join them; and do not be concerned with others, for they will not avail you at all before Allah. And if they call out to you during your journey, do not turn to them, for whenever you respond to them, they will take you and set you in another direction.” 

Ibn Qayyim 
[Madarij Al-Salikeen]

Advice from Imaam Sufyaan Ath-Thawree

….Beware of doing that which will spoil your deeds, and know that it is showing off that spoils a person’s deeds; and if it is not showing off then it is conceitedness- for you to imagine that you are better than one of your Muslim brothers, when in reality he performs more good deeds than you do; or perhaps he stays further away from that which Allah has prohibited than you do; or perhaps he performs his deeds with purer intention that you do. And even if you are not conceited, beware of developing a love for praise. Be ever so careful not to come to love other people’s praise of your good deeds, or the respect they feel for you and bestow upon you because of your good deeds. And beware of desiring that others should help you in your personal affairs just because they have become impressed by your good deeds. You surely claim (as does everyone else), after all, that you are doing good deeds only for the sake of Allah, well, then turn that claim into reality….

- IMAAM SUFYAAN ATH-THAWRI (RAHIMAHULLAH) 

[THE BIOGRAPHY OF SUFYAAN ATH-THAWRI]

STORIES OF THE SCHOLARS [2004 - 2010] SH.MOHAMMAD AL-BANNA BY ABU MUADH TAQWEEM ASLAM

SHAIKH MOHAMMAD BIN ABDUL-WAHHAB AL-BANNA 

 رحمه الله تعالى:

Upon a visit to Makkah for the purpose of performing the ‘umra in approximately the year 2005, we approached the Shaikh whilst he was sitting at his usual location in al-Masjid al-Haram. We proceeded to greet the Shaikh and ask concerning his health and general well-being. The Shaikh had been sitting reciting the Qur’an prior to our arrival, however he had momentarily ceased his recitation to greet us…after a moment or two once the greetings had concluded, and perhaps a short question or two had been asked and answered, the Shaikh turned to us and said [paraphrased];

“Please excuse me, please excuse me but I need to return to the recitation of the Qur’an….I am an old man now….my days are nearing the end, the grave is close….

'O you of little resolve, where do you stand upon this path?

''O you of little resolve, where do you stand upon this path? Adam found it difficult and Nuh lamented because of it, while Allaah’s Khaleel Ibraaheem was thrown into a pit of fire due to it. Isma’eel was laid upon his side ready to be sacrificed for its sake, and while upon it Yusuf was sold for a cheap price and then falsely cast into prison for many years. Zakariyah was sawed in half, and Yahya was slaughtered due to it. Ayyub suffered great distress, while Dawood cried copiously, and ‘Isaa cured the wretched poor of their diseases and walked with wild beasts due to it. And how many, how many forms of difficulty and hardship did the Messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) face while proceeding upon it – yet you live through amusements and distractions!''

Scholar: Ibn Al-Qayyim | Resource: Al-Fawaa’id