Sahl ibn Abd Allah Tustari

“Allah Almighty does not open the heart of he in whom there are 3 things: a desire to remain everlasting, love of wealth, and anxiety over tomorrow.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.21 — Maktaba tul Madina

“Do not investigate into people's bad and lowly habits. Inspect and scrutinise yourself in relation to Islamic character until you become obedient and the value of your condition increases with you in your heart.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.21 — Maktaba tul Madina

“Without knowledge, the entire world is ignorance. Without sincerity, all actions are scattered particles of dust. You should continue to worry concerning your sincere actions too until you come to know whether they have been accepted or not.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.22 — Maktaba tul Madina

“Thankfulness for knowledge is practical action, and thankfulness for practical action is to increase in knowledge.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.22 — Maktaba tul Madina

“Filling the stomach is the root of heedlessness.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.22 — Maktaba tul Madina

“When a person remains adamant upon sin, his every action is tainted by carnal desires. As long as he remains stubborn upon even one sin, his good actions cannot be pure. He cannot attain freedom from his carnal desires until he removes all aspects of his carnal self which he knows are disliked by Allah.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.22 — Maktaba tul Madina

“Nothing has been granted to anyone greater than knowledge by which a person incrementally increases in his reliance upon Allah.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.22 — Maktaba tul Madina

“The reward of proclaiming la ilaha illallah is none other but to see Allah. As for Jannah, it is the reward of pious actions.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.24 — Maktaba tul Madina

“However much you debase your worldly life, you will commensurately build your Hereafter. However much you oppose your carnal self, carnal desires and lustful cravings, you will commensurately please your Lord. However much you recognise your enemy is Satan and adopt enmity towards him, you will gain gnosis of your Lord accordingly.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.24 — Maktaba tul Madina

“The soil of every sin is hope. The seed of every sin is greed. Procrastination is its water. The soil of every act of obedience is regret. The seed of every act of obedience is certainty. Practical action is its water.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.24 — Maktaba tul Madina

“Whoever harbours bad opinion is deprived of certainty. Whoever engages in worthless speech is deprived of truthfulness. Whoever engages in frivolous actions is deprived of piety. Whoever is deprived of these three qualities falls into destruction, and he is recorded in the register of enemies.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.24 — Maktaba tul Madina

“O young man! One cannot survive without Allah.”

Statements of our Pious Predecessors, p.25 — Maktaba tul Madina