Ash’shabee (rahimahullaah) said:
”If a man were to travel from the furthest parts of Shaam to the furthest part of Yemen in order to listen to a wise statement, I would not have seen his journey as a waste.”
”There is nothing in the worldly life more precious and elegant than the heart and time, whilst you waste away time and the heart?!” (i.e. wasted in other than what is good and beneficial)
Zakariyyah Al-Abdee (rahimahullaah) said: Ibraaheem An-Nakhaee (rahimahullaah) wept during his illness, so it was said to him: ‘’O father of Imraan what makes you weep?! He said: ”Why should I not weep whilst I am waiting for a messenger from Allaah (i.e. the Angel of death) to give me glad tidings of either this (i.e. Paradise) or (sorrowful news) of that (i.e. hell fire).”
It was said to Rabee Bin Haytham (rahimahullaah): If only you sit with us; he said: ”If my heart is isolated from remembrance of death for an hour, it will corrupt me.”
Question:”Who is the successful one in the sight of Allah?”
Answer:”The successful one is he who adheres to the religion of Islam—holding onto it in creed, statement and action, being enlightened by the Noble Qur’aan and Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and by that which the pious predecessors were upon—the companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and those who followed them in righteousness.”
Source: Permanent committee of Scholars. Question 3 from Fatwa 4889. Chaired by Shaykh bin Baz rahimahullah.
Translated by: Abu-Abdir-Razzaaq Amjad
Yahyah Ibn Awn (rahimahullaah) said: I entered upon Ibnul Qisaar [i.e. visited Ibnul Qisaar (rahimahullaah)] along with Sahnoon (rahimahullaah) whilst he (Ibnul Qisaar) was ill. So he (Sahnoon) said (to Ibnul Qisaar): ”what is this restlessness?” He (Ibnul Qisaar) said: ”Death and the meeting with Allaah.” Sahnoon said to him: Do you truthfully testify to (belief) in the Messengers, the resurrection, the reckoning, the Paradise and the hell fire, and that the best of this Ummah is Abu-Bakr and then Umar, and that the Qur’aan is the speech of Allaah and it is not created, and that Allaah will be seen on the day of judgement and that He ascended over the Throne, and that you do not rebel against the Muslim Rulers with the sword even if they are oppressive? He (Ibnul Qisaar) said: ”By Allaah, certainly.” So He (Sahnoon) said to him: ”Die if you wish.” [Siyar A’laam Nubulaa: 12/68]
I never met Sufyaan Ath-Thawree (rahimahullaah) except that he was weeping; so I would say to him: What is it with you? He would say: ”I fear that I have been written as a wretched one in the preserved tablet.”
[Source: Seerah As-Salaf As-Saaliheen of Imaam Ismaa’eel Ibn Muhammad Al-Asbahaanee]
”O Allaah! Safeguard me through your Book and the Sunnah of your Prophet; (Safeguard me) from opposing the truth and from following desires (due to an absence) of guidance from you; (Safeguard me) from the paths of misguidance, from the affairs that resemble truth but are falsehood in reality, from deviation, deception and blameworthy argumentation (in religion).”
[Source: Seerah As-Salaf As-Saaliheen of Imaam Ismaa’eel Ibn Muhammad Al-Asbahaanee: section: Those who followed the companions in righteousness]