Part of Lives of the Salaf — the Pious Predecessors (series completed)
· Lesson 58 of 72
A summary of the life of the Salaf between words and deeds | Episode (58) | Repentance, contemplation and contemplation, isolation from people
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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The lives of the salaf.
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Between speech and action.
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Repentance and returning to Allah.
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It is narrated from ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said:
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"Glad tidings to the one who finds much seeking of forgiveness in his record."
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And it is narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Awn, may Allah have mercy on him, that he said:
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"If a man were to devote himself entirely to these worldly kings, he would not benefit."
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So how much more so for the one who devotes himself to the One to whom belong the heavens, the earth, and all that is between them?
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And all that is beneath the soil.
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Yahya ibn Mu‘adh, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"For the repentant, there is a pride that no other pride can match."
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"Allah rejoices in his repentance."
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And it is narrated from al-Rabi‘ ibn Khuthaym, may Allah have mercy on him:
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That he said to his companions:
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"Do you know the ailment, the medicine, and the cure?"
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They said, "No."
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He said:
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"The ailment is sins."
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"The medicine is seeking forgiveness."
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"And the cure is that you repent and do not return to them."
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And it is narrated from Sa‘id al-Jariri that he said:
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I said to al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him:
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"O Abu Sa‘id,"
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"A man commits a sin, then repents,"
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"Then he commits a sin, then repents,"
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"Then he commits a sin, then repents,"
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"Until when?"
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He said:
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"I know this to be nothing but the character of the believers."
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And it is narrated from Shaqiq ibn Ibrahim al-Balkhi, may Allah have mercy on him, that he said:
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"The sign of repentance is:"
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"Weeping over what has passed,"
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"Fear of falling into sin,"
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"Abandoning evil companions,"
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"And keeping company with the righteous."
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Contemplation and reflection.
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From Abu al-Darda’, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
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"An hour of reflection is better than standing in prayer for a whole night."
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And Umm al-Darda’, may Allah be pleased with her, was asked:
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"What was the best deed of Abu al-Darda’?"
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She said:
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"Reflection and taking lessons."
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And it is narrated from Yusuf ibn Sa‘id ibn Muslim that he said:
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I said to ‘Ali ibn Bakkar:
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"Was Ibrahim ibn Adham, may Allah have mercy on him, a man of much prayer?"
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He said, "No."
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"But he was a man of reflection."
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"He would sit all night reflecting."
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And it was said to Ibrahim, may Allah have mercy on him:
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"You reflect a great deal."
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He said:
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"Reflection is the marrow of action."
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And al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Reflection is a mirror,"
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"It shows you your good deeds and your bad deeds."
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And he also said, may Allah have mercy on him:
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"An hour of reflection,"
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"Is better than standing in prayer for a night."
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Seclusion.
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The importance of being independent of people.
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And not asking them for anything.
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Withdrawing from people.
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Not mixing with them excessively.
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And being cautious of them.
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‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
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"Take your share of seclusion."
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And from Abu al-Darda’, may Allah be pleased with him:
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He said:
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"The best hermitage for a Muslim is his own home,"
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"Where he restrains his sight, his hearing, and his private parts."
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"And beware of the marketplaces,"
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"For they cause heedlessness and distraction."
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And it is narrated from Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah, may Allah be pleased with him:
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And he was one of the cleverest of the Quraysh:
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He said:
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"The least of a man's faults,"
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"Is that he sits in his house a lot."
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And from ‘Uthman ibn Abi al-‘As, may Allah be pleased with him:
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That he said:
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"Were it not for the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer,"
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"I would have built a room in the highest part of this house of mine,"
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"And I would not have left it until I was taken out to my grave."
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And Wuhayb ibn al-Ward, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"It used to be said:"
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"Wisdom consists of ten parts,"
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"Nine of which are in silence,"
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"And the tenth is seclusion from people."
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"So I treated my soul with silence,"
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"But I found I could not master all that I wanted from it."
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"So I realized that all ten parts are in seclusion from people."
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And al-Sari al-Saqati, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"A lack of sincerity leads to a multitude of associates."
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And it was said to Ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him:
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"When you pray with us, why do you not sit with us?"
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He said:
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"I go to sit with the Companions and the Tabi‘un."
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They said:
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"And where are the Companions and the Tabi‘un?"
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He said:
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"I go to look into my knowledge,"
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"And I grasp their traditions and their deeds."
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"What should I do with you?"
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"You backbite people."
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And distancing oneself from many people,
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Is closer to Allah.
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Flee from people as you would flee from a lion.
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Hold fast to your religion, and your efforts will be preserved for you.
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And Imam Malik ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"The people who have passed,"
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"Loved seclusion and being apart from people."
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And Habib Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him,
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Used to seclude himself in his house and say:
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"Whoever does not find coolness of eye in You, may he find no coolness of eye."
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"And whoever does not find comfort in You, may he find no comfort."
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And Malik ibn Dinar, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Every brother, companion, and associate,"
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"From whom you do not benefit in the affairs of your religion,"
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"Flee from him."
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And some of the salaf, may Allah have mercy on them, said:
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"I am amazed at the one who knows the path to his Lord,"
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"How can he live with anyone else?"
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The importance of being independent of people,
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Not asking them for anything, and cutting off reliance upon them.
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From Umm al-Darda’, she said:
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Abu al-Darda’, may Allah be pleased with him, said to me:
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"Do not ask people for anything."
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She said, "I asked, 'What if I am in need?'"
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He said, "What if you are in need?"
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"Follow the harvesters,"
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"And look at what falls from them,"
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"Gather it, grind it, then eat it,"
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"And do not ask people for anything."
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And Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"You must earn a pure living,"
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"And what you earn with your own hands."
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"For the one who eats the filth of people,"
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"Whether you eat it or wear it,"
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"The one who eats the filth of people,"
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"He speaks according to his desires,"
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"And he humbles himself before people,"
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"For fear that they might withhold from him."
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"For the one who gives you something of his wealth,"
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"It is merely his filth."
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And the interpretation of his filth is:
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No one asks people for anything,
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Except that he becomes lowly and humiliated before them.
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And from Qatadah, he said:
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I found Khulayd ibn ‘Abdullah al-‘Asri,
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May Allah have mercy on him, and he said:
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"You will find the believer chaste, yet asking of his Lord."
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"You will find him wealthy, yet poor."
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He said, "You will find him chaste toward people,"
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"Asking of his Lord, the Almighty and Majestic."
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"Humiliated before his Lord, but honorable in his own self."
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"Wealthy, independent of people,"
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"But poor, in need of his Lord."
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Qatadah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Those are the characteristics of the believer."
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"He is the best of help and the easiest of people to support."
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The sayings of some of the salaf,
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Regarding the preference for mixing with people,
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And their guidance for those who do mix with them.
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And he warned, may Allah have mercy on him, saying:
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"I have told myself not to mix with people,"
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"So what do you think?"
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He said, "Do not do that."
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"For people have need of you,"
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"And you have need of them."
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"You have needs from them,"
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"And they have needs from you."
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"But be among them as one who is deaf yet hearing,"
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"Silent yet speaking."
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And they mentioned in the presence of Wahb ibn Munabbih, may Allah have mercy on him,
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The worship of the Children of Israel and their travels.
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He said, and Wahb, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Whoever mixes with people,"
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"Maintains piety, and is patient with their harm,"
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"Is better in my estimation."
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And al-Shafi‘i, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Withdrawing from people breeds enmity,"
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"And being too open with them attracts,"
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"Evil companions."
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"So be between withdrawal and openness."
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And Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"If there is tribulation,"
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"There is no harm in a man secluding himself wherever he wishes."
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"But if there is no tribulation,"
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"Then the cities are better."