Ibn al-Mubarak's letter to Fudayl ibn Iyad (Ya 'Abid Al Haramayn)
O worshipper of the two holy masjids
It is reported that when in Tarsus, Ibn al-Mubarak wrote a letter to his friend al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyadh (who was known for his worship in Makkah and Madinah), encouraging him to partake in Jihad and not to be satisfied with simply worshiping Allah in the mosques. Ibn Abi Sukaynah said, 'In Tarsus in the year 177 AH, Ibn al-Mubarak gave me a letter with the following verses. I bid farewell to him and went to deliver it to al-Fudhayl ibn 'Iyadh:
O WORSHIPPER OF THE TWO HOLY MASJIDS
يا عابد الحرمين لو ابصرتنا
لعلمت انك في العبادة تلعب
من كان يخضب خده بدموعه
فنحورنا بدمائنا تتخضب
أو كان يتعب خيله في باطل
فخيولنا يوم الصبيحة تتعب
ريح العبير لكم ونحن عبيرنا
رهج السنابك والغبار الأطيب
ولقد اتانا من مقال نبينا
قول صحيح صادق لا يكذب
لا يستوي غبار خيل الله في
أنف امرئ ودخان نار تلهب
هذا كتاب الله يحكم بيننا
ليس الشهيد بميت لا يكذب
O Worshiper of the Two Holy Masjids!
Had you witnessed us in the battlefield
You would have known that, compared to our Jihad,
Your worship is child's play.
For every tear you have shed upon your cheek,
We have shed in its place, blood upon our chests.
You are playing with your worship,
While worshipers offer your worship
Mujahideen offer their blood and person (life).
The smell of nice perfume of is for you,
And our perfume is the dust and dirt (which is more pure),
And it has reached us from the sayings of our Prophet,
The martyr is not dead,
This is a true correct saying, in which there is no lie.
The dust of the people of Allah is never equal,
To a thousand men, whilst the smoke is climbing.
This is the book of Allah between us,
The martyr is not dead - and this is no lie
Ibn Abi Sukaynah said, 'So I met al-Fudhayl in the Haram (Makkah) with the letter and when he read it, tears came to his eyes and he said, 'Indeed, Abu Abdur-Rahman (Ibn al-Mubarak) has told the truth and he has certainly advised (me).
Source: The Life of ‘Abdullah Ibn al-Mubarak The scholar of the East and the scholar of the West Compiled by Farhia Yahya Based on the book 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, al-Imam al-Qudwah' By Muhammad 'Uthman Jamal
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A famous saying goes as follows: 'Alhaqqu laa yu'uraf bil rijaal, bal al-rijaal yu'uraf bil haqq' (The truth will not be judged by the actions of people. Instead, people will be judged according to the truth).
From Imam al-Shafi'i - "Do not acquire knowledge in order to compete with the scholars, nor to argue with the ignorant, nor to gain mastery over the gatherings. Since whoever does that, then: The Fire! The Fire!"
He has also narrated:
"People did not become ignorant nor differed except after their abandonment of the Arabic language and their inclination to the language of Aristoteles!"
“Don’t depend too much on anyone in this world because even your own shadow leaves you when you are in darkness.” – Ibn Taymiyyah (Rahimahullah).
The scholar Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, may Allah raise his rank said, “Whatever you imagine in your mind, Allah does not resemble it.”
A Caution from the Worldly Mufti
Ahmad ibn Hanbal wrote to Sa’id ibn Ya’qub:
“Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim,
From Ahmad ibn Muhammad [ibn Hanbal] to Sa’id ibn Ya’qub. To proceed:
Verily, the world is a disease, and the Sultan is a cure, while the scholar is a doctor. If you notice the doctor pulling the disease towards himself, then beware of him.
Was-Salaamu ‘Alaik”
Ibn Taymiyah said, commenting on Imam Ahmad’s statement: “This entails warning against asking the one from the scholars who seeks wealth and status.”
Imam Malik said:
"The shield of the scholar is, 'I don't know', so If he leaves it down, his attacker will strike him" (al-Intiqaa)
Imam Shaafi'ee said:"I have not debated with anyone about theological rhetoric except once, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for that!" (ath-Thahabee in as-siyar)